Saturday, May 2, 2009

Can religion save souls?

I have always thought that the idea of saving souls and healing through prayer to be pretty irrational. I can't say that I have ever had nearly enough faith in anything to allow myself to believe that religion could save anyone or set anyone on a different track. Nevertheless, many people claim that faith is what brought them through the toughest of situations. People are grateful to god and church in times of distress, violence, sickness and depression. Religious faith has been linked to healing patients of substance abuse, cancer, major surgery including cardiac surgery, suicidal tendencies, and criminal behavior. Although I don't quite understand this phenomena, I cannot deny that it occurs. I only wonder if there is any evidence that proves that prayer and religious faith effects people psychologically. The information that I found while researching doesn't seem to offer any type of scientific proof or explanation, it just supports the argument that religious faith increases the hope that people feel and allows them to remain mentally focused on a positive outcome. I guess sometimes people just need something to believe in. They need to believe in something that goes beyond rational thinking in order to have faith in themselves or to believe that they are going to make it out of whatever hardships are troubling them. According to an article on medscape.com "Faith-based, positive religious resources can help patients recover from cardiac surgery, according to findings from a study presented at the 114th annual convention of the American Psychological Association (APA). The study suggests that enhanced hope and perceived social support can protect psychological well-being during stressful procedures and experiences, whereas having negative religious thoughts and struggles may hinder recovery." This idea very much reinforces the concept of the power of positive thinking. If patients believe that there is a powerful force of good out there trying to help them then they find in much easier to stay positive and strengthen themselves. But is this really attributed to God? Couldn't we find other ways to remain positive in distressful situations without turning to religion? I like to think so, but in a world ridden with pessimistic ideology and money woes I guess there almost needs to be some sort of magic supernatural thought to really inspire someone to stay positive. Reality just doesn't quite cut it.
This video is a quick explanation of how religion effects the brain, and how the feeling of transcendence, which is linked to spiritual healing, can be explained scientifically.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0UqLRdPc24&NR=1

Friday, May 1, 2009

Was Jesus a vegetatian.

The idea that Jesus was a vegetarian is almost as ignorant as proclaiming that George Bush knew exactly what he was doing in office. Although I’m no scientist when it comes to religion, I am however well versed in the teachings of both protestant and catholic traditions. When I was growing up in the family, religion was an important part of our culture. There are many references in the Bible to the consumption of both bread and fish, which automatically disqualifies any and all of these ridiculous and credulous assumptions. The fact that PeTA encourages this type of thinking should clearly indicate to us that they are unreliable both in their judgment and their philosophies. In my opinion, such a social atrocity of lies and unsustainable evidence to support their idea’s, is much worse a fallacy then to have religion provide a social and cultural role in people’s lives or even serving a political or civic role to society. Groups and organizations such as these actually rob people’s minds of their personal judgment and provide a getaway plan for the conscious theft of our individuality as well as our health.

This video may have a point but i still like to grill my steak outside on a nice summer day. Cheers...