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[[ImageFile:Desperation_manTwitter bird logo 2012.jpg‎ svg.png|right|160px|thumbnail|CNN reported that Christians are happier than atheists - on Twitter.<ref>[http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/28/christians-happier-than-atheists-at-least-on-twitter/ Christians happier than atheists – on Twitter], CNN</ref> ]][[CNN]] reported about '''atheism and happiness''':{{Cquote|The study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign tapped [[Twitter]] as a research tool and compared the messages of Christians and [[Atheism|atheists]]. The conclusion: When they are limited to 140 characters or less, these researchers say, believers are happier than their counterparts. Two doctoral students in social psychology and an adviser analyzed the casual language of nearly 2 million tweets from more than 16,000 active users to come up with their findings, which were published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. The team identified subjects by finding Twitter users who followed the feeds of five prominent public figures. In the case of Christians, those select five were Pope Benedict XVI, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, conservative political commentator Dinesh D’Souza and Joyce Meyer, an evangelical author and speaker. In the case of atheists, the five followed feeds included Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Monica Salcedo and Michael Shermer - the latter two respectively being a self-described “fiercely outspoken atheist” blogger, and a science writer who founded The Skeptics Society. With the help of a text analysis program, the researchers found that Christians tweet with higher frequency words reflecting positive emotions, social relationships and an intuitive style of thinking – the sort that’s gut-driven.<ref>[http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/28/christians-happier-than-atheists-at-least-on-twitter/ Christians happier than atheists – on Twitter], CNN</ref>}} == Happiness: British non-religious vs. British religious == ''See also:'' [[British atheism]] [[File:Sadness.jpg|thumb|225px|rightleft|Atheists have a higher suicide rate than [[theism|theists]].<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/misc/religion_suicide.html Adherents.com - suicide rates]</ref> Please see: [[Atheism and suicide]] ]] ''The Telegraph'' reports about '''atheism and happines'''reported:

That compares with 7.33 for [[Islam|Muslims]] and 7.37 for [[Judaism|Jewish]] people, rising to 7.47 for [[Christianity|Christians]], who were just ahead of [[Sikhism|Sikhs]] on 7.45.<ref>[httphttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/12136531/Religion-can-make-you-happier-official-figures-suggest.html Religion can make you happier, official figures suggest], ''The Telegraph'', 2016</ref>}}[[Image:Jhcfju6.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] [[C. S. Lewis]], photographed in 1947. Lewis wrote the book ''Surprised by Joy''. See: [[Atheism and joy]] ]]

== Christians happier than atheists – on Twitter ==[[File:Twitter logo.jpg|left|160px|thumbnail|CNN reported that Christians are happier than atheists British Ex- on Twitteratheist C.<ref>[http://religionS.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/28/christians-happier-than-atheists-at-least-on-twitter/ Christians happier than atheists – on Twitter], CNN</ref> ]][[CNN]] reportedLewis:{{Cquote|The study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign tapped [[Twitter]] as a research tool and compared the messages of Christians and atheists.Surprised by Joy ===

The conclusion''See also: When they are limited to 140 characters or less, these researchers say, believers are happier than their counterparts.'' [[Atheism and joy]]

Two doctoral students The [[ex-atheists|ex-atheist]] [[C.S. Lewis]] in social psychology and an adviser analyzed the casual language of nearly 2 million tweets his book ''Surprised by Joy'', wrote:{{Cquote|Joy, must be sharply distinguished both from more than 16Happiness and Pleasure. Joy has indeed one characteristic,000 active users to come up and one only, in common with their findingsthem; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again...I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, which if both were published in Social Psychological his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But Joy is never in our power and Personality SciencePleasure often is.<ref>[http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/244/Surprised%20by.htm Summary of C.S.Lewis' book Surprised by Joy]</ref>}}

The team identified subjects by finding Twitter users who followed the feeds of five prominent public figures. In the case of Christians== China, those select five were Pope Benedict XVI, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, conservative political commentator Dinesh D’Souza and Joyce Meyer, an evangelical author economic growth and speaker.a decline in happiness ==

In the case of atheists, the five followed feeds included Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Monica Salcedo === China and Michael Shermer - the latter two respectively being a self-described “fiercely outspoken atheist” blogger, and a science writer who founded The Skeptics Society.atheism ===

With the help of a text analysis program, the researchers found that Christians tweet with higher frequency words reflecting positive emotions, social relationships and an intuitive style of thinking – the sort that’s gut-driven.<ref>[http''See also://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/28/christians-happier-than-atheists-at-least-on-twitter/ Christians happier than atheists – on Twitter'' [[China and atheism]], CNN</ref>}}

== ExMost atheists live in [[East Asia]] (see: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Atheist Population|Atheist population]]). East Asia contains about 25 percent of the world’s population.[[File:China location.png|thumbnail|200px|right|[[China]] has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist]] population.<ref>[http://www.thechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref> ]] [[China]] has the world's largest [[atheism|atheist C]] population.S<ref>[http://www. Lewisthechapmans.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/23/a-surprising-map-of-where-the-worlds-atheists-live/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists live], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013</ref> See: Surprised by Joy ==[[China and atheism]]

''See alsoChina’s population represents 20 percent of the people on earth.<ref>[http:'' [[Atheism and joy]//www.sbts.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/10/Pages-from-SBJT-V15-N2_Terry.pdf The Growth of Christianity in East Asia]</ref>

