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David Myers, a psychology professor at Hope College and author of The Pursuit of Happiness, said people who attend church regularly tend to be happier partly because church provides social support.

"Humans have a need to belong, to be connected in close, caring relationships, and North America's 350,000 congregations are a significant venue for social support," Myers said. "If something bad happens, like a devastating sickness, you stand a good chance of getting love-bombed by your faith community if you are an active member of it."

The study also found that the happiness achieved by attending church could be modified by personal income. In some ways, the survey found, money can seem to buy happiness. Half of those who attended church weekly and had an income of $50,000 or more said they were very happy. But only 37 percent of weekly attendees earning less than $50,000 reported they were very happy.

As with many public opinion surveys, the Pew Research Center's definition of evangelical and mainline are open to some debate. Respondents were given a choice of religious preferences to identify with. Those who answered Protestant were asked if they would describe themselves as born-again or evangelical. Mainliners are those who answered no. Evangelicals are those who answered yes. However, black and Hispanic Protestants were measured differently, so the numbers given above for evangelical and mainline Protestants only reflect those of white Protestants. Whites and Hispanics overall tended to be happier than blacks, the survey said.

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The full survey, "Are We Happy Yet?" is available at the Pew Research Center site.

A 2003 survey from Barna Research also found that evangelicals were more likely to describe themselves as happy.

In a 2002 interview, Myers talked about whether money makes people happier.

"We must fight the temptation to treat our faith the way we treat our careers—as a source of entertainment, fulfillment, and happiness," said Chuck Colson and Anne Morse in a 2004 Christianity Today column. "Remember the warning of C. S. Lewis: If you're seeking happiness, don't choose Christianity, choose port wine." Colson also talked about the subject in a 2005 column: "Evangelicals must rely on more than cheerful tunes, easy answers, and happy smiles."

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March (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50