The Human Beast  Why we do what we do  Big Government Kills
Religion  Nations that pay a lot of tax are less religious.
Atheism blossoms in developed countries but is virtually absent
in poorer nations (1, 2). One interpretation of secularization
is that big government helps citizens to feel more secure and
less in need of religious reassurance. In a new study, I have
found the most compelling evidence yet for this possibility (3).
It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for the
difficulties and uncertainties of their lives. In an earlier
study of 137 countries (4) I found that belief in God was higher
in countries with a heavy load of infectious diseases, making
life difficult and uncertain. Moreover, fewer people believed in
God in wealthy and well-educated countries where life is easier.
Countries with a more equal distribution of income – and hence
less social problems - had more atheists. Atheism was higher for
countries with a well-developed welfare state (as indexed by
high taxation rates).