] Economists have long been interested in why some
] countries are rich and why some countries are poor.
] Differences in labor productivity, inflation, and saving
] and investment rates are traditional economic
] explanations for variations in wealth across countries.
] But when these explanations fall short, researchers
] sometimes turn to noneconomic factors. Two such factors
] are a country’s legal and social institutions.
] Religious factors can also help explain variations in
] economic growth, many economists are increasingly
] finding. In particular, in countries where large
] percentages of the population believe in hell, there
] seem to be less corruption and a higher standard of
] living.

Interesting read...

Fear of Hell Might Fire Up the Economy - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis