Watch Heritage’s conference on religion
November 26, 2008| By Nathaniel Ward
Next Wednesday, Stephen Post, author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People, delivers the keynote at The Heritage Foundation's annual Religious Practice in America conference.
Introduced by Dr. John Templeton of the Templeton Foundation, Post will speak on "Love Thy Neighbor: A Happier and Healthier Life."
» Register to watch the live webcast or to attend in person.
"It's good to be good," Dr. Post says. "People who live generously are, on the whole, happier and healthier, and they live a little longer than those who aren't generosity-oriented."
Dr. Post should know. He serves as director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York. Earlier this year, he completed 10 years as professor of bioethics and family medicine in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
"No matter your economic circumstance," Dr. Post says, "probably the most beneficial way to cope with the current situation is to maintain a habit of personal generosity."
An increasing variety of studies helps make his point, including one that found volunteers are less likely to be depressed.
The Religious Practice in America conference, this year focusing on health, will bring together social scientists to discuss the latest research on this important subject. By presenting high-quality social science research to an audience of policymakers, researchers, and the media, the purpose of this conference series is to inform the public discussion about the practical impact of religious practice in America.