Research reveals God helps American Christians take risks

Thinking about God can inspire believers to take risks according to new research. But is it belief that’s helping some take a leap of faith? Or do the religious really think that their faith will protect them when taking risks?

Published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the new research provides a new dimension to the age-old question of God’s role in the lives of those who believe the Almighty will protect them from harm. 

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There’s always been a theoretical link between a belief in God and risk taking according to the lead study’s author, Cindel White. However, previous research on the topic hadn’t been studied and tested in a scientific manner. 

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That’s why White and her fellow researchers Chloe Dean and Kristin Laurin developed a way to gauge how a person’s belief in the Almighty affected their risk-taking behavior. But how did they study this weird topic?

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According to a press release from York University, the researchers looked specifically at American Christians, a group of religious people known for their belief in a higher power that works to protect them from harm. 

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The researchers also focused on something they called “morally neutral” risks, which is a concept that needs a bit of an explanation since understanding morally neutral risks is key to understanding the study’s findings. 

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White explained that previous research into the topic of religious belief and risk revealed that those who believe in a higher power are less likely to take risks that have any “moral connotations” tied to them. 

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One example White used was drug use. Even if someone believed in God, it would not would not be used as a justification to to undertake a risky behavior that would not be a morally sound one in the eyes of God. 

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Religious people are more likely to feel “encouraged by God” to take on risks when they are morally positive. The example White used in her explanation was taking a risk to help a person in need. 

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Instead of focusing on morally good risks, however. The researchers looked at risks that had no positive or negative morality tied to them so that they could accurately examine how religious belief factored into risk-taking. 

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Risk scenarios like recreational mountain climbing, moving to somewhere new to pursue a new career opportunity, or a variety of social and career-based risks help establish how belief in God affects risk behavior.

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The researchers recruited 350 religious people to participate in their study, of which 309 met their strict criteria as American Christians and a risk was defined as: “A risky activity is one that has uncertain consequences.”

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A further explanation of what risk meant was described by the researchers as follows: “It could be dangerous and cause you harm, or it could really pay off, for example with material benefits, or with the thrill of the experience.”

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“Our carefully designed study confirmed that those who believe God will protect them from negative consequences will feel more confident in pursuing potentially dangerous or uncertain activities because of a perceived safety net,” White explained. 

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Unfortunately, the research doesn’t provide any insight into how religious risk takers vary from non-religious risk takers and if the religious are more likely to take risks, but White noted their belief in a sense of safety God brings to the religious might help. 

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“These results support the argument that as Christians go through their daily life, these beliefs about God can be used to make them feel better if they choose to pursue a risk,” White explained.

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