Tag: religion

How religiousness affects economic development

In 2007, I was writing an essay I submitted for St Gallen university’s prestigious annual symposium. Instead of conventional and well-trodden topics such as leadership/entrepreneurship, I vied to seek out correlations between a nation’s religiousness, leadership, availability of natural resources and economic development.

Based on extensive research of modern Norway, KSA, Hittites and post-Gutenberg Europe, the essay concluded (formula is pretty straightforward):

D = 0.25*N-R + 0.3*R + 0.45*L

where

  • D=development (probability)
  • N-R=natural-resources
  • R=religiousness (if religion is dogma/fixed, R<0)
  • L=leadership

I didn’t win – Churchill’s infamous words came to mind:

A modest little person, with much to be modest about.

Your thoughts?

Absurd laws in England and disbelief in American Constitution

In England, there are some absurd laws:

  • It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament
  • A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants

In America, absurdity=(religion+politics)/law. Nixon was Quaker, hosting religious services in White House. Reagan’s NS sessions were held in presence of religious scholars and based on notions like Paradise. Bush admitted taking his instructions from God. According to one survey, 65% of Americans believe Founding Fathers intended America to be Christian, and 55% believe Constitution establishes a Christian nation. Hogwash.

Information from religious search engines will show what your startup can learn from religion. Good luck.