positive effects of religion essay

Along with Stanford news and stories, show me:

• Student information
• Faculty/Staff information

We want to provide announcements, events, leadership messages and resources that are relevant to you. Your selection is stored in a browser cookie which you can remove at any time using “Clear all personalization” below.

People who believe their God or gods are real, even if the existence of those supernatural beings can’t be empirically proven, have long fascinated and confounded scientists. In a new book, Stanford anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann explores the intersection of religion and science, linking profound religious faith to beneficial, scientifically proven practices like mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy.

In a new book, anthropologist Tanya Lurhmann explores how religious practices and narratives can create deep, positive changes for the people who engage in them. (Image credit: Nikki Ross-Zehnder)

In How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others (Princeton University Press, 2020), Luhrmann explains that religious practices and narratives can create deep, positive changes for the people who engage in them.

“Prayer is a lot like cognitive behavioral therapy,” Luhrmann said. “It’s a way you attend to your own inner experience, let go of distracting thoughts and focus on more positive thoughts. By expressing gratitude, you shift attention from the way that things are going wrong to the ways they are going right.”

In the introduction to her book, Luhrmann explains how her scholarship is inspired by two straightforward, but often overlooked, features of religion. “First, religion is a practice in which people go to effort to make contact with an invisible other. Second, people who are religious want change. They want to feel differently than they do,” she writes. “Yet instead of exploring these features, most theories of religion begin by treating belief in an invisible other both as taken for granted and as a cognitive mistake.”

Luhrmann argues that individuals of faith often have to work hard to make supernatural beings real and that those who are able to do so experience helpful changes. “If they’re lucky, they’re able to attend differently to their thoughts, feel calmer and more beloved,” she said. And these positive outcomes reinforce religious practices, encouraging sustained commitment to ritual and observance.

Image credit: Courtesy Princeton University Press

Relying on ethnographic studies of what she calls “active believers,” including evangelical Christians, pagans, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann found that it takes considerable effort and regular practice to create worlds where supernatural others feel present and real.

That’s because most people make a clear distinction in their lives between real and unreal. For instance, Luhrmann writes, most people, even those with deep faith, do not ask God to feed the dog or write their term paper. And religious traditions address this dichotomy. Referencing a famous Islamic hadith, or saying of the prophet Muhammad, Luhrmann writes: “Anas ibn Malik reported: A man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said, ‘Tie her and trust in Allah.’”

For Luhrmann, the story is an example of how human beings instinctively understand the difference between the demands of the real, mundane world and the world of the spirit. Therefore, the puzzle of religion is not the problem of false belief, but rather of what Luhrmann calls “real-making” – how gods and spirits become real for people and what that does for those who engage in the practice.

Rather than presume that people worship because they believe, or build cathedrals because the belief is already present, Luhrmann flips the equation. She argues instead that people believe because they worship. In other words, the process of “real-making” and engaging fully in rituals and practices that bring one closer to God is so satisfying to practitioners that their faith endures.

Research has repeatedly shown that people of faith report feeling better and healthier. One of the most striking findings in social epidemiology, Luhrmann notes, is that religious involvement with God is better for your body in terms of immune functions and reducing loneliness. One explanation for this, Luhrmann writes, is that for those with an intense faith, God becomes a social relationship. MRI results indicate that in terms of brain function, talking to God resembles conversing with a friend.

But the nature of that relationship is also key in terms of health. The more that God is seen as judgmental and negative, the more mental health symptoms are reported. In contrast, people who represent their relationship with God as being loving and satisfying pray more and report fewer mental health symptoms. “The data suggest that when it’s a good relationship, it’s better for the body,” Luhrmann said.

Even if one is inclined to cultivate that type of relationship with an unseen being, Luhrmann notes that it takes intense work and that some people may be more likely to be successful than others – namely those who are more comfortable using their imaginations. “People who have an Enlightenment mindset – focused on rational, scientific thought – those people often discount these things and don’t trust their imaginations as much,” she said.

But it is precisely imagination, or as Luhrmann writes, “the human ability to conceive of that which is not available to the senses,” that makes possible a close relationship with a supernatural other.

Media Contacts

Joy Leighton, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences: [email protected]

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

Why Is Religion Important?

The Psychology of Believing in Something Bigger Than Yourself

 Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Maskot / Getty Images

Types of Religion

Why people believe in religion, potential pitfalls.

The famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud described religion as a form of wish fulfillment . However, modern psychology recognizes that religion can play an important role in an individual's life and experiences and can even improve health and well-being. In fact, studies have shown that religion can help people develop healthy habits, regulate their behaviors, and understand their emotions—all factors that can affect your mental health.

According to an estimate by the Pew Research Center, 84% of the world's population has some type of religious affiliation.

There are many different types of religions, including the major world religious traditions that are widely known as well as much lesser-known belief systems of smaller populations. Some of these represent monotheism, or the belief in a single god, while others are examples of polytheism, or the belief in multiple gods.

Some of the types of religions include but are certainly not limited to:

• Christianity
• Confucianism
• Indigenous American religions
• Rastafarianism
• Traditional African religions
• Zoroastrianism

Related to religion, animism is the belief in divine non-human beings, while totemism involves the belief in a divine connection between humans and the natural world. On the other end of the religious spectrum is atheism, which involves a belief in no god or gods, and agnosticism, which holds that the existence of god or gods is unknown or unknowable.

