▁and ▁good ▁de eds ▁concept , ▁among ▁others . ▁ ▁Religion ▁and ▁mor ality ▁are ▁not ▁syn onymous . ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁" an ▁almost ▁automatic ▁assumption ." ▁in ▁Christian ity , ▁mor ality ▁can ▁have ▁a ▁sec ular ▁basis . ▁ ▁The ▁study ▁of ▁religion ▁and ▁mor ality ▁can ▁be ▁content ious ▁due ▁to ▁eth noc ent ric ▁views ▁on ▁mor ality , ▁failure ▁to ▁distinguish ▁between ▁in ▁group ▁and ▁out ▁group ▁al tr u ism , ▁and ▁incons istent ▁definitions ▁of ▁religios ity . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁ ▁Imp act ▁Religion ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁significant ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁political ▁system ▁in ▁many ▁countries . ▁Not ably , ▁most ▁Muslim - major ity ▁countries ▁adopt ▁various ▁aspects ▁of ▁sh aria , ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁law . ▁Some ▁countries ▁even ▁define ▁themselves ▁in ▁religious ▁terms , ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Islam ic ▁Republic ▁of ▁Iran . ▁The ▁sh aria ▁thus ▁affect s ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁global ▁population , ▁or ▁ 1 . 5 7   b ill ion ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁Muslim s . ▁However , ▁religion ▁also ▁affect s ▁political ▁dec isions ▁in ▁many ▁western ▁countries . ▁For ▁instance , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁ 5 1 % ▁of ▁vot ers ▁would ▁be ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁a ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁believe ▁in ▁God , ▁and ▁only ▁ 6 % ▁more ▁likely . ▁Christians ▁make ▁up ▁ 9 2 % ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Congress , ▁compared ▁with ▁ 7 1 %