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Many coping methodologies have been described here, and the role of religion and spirituality has been scientifically studied to (in the general case) help with

Many coping methodologies have been described here, and the role of religion and spirituality has been scientifically studied to (in the general case) help with depression [1] While I can advocate for the Christian worldview, religions and spirituality in general have advocated for 'giving up control or acknowledging the lack of control' as one primary tool. The religions differ on who to give control to, who is in control, etc. However one approaches it, if one is able to find purpose in something larger than himself ( or fake it till you get there), it keeps you moving one day at a time. When one is at the end of his rope, the belief that there is a more powerful person in control and watching for you, it brings immense relief. Now, this is the belief that one must get ( and this is where the community around him is best positioned to help) [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426191/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426191/

dntbnmpls 6y ago
> Many coping methodologies have been described here, and the role of religion and spirituality has been scientifically studied to (in the general case) help with depression [1] That's what "therapy" ultimately is. It's a religion. Instead of going to church once a week, you see a therapist one or more times a week. Look at the top comment advocating for therapy. It's filled with religious allusions - "taking that leap of faith into therapy", "and therapy is about creating a facilitative environment to alter that conception of self", "In therapy, you are unconditionally accepted with positive regard,", etc. Everything in the top comment is familiar to anyone who was raised a christian. Therapists just took the place of confidants like priests, pastors, etc as christianity/religion decline. The way the "converted" talk about therapy is eerily similar to those who find faith or are born again. But whatever your "faith", there is no doubt that "faith" helps alleviate depression. Whether there is a real neurological reason or whether it is a placebo effect or entirely something else is TBD.
- javert 6y ago
  Therapy isn't religion. There's an analogy there, but it only goes so far. A good therapist is not going to ask you to buy into an ideology/doctrine that requires faith in the religious sense. The word "faith" in "taking a leap of faith" does not actually have the same meaning as the word "faith" in "religious faith." It's an analogy. To say it in programmer lingo, the word "faith" has been overloaded.
javert 6y ago
> I can advocate for the Christian worldview I realize it's off topic, but hopefully that's OK---I think we might be able to have an interesting conversation on this. How can you believe in Christianity when there is no direct evidence for it? I have been struggling to understand this for a long time. I was raised as a Christian but had to give it up as I matured and couldn't find evidence for it. I think there is a real lack of honest discussion around this (or maybe I haven't looked in the right places).
- foolinaround 6y ago
  this is a very fair question, that I too, raised as a Christian did struggle with, and then found reasons to have the opposite reaction that you did - the evidence is there- all around us, and this explanation of faith might explain it? https://www.rzim.org/read/a-slice-of-infinity/faith-trust-and-evidence-3 https://www.rzim.org/read/a-slice-of-infinity/faith-trust-an... Consider looking at other resources about RZIM, whose goal is to 'make the thinker believe and the believer think'.
  - javert 6y ago
    That article uses a lot of fluff language to say that, for the author, faith is based on believing accounts of the resurrection. In other words, taking peoples' word for it. Definitely not a novel idea (not that it needs to be). I think this may be one of the more interesting and less common arguments for Christianity. Is that your position?
    - foolinaround 6y ago
      My faith is based on both evidence(as in accounts of the resurrection, among, many many others) as also based on personal experience (both tangible and otherwise) C.S Lewis is a great writer from the turn of the century, whose books you might consider. Do you know that there is a lot more proof in the biblical accounts than in many other historical events - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-historical-evidence-that-jesus-christ-lived-and-died https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-hi... -- My personal take? There is enough evidence in the physical world - that if you look, can make you a believer at best, or a doubting agnostic at worst. It is however the personal experiences that solidify the faith. -- Depending on where you are in life, some events (current) might hit a nerve. For me, it was a persecution that made question the social fabric, and yet in the midst of it, were some crazy guys - who were willing to martyr themselves? Why? - that search led me to rediscover Christ, though a Christian myself. It took a while, but I would also say, it is not we who seek God, in our case, it is God who relentlessly pursues us.

dntbnmpls 6y ago

> Many coping methodologies have been described here, and the role of religion and spirituality has been scientifically studied to (in the general case) help with depression [1] That's what "therapy" ultimately is. It's a religion. Instead of going to church once a week, you see a therapist one or more times a week. Look at the top comment advocating for therapy. It's filled with religious allusions - "taking that leap of faith into therapy", "and therapy is about creating a facilitative environment to alter that conception of self", "In therapy, you are unconditionally accepted with positive regard,", etc. Everything in the top comment is familiar to anyone who was raised a christian. Therapists just took the place of confidants like priests, pastors, etc as christianity/religion decline. The way the "converted" talk about therapy is eerily similar to those who find faith or are born again. But whatever your "faith", there is no doubt that "faith" helps alleviate depression. Whether there is a real neurological reason or whether it is a placebo effect or entirely something else is TBD.

javert 6y ago
Therapy isn't religion. There's an analogy there, but it only goes so far. A good therapist is not going to ask you to buy into an ideology/doctrine that requires faith in the religious sense. The word "faith" in "taking a leap of faith" does not actually have the same meaning as the word "faith" in "religious faith." It's an analogy. To say it in programmer lingo, the word "faith" has been overloaded.

javert 6y ago

> I can advocate for the Christian worldview I realize it's off topic, but hopefully that's OK---I think we might be able to have an interesting conversation on this. How can you believe in Christianity when there is no direct evidence for it? I have been struggling to understand this for a long time. I was raised as a Christian but had to give it up as I matured and couldn't find evidence for it. I think there is a real lack of honest discussion around this (or maybe I haven't looked in the right places).

foolinaround 6y ago
this is a very fair question, that I too, raised as a Christian did struggle with, and then found reasons to have the opposite reaction that you did - the evidence is there- all around us, and this explanation of faith might explain it? https://www.rzim.org/read/a-slice-of-infinity/faith-trust-and-evidence-3 https://www.rzim.org/read/a-slice-of-infinity/faith-trust-an... Consider looking at other resources about RZIM, whose goal is to 'make the thinker believe and the believer think'.
- javert 6y ago
  That article uses a lot of fluff language to say that, for the author, faith is based on believing accounts of the resurrection. In other words, taking peoples' word for it. Definitely not a novel idea (not that it needs to be). I think this may be one of the more interesting and less common arguments for Christianity. Is that your position?
  - foolinaround 6y ago
    My faith is based on both evidence(as in accounts of the resurrection, among, many many others) as also based on personal experience (both tangible and otherwise) C.S Lewis is a great writer from the turn of the century, whose books you might consider. Do you know that there is a lot more proof in the biblical accounts than in many other historical events - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-historical-evidence-that-jesus-christ-lived-and-died https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/14/what-is-the-hi... -- My personal take? There is enough evidence in the physical world - that if you look, can make you a believer at best, or a doubting agnostic at worst. It is however the personal experiences that solidify the faith. -- Depending on where you are in life, some events (current) might hit a nerve. For me, it was a persecution that made question the social fabric, and yet in the midst of it, were some crazy guys - who were willing to martyr themselves? Why? - that search led me to rediscover Christ, though a Christian myself. It took a while, but I would also say, it is not we who seek God, in our case, it is God who relentlessly pursues us.