Early Retirement and Religious Beliefs

[Katsmeow]

Interesting topic. I would guess there is not a correlation or at least not a strong one between ER and religious belief. Personally, I am a None.

 

[donheff]

I suspect that a big part of the "need" for external meaning (either from work or religion) is innate. If you need it you can potentially get it from religion, work, volunteering, family... If you don't need it, you don't feel the emptiness others report regardless of those factors. Based on the variety of posters we see here I would guess the issue is a wash with respect to the likelihood to ER.

 

[NW-Bound]

I suspect that a big part of the "need" for external meaning (either from work or religion) is innate. If you need it you can potentially get it from religion, work, volunteering, family...

What helps me is highlighted above in boldface.

 

[gauss]

That's a very interesting hypothesis. A quick Google search turned up this review from 2014, which concludes that religiosity may be associated with satisfaction at work, which might translate into working longer. A compounding factor is that practice of some religions requires adopting a healthier lifestyle. Anticipating longevity requires more retirement savings, and may cause people to delay retirement. The authors note that people frequently become more religious over time.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15528030.2013.855967

I am profoundly non-religious, FWIW.

There may be a relationship at work here of personality types that are accommodating of tradition, hierarchy, order etc. that can be found in some popular religions that would also be valued in many work places.

-gauss

 

[Winemaker]

Every day, I thank the Lord for the talents he gave DW and I to earn, save, prepare and actually "retire" early. Our friends are stunned, shocked and in disbelief that their God fearing neighbors enjoy this wonderful opportunity this early in life. I hope it was account of the 12 years of Catholic education.

 

[Chuckanut]

I will comment more on religion and retirement when I am reincarnated as the only heir of a fabulously wealthy family.

 

[Sojourner]

I'm with scrabbler1 on this. Atheist since I was about 13, no kids, and semi-retired in my mid 40s. I think there are a lot of disparate factors that play into ER, and religiosity might be one of them, albeit a weak one. Here are a few possible factors that come to mind in support of the idea that less religious people might be over-represented in the ranks of the FIREd.

1) Christianity emphasizes a strong work ethic in order to support both one's family and the church. This would tend to lead a highly religious person to work hard for as long as possible.

2) ER typically requires a combination of a high-paying job and being very thrifty for many years -- traits that I would guess correlate to some degree with high levels of education. Higher educational attainment is typically negatively correlated with religiosity.

3) Being able to ER is probably easier and thus more common for people without children. And I would think being highly religious is strongly correlated with having multiple children ("be fruitful and multiply").

And I'm sure there are many other factors. My gut would say there is probably a moderately small negative correlation between ER (especially very early ER) and religiosity.

 

[2017ish]

Another anecdote: DW and I were outwardly religious and never missed a Sunday or Day of Obligation until our last child graduated high school. We wanted to raise our kids with a grounding in the framework of our society, but at heart we are agnostics lacking even the faith to be atheists. Thus, we haven't been back since, except when with our parents. STRONG admirers of most of our religious friends and family, and a bit envious as well. We'll retire at 57/56, several years after our youngest (of 3) graduated college.

OTOH, her folks are strongly religious Catholics. They retired at 59/56 when their youngest (of 4) graduated high school.

Speaking generally, I think this is par for the course; ER is independent of Faith or lack thereof--although Lord knows there a truckload of confounding variables floating about.

 

[kcowan]

I was fairly religious in my early years. As I approached marriage, I had training as a non-Catholic and that help me become independent. I have spawned 2 Catholics and they spawned 5 more.

All charitable giving is to help the poor and unfortunate.

 

[aja8888]

I was pointed into being a Catholic in my early years in CT. My mother was the driving force, Dad just stayed home or went to the bar when it opened at noon on Sundays (strange CT rule). I drifted away from the church when I entered the military and was was in a combat situation. Never really went back.

My ex-wife was devout Lutheran and I joined the religion at her asking when we had young daughters. I participated and looked the part. After our marriage fell apart, I resumed my absence from the church. I'm still that way and the daughters are borderline religious and attend church frequently. It's good they do that.

I don't think religion or the lack of, had any effect in me becoming FI. I would be where I am either way.

 

[NW-Bound]

As mentioned earlier, I am an agnostic, and my family was never devoutly religious. However, I spent a few years in a Catholic school ran by Catholic brothers. I only knew a long time later that Catholic brothers are laymen, meaning that they are not ordained priests.

My parents were not Catholic, but they believed that the strong discipline of that Catholic school would do their sons some good.

 

[Onward]

How does someone who believes

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God

acquire enough money to FIRE?

(I guess I should should ask J.D. Rockefeller, who was very religious.)

 

[homestead]

I read the amplified version...


Matthew 19:24Amplified Bible (AMP)

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

[MBAustin]

Thanks for an interesting discussion.
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