Original sentence: Critics of atheism have cited studies which they say suggest that religion and belief in God are correlated with improved individual health, happiness and life expectancy, and that religious people tend to have more children than Atheists.Some have stated that atheism makes life meaningless and miserable
Edited sentence: A number of studies suggests that, on average, religion and belief in God are correlated with improved individual health, happiness and life expectancy, and that religious people tend to have more children than Atheists.Although it is not suggested that one should believe in God for these reasons if one is certain on other grounds that the belief is false, in the presence of uncertainty it is suggested that these factors should be influential, in terms of individual belief, social policy, and a willingness to tolerate religions.Although some highly atheist nations, like Estonia, have low-levels of life satisfaction others, like most of Scandinavia, score quite high in these measures.An analysis of over 200 social studies contends that "high religiousness predicts a rather lower risk of depression and drug abuse and fewer suicide attempts, and more reports of satisfaction with life and a sense of well-being" and a review of 498 studies published in peer-reviewed journals concluded that a large majority of them showed a positive correlation between religious commitment and higher levels of perceived well-being and self-esteem, and lower levels of hypertension, depression and clinical delinquency.On the other hand, statistical association between faith and well being do not negate the point that there are examples of atheists who appear to have led long, productive, and happy lives.Some believe that atheism makes life meaningless and miserable.Studies by Keith Ward show that overall religion is a positive contributor to mental health and a meta-analysis of 34 recent studies published between 1990 and 2001 also found that religiosity has a salutary relationship with psychological adjustment, being related to less psychological distress, more life satisfaction, and better self-actualization.Surveys by Gallup, the National Opinion Research Centre and the Pew Organisation conclude that spiritually committed people are twice as likely to report being "very happy" than the least religiously committed people.There are now extensive studies indicating religious people are happier and less stressed