Why Christians Live Longer Than Unbelievers

Comprehensive research has uncovered bad news for atheists. Their denial of that which is axiomatic and their consequent life-choices will more than likely cut years off their life.

Science backs this up. In an article titled “Science Says: Religion Is Good For Your Health,” Forbes quotes Mayo Clinic researchers who concluded, “Most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity…”

In addition, Pew Research shared that “more than 80% of Americans older than 75 are Christian.”

An article by the Mayo Clinic says, “During the past 3 decades, at least 18 prospective studies have shown that religiously involved persons live longer.”

And there’s more science to back this up. In recent years, the Social Psychological and Personality Science (SPPS) journal released a research article titled “Does Religion Stave Off the Grave? Religious Affiliation in One’s Obituary and Longevity.” In it, researchers shared their findings that in some of their case studies, “the religiously affiliated lived 9.45 and 5.64 years longer, respectively, than the nonreligiously affiliated.”

In an article on this phenomenon, the LA Times gave these reasons for the long life of those in a particular SoCal suburb: “…the five keys are regular exercise, healthful eating, devotion to family and especially elders, a sense of purpose built around community and giving, and a spiritual life.”

“Unbelievers live in darkness—walking through a mine field of potentially self-destructive activities. Christians, however, are able to better avoid these dangers because they have the Word of God as a lamp to their feet and a light to their path.”

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But millions of unbelievers who die younger eat healthy, exercise, love their family, have a sense of community, and have some sort of spirituality.

So, here are some overlooked reasons as why unbelievers are more likely to die younger than believers.

Christians believe that their body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so they are careful as to what they put into their bodies. They are free to drink alcohol if they wish, but most don’t because they know it’s destructive to the human body. Unbelievers, meanwhile, drink alcohol with little restraint, and that causes the deaths of more than 140,000 people each year in the United States.

Neither do Christians use illegal drugs, which kill more than 106,000 people in the US each year. Christians don’t smoke tobacco, which takes the lives of more than 480,000 annually in America. Neither do they engage in promiscuous or homosexual activities, which have taken the lives of more than 700,000 through AIDS in the United States alone. And AIDS continues to kill thousands each year.

Because Christians honor God, they obey civil law. So, they don’t live life in the fast lane and run red lights or drink and drive, putting their lives at risk. Christians are filled will gratitude to God for the gift of life. They believe that no matter what comes their way, He will work it out for their good, according to His promise:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

That means when the storms come, believers don’t consider suicide as a viable option, as, tragically, many unbelievers do. In the last ten years, around 400,000 in the US have taken their own lives. Trusting God also helps believers to avoid stress, one of today’s biggest killers. According to Men’s Health, “Stress has been linked to heart disease and early death.”

Unbelievers live in darkness—walking through a mine field of potentially self-destructive activities. Christians, however, are able to better avoid these dangers because they have the Word of God as a lamp to their feet and a light to their path.

Here, now, is the number one reason Christians live longer than unbelievers. It is the result of their worldview. Christians believe that they have been made in the image of God. They don’t believe the unscientific, unproven, and unprovable theory of evolution—that they are the result of an explosion in space, with no rhyme nor reason.

Not only do those who love God have purpose to exist, but they also have hope in their death. And so, they are not careless about life. Rather, they live in the fear of the Lord, something the Bible says is the beginning of wisdom. That means that everything to which a Christian puts his hand is only done with respect to God’s smile or frown. He knows that the greatest way to live long is to take note of what Scripture says about how to get it:

The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Proverbs 10:27)