Belief in Hell Lowers Crime Rate
A new international study by University of Oregon psychologist, Azim F. Shariff, found that believing in heaven and hell correlates to a country’s crime rate, reports The Huffington Post. According to Shariff, “a nation’s rate of belief in hell predicts lower crime rates, but the nation’s rate of belief in heaven predicts higher crime rates.” Based on his findings, Shariff speculates that, “it’s possible that people who don’t believe in the possibility of punishment in the afterlife feel like they can get away with unethical behavior. There is less of a divine deterrent.”