Religion actively promotes corruption in societies according to study

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A Cross-National Investigation into the Effects of Religiosity on the Pervasiveness of Corruption published in the Journal of East-West Business. Abstract Relying on data drawn from more than 70 countries, this study examines the effects of religiosity, religious denominations, and communist heritage on the pervasiveness of corrupt business behavior. It is found that even after controlling for the effects of socioeconomic development, communist heritage and religiosity tend to promote corruption. From the principal–agent and modernization perspectives, the theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, and some avenues for future research are pointed out.

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Considering the variety of corruption measures, the reliability of data, and the large number of included countries, we have to conclude that religiosity not only does not impede corruption but tends to promote it. [...] We offered some possible explanations and particularly stressed that while religion provides abundant guidelines on morality, it supports a hierarchical socio-cultural order that endorses increasing discretionary power of elites, unaccountability, and ultimately corrupt business behavior. Moreover, we argued that the function of religion with regard to corruption is to provide sedation rather than a solution. We referred to the modernization theory (Bell 1973; Inglehart, 1997; Weber 1930) and argued that rationality and secularity rather than religiosity can be identified as the main causes of ethical decision making. In fact, the least religious countries of the world such as Finland, New Zealand, and Denmark are ranked among the least corrupt ones by TI (2010). Unlike religiosity, rationality promotes egalitarianism, accountability, effective institutions, and the rule of law, all of which hamper corruption. Religiosity offers too much guidance on morality but inherently may lead to corruption. By contrast, rationality, without too much emphasis on morality, wordlessly and effectively hinders corruption and supports ethical behavior.

In other words, people like Dawkins and Harris and Hitchens are doing humanity a positive favor by promoting atheism. Religion is both false and harmful.

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