SPIRITUALITY

For many years, studies have explored the relationship between religion and happiness. In most religions, there is an idea of karma or sowing-and-reaping, in which the good deeds one puts into the world affect that individual in a positive way. In a 2017 article focusing on this topic, Dr. Neal Krause, a Marshall H. Becker Collegiate Professor of Public Health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, wrote, “Because religion is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon, it is not surprising to find that researchers have found that many dimensions of religion are associated with happiness, including more frequent church attendance, more frequent prayer, positive images of God, a greater sense of meaning in life, living in nations with a greater overall level of religious involvement, greater belief in a world that is inherently good, stronger self-identification as a religious person, and a stronger sense of intrinsic religiousness” (10). According to the studies conducted over the course of Krause's career, he identified that people who are more compassionate tend to be happier, and religion is one way in which people are encouraged to be more compassionate.