Religion vs. Spirituality

While religion and spirituality are related, there are differences between the two. Spirituality is an individual practice and belief, whereas religion is centered on a set of organized practices that a larger group shares. It is possible to be spiritual without being religious.

The reasons why people believe in religion are not fully understood, but researchers have suggested a number of possible explanations.

The Psychology of Religious Belief

According to the most recent Gallup poll, 47% of adults in the U.S. have some type of religious membership. As to why people believe in religion, psychologists have proposed several theories.

• Researchers have proposed that how the human brain works often predisposes people to believe. The human mind looks for patterns, purpose, and meaning, which may influence why people turn to religion to guide their belief systems.
• Parenting and cultural influences also play an important role since people tend to belong to the religion in which they were raised.
• The human need to belong, combined with the desire for social connection, also contributes to the desire to be part of something larger than oneself.

The Purpose of Religion

Religion can serve a wide range of purposes. Religion can be a source of comfort and guidance. It can provide a basis for moral beliefs and behaviors. It can also provide a sense of community and connection to tradition. Some research even suggests that it may affect health.

The impact of religion on health and life expectancy has always been a tricky area of research. It seems (to some) that religious people—defined here as people who attend religious services regularly—seem to be healthier than those who don't attend.

This has led to a line of research looking into the impact of religion on health to determine what, if any, positive benefit religion could have on life expectancy. This research is tricky, however, because of several factors that are difficult to control for, including:

• People who attend religious services may simply be healthier than those who cannot attend.
• The benefits may have more to do with social contact than religion itself.
• Certain religions may encourage healthy behaviors.

As researchers look into the impact of religion, all these factors must be considered along with the possibility that religion itself influences health.

Impact of Religion

Religion can contribute to a sense of community, provide support, and offer guidance. It has also been shown to impact both physical and mental health.

Religion and Physical Health

One series of studies found that participants who were either religious or spiritual had a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), lower blood pressure (BP), better immune function, and longer lifespans when compared to people who were not religious or spiritual.

Researchers found that the participants who were religious or spiritual tended to eat more nutritious diets , engage in more physical exercise , and have better cognitive function compared to people who were not religious or spiritual.

In these studies, people who were religious were also less likely to smoke, which put them at a lower risk of smoking-related illnesses such as all cancers, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is linked with a better quality of life as well as a greater lifespan.

Religion and Mental Health

Religion can also influence mental health in both positive and negative ways. Religion can serve as a source of comfort and strength when people are under stress. At other times, this connection may be less helpful—or even harmful—if it creates stress or acts as a barrier to treatment.

Studies suggest that religion has both the potential to help and harm mental health and well-being.   On the positive side, religion and spirituality can help promote positive beliefs, foster community support, and provide positive coping skills. On the other hand, negative religious coping, miscommunication, and harmful negative beliefs that actually be detrimental to mental health.

Key Mental Health Benefits

Some mental health benefits of religion include:

• Giving people structure
• Building a community with a group
• Creating a sense of belonging
• Helping people cope with stressful events
• Can encourage forgiveness, compassion, and gratitude

Religion can also play a role in helping people cope with mental health conditions. People often turn to their religious beliefs in order to cope with symptoms of mental illness and to help manage stress.

Research has also shown that religious people often first turn to religious clergy when they need treatment for mental health conditions.  Religious and pastoral counseling can be an important resource for people of faith who want to incorporate their religious and spiritual beliefs into their treatment. Twelve-step addiction treatment programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) also sometimes take a faith-based approach to treatment.

Pastoral counseling is provided by religious clergy who have been psychologically trained to provide therapy services. These counselors integrate modern psychological practices with theological teaching to address problems that their clients are experiencing.

Is Religion Good or Bad for People?

There's no doubt that religion has a complex influence on the lives of individuals and societies. Religion can help bring people together, but it can also be a source of division and stress, particularly for those who face discrimination within religious communities, such as people who hold differing beliefs from the rest of the group.

Research has also found that people who struggle with their religious beliefs may experience lower well-being and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Specific religious beliefs can also play a part in the potential benefits or drawbacks. People who believe in a merciful God are more likely to forgive themselves and treat their mistakes with self-compassion. In contrast, those who believe in a punishing or judgemental God may experience worsened health effects.

Given the potential benefits linked to religious affiliation, some may wonder if it might be a bad thing not to be religious. While studies suggest that religion may have health benefits, you don't need to ascribe to a set of organized religious beliefs to reap these rewards. Taking steps to engage in healthy behaviors, form social connections with others, and strengthen your coping skills are steps you can take to obtain those benefits that religion often provides.

If you are concerned about religion's impact on your life, discussing your concerns with a mental health professional may be helpful. Research suggests that religion can play a positive and supportive role in people's lives in many ways. For some individuals who feel less supported or even excluded from religious practice, it is important to weigh the potential good with the potential harm.

Because these studies are observational (researchers watch what happens in the real world without actively controlling any of the conditions or randomizing the participants), it cannot be said with certainty that religious attendance increases life expectancy or that it doesn't.

We can only conclude that there is an association between religious attendance and increased life expectancy. They are linked, but we don't know why.

There could be a different reason to explain the life expectancy outcome in the study. In fact, other studies have shown that people who regularly attend religious services:

• May be more likely to be employed
• Tend to have larger social networks
• Tend to be more positive
• Are more likely to live in intact families
• Are less likely to be experiencing disabling illness

Any of these factors could explain the difference in life expectancy observed in these studies. Another study suggested that religious involvement on its own should not be automatically assumed to improve health.   People who share religious beliefs also usually share other characteristics including ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Research also suggests that religion can sometimes become a barrier to mental health treatment.   Religious attitudes toward mental health and treatment can play a role in whether people seek help when they are experiencing symptoms.