The Razib Khan points out in ''Discover Magazine'', "most [[ex-atheists|ex-atheistsecular]] nations in the world are those of East Asia, in particular what are often termed “[[C.S. LewisConfucianism|Confucian]] in his book ''Surprised by Joy'', wrote:{{Cquote|Joy, must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and Pleasuresocieties. Joy has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact ” It is likely therefore that anyone who has experienced it will want it again...I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in majority of the world. But Joy is never in our power and Pleasure often isworld’s [[Atheism|atheists]] are actually East Asian."<ref>[http://brothersjuddblogs.discovermagazine.com/index.cfmgnxp/fuseaction2010/reviews.detail11/book_idmost-atheists-are-not-white/244/Surprised%20by.htm Summary of C.S. Lewis' book Surprised by JoyMost atheists are not white & other non-fairy tales], Discover magazine</ref>}}See: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Global atheism]]

=== China, economic growth and a decline in happiness unhappiness ===

Most atheists live In 2012, ''Time'' magazine reporting on a study published in [[East Asia]] (seethe ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' by a team from the University of Southern California headed by economist Richard Easterlin: [[Asian atheism]] and [[Atheist Population{{Cquote|Atheist Despite an unprecedented rate of economic growth, China’s life satisfaction over the past two decades has largely followed the trajectory seen in the central- and eastern-European transition countries — a decline followed by a recovery, with no change or a declining trend over the period as a whole. There is no evidence of a marked increase in life satisfaction in China of the magnitude that might have been expected based on the fourfold increase in the level of per capita consumption during that period. In its transition, China has shifted from one of the most egalitarian countries in terms of distribution of life satisfaction to one of the least egalitarian. Life satisfaction has declined markedly in the lowest-income and least-educated segments of the population]], while rising somewhat in the upper (socioeconomic status)stratum. <ref>[http://world.time.com/2012/05/15/for-china-economic-growth-doesnt-always-equal-happiness/ For China, Economic Growth Doesn’t Always Equal Happiness], Time magazine</ref>}}

[[China]] has the world's largest [[atheism'Time'' magazine also indicated:{{Cquote|atheist]] populationWhile China’s poorest are increasingly unhappy, it’s unlikely that the country will see Arab Spring–like unrest and revolt.<ref>[http://wwwThe problems are too diffuse and the state security organs too adept at clamping down on acts of dissent that have the potential for wider appeal.thechapmansBut on a local level, protest is widespread, averaging about 500 a day nationwide, according to economist Niu Wenyuan, an adviser to China’s State Council.nl/news/Atheist.pdf Top 50 Countries With Highest Proportion of Atheists / Agnostics (Zuckerman, 2005)]</ref><ref>[http://wwwworld.washingtonposttime.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/20132012/05/2315/afor-surprisingchina-mapeconomic-ofgrowth-wheredoesnt-thealways-worldsequal-atheists-livehappiness/ A surprising map of where the world’s atheists liveFor China, Economic Growth Doesn’t Always Equal Happiness], ''Washington Post'' By Max Fisher and Caitlin Dewey May 23, 2013Time magazine</ref>}}

In 2012== Pew Research: religious Americans, Time magazine reporting on a study published in the ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' by a team from the University of Southern California headed by economist Richard Easterlinless religious Americans and happiness == Pew Research reports: {{Cquote|Despite an unprecedented rate A new Pew Research Center study of economic growth, China’s life satisfaction over the past two decades has largely followed ways religion influences the trajectory seen 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 central- way things are going in their lives. Highly religious adults not distinctive in interpersonal interactions, health, social consciousnessFor example, nearly half of highly religious Americans – defined as those who say they pray every day and eastern-European transition countries — a decline followed by a recovery, attend religious services each week – gather with no change extended family at least once or twice a declining trend over the period month.1 By comparison, just three-in-ten Americans who are less religious gather as a wholefrequently with their extended families. There is no evidence Roughly two-thirds of a marked increase in life satisfaction in China of the magnitude that might highly religious adults (65%) say they have been expected based on donated money, time or goods to help the fourfold increase poor in the level past week, compared with 41% who are less religious. And 40% of per capita consumption during that periodhighly religious U. In its transitionS. adults describe themselves as “very happy, China has shifted from one ” compared with 29% of the most egalitarian countries in terms of distribution of life satisfaction to one of the least egalitarian. Life satisfaction has declined markedly in the lowest-income and least-educated segments of the population, while rising somewhat in the upper (socioeconomic status) stratumthose who are less religious.<ref>[http://worldwww.timepewforum.comorg/20122016/0504/1512/forreligion-chinain-economiceveryday-growth-doesnt-always-equal-happinesslife/ For ChinaReligion in Everyday Life], Economic Growth Doesn’t Always Equal Happiness]Pew Research, Time magazine2016</ref>}}

As noted above, although it is certainly not the only variable related to a person's overall happiness, happiness is positively correlated to wealth.<ref>[httphttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/nigel-barber/does-wealth-equal-happine_b_7560684.html Does wealth equal happiness?]</ref>

*[[Atheism, agnosticism and pessimismmotivation]] *[[Secular leftists and psychogenic illness]] *[[Atheism and gratitude]]

*[http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/02/office-for-national-statistics-well-being-data_n_9138076.html Official ‘Well-Being’ Statistics Show Religious People Are Happier Than Atheists]*[Atheism and world peacehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1581994/Believers-are-happier-than-atheists.html 'Believers are happier than atheists'], ''The Telegraph''*[http://religionnews.com/2016/04/12/happiness-christians-nones-pew-research/ Highly religious people say they’re happier, too, survey finds], ''Religion News''*[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/religious-people-are-happier-than-atheists-finds-study/articleshow/67973675.cms Religious people are happier, finds study], 2019

[[Category: Atheism]]

[[Category: Sociology]]

[[Category: Psychology]]