Biological reason for religion and art: boosting of immune system

[GarrotTheThief]

The news is out kids, religion is a biological advantage. The awe we feel from believing in a maker makes us stronger - surprise, suprise. Same with art. Seems like artists are healers too - already knew it but now it's a material fact.

Add nature, art and religion to life's best anti-inflammatories -- ScienceDaily

 

[ceecee]

So does sex.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/200906/want-prevent-colds-have-sex-weekly

New Research Suggests Sex Boosts Immune Function | New Research Suggests Sex Boosts Immune Function , jill ettinger | WhyAreWeWhispering.com

 

[Jaguar]

One can take in the Sistine Chapel ceiling or listen to Schubert's 'Ave Maria' and have absolutely no desire to be a part of organized religion. Their wording is misleading.

 

[Polaris]

The news is out kids, religion is a biological advantage. The awe we feel from believing in a maker makes us stronger - surprise, suprise.

That's an over generalization. Some people, myself included, find religious belief to be a source of stress. I often think to myself, somewhat clichedly, that I broke up with Jesus partly because the relationship was a little (which is to say very) one-sided. We gave it another shot several years later, and I exited the situation feeling deeply traumatized. I wish him well, but we're not good for each other, and I'm doing just fine single.

Also, to be exact, the study shows that certain positive feelings are probably correlated with lower cytokines. None of the positive feelings looked at by the test depend on or even necessarily arise from spirituality, art, or religion.

 

[Mole]

The news is out kids, religion is a biological advantage. The awe we feel from believing in a maker makes us stronger - surprise, suprise. Same with art. Seems like artists are healers too - already knew it but now it's a material fact.

Add nature, art and religion to life's best anti-inflammatories -- ScienceDaily

Religion is a grotesque disadvantage in the USA.

We had to elect an atheist Prime Minister before we got our National Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse.

By contrast the USA will only elect a person of faith as President, the USA will not elect an atheist as President. So the USA will never have a National Judicial Enquiry into Institution Child Abuse.

So institutions in the USA will continue to sexually abuse children in their care and get clean away with it.

We regard this as a far too high a price to pay for the reputation of religious institutions.

 

[GarrotTheThief]

So does sex.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/200906/want-prevent-colds-have-sex-weekly

New Research Suggests Sex Boosts Immune Function | New Research Suggests Sex Boosts Immune Function , jill ettinger | WhyAreWeWhispering.com

My new religion!

 

[GarrotTheThief]

Religion is a grotesque disadvantage in the USA.

We had to elect an atheist Prime Minister before we got our National Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse.

By contrast the USA will only elect a person of faith as President, the USA will not elect an atheist as President. So the USA will never have a National Judicial Enquiry into Institution Child Abuse.

So institutions in the USA will continue to sexually abuse children in their care and get clean away with it.

We regard this as a far too high a price to pay for the reputation of religious institutions.

That's one point of view. Another point of view is that a religion is something we do with religiousness. It doesn't have to be conscious. Many people are in the cult of television. They worship at the alter daily. They say that they are just watching t.v. Well...yes...that's what worshiping is...you watch what you worship while you sit there brainless and tuned in giving away your precious breaths to the object of the affection.

In fact all worshiping really would be is giving away your attention to something for no reason other than to gain a sense of religiosity. It's interesting how some of the same parts of the brain in a spiritual experience are used in television.

There really is no one without a religion from this perspective - which is as valid as any. They are either conscious or unconscious of it.

 

[GarrotTheThief]

Think of it this way:

A religion includes the elements of ritual and presence. That is it. That is all a religion needs. Performing something ritually and with presence may be a religious thing.

Defining the word religion is not going to tell you what a religion is...just as looking up the definition of existentialism will not tell you much about existentialism.

I will trust the anthropologists who have made a life out of studying with regards to the matter.

Religion is everywhere. No one can escape it. IT is intrinsic to humanity like any other system of organization. Denying it is a sort fantasy.