Some religious traditions instill the idea that problems are moral or spiritual failings rather than mental health issues.

According to this perspective, mental problems can be overcome simply through willpower or "heroic striving." Because of this, people from such backgrounds may simply be less likely to seek professional help and support when they are having mental health problems.

If you are interested in exploring some of the potential benefits of religion or spiritual traditions, there are some things that may help:

• Find a community that you connect with. Social support is an important part of well-being, so feeling a sense of connection with others in your religion can be beneficial.
• Explore practices often utilized by religion. Meditation and mindfulness have been shown to have a number of wellness benefits.
• Search for things that inspire you. Whether it is reading inspirational books, listening to beautiful music, or spending time enjoying nature, finding things that give you a sense of peace and inspiration can help improve your mental clarity and well-being.

The observation is real: People who attend religious services regularly tend to live longer and often experience better mental well-being. The tough question to answer is, why?

It may simply be that people who attend religious services tend to have more social and financial resources than non-attendees, or it could be that something about attending religious services (like making connections with others, prayer, or spiritual reflection) helps people to live longer and feel better. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Aldwin CM, Park CL, Jeong Y-J, Nath R. Differing pathways between religiousness, spirituality, and health: A self-regulation perspective .  Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. 2014;6(1):9–21. doi:10.1037/a0034416

Pew Research Center. The global religious landscape .

Oman D. Defining religion and spirituality . In R. F. Paloutzian & C. L. Park (Eds.),  Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality  (pp. 23–47). The Guilford Press; 2013.

Gallup. U.S. church membership falls below majority for the first time .

American Psychological Association. A reason to believe .

Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implication s.  ISRN Psychiatry . 2012;2012:278730. doi:10.5402/2012/278730

Weber SR, Pargament KI. The role of religion and spirituality in mental health . Curr Opin Psychiatry . 2014;27(5):358-63. doi:10.1097/YCO.0000000000000080

Wang PS, Berglund PA, Kessler RC. Patterns and correlates of contacting clergy for mental disorders in the United States .  Health Serv Res . 2003;38(2):647-673. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.00138

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Types of mental health professionals .

McConnell KM, Pargament KI, Ellison CG, Flannelly KJ. Examining the links between spiritual struggles and symptoms of psychopathology in a national sample . J Clin Psychol . 2006;62(12):1469-1484. doi:10.1002/jclp.20325

McConnell JM, Dixon DN. Perceived forgiveness from God and self-forgiveness . Journal of Psychology and Christianity . 2012;31(1):31–39.

Ironson G, Stuetzle R, Ironson D, et al. View of God as benevolent and forgiving or punishing and judgmental predicts HIV disease progression . J Behav Med . 2011;34(6):414-425. doi:10.1007/s10865-011-9314-z

Schlundt DG, Franklin MD, Patel K, et al. Religious affiliation, health behaviors and outcomes: Nashville REACH 2010 .  Am J Health Behav . 2008;32(6):714-724. doi:10.5555/ajhb.2008.32.6.714

Ayvaci ER. Religious barriers to mental healthcare . American Journal of Psychiatry . 2016;11(7):11-13. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2016.110706

• Magis Blog Home
• Daily Ignatian Reflections
• Biological Evolution
• Consciousnes
• Deadly Sins
• Eucharistic Miracles
• Faith and Science
• Historical Jesus
• Near Death Experiences
• Purpose of Life
• Shroud of Turin
• Virgin Mary
• Biological Evolution Articles
• Consciousness Articles
• Cosmology Articles
• Purpose of Life Articles
• Articles by Fr. Spitzer
• Email Subscribe

Catechism Resource Book

• Essential Modules

4 Levels of Happiness

• Free Digital Resources
• Common Catholic Questions
• Magis Videos
• Fr. Spitzer Podcast and Videos
• All-Access Pass
• The Catholic Faith and Science Video Series
• Purposeful Lab Podcast
• Cosmology Videos
• Biological Evolution Videos
• Purpose of Life Videos
• Consciousness Videos
• Father Spitzer's Universe
• Institute for Teachers and Catechists
• Institute for Clergy
• Father Spitzer
• Leadership and Staff
• General Inquiries
• Interview Requests
• Speaking Requests
• Editorial Opportunities
• Consciousness
• Evidence for God
• Did Einstein believe in God?
• When does the soul leave the body?
• Where did God come from?
• What is an example of a near death experience?
• What is cosmology?
• What is gluttony?
• What is the Shroud of Turin?
• What were Mother Teresa's Miracles to be a saint?
• What were Pope John Paul II Miracles to be a saint?
• Why does God allow suffering?

Magis Center Blog

Daily reflections, fr. spitzer articles, 4 levels of happiness.

