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Bucky

(53,795 posts)
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 10:32 AM Apr 2013

Study Shows That Belief In An Angry God Is Bad For Mental Health

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/04/20/study-shows-that-belief-in-an-angry-god-is-bad-for-mental-health/

This is another great reason to be non-religious, or at least to believe in a loving creator rather than a wrathful one. A new study links the belief in a vengeful, wrathful, angry god to various psychiatric disorders, The Raw Story reports. The April Edition of the Journal of Religion and Health reports on a study conducted by Professor Nava Stilton, Assistant Psychology Professor at Marymount Manhattan College, which finds that there is a link between beliefs and various psychiatric disorders.

Using what is known as Evolutionary Threat Assessment Theory, Stilton finds that there is linkage between beliefs and disorders like paranoia, social dysfunction, obsession, and compulsion. This theory suggests that there is a part of the brain specifically designed to detect threats, and that flawed perceptions of those threats can cause dysfunction in these centers of the brain, causing various anxiety disorders.

Just like previous studies in this realm, Stilton controlled the study by weeding out non- believers, but including three different groups: those who think God is angry, those who think God is neutral, and those who think God is loving. Indeed, those who believe in a loving God, says Stilton, actually have positive psychological effects.

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Study Shows That Belief In An Angry God Is Bad For Mental Health (Original Post) Bucky Apr 2013 OP
just watched a program about god and the human brain madrchsod Apr 2013 #1
The Bible has both treestar Apr 2013 #2
And then there is the god of the Pentateuch nadinbrzezinski Apr 2013 #5
The vengeful old testament God treestar Apr 2013 #7
That early god fits the Egyptian and Mesopotamian actors nadinbrzezinski Apr 2013 #8
This critter was what the Bronze Age needed treestar Apr 2013 #9
There have been studies to this effect nadinbrzezinski Apr 2013 #10
This is a chicken-and-egg problem. reformist2 Apr 2013 #3
Cheers! Vinnie From Indy Apr 2013 #4
I can believe it. Sequoia Apr 2013 #6
Could be a chicken / egg problem. Angry people worship angry gods. DirkGently Apr 2013 #11
It is interesting that most of the angry god models come from the Old Testament which is the holy jwirr Apr 2013 #12
Believers in Angry gods are hostages with Stockholm Syndrome FarCenter Apr 2013 #13
Good way to put it. Or slave mentality? DirkGently Apr 2013 #14
You've described the authoritarian psychology of 'modern' conservatives exactly! LongTomH Apr 2013 #15

madrchsod

(58,162 posts)
1. just watched a program about god and the human brain
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 10:40 AM
Apr 2013

a very interesting study about our perception of god . it seems as humans we evolved a perception of god while our close relatives did`t.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
2. The Bible has both
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 10:43 AM
Apr 2013

It is interesting that various people will be affected various ways. The angry God of the old Testament vs. Jesus Christ asserting God forgives - each temperament will take that differently. Indeed I think many atheists may not be such so much as people rejecting the damage to self esteem caused by some of the takes on God we are taught as kids.

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
5. And then there is the god of the Pentateuch
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:15 AM
Apr 2013

A vengeful critter, and the evolving loving creator late in Kings, and especially in Daniel and Isaiah.

It is that evolution, and a good dose of other myths that led to the Christ figure.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
7. The vengeful old testament God
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:43 AM
Apr 2013

Seems almost just like another human, a king of some sort. An active doer in everyday doings. Strange now God stays off the scene for the most part!

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
8. That early god fits the Egyptian and Mesopotamian actors
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:49 AM
Apr 2013

It's a bronze age criter.

The idea that we created god is not crazy, and he (in this case) is truly in the image of a brutish society. The Bronze Age was brutish in many respects. It's also reflecting an imperial god (it's good to know when the Bible was commisioned).

The Christ figure, which was emerging in Daniel and Isaah, is a much later incarnation, and reflected evolving myths, such as Mythra, who ded and came back after three days, and preached loved and all that. He has a god that developed a following in the Roman Empire, priming the pump as it were.

None of this happened in isolation.

I prefer the history, I find it far more fascinating, than the myths.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
9. This critter was what the Bronze Age needed
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:53 AM
Apr 2013

Met their psychological needs. That probably comes into play. Whereas the nice, almost hippie-like Jesus meets modern needs.

Interesting question: why do the fundies of today need this mean old God? Maybe their authoritarian need for order.

reformist2

(9,841 posts)
3. This is a chicken-and-egg problem.
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 10:52 AM
Apr 2013

I'm pretty sure the belief in a God who exacts vengeance here on earth is tied up in a ball of personal grievances and grudges of the person who ends up "believing" in such a God. I tend to think their newfound religion is really just an extension of their already twisted emotional and mental state, but there probably are cases of normal but confused people being radicalized by a religion they experiment with to seek "answers."

Sequoia

(12,461 posts)
6. I can believe it.
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:36 AM
Apr 2013

God was angry to us kids or so we believed. Do this or God will punish the adults warned as they controlled us. Then good ole "Jesus Christ Superstar" came out and Jesus became our Buddy Guy and was a good friend. Of course the adults hated it with a passion and told us we couldn't listen to the soundtrack. Add to that other songs such as Everything is Beautiful and Put Your Hand in the Hand...". However, I'm am still a mental case from the angry days.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
11. Could be a chicken / egg problem. Angry people worship angry gods.
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 12:05 PM
Apr 2013

The Abrahamic god is portrayed in ways that enable believers to project their own views. There's the vengeful, rigid, authoritarian god of the Old Testament. But then you have the empathetic core message of Jesus, all forgiveness and generosity and empathy.

People are going to believe in whatever makes sense to them. Probably religious upbringing starts the ball rolling one way or the other -- fear or love -- but surely people adjust their view of god the way they do with any philosophy, to suit their own views of the universe.



jwirr

(39,215 posts)
12. It is interesting that most of the angry god models come from the Old Testament which is the holy
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 12:10 PM
Apr 2013

grail for the fundies.

DirkGently

(12,151 posts)
14. Good way to put it. Or slave mentality?
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 02:57 PM
Apr 2013

I can comprehend and even respect why people would have religious faith in general. But I can't understand the attitude that we should love and obey a vicious, dangerous being who wants to be called "Lord," who wants us all to kneel and bow our heads, throw money into a basket, and tremble at the threat of eternal torture.

That sounds more like someone we need to fight, not embrace, no matter how powerful. Can't help thinking it's the same psychology that favors authoritarianism among human leaders as well.

LongTomH

(8,636 posts)
15. You've described the authoritarian psychology of 'modern' conservatives exactly!
Sat Apr 20, 2013, 03:13 PM
Apr 2013

They need an angry God and angry leaders. This also describes why they 'worship' the very rich and hate the 'takers' below them (My cousin calls them 'gimme people.').

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