Is the dominance of a particular religion responsible for different rates of development around the world?
Good observation. The intertwining of society and religion many times makes the difference in progress. If the religion is inflexible and does not encourage free thinking the country will be slower in rates of progress and the people suffer in some respects Where as a country with less restrictive beliefs will be more advanced. That said, there is something to following a more simple less complicated life style, it is easier on the nervous system.
The dominance of fundamentalist Christianity certainly had an effect on the development of Dark Ages Western Europe. Fundamentalist Islam is keeping the Middle East from developing properly. Considering the hostility religion tends to have for science, I would assume it’s true elsewhere as well, but that’s unfalsifiable.
