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Yes! You read that right. Religion helps you stay healthy!\nWhat else should we discuss on Christmas Day, but religion?\nDr. Jim Brown discusses the benefits of going to church with me on this Christmas special, and they aren't all just spiritual. He is a university professor teaching Technology and Psychology (that's a weird mix…right?) and is currently the pastor of The Lake Church. Dr. Jim Brown has been a principal, superintendent, department chair at three different universities. He also served several churches and various roles from music pastor to senior pastor.\nDid you know that there are benefits in the faith community to our mind, body, and spirit?\nAlthough we still report ourselves to be a “Christian Nation”, 17% of Americans are regularly attending services (including all religions) weekly. That's about 1 in every 5 Americans go to (church/synagogue/mosque/etc.) on a regular basis. It doesn't mean that the 83% doesn't go to church at all, they just don't go on a regular basis.\nHere are some of the benefits of going to church and how religion\xa0helps you stay healthy :\n\n* Churchgoers live longer and enjoy better overall health in the general population.\xa0 Why is this?\xa0 Does this surprise you?\n\n* According to Dr. Lynda Powell, Preventive Medicine Specialist at Rush University Medical Center, the answer may lie at least in part in the positive lifestyle choices that churches promote. Most religious organizations discourage negative habits like smoking, drugs, etc.\n\n\n* Frequent churchgoers are happier than those who do not attend services.\xa0 Of course, there is always the exception, and right now churchgoers might have a particular reputation of being…well…judgmental or “churchie” for lack of a better word…\xa0 But according to research on religion, it's true.\xa0 Why is this?\n\n* We learn (over time) to accept life as it comes.\n* We learn (also over time) to love and accept one another.\xa0 No matter what the flaws are.\xa0 This can be one of the most difficult things to learn.\n* A support system is built in for those hard times that we all must face.\n\n\n* Regular attendance may increase lifespan.\n\n* Many Americans go to church because it helps them stay grounded and gives them spiritual guidance.\n* Tyler VanderWeele of Harvard said, “Church attendance promotes self-discipline and sense of meaning and purpose.”\n* Dr. Blazer, a professor of Psychiatry at Duke University said, “The one aspect that is significant of good health is religious service attendance.”\n\n\n* Couples who attend church services are less likely to divorce and have happier marriages than those who don't attend.\n\nTo get Dr. Brown's 11 Good Reasons to Attend Church, go to\xa0http://rockyourretirement.com/ReasonsToAttendChurch\nDo you have any comments about today's episode?\xa0 Post them in the comments section below!\nContact information for Lake Church at Lake San Marcos:\n\n* The Lake Church – Official Website\n* The Lake Church – Facebook Page\n\nThis post\xa0about retirement and\xa0Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on\xa0http://RockYourRetirement.com