Science prooves religion is a crutch
Hugh Freaking Dillon
Posts: 14,010
Over the years it has been speculated that people who are religious have an easier way in life, in the respect that no matter what happens, they can enjoy the faith that it's "all in God's plan", or when a loved one dies, they will be with them in the end. Many religious folk have refuted this claim, stating that non-religious folk have nothing to answer for/to, so we can just run amok and do what we want. For me, nothing could be further from the truth. I still follow the basic fundamentals of religion (thou shalt not yadda yadda yadda), but I just do it because that's what's right, not because I'm afraid of being judged. I almost wish I was able to believe in a god. It would give me great happiness knowing I could see my passed loved ones in the end, that after this is all over there's something better, and there's actually a purpose to all of this.
Anyway, check this article out; it's pretty interesting:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/religion-calms-us-after-error-study-finds-97723139.html
WITH apologies to Karl Marx, it seems religion is the Xanax of the masses.
A new Canadian study finds belief in God works much like an anti-anxiety drug, creating a buffer against defensive or distressed reactions to the mistakes we make. Building on previous research that demonstrated an association between religion and palliative brain activity, scientists say they're now able to show that one actually causes the other.
The study, to be published in the respected journal Psychological Science, provides a clue to why religious people tend to lead longer lives and enjoy better physical and mental health.
When people learn of errors they've made, the brain sets off what study co-author Michael Inzlicht calls a "cortical alarm bell." This alert can be helpful in terms of self-correction, but too much vigilance can lead to a frazzled state of mind.
Religion, and its accompanying sense of order provide insulation against such distress.
"These brain signals occur within a few hundredths of a second," says Inzlicht, associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. "Although that sounds trivial, (dampened alerts) over the course of a lifetime can translate into years in which a person enjoys greater equanimity and greater grace under pressure."
Alongside Alexa M. Tullett, Inzlicht conducted experiments in which people performed mental tasks while their brain activity was monitored using electroencephalography. Researchers watched specifically for changes in error-related negativity (ERN), which arises from the anterior cingulate cortex and is associated with defensive reactions to mistakes.
Among those participants with a strong belief in an active, involved God, being primed to think of religion before completing the tasks resulted in the cortical alarm bells being muffled, with ERN decreasing. Among non-believers, however, ERN was amplified in response to self-error.
"Religion seems to act as a palliative for believers. It buffers them against the pains of everyday living, it offers meaning, and it structures their understanding of the world," Inzlicht says.
"As a result, when something bad happens, that framework makes them less anxious about it. They think, 'Well, there's a reason for this.' "
Anyway, check this article out; it's pretty interesting:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/religion-calms-us-after-error-study-finds-97723139.html
WITH apologies to Karl Marx, it seems religion is the Xanax of the masses.
A new Canadian study finds belief in God works much like an anti-anxiety drug, creating a buffer against defensive or distressed reactions to the mistakes we make. Building on previous research that demonstrated an association between religion and palliative brain activity, scientists say they're now able to show that one actually causes the other.
The study, to be published in the respected journal Psychological Science, provides a clue to why religious people tend to lead longer lives and enjoy better physical and mental health.
When people learn of errors they've made, the brain sets off what study co-author Michael Inzlicht calls a "cortical alarm bell." This alert can be helpful in terms of self-correction, but too much vigilance can lead to a frazzled state of mind.
Religion, and its accompanying sense of order provide insulation against such distress.
"These brain signals occur within a few hundredths of a second," says Inzlicht, associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough. "Although that sounds trivial, (dampened alerts) over the course of a lifetime can translate into years in which a person enjoys greater equanimity and greater grace under pressure."
Alongside Alexa M. Tullett, Inzlicht conducted experiments in which people performed mental tasks while their brain activity was monitored using electroencephalography. Researchers watched specifically for changes in error-related negativity (ERN), which arises from the anterior cingulate cortex and is associated with defensive reactions to mistakes.
Among those participants with a strong belief in an active, involved God, being primed to think of religion before completing the tasks resulted in the cortical alarm bells being muffled, with ERN decreasing. Among non-believers, however, ERN was amplified in response to self-error.
"Religion seems to act as a palliative for believers. It buffers them against the pains of everyday living, it offers meaning, and it structures their understanding of the world," Inzlicht says.
"As a result, when something bad happens, that framework makes them less anxious about it. They think, 'Well, there's a reason for this.' "
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
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Comments
I have no idea what awaits us, if anything, after we leave this mortal earth...however, there is one slight difference.