• Catholic Faith and Science Video Series
• Magis General Videos
• Fr. Spitzer Videos
• Purposeful Universe Videos
• Father Spitzer's Universe Show
• Fr. Spitzer Podcast
• Order, Chance, and Design in Evolution Article
• Never Forget: The Story of a Holocaust Survivor Article
• Fr. Spitzer's Catechism Resource Book
• The Catholic Faith and Science: Chapter & Lesson Plan
• Challenges of the Modern World
• Speak the Faith: Chapter & Lesson Plan
• Can Science Indicate Creation?
• 7 Prayers in Times of Suffering
• 5 Types of Evidence for the Soul
• Blood Shroud of Turin
• Timeline of 13 Influential Catholic Scientists
• Teacher: The Essential Modules
• Discourse in Apologetic Religious Education Kit
• High School and Middle School Workbooks

The Essential Modules

The Negative and Positive Effects of Religion

In the early 20th century, the influential writings of Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche both focused on their perception of religion as a neurosis or “sickness.” Karl Marx’s dictum, “Religion is the opium of the people,” became well known in the 1930s when Marxism became popular. Currently, “religion” is viewed as divisive and often associated with conflict, war, and fanaticism. 

The reality is quite different.

Religion: Opiate or Optimizer?

Duke University professor Dr. Harold Koenig and colleagues analyzed hundreds of 21st-century scientific studies examining the relationship between religion and health. Their analysis appears in their 2012 Handbook of Religion and Health :

Religion is positively associated with life satisfaction, happiness and morale in 175 of 224 studies (78%). Furthermore, religion is positively associated with self-rated health in 27 of 48 studies (56%), with lower rates of coronary heart disease in 12 of 19 studies (63%) and with fewer signs of psychoticism (“characterized by risk taking and lack of responsibility”) in 16 of 19 studies (84%).

More recently, a 2019 Pew Research study examined the relationship of religion to happiness , civic engagement, and health across the populations of thirty-five countries. The study was interested in knowing if affiliation (inactives), participation (actives), or non-affiliation mattered when comparing eight indicators of both individual and societal well-being. These indicators included five individual health measures, two measures of civic participation, and self-reported levels of happiness. The data was collected in international surveys over a ten-year period.

Researchers reported some surprising correlations.

Actively religious adults are more likely to vote, participate in non-religious volunteer organizations, and seemingly have more “social capital” than their inactive or non-affiliated counterparts.

The friendship networks fostered by religious communities create an asset that Putnam and other scholars call “social capital”—which not only makes people happier by giving them a sense of purpose and belonging, but also makes it easier for them to find jobs and build wealth. In other words, those who frequently attend a house of worship may have more people they can rely on for information and help during both good and bad times. —Pew Research Center

The relationship of religion to individual health measures, however, varied both positively and negatively, but overall, there was little difference between the three groups.

Taking a Closer Look: Negative Effects of Religion

Does this mean that religion is never a liability? Some research indicates that in certain circumstances, religious beliefs do become “entangled with neurotic and psychotic disorders.” This does not mean, of course, that religious beliefs caused them.

It is possible that studies focusing on the negative role of religion on mental health are a reflection of psychology’s predominant focus on negative pathology in general. The Positive Psychology movement by contrast examines human experiences and mental health from the perspective of what is going right–what attitudes, behaviors, and practices contribute to optimum human flourishing. This perspective is found in an interdisciplinary project funded by the Templeton Foundation.

Taking a Closer Look: Positive Effects of Worship

A good example of breaking down “religion” into its multilayered components is the effort of two Jewish philosophers of religion who are leading an international research project into the effects of worship on human flourishing. Worship includes the rituals-prayers, songs, service, recitations, and readings—offered by multiple faith traditions. These actions are seen as symbolic, given meaning by the faith of the participants.

It turns out that symbolic actions involved in worship matter, according to philosopher Robert Adams , because they give us an opportunity to align ourselves with transcendent Good.

A genuine love for the Good can find in symbolic expression an integration and completion that would otherwise be impossible. . . .Qualitatively limited as I inevitably am in the goodness of my life, and even in my conception of the Good, I can still name and praise a transcendent Good. —Robert Adams

So, while we offer worship to God because of His perfection and Goodness, worship also provides an avenue to union with the Divine. Dr. Maria Beer Vuco, University of Oxford, believes that worship taps into “the distinctiveness of God’s majesty and the closeness of interpersonal relationships.” In her view, if God is the greatest good and worship is a path to align us with that good, then worship actually helps us to become our truest selves and can bring about union, even friendship, with the Divine.

Do We Really Need Science to Understand Religion?

And here, too, I say you’re truly educated if you bring everything to bear on the truth. Taking what’s useful from geometry, music, grammar, and philosophy itself, you guard the Faith from assault.  —St. Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 150-211), quoted in A Year With the Church Fathers

Faith and its consequent worship have been part of the human experience for all of recorded history. Efforts to understand its origins and examine its consequences, both positive and negative, should not all be interpreted as threats against belief.

Even the early Church Fathers understood this. St. Clement of Alexandria warns against ignoring philosophy, logic, and the natural sciences. He says people who want to rely solely on faith think they can “harvest grapes right away without putting any work into the vine.”

*Originally published October 10, 2022.

Maggie Ciskanik, M.S., MSc.

Related articles.

Home — Essay Samples — Religion — Religious Pluralism — Role of Religion in Society: Exploring its Significance and Implications

Role of Religion in Society: Exploring Its Significance and Implications

• Categories: Religious Beliefs Religious Pluralism

About this sample

Words: 1028 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 1028 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, the significance of religion in society, the implications of religion in society, the debate surrounding the role of religion in society, the historical context of religion in society, the impact of religion on culture and identity, the role of religion in promoting social cohesion, the impact of religion on politics and governance, the relationship between religion and morality, the role of religion in promoting social justice and equality, the debate between secularism and religious influence in society, the impact of cultural attitudes towards religion on the debate, the potential consequences of religion's role in society.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Religion

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

7 pages / 3038 words

4 pages / 1783 words

1 pages / 589 words

1 pages / 454 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Religious Pluralism

Through life as we hear about different world religions and what they believe or hold to be true, it becomes easy to begin to build presuppositions about these religions. It can also be found that some or most of these [...]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a unique place in the landscape of religious pluralism. As a distinct Christian denomination with its own theological beliefs, practices, and history, the LDS Church has [...]

