Correlation is not causation I

Tim Cavanaugh writes,

...a new study indicating that higher rates of religious belief translate into higher rates of homicide, STD transmission, non-lethal violent crime, and assorted other signs of dysfunction...Like religion itself, this study fulfills a spiritual need (the need to diagnose Americans as bible-pounding dummies), but delivers a lot less than it promises.

"A spiritual need." That's great. So many people need something to hate.