A. Involvement in social groups is certainly conducive to better health, but the effects of camaraderie are enhanced for members of religious communities. These people share a belief system and worldview that goes deeper than common interests. Members of a secular group may or may not take fellow members to the doctor or provide them with meals. People in religious communities commonly do these things more often. A. Denomination makes no difference.
Religion focuses on different behaviors and social dimensions.
There is a healing effect in all religions but the people who are the most actively involved have the greatest health benefits. A. Power of religion has helped people to endure incredibly difficult circumstances. People use prayer and religion to cope and get through life-threatening diagnosis and the physical and emotional pain that goes along with it. It is really difficult to give one example since there are so many I could choose from and each in its own way is remarkable. In our study at Duke, we found that 42 percent of patients brought up religion spontaneously, without our even asking about it.