Church finsd wonderful, terrible news

[Louis VI the Fat]

Well, there have also been studies that show that religious people are more happy

Correlation does not equate causation.

Maybe they are both more religious and more happy because religious people live in more stable, traditional societies.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(To which your natural reply will probably be: but Louis, perhaps you are overlooking the fact that religion tends to keep societies more stable and traditional, hence happy?
As that would utterly pwn me, I might as well deny you the pleasure by posting it myself)

[Reenk Roink]

Correlation does not equate causation.

Maybe they are both more religious and more happy because religious people live in more stable, traditional societies.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(To which your natural reply will probably be: but Louis, perhaps you are overlooking the fact that religion tends to keep societies more stable and traditional, hence happy?
As that would utterly pwn me, I might as well deny you the pleasure by posting it myself)

Actually Louis VI the Fat, my response would be, very nice, you are well versed in a basic yet fundamental principle of statistics, that many either are unaware of or ignore when they use observational studies which promote their point. Then I would go and reiterate the second and most important clause in my statement of: "so everyone can get a warm, fuzzy feeling choosing whichever study..."

[Louis VI the Fat]

Then I would go and reiterate the second and most important clause in my statement of: "so everyone can get a warm, fuzzy feeling choosing whichever study..."

I willingly overlooked it as it would leave us no ground for petty disagreement, getting us banned from the Backroom.