Globalization, the process of increased interconnectedness and interdependence among nations and cultures, has had a profound impact on virtually every aspect of human life. Religion, as a fundamental element of culture and [...]

In the 21st-century ethics as far as religious doctrines are concerned has taken a modernity turn. In the classical period religion was solely relied on to dictate morality but due to contemporariness catalyzed by education [...]

In Zhao Xiao’s book “Churches and the market economy,” it is indicated that, American churches are the core that binds Americans together.The Europeans don't feel contented with the naive visualization of religious USA by [...]

The principle of separation of church and state is a cornerstone of democratic societies, reflecting the delicate balance between religious freedom and government authority. This essay delves into the concept of separation of [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Is Religion Good or Bad for Us?

Three reasons religion may be good for us (and a few reasons it might not be)..

Posted September 10, 2018 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

This week marks the beginning of the holiest period of the year for roughly 14 million Jews across the globe. As they celebrate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, they begin looking back on the past twelve months through the lens of their faith, counting their blessings and asking forgiveness for their mistakes. For believers, it is a time of psychological and spiritual introspection, renewal, and growth.

As we approached this momentous holiday, a rabbi recently shared with me his conviction that religion can be one of the most powerful forces for good in individuals’ lives. “It offers us the opportunity to be better, happier, healthier people,” he asserted. “We shouldn’t forget that.”

Indeed, few forces have historically been more powerful than religion in shaping people’s existences. According to the latest poll by the Pew Research Center , 77 percent of Americans say that religion is at least somewhat important in their lives and 83 percent say they’re fairly certain that God or a higher power exists. But not everyone agrees that religion is good for us. There has long been a debate among scholars about this issue, with some claiming that it facilitates well-being and others claiming that it leads to neurosis . In fact, there are few issues in the field of psychology as highly researched as this question.

It isn’t an easy question to answer, however. One stumbling block is that religion means vastly different things to different people. Even the meaning of the word “religion” has changed over the past few decades. You might be surprised to know, for instance, that the distinction between religion and spirituality is a relatively new one , emerging only in the latter half of the twentieth century. It has become increasingly common to hear people say they are “spiritual” but not “religious,” with approximately one in four adults in the United States now identifying as such. But some have cautioned against making too much of this distinction. Researcher Kenneth Pargament has pointed out that, for many people, religion and spirituality can’t easily be separated. Although someone participating in a religious service certainly is partaking in organized religion, he or she may simultaneously undergo a very personal spiritual experience inspired by the sermon, music, or beauty of the building. Because of this difficulty teasing things apart, most psychological research on religion includes spirituality in the mix.

Literally thousands of studies have now investigated the relationship between religion and well-being. Lucky for us, in 2015, Duke University professor of psychiatry Harold Koenig and his research team carefully reviewed more than 3,000 studies published prior to that time. A total of 79 percent of relevant studies showed a link between religion/spirituality and psychological well-being. A majority also demonstrated a relationship with physical well-being. In fact, one of the most widely celebrated findings is that religion and spiritualty are related to longer life. About 68 percent of published studies on that topic have found a link. In one study , researchers followed 8,450 people between the ages of 40 and 90+ for more than 8 years, noting those who passed away of any cause. The results revealed an 18 percent reduction in the risk of dying during this period for people who attended church services once per week, and a 30 percent reduction for those attending more than once per week—numbers approaching the power of regular moderate physical exercise.

We should be very careful how we interpret these findings, however. Although it’s clear that relationships exist between religion and spirituality and both psychological and physical well-being, it isn’t clear exactly why they exist. That’s because religion is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon that can influence people in many ways. Here are three of the most important reasons that researchers believe religion and spirituality may be good for us:

Reason #1: Better Health Habits

Many religions encourage people to take care of their bodies and minds. The New Testament, for instance, calls the human body a “temple of the Holy Spirit,” encouraging followers to be good stewards of their physical selves. In the Hindu faith, the practice of Ayurveda specifies particular ways to care for one’s health, including eating certain foods and avoiding others. Perhaps because of such teachings, a number of studies have shown that religiousness is associated with better general health habits, including lower rates of smoking and alcohol consumption as well as a greater likelihood of undergoing regular medical screenings.

Reason #2: Enhanced Coping

The ways that people cope with stress may also account for the relationship of religion and spirituality with well-being. When we encounter problems in our lives, researchers have observed that people can use religion to cope in both healthy and unhealthy ways . Positive religious coping consists of strategies that reflect a trusting relationship with God and a sense of spiritual connectedness to others, including reframing stressful events as reflecting the work of a benevolent God and seeing oneself as collaborating with God to solve problems, among others. It’s important to note, however, that not everyone who considers themselves to be religious or spiritual practices healthy coping. People also can experience spiritual discontentment, religious conflict, or come to believe that negative events are punishments from God— experiences that work against the ability to cope.

