Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Argue for and against Christianity

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Jagella
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Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #1

Post by Jagella »

In an older thread, The Mental-Illness Theory of Religion, I received the following response:
bjs wrote: Second, in response to historia you wrote:
Jagella wrote: Some claim religious belief can be beneficial mentally, and others have come to the opposite conclusion
The first part of that statement is clearly true. In Psychology Today psychologist Rob Whitley wrote:
“The amassed research indicates that higher levels of religious belief and practice (known in social science as “religiosity�) is associated with better mental health.�
Question for Debate:In what ways has your Christian faith and practice improved your mental health?

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Post #61

Post by Tart »

JoeyKnothead wrote: from Post 58:

(Edit to change referenced post from 57 to 58, and y'all's welcome to pick on me about it.)
Tart wrote: Id like to respond to a few things in this comment, but first i think there is an important issue I would like resolved... 

When you say 
JoeyKnothead wrote:
I propose it's having the honor and integrity to just fess up when you've been stuck you by either your outright lies, or your obvious errors.

This is suggesting i (or someone) has outright lied about something, or said something of obvious errors... 

What is it that I (or someone) has lied about, or said something with obvious errors? Or am i not understanding you? This would constitute as "slander" if it isnt actually supported with evidence.
Please note, there's buttons there folks can push, and how 'bout that, the mods jump in and there we go.

I reject any argument that I'm in violation of the rules, 'til it is a mod shakes 'em their head at me, all forlornly and all, like they they just had to did, and I'm so embarrassed they had to do. Really, I don't know what brought that about, but I'm shamed of it.

I was asked to propose how my "beliefs for righteousness are true" and offered me up a definition of the relevant term, such that we might be able to determine us all about it.

That the liar, that the fraud might gettem upset by that definition, is, I contend, well how 'bout that.

That the liar, or the fraud might think my proffered definition points to them directly is, I propose, well how 'bout that.

We're in debate here. We're in us a-seekin' the truth. I'll not be shamed nor suffered to find there's some here among us who can't show they speak it. And get upset when their failure jumps it to the top of the page.


The only thing the liar has to fear, the only thing the fraud has to fear, is being exposed.

Who of y'all here just set to fret?
Who even understands this? I cant decipher this language...

Im simply asking, who is lying? About what? Who has said errors? How so?

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Post #62

Post by Bust Nak »

JoeyKnothead wrote: That the liar, that the fraud might gettem upset by that definition, is, I contend, well how 'bout that.

That the liar, or the fraud might think my proffered definition points to them directly is, I propose, well how 'bout that.

The only thing the liar has to fear, the only thing the fraud has to fear, is being exposed.
Moderator Comment

You are pushing it with the implication of lying, even if you aren't saying it out loud. Just address the post, point out where you think a false statement has been made.

Please review the Rules.


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Post #63

Post by JoeyKnothead »

I'm at fault here, on that there can be no question.

I 'pologize for my rude behavior, and deserve every ounce of derision that comes my way.



viewtopic.php?p=940611#940611
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Tart
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Post #64

Post by Tart »

JoeyKnothead wrote: I'm at fault here, on that there can be no question.

I 'pologize for my rude behavior, and deserve every ounce of derision that comes my way.



viewtopic.php?p=940611#940611
Well to be clear, i didnt think it was that rude, though i cant understand the things you write. I thought it was more like, unsupported claims.

But your apology is honorable...

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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #65

Post by Aetixintro »

Jagella wrote: In an older thread, The Mental-Illness Theory of Religion, I received the following response:
bjs wrote: Second, in response to historia you wrote:
Jagella wrote: Some claim religious belief can be beneficial mentally, and others have come to the opposite conclusion
The first part of that statement is clearly true. In Psychology Today psychologist Rob Whitley wrote:
“The amassed research indicates that higher levels of religious belief and practice (known in social science as “religiosity�) is associated with better mental health.�
Question for Debate:In what ways has your Christian faith and practice improved your mental health?
Having been a Christian since my birth, my faith comes part and parcel with (Kantian) ethical and moral character. So I'm strengthened by my faith yet the Kantian Ethics and Christian Faith seem so bound to each other that I'm unsure if I can say that I can have the one without the other.

