A Debate: Is religion good or bad for the psyche?

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A Debate Is religion good or bad for the psyche?

• Purpose of Religion
• Allows for the unexplained to seem less
  frightening and more known
• Provides an explanation about humans creation
  and a hope for life after death

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Religion is bad.Addiction

• Addiction general facts about addiction
• Mood alteration our thoughts and senses change.
• tolerance A result of physical addiction.
  Requires more doses for same level of affect as
  the first time.
• Withdrawal When our bodies know that the
  substance they are addicted to is not present.

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Religion is badAddiction

• Religious addiction Religion alters our mood and
  in result, it can be addictive.
• Religious addiction can be a bad thing
• Examples can be seen in extreme religious cases
  (ex religious suicide- the destruction of the
  twin towers, cults-hazing, and extreme
  self-deprivations-fasting)
• Follows the same steps of general addiction
• (Ryan, Dales)

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Religion is badAddiction

• Mood change with drugs (marijuana)
• Mood is increased by smoking everything seems
  right and fulfilled.
• Mood is decreased when not smoking all that is
  thought of is the marijuana and what is felt when
  smoking it.
• (Ryan, Dale)

• Mood change with religion (Christianity)
• Mood is increased when doing praised religious
  activities (example evangelizing, praying,
  attending church)
• Mood is decreased when not performing in acts
  involving religious activities

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Religion is badaddiction

• Tolerance with drugs (marijuana)
• The more a person smokes marijuana, the more
  marijuana it takes for them to feel the high.
• The more it takes to make the feel the high, the
  more dependent they become on the drug.

• Tolerance with religion (Christianity)
• The first attendances to church seem very
  fulfilling. The more people do religious
  activities, more involvement is required to
  obtain the same high they received in the first
  few religious activities.
• The more religious activities they are attending
  in order to get that high, the more they are
  becoming involved with the church making them
  dependent on the religion.

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Religion is badAddiction

• Withdrawal- involved in drugs (marijuana)
• The more people gain a tolerance to marijuana the
  more they feel depressed and left out when they
  arent around it.
• When away from marijuana all the user can think
  of is marijuana. (example marijuana clothing,
  leaf symbol stickers, marijuana leader posters-
  Bob Marley)

• Withdrawal- involved in religion (Christianity)
• The more religious people become the more they
  become obsessed with it. (example cell phone
  ringers that are Christian hems, shirts and
  notepads with Christian sayings, Christian symbol
  stickers on the back of a car, and Christian
  leader posters-Jesus)
• It is seen in their every day life

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Religion is badsimilarities to addiction

• Addictions take over peoples lives and make them
  forget about their priorities. Many drug addicts
  end up in rehab.
• Religion is bad because it can be an addiction
  and completely take over someones life. This
  could cause extreme actions such as religious
  suicide and religious killings.

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Religion is badA health issue

• Private devotion such as praying and studying the
  bible has been shown to be associated with
  depression.
• Some religions solely rely on their God to make
  them better when they are ill instead of seeking
  medical care which could seriously threaten their
  health. That is if God decided not to take care
  of them.
• (Orgar, Wayne pg 1-99)

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Religion is badTaking it to the extremes

• Court case In Atlanta there was a trial where
  men were arrested for beating their children.
  The said their support for the way they acted
  came from the scriptures. As they were being led
  away they shouted dont stop beating your
  children! It is Gods will.
• This extreme interpretation of the bible caused
  extreme actions and an extreme ending in jail for
  the men.
• (sick or healthy religion?)

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Religion is goodhow it provides benefits

• Provides us with a sense of protection.
• When religion is being practiced, or faith is
  obtained through religion, there is a belief that
  a greater spirit or being is providing
  protection. Therefore, there is no need to fear
  life or death. It helps humans to live life to
