Study after study over the years has shown that practicing one's religion - with all of the persistence and sincerity that demands - inevitably leads to improved health and ability to recover from illness.

For example, a 1987-95 research investigation of 21,000 Americans found that those who attended worship services more than once a week experienced a seven-year greater life span than their counterparts who never attended such services.

Epidemiologist Jeff Levin, who wrote the book God, Faith and Health, conducted studies showing that older adults who thought of themselves as religious had better overall health than the faith-less.

Dartmouth Medical School research published in 1995 found that patients of faith were three times more likely to have survived following open-heart surgery than those with no faith.

A scientific investigation in India discovered that patients (primarily Hindu) who prayed regularly were more than two-thirds less likely to have coronary heart disease.

In research conducted by Duke University in 1989 on 400 white men in Evans County, Georgia, the results indicated that going to church regularly protected significantly against high blood pressure.

Another Duke study, this one in 1999 and on 4,000 older adults, showed that regular attendance at worship services improved mental health, reducing depression and anxiety.

A second psychological benefit of religious practice is better stress management. Many studies show this, according to Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School and author of The Relaxation Response. Meditation, prayer, tai chi and yoga all help one to relax and manage stress better.

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