Clearly then, it must be understood that both Christian ethics and faith make the existence of one another yet there has been a point in life that I've made a slight verdict on life and I've chosen God and Christianity. However, there may well be people who go with decency and having a conscience as rule of life and later come to realise that Christianity speaks for their human nature as well.

Cheers! :D
I'm cool! :) - Stronger Religion every day! Also by "mathematical Religion", the eternal forms, God closing the door on corrupt humanity, possibly!

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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #66

Post by nashandra »

Honestly, I am an atheist, and I trust in science and only in science.
However, I believe that faith can be helpful for our mental health.
The ability to stay calm in any situation is what everyone should tend to, and people who have strong faith, they would never get annoyed.
For example, I am an atheist, and I am almost always stressed and annoyed.
Well, now I feel better, and I have no such problems, but a few years ago, I was always stressed and depressed.
The situation was terrific, but thankfully, I went to the doctor on time.
After passing a neuropsych exam, my doctor recommended passing a therapy course.
I took a therapy course in person, and after a few sessions, I started feeling better and better.
Now, I am totally healthy.
Last edited by nashandra on Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #67

Post by Dimmesdale »

Christianity has both helped me and hurt me mentally.

It gave me hope when I had my Born Again experience in high school. It opened my mind up to the possibility of love and spiritual experiences and that there was more to life than just the physical universe. For that receptivity to spiritual possibility, I will always be thankful to Jesus

But with that package deal came very harmful ideas of hell and inordinate guilt and paranoia about sin, and other such maladies. Also, Christianity skewed my thinking in a shape that I see now as delusional. Instead of thinking in a way that I regard as honest, Christianity caused me to think in a round-about way that I regard as dishonest and not the true way we should investigate objective reality. Christianity doesn't look at reality in a direct, up-front way, in other words. There is something disingenuous about it.

So, like most things in life, there are good and bad aspects. I can rail on and on about how Christianity has wounded me, but that is to be trapped in the past and refuse to evolve. Likewise I can go on and on about all the silver linings that Christianity has, which it does. I would prefer to talk in that vein. Stay positive people.


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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #68

Post by Tcg »

Dimmesdale wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:06 pm Stay positive people.
Sure, we can ignore reality and "stay positive" or we can deal with facts:
Study Examines Religious Experiences and Depression

A national study examines the link between religious experiences and depression by following more than 12,000 American adolescents from their teens into middle adulthood. The research indicates that attending religious services staves off depression, but it also ties life-changing spiritual experiences and a belief in divine leading and angelic protection to an increased risk for depression, especially in men.

https://neurosciencenews.com/religion-depression-17753/
If one desires to remain mentally healthy, the best advice is to not take religion seriously especially if you are a man. Go to church, but don't take anything you hear there seriously.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

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I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #69

Post by Dimmesdale »

Tcg wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:18 pm
If one desires to remain mentally healthy, the best advice is to not take religion seriously especially if you are a man. Go to church, but don't take anything you hear there seriously.
Tcg
That advice comes across as a bit arrogant to me. In my opinion, I think one should at least take into account that not all people are the same. For some people who are already cynical and used to reality being a glass half empty, it may work for them not to toy with religion and get their hopes up. They may very well get caught up in what they consider illusion, and that may mess THEM up royally: they might willfully auto-deceive themselves or become even more cynical. However, for someone who's been a Christian or Muslim all their life, it may likewise be dangerous to mess with their minds, if they are not strong enough to deal with the data, one way or another.

To say there is only ONE "best advice" in this area is to not respect other people and the complexity of their views, in MY VIEW.

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Re: Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

Post #70

Post by Tcg »

Dimmesdale wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:25 pm
Tcg wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:18 pm
If one desires to remain mentally healthy, the best advice is to not take religion seriously especially if you are a man. Go to church, but don't take anything you hear there seriously.
Tcg
That advice comes across as a bit arrogant to me.
It is advice based on the findings of solid research. Your odd claim of arrogance is irrelevant and unfounded unless of course one considers Ad Hominem valuable.


Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

- American Atheists


Not believing isn't the same as believing not.

- wiploc


I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.

- Irvin D. Yalom

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