@fmf saidHow do you define "violence"?
"Most violence is caused by mental illness".
If that statement were to be true, what would the implications be for the stance of religious people who assert that the level of violence in society is caused by moral decline?
If "mental illness" was the cause of violence, then free will would cease to be a factor with regard to behavior, and accountability could not be assigned with punishment.
I think mental illness would be more apply assigned to anyone that thinks moral decline isn't the cause of violence.
And being "religious" isn't the cause of human conscience. One might ask whether the knowledge of right and wrong is designed innately into the human construct as is the heart beat, or if consciousness of morality is the product of training.
"Religion" is the product of training, but the conscience, with regards to right and wrong, is hard wired into the soul.
"In the United States, for example, violent crime rates have fallen by over 50% in many major U.S. cities since these rates peaked in the early 1990s, often referred to as the "Great Crime Decline". In New York City, these rates had dropped by 75% from the early 1990s to 2010." [wiki]
Was this "Great Crime Decline" linked in any way to an improvement in morality?
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https://www.mind.org.uk
Are mental health problems increasing?
The overall number of people reporting mental health problems has been going up in recent years.
The amount of people with common mental health problems went up by 20% between 1993 to 2014, in both men and women.
The percentage of people reporting severe mental health symptoms in any given week rose from 7% in 1993, to over 9% in 2014 .
The number of young women reporting common mental health problems has been going up
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@fmf saidI doubt it.
"In the United States, for example, violent crime rates have fallen by over 50% in many major U.S. cities since these rates peaked in the early 1990s, often referred to as the "Great Crime Decline". In New York City, these rates had dropped by 75% from the early 1990s to 2010." [wiki]
Was this "Great Crime Decline" linked in any way to an improvement in morality?
Crime rates dropped as a result of increased law enforcement.
Or didn't you know that?
Or do you interpret the statistics in another way? Perhaps you're a statistician today after googling?
@fmf said"Mental health problems".
https://www.mind.org.uk
Are mental health problems increasing?
The overall number of people reporting mental health problems has been going up in recent years.
The amount of people with common mental health problems went up by 20% between 1993 to 2014, in both men and women.
The percentage of people reporting severe mental health symptoms in any given week rose ...[text shortened]... f young women reporting common mental health problems has been going up
More relevant stuff
Do you know the causes for them? What's your theory?
Could it be because of moral decline? God forbid! That might just upset your worldview as defined by the prophet google. 🤣