How Badly Did Jesus Suffer? Do You, in Your Personal Life, Suffer More Than The Three Days? (1 Viewer)

[Henry Ford]

Link?

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0017006

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0017006

Good link Henry, I am definitely in favor of this approach towards the further understanding of the interrelationship between religion, spirituality and neuroscience.

My personal perspective on this issue is rather simple:

1) If it works in a positive manner for one, without unfairly negatively impacting others, use it;

2) If it does not, don't use it;

3) Don't assume one size fits all.

4) Therefore, one should not force one's ways/beliefs on others...debate is awesome though!

Philosophically, I am agnostic; yet, I hold many spiritual beliefs that work for me. When/if, they stop working, I replace them with others (maybe spiritual as well, or maybe not).

Now, in regards to this statement on the study:

There's some strong evidence of hippocampus atrophy in "born again" religions/ people who have had a "religious experience."  Which seems odd if we're supposed to want to want those things.

It must also be noted that the evidence also shows hippocampus atrophy in other groups as well:

Catholic group membership (n = 22) (b = −0.22, P = .046) and no religious group membership at baseline (n = 19) (b = −0.28, P = .046) were also associated with greater atrophy in the left hippocampus over time compared with non born-again Protestant group membership.

Greater hippocampal atrophy was observed longitudinally in this study among born-again Protestants, Catholics, and those reporting no religious affiliation, compared with non born-again Protestants. 

...including "no religious group membership".

Also, as far as I can tell, the study seems to focus most on stress being the primary underlying factor:

One way of interpreting these findings is within the context of the hypothesized impact of cumulative stress on the hippocampus. While some religious variables have been found to be associated with positive mental health [57], [58], [59], other religious factors may be a source of stress [19], [60], [61], [62], [63], [64].

These findings may reflect potential cumulative stress associated with being a member of a religious minority. Though religious factors have been associated with positive mental health [59], [76], [77], studies have shown members of religious minority groups may also experience stressors related to these group affiliations [78], [79], [80].

Thus, as the study presents it here, it suggests that stress may be the driver the atrophy, not the religious belief itself, nor, does it suggest that the religious belief is the result of atrophy.

Actually, it really leaves the question of the direction of causality (in regards to stress & religious affiliation/belief) open in the end.

Regardless, this is a really great study, and I hope more shall follow in this field.

Oh, finally RA, I do not know how much suffering Jesus experienced. If I use a best guess for it though, then I would have to say that I have not suffered at that level; although, I have suffered quite a bit during certain phases.

 

[bucksoh]

J.C. has nothing on me.  JK.  Sorry long and choppy read.  As a baby I was told by my uncle's and aunt's that my mom would go outside and drop me on concrete because she didn't want to take care of me while my father was drinking with his brothers and sisters.

 When I was two years old I was ran over by a car, laid on top of me a while by the time it was lifted off of me I was dead.  I was resuscitated  back to life.  Throughout my childhood we were beaten almost every night, except for Sunday that was the Lord's day and we had to do something very bad to be hit on a Sunday by my alcoholic father.

Growing up we were taught the more you cried and screamed the longer you would be beaten.  When I was 8 I was accused by my father's co-worker friend of doing something that I did not do.  I was then beaten among other things for 8 hours straight.  It was a four day weekend and then by the time school came about I was unable to sit in my seat so I was taken away from my family and it was before CPS so my teacher took me in for two weeks, Thanks Mrs. E. Since I never got a chance to thank her.  When the two weeks were over I was taken back to my family by a cop who lived next door to us.  He parked in his driveway and had my father come out to the sidewalk to talk.  He asked me who I wanted to live with the teachers family or mine.  Which the teachers families scared the #### out of me cause the were nice and affectionate something I never really experienced from my family.  Of course I chose my family. Unfortunately the beatings never stopped until we were older.

I have had X-rays and countless CT scans, MRI, Bone density test.  From the pain of the car and being dropped.  I have multiple leg fractures from being dropped as a baby and a bad hip which I'm to Young to have replaced (43).  Where the car was sitting on me I don't have a lot of bone so I have major back pains of which $40,000 out of pocket and the doctors still don't know what to do.  If it wasn't for my kids and wife I would have blown my head off a long time ago.  

We're foster parents and they show kids,  who were abused and I'm telling my wife that's nothing compared to what I had happened to me,  then I said to her that kid looked like me.  I asked the teacher of the class if she knows where some of these kids are from, she then gives the time frame and a two of the counties of which I'm from one of the counties, so if there is a detective out there I would love to know if it truly is my pic.  Shook me up.  

 There's a bunch more but already a long read. 

 

[rockaction]

J.C. has nothing on me.  JK.  Sorry long and choppy read.  As a baby I was told by my uncle's and aunt's that my mom would go outside and drop me on concrete because she didn't want to take care of me while my father was drinking with his brothers and sisters.

 When I was two years old I was ran over by a car, laid on top of me a while by the time it was lifted off of me I was dead.  I was resuscitated  back to life.  Throughout my childhood we were beaten almost every night, except for Sunday that was the Lord's day and we had to do something very bad to be hit on a Sunday by my alcoholic father.

Growing up we were taught the more you cried and screamed the longer you would be beaten.  When I was 8 I was accused by my father's co-worker friend of doing something that I did not do.  I was then beaten among other things for 8 hours straight.  It was a four day weekend and then by the time school came about I was unable to sit in my seat so I was taken away from my family and it was before CPS so my teacher took me in for two weeks, Thanks Mrs. E. Since I never got a chance to thank her.  When the two weeks were over I was taken back to my family by a cop who lived next door to us.  He parked in his driveway and had my father come out to the sidewalk to talk.  He asked me who I wanted to live with the teachers family or mine.  Which the teachers families scared the #### out of me cause the were nice and affectionate something I never really experienced from my family.  Of course I chose my family. Unfortunately the beatings never stopped until we were older.

I have had X-rays and countless CT scans, MRI, Bone density test.  From the pain of the car and being dropped.  I have multiple leg fractures from being dropped as a baby and a bad hip which I'm to Young to have replaced (43).  Where the car was sitting on me I don't have a lot of bone so I have major back pains of which $40,000 out of pocket and the doctors still don't know what to do.  If it wasn't for my kids and wife I would have blown my head off a long time ago.  

We're foster parents and they show kids,  who were abused and I'm telling my wife that's nothing compared to what I had happened to me,  then I said to her that kid looked like me.  I asked the teacher of the class if she knows where some of these kids are from, she then gives the time frame and a two of the counties of which I'm from one of the counties, so if there is a detective out there I would love to know if it truly is my pic.  Shook me up.  

 There's a bunch more but already a long read. 

That is nuts, man. Sorry for your ills.