Reason #3: Social Support

A final important way that spirituality and religion may impact well-being is through social and emotional support. The word fellowship is often associated with Christian communities, while the words havurah (from the Hebrew for “ friendship ”) and sangha (Pali for “community”) are used in similar ways by Jews and Buddhists. Many religious institutions run support groups for people coping with emotional and physical difficulties, provide personnel to visit the sick and their families, or offer food and other resources to individuals with low incomes. Although religious groups are hardly the only sources of support in people’s lives, for believers, they can be important ones.

Despite the research connecting religion with well-being, it’s important to avoid concluding that people who consider themselves atheist and agnostic can’t be just as healthy and happy as those who are religious. All three of the factors just mentioned can be present in non-religious people's lives in plentiful quantities. Non-believers can and often do take excellent care of themselves, cope well with stress, and engage in loving and supportive relationships.

It’s also important to realize that religion and spirituality aren’t always associated with greater well-being. People who experience struggles with their religious and spiritual beliefs often experience greater anxiety , depression , and other forms of lowered psychological well-being. In addition, although people who believe in a forgiving God tend to forgive themselves when they make mistakes, those who believe in a less forgiving God deal with themselves more harshly. In one study , researchers even found that when HIV-positive men believed in a merciful and forgiving God, they experienced significantly slower disease-progression, but when they believed that God was harsh, judgmental, and punishing, their disease actually ended up progressing faster. The particular ideals of a religious or spiritual system really matter.

So as much as it’s tempting to buy into oversimplifications like, “religion is good,” real life isn’t so clear. Although the research shows that religion and spirituality are often helpful, we should be open to the idea that specific aspects of religion may be good or bad for our health under different circumstances.

Any complete understanding of human psychology can’t overlook the many ways that religion can impact its believers. As the rabbi expressed, research shows that religion certainly can be a powerful force for good in people’s lives. But, just like anything powerful, understanding it as fully as possible—both for better and for worse—is the real fundamental good.

David B. Feldman, Ph.D. , is a professor in the department of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

• Religion in Everyday Life

Highly religious Americans are happier and more involved with family but are no more likely to exercise, recycle or make socially conscious consumer choices

Table of contents.

• 1. Highly religious people not distinctive in all aspects of everyday life
• 2. Essentials of Christian identity vary by level of religiosity; many ‘nones’ say honesty vital to being a moral person
• 3. Few Americans turn to religious leaders for advice when making major life decisions
• Acknowledgments
• Methodology

A new Pew Research Center study of the ways religion influences the daily lives of Americans finds that people who are highly religious are more engaged with their extended families, more likely to volunteer, more involved in their communities and generally happier with the way things are going in their lives.

These differences are found not only in the U.S. adult population as a whole but also within a variety of religious traditions (such as between Catholics who are highly religious and those who are less religious), and they persist even when controlling for other factors, including age, income, education, geographic region of residence, marital status and parental status.

However, in several other areas of day-to-day life – including interpersonal interactions, attention to health and fitness, and social and environmental consciousness – Pew Research Center surveys find that people who pray every day and regularly attend religious services appear to be very similar to those who are not as religious. 1

These are among the latest findings of Pew Research Center’s U.S. Religious Landscape Study. The study and this report were made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which received support for the project from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Two previous reports on the Landscape Study, based on a 2014 telephone survey of more than 35,000 adults, examined the changing religious composition of the U.S. public and described the religious beliefs, practices and experiences of Americans. This new report also draws on the national telephone survey but is based primarily on a supplemental survey among 3,278 participants in the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, a nationally representative group of randomly selected U.S. adults surveyed online and by mail. The supplemental survey was designed to go beyond traditional measures of religious behavior – such as worship service attendance, prayer and belief in God – to examine the ways people exhibit (or do not exhibit) their religious beliefs, values and connections in their day-to-day lives. 2

To help explore this question, the survey asked U.S. adults whether each of a series of 16 beliefs and behaviors is “essential,” “important but not essential,” or “not important” to what their religion means to them, personally.

Among Christians, believing in God tops the list, with fully 86% saying belief in God is “essential” to their Christian identity. In addition, roughly seven-in-ten Christians say being grateful for what they have (71%), forgiving those who have wronged them (69%) and always being honest (67%) are essential to being Christian. Far fewer say that attending religious services (35%), dressing modestly (26%), working to protect the environment (22%) or resting on the Sabbath (18%) are essential to what being Christian means to them, personally.

The survey posed similar questions to members of non-Christian faiths and religiously unaffiliated Americans (sometimes called religious “nones”), asking whether various behaviors are essential to “what being a moral person means to you.” 3  Among the unaffiliated, honesty (58%) and gratitude (53%) are the attributes most commonly seen as essential to being a moral person. (Findings about non-Christians are discussed in more detail at the end of Chapter 2 .)

The survey shows a clear link between what people see as essential to their faith and their self-reported day-to-day behavior. Simply put, those who believe that behaving in a particular way or performing certain actions are key elements of their faith are much more likely to say they actually perform those actions on a regular basis.

For example, among Christians who say that working to help the poor is essential to what being Christian means to them, about six-in-ten say they donated time, money or goods to help the poor in the past week. By comparison, fewer Christians who do not see helping the poor as central to their religious identity say they worked to help the poor during the previous week (42%).

The same pattern is seen in the survey’s questions about interpersonal interactions, health and social consciousness. Relatively few Christians see living a healthy lifestyle, buying from companies that pay fair wages or protecting the environment as key elements of their faith. But those who do see these things as essential to what it means to be a Christian are more likely than others to say they live a healthy lifestyle (by exercising, for example), consider how a company treats its employees and the environment when making purchasing decisions, or attempt to recycle or reduce waste as much as possible.

