Religious beliefs provide many benefits to the population, and are linked to enhanced coping skills, improvements in quality of life, finding meaning in ones’ life, and maintaining hope in difficult situations. However, religious beliefs may also provide the groundwork for ageism or distorted views on the aging process. This study investigates the beliefs of individuals from a variety of faiths and ages using data collected online in the summer of 2017. The sample was a convenience sample of volunteers recruited via social media including Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook. Scores from two new scales on views about aging were regressed with age, self-identification as a person of faith, and ideal length of life. Results show that younger age (i.e., early adulthood) and being a person of faith predicted the beliefs that aging was punishment for sin and that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were punishment for sin. Although an individual’s reliance one’s own religious views or faith may provide a source of comfort and coping mechanisms, it may lead to feeling conflicted over being punished by God (Nagpal, Heidi, Zarit, & Whitlatch, 2015; Snyder, 2003). Such views, if held by family members or professional caregivers, have grave implications for quality of care, end-of-life care planning, and maintenance of personhood for persons with dementia.
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