Being what some people might call a sensitive, or however you might word it, see it, I do have cause to believe in life after death, in one form or another, and also in reincarnation. I could go into the reincarnation of a close relative in depth, but I won't do it here.
Suffice it to say, that while I don't believe in "One God" per-say, and only because I find it difficult to believe in something that I have not experienced, and of course, know no one who has experienced it, it's so abstract, too abstract for me to take faith in.
Having, however, seen what I consider proof of the afterlife, or life beyond life, or reincarnation, or past lives, or any of those things, I DO believe that there is something going on that is more powerful and more long lasting than merely this life we have here on this earth.
The article was interesting, though, and I believe that if you have an extreme faith in anything that will take care of all your ills and evils, that it would have a palliative effect on all aspects of your life.
Take for example, on a much smaller scale, after all, how so many of us find solace in Ed's words in reference to many an occasion; and although, so far as I know, Ed is not immortal or any sort of higher power in the ethereal sense, his words do speak to us (me) in a way that soothes our (my) psyche....and I thank him for that.
Agree? Disagree? Don't Care?
I'd like to hear your point of view too.
jo
http://www.Etsy.com/Shop/SimpleEarthCreations
"How I choose to feel is how I am." ~ EV/MMc
"Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends." ~ One Stab ~
I too believe in living right and the thou shalt not... Mostly because you don't want to be cast out from society, but also because it will cause someone else pain. We see enough pain in the world and you would be a fool to want to add to it. Having been brought up in a (not so strict) catholic oriented family I have the guidelines set in my ways to lean towards the good life and the possibility of an afterlife. Living as an adolescent and an adult have given me the opportunity to question everything and when I see what all is possible on this side of the ground, I believe that anything is possible once you are not on this side of the ground anymore.
Everybody has the answer and will tell you about it but believing in yourself and believing that you are part of something as a whole is how I feel about my existence. I'm not that important, but I do my part. I do believe that energy can never die. Your soul or whatever you call it that lives inside of you and drives you is a form of energy. For every action there is an equal or lesser action. If when I die I become a speck of light a million miles away...so be it. If when I die I become a fly on a big pile of cow shit, so be it. It is what it is and I accept that. Until then, the sun is shining, and I have some things that I need to do before I can rest my head.
I gave up Catholicism quite a number of years ago, opting for, as those before me here have said, living a good and right life...abiding by the "golden rule" as much as possible, and that is, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Not so that I would be more accepted by society, not so that other people would like me better, but because that's what I believe is right. We should cause no one pain or discomfort purposefully. We should be kind and loving toward one another. We should share what we have and instead of always being want for what we don't have, remembering that we are so much better off that someone else might be, and helping them out however and whenever we can.
I don't travel to Africa to save starving children in Ethiopia. if I could, maybe I would, I don't know. But if I can help my neighbors, if they are in need of something that I can provide, I will give it happily. I will sometimes deprive myself of the same in order to provide a better day or minute for someone else....except that I will not deprive my children. Having said that, I also do not believe in giving them everything that they ever wanted, as they needed to learn what it means to work for what you want and to share with others. I did and will however, provide them with what they need, and as much love and more as they could possibly absorb (although they may not have seen curfews and such, or the word "no" as loving until they became adults themselves). I adore my children. I've lived my life to give my children the best that I could. Granted it was not nearly what some other families have, given that I was a single parent (even when my spouse was physically present), and it was difficult. But I gave all I could...and I still do. I have 5 grand babies now for which I would give my life. That's all part of what I consider to be living a good and right life.
But I also have my own life and my own soul to consider....and I live the best I know how.
I like to think that we all do what is right and best for ourselves and our loved ones, but I'm not naive and I have to admit that I know that is not always the case. :(
Getting off the subject...sorry for the rambling.
Back to the subject:
Grievances over any errors made, guilt, I do have..for sure, and I believe wholly that most of that still lingers on BECAUSE of my religious upbringing, not despite it. I still experience guilt over things I've "done" 30 years or more, ago, mistakes, made out of naivete or just because I didn't know any better. Granted, I might have thought twice, or thrice, before making some of the decisions that I did when I was younger, especially where family was concerned, but I have had to learn that what's done is done, and is to be learned from. Still, it's not easy to let go of guilt and remorse, is it?