Of course, survey data like these cannot prove that believing certain actions are obligatory for Christians actually causes Christians to behave in particular ways. The causal arrow could point in the other direction: It may be easier for those who regularly engage in particular behaviors to cite those behaviors as essential to their faith. Conversely, it may be harder for those who do not regularly engage in particular activities (such as helping the poor) to describe those activities as essential to their faith. Nevertheless, the survey data suggest that Christians are more likely to live healthy lives, work on behalf of the poor and behave in environmentally conscious ways if they consider these things essential to what it means to be a Christian.

But while relatively few people look to religious leaders for guidance on major decisions, many Americans do turn to prayer when faced with important choices. Indeed, among those who are highly religious, nearly nine-in-ten (86%) say they rely “a lot” on prayer and personal religious reflection when making major life decisions, which exceeds the share of the highly religious who say they rely a lot on their own research.

Other key findings in this report include:

• Three-quarters of adults – including 96% of members of historically black Protestant churches and 93% of evangelical Protestants – say they thanked God for something in the past week. And two-thirds, including 91% of those in the historically black Protestant tradition and 87% of evangelicals, say they asked God for help during the past week. Fewer than one-in-ten adults (8%) say they got angry with God in the past week. (For more details on how Americans say they relate to God, see Chapter 1 .)
• One-third of religiously unaffiliated Americans say they thanked God for something in the past week, and one-in-four have asked God for help in the past week. (For more details, see Chapter 1 .)
• Nearly half of Americans (46%) say they talk with their immediate families about religion at least once or twice a month. About a quarter (27%) say they talk about religion at least once a month with their extended families, and 33% say they discuss religion as often with people outside their families. Having regular conversations about religion is most common among evangelicals and people who belong to churches in the historically black Protestant tradition. By contrast, relatively few religious “nones” say they discuss religion with any regularity. (For more details on how often Americans talk about religion, see Chapter 1 .)
• One-third of American adults (33%) say they volunteered in the past week. This includes 10% who say they volunteered mainly through a church or religious organization and 22% who say their volunteering was not done through a religious organization. (For more details on volunteering, see Chapter 1 .) 4
• Three-in-ten adults say they meditated in the past week to help cope with stress. Regularly using meditation to cope with stress is more common among highly religious people than among those who are less religious (42% vs. 26%). (For more details on meditation and stress, see Chapter 1 .)
• Nine-in-ten adults say the quality of a product is a “major factor” they take into account when making purchasing decisions, and three-quarters focus on the price. Far fewer – only about one-quarter of adults – say a company’s environmental responsibility (26%) or whether it pays employees a fair wage (26%) are major factors in their purchasing decisions. Highly religious adults are no more or less likely than those who are less religious to say they consider a company’s environmental record and fair wage practices in making purchasing decisions. (For more details on how Americans make purchasing decisions, see Chapter 1 .)
• Three-quarters of Catholics say they look to their own conscience “a great deal” for guidance on difficult moral questions. Far fewer Catholics say they look a great deal to the Catholic Church’s teachings (21%), the Bible (15%) or the pope (11%) for guidance on difficult moral questions. (For more details, see Chapter 3 .)
• One-quarter of Christians say dressing modestly is essential to what being Christian means to them, and an additional four-in-ten say it is “important, but not essential.” (For more details, see Chapter 2 .)
• When asked to describe, in their own words, what being a “moral person” means to them, 23% of religious “nones” cite the golden rule or being kind to others, 15% mention being a good person and 12% mention being tolerant and respectful of others. (For more details, see Chapter 2 .)

The remainder of this report explores these and other findings in greater depth. Chapter 1 provides greater detail on how Americans from various religious backgrounds say they live their day-to-day lives. Chapter 2 examines the essentials of religious and moral identity – what do Christians see as “essential” to what it means to be a Christian, and what do members of non-Christian faiths and religious “nones” see as essential to being a moral person? Chapter 3 reports on where members of various religious groups say they look for guidance when making major life decisions or thinking about tough moral questions. On most of these questions, the report compares highly religious Americans with those who are less religious and also looks at differences among members of a variety of religious groups. For comparisons of highly religious people with those who are less religious within particular religious groups (e.g., highly religious Catholics vs. less religious Catholics), see the detailed tables .

Profile of those who are highly religious, less religious

In this report, “highly religious” respondents are defined as those who say they pray daily and attend religious services at least once a week. Overall, 30% of U.S. adults are highly religious by this definition, while 70% are not. 5

As this report highlights, these standard measures of traditional religious practice do not capture the full breadth of what it means to be religious; many respondents also say attributes such as gratitude, forgiveness and honesty are essential to what being religious means to them, personally. Nevertheless, these two indicators (prayer and religious attendance) are closely related to a variety of other measures of religious commitment.

For example, nine-in-ten people who are categorized as highly religious (91%) say religion is very important in their lives, and nearly all the rest (7%) say religion is at least somewhat important to them. By contrast, only three-in-ten people who are classified as not highly religious (31%) say religion is very important in their lives, and most of the rest (38%) say religion is “not too” or “not at all” important to them. 6

Nearly all people who are highly religious say believing in God is essential to their religious identity (96%), compared with only 57% of people who are not highly religious. Similarly, fully seven-in-ten people who are highly religious say reading the Bible or other religious materials is essential to their religious identity; only 18% of those who are not highly religious say this is vital to their religious identity or to what being a moral person means to them.

