Today on Forum with Michael Krasney (NPR), the author of Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment was interviewed. Very interesting. Listen to it here.
The author, who interviewed 250 people, discusses
- Measuring religiosity by both stated beliefs and participation
- That the least religious nations are the most humane and safe
- That when human needs are met through social welfare, the need for religion may be decreased
- That atheism does not lead to chaos, and does not inhibit societal health
- There are a lot of explanations for the peace of such countries that perhaps make them more successful, including racial homogeneity, the welfare state, and their smallness
The book has an endorsement from village atheist Sam Harris.