Study suggests 'Godless' societies are safer

GODLESS societies are safer and healthier, according to a new study published today.

Religious belief in rich democratic countries is associated with higher levels of murder, sexual infection, teenage pregnancy and abortion, according to the study.

The most "Godless" societies, such as Japan, France and Scandinavia, have come closest to achieving low rates of lethal crime, early mortality, and even abortion, the study in the US Journal of Religion & Society showed.

In contrast, the highly-religious US is almost always the "most dysfunctional" when it comes to measuring levels of society's ills, such as murder rates and early mortality.