As might be expected, the religious makeup of the highly religious and less religious also are quite distinct. Fully half of highly religious American adults (49%) identify with evangelical Protestant denominations, compared with about one-in-five (19%) of those who are not highly religious. And while only a handful of highly religious people are religiously unaffiliated, about a quarter of less religious respondents (27%) identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.”

There also are important demographic differences between the highly religious and those who are less religious. 7  They also are more likely to align with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party, and they are somewhat older, on average, than those who are less religious. However, there are few differences by level of education.

If respondents who seldom or never pray and seldom or never attend religious services are analyzed separately from others who are “not highly religious,” many of these differences are even larger.

• Some previous studies have found that highly religious Americans Are more likely to volunteer not only for religious causes but also for secular ones. See Putnam, Robert D. and David E. Campbell. 2010. “American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us.” Chapter 13, pages 443-454. Some prior studies also have found linkages between religious behavior and better health outcomes, though the reasons for this are debated. See, for example, Blasi, Anthony J. ed. 2011. “Toward a Sociological Theory of Religion and Health.” ↩
• In recent years, religious leaders across a wide range of faiths have urged followers to put their religious beliefs into practice through everyday behaviors such as consumer choices, environmentalism, hospitality, charity, honesty, forgiveness and healthy living. See, for example, Pope Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical “Laudato Si.” Also see Bass, Dorothy C. ed. 2010. “Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People.” However, the underlying question in this report is not normative – e.g., how religious people should behave in daily life – but sociological: Do Americans who are highly religious by conventional measures (prayer and worship service attendance) also have different beliefs or behave differently from less religious Americans in other areas of life? ↩
• Ideally, the survey would have asked about the “essentials” of religious identity across a wider range of religious groups. For example, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist respondents would have been asked if these behaviors are essential to what being Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist means to them. Because some respondents completed the survey by mail in a paper-and-pencil format, however, it was not feasible to program the questionnaire with language specific to more than a few religious groups. ↩
• Readers should note that surveys may overstate the extent to which respondents engage in volunteering, since people who participate in activities such as volunteering also are more likely to participate in surveys. For more details, see “ The challenges of polling when fewer people are available to be polled .” ↩
• Estimates of the highly religious share of the population come from the 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study national telephone survey. Among respondents in the supplemental survey, 28% are highly religious by the definition employed here, and 72% are not. ↩
• The question asking respondents how important religion is in their lives was asked in a previous wave of the American Trends Panel series of surveys; as a result, not everyone in the supplemental survey to the Religious Landscape Study was asked this question. For more details about the American Trends Panel, see the Methodology . ↩
• For more on the link between gender and religiosity, see Pew Research Center’s report “ The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World .” ↩

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

• Beliefs & Practices
• Friendships
• Happiness & Life Satisfaction
• Personal Life
• Political & Civic Engagement
• Religion & Politics

5 facts about Confucianism

Where is the most religious place in the world, rituals honoring deceased ancestors vary widely in east and southeast asia, 6 facts about religion and spirituality in east asian societies, religion and spirituality in east asian societies, most popular, report materials.

• Topline PDF
• RLS national telephone survey questionnaire
• RLS supplemental survey questionnaire
• American Trends Panel Wave 6

901 E St. NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20004 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts , its primary funder.

© 2024 Pew Research Center

Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects Essay

People need to believe in something. Without some ideas, people have no aims, they do not have a plan to follow. Religions have provided people with meaningful goals. Religions have become an indispensable part of people’s lives. Be it Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism people strive for having their gods. However, like anything in this world, any religion has two sides. It can have positive as well as negative effects on people.

As far as positive effects are concerned, it is possible to mention such psychological effects as inner peace and security. It is manifested in the following: people who practice an organized religion have significant plans to follow as they know (or, at least, have rules that teach them) how to live and why they should live that way. There is also a social effect as people united by a religion get together. They help each other, and they do not leave each other in difficult situations, which is very important for an individual.

As for the negative effects of organized religion, suppression of individuality can be named as one of the most serious negative effects. Thus, people are taught how to live, and sometimes these rules are too strict. Some religions are characterized by almost total control over an individual. Another negative effect is social. People of some religions can be hostile to other groups, which leads to main confrontation and even conflicts.

However, it is necessary to note that positive effects outweigh the negative ones as quite a few religions are suppressing and hostile to other religions. At that, people without a plan become frustrated and depressed. Religions give people a sense of unity and self-efficacy. It helps people get together, which is crucial for humans who are very social creatures.

• Church and State Issues: Religious Pluralism
• Spiritual Life: Avoiding Stress Burnout
• Activation Immunotherapy and Suppression Immunotherapy
• Critique the Theory of Self-Efficacy Using the Internal and External Criticism
• Self-Efficacy: Implications for Organizational Behavior and HRM
• Religious Conflicts in Rational Choice Theory
• Religious Ethics: the Teen Challenge Project
• The State of Religion as a Group Experience
• Functions of Religion in Society
• Islamophobia Effects on the Arab Nation
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, February 21). Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organized-religion-positive-and-negative-effects/

"Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects." IvyPanda , 21 Feb. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/organized-religion-positive-and-negative-effects/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects'. 21 February.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects." February 21, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organized-religion-positive-and-negative-effects/.

1. IvyPanda . "Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects." February 21, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organized-religion-positive-and-negative-effects/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Organized Religion: Positive and Negative Effects." February 21, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organized-religion-positive-and-negative-effects/.

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .