Often, truth is rooted in happiness.  We find comfort in knowing what we have in front of us and what is ahead.  The seeking of truth has roots in the desire for a well fulfilled life.  We want to belong somewhere and have comfort where we are.  People most often seek truth and a sense of security in religion.  When you can rely on something that is more powerful than yourself, you can take a breath and relax a bit.  So, in this idea, people involved in religion should be some of the happiest people around right?  Well, this is not always the case.  In a research study conducted at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, the idea of religion equalling happiness was seriously challenged.  

The more that I delve into the idea of truth both internally and externally, the more I realize how we as people simplify things for comfort's sake.  It is simply easier for us to generalize and assume about the world around us than to actually dive into it.  We find simplification very often in the church.  We hear the same services over and over and assume that we know the story, understand the meaning, and are living the message.  This idea can be toxic.  When we simplify what is in the Bible or dumb down sermons ad nauseum, we lose the intrinsic and miraculous complexity in this world.  In turn, we find that God is boring, church is lame, and the pastors cannot teach us anything new.  This, I believe, is the essence behind the results of this study.  Religion and its followers can be measured in accordance with subjective well being or SWB.  While not completely accurate, this assumption of lifestyle=religious preference is enlightening.  If you would like to read more on this topic, the link is below.

http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.library.acaweb.org/eds/detail?vid=8&hid=4&sid=f3545bb7-6ed6-4037-8c5f-aa23259af933%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=pdh&AN=2011-16524-001