So, who knows whether or not it is religion? I believe, as I've said before, that faith in anything that we personally consider to be higher, more aware, more powerful, more spiritual and more loving and open than us, is probably a religion of sorts...and it probably soothes our worries and our psyche just as much if not more than any organized religion could. In my own personal experience with Christianity, it filled me with fear and loathing to a great degree, and rather than experiencing a forgiving, all loving god, I learned to fear an all powerful, vengeful god. In what way I could have found that soothing, is beyond any comprehension I have.
So, religion, whatever that may be, is highly personal to me, and I tend to think of it for myself as spirituality rather than religion. Organized religion is not for me. I have allowed my children to decide for themselves...taught them when they were youngsters, what (I thought) they needed to know regarding organized religion and "GOD"...as well as the freedom to worship/or not; encouraged them to learn about other "religions" and other deities as they pleased, to accept the beliefs of others, and try to understand differing and controversial points of view. Or, to have no "GOD" at all. Once they were grown, they took their own paths, and each of my three children have taken very diverse individual paths when it comes to spirituality. I would hope that it all ends up being good for them.
jo
http://www.Etsy.com/Shop/SimpleEarthCreations
"How I choose to feel is how I am." ~ EV/MMc
"Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends." ~ One Stab ~
Science proves nothing. God is real! Every single person will meet him someday. Iv seen pure evil at it's core. Can't anybody see what's happening. Can't you see what the world is working up to? It's written in the bible and it's happening before our very eyes. Why don't you guys pick on mulsims or some other religion instead of harping on GOD all the time. Very very sad.
that article doesn't prove that religion (or the belief in "god") is ONLY a crutch (i.e. that "god" isn't real) it only provides PROOF that religion is a psychological moderator of the things that make us ill, mentally and physically.
Nobody KNOWS what happens when you die, so shut the fuck up a out KNOWING that there is a "god." You don't know... and if you purport to know (either way, it does or does NOT exist) then you are lying to me or are trying to sell something.
I have just as much impatience for atheists as I do for fundamentalist believers. Stop claiming that you know all the answers, and stop PROSELYTIZING your beliefs. Nobody cares what you believe.
I don't think it matters in this life if you believe in God or not. If we believe in each other is what matters. Growing spiritually towards a non judgmental love for all. To make in life a priority to work towards understanding others as much as we try to understand ourselves.
As far as God being a crutch, God is a comfort that gives strength in all aspects of ones life. Strength in good times to help others and give love freely. Strength in the darkest times to see beyond the trials and have hope.
Who is to say one person is stronger than the other individually? One would have to know intimately their heart. If someone does not believe in God they do not need this comfort for what ever reason but there is still the need for personal growth and connection to others and the need to work towards unconditional love.
This is our common bond.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Good thing you included the word "with"... otherwise that would be a dreary and dull way to live your life!
I though that was common knowledge...
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
yes, the apocalypse is coming, nothingman.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
And there's nothing wrong with religion or being religious, as long as you don't use it to judge or belittle others. A good portion of theists I've met are very respectful of others' beliefs. My brother, for example, and his wife and son, are VERY religious, and we get along very well.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
And yes - Science does not prove anything. Just ask a scientist. They can form theories and laws based upon current information and observation. Those theories are not absolute proof of anything.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
And let me ask you this, if science isn't proof of anything and you so readily pass it off in the face of religion/god, how can you be sure of something with even less proof? We're obviously not going to change the other half's mind/belief, but it just seems silly to me to pass off in the face of the other, especially because the one you back is absolute belief and the other is not. Kinda like saying tangerines are your favorite, but you absolutely hate and can't tolerate clementines.
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
I merely found it interesting, actually, kind of astounding that studies have found the perceived reason why religious folk, as a generality, enjoy longer and happier lives. It makes no inference into the existence of god one way or the other. It's merely about the effect the belief in god/an afterlife has on individuals in society.
Take a freaking pill. :?
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
What I'm saying is both science AND religion require faith. Maybe one more than the other.....maybe not.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
science works with the knowledge they acquire
religion dismisses it.
science evolves.
religion does not.
what does that tell you?
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
this is a good video about your point on science changing over time and being relative to the instrument itself and relative to its location in space/time... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO7tGOr2NU0
believing that science has all the answers (to these grand questions of "god") seems to me to be just as delusional as relying on a book written 2000 years ago.
By definition, I have faith in nothing.
Funny, when I tell a religious believer this, they always tell me they feel sorry for me
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
this reminds me of one of my favorite quotes; "I believe in everything; nothing is sacred, I believe in nothing; everything is sacred"
I wasn't saying the OP was implying that science has all the answers... but there are a few posts ^^^ that are swaying to the whole religion v. science debate (i.e. "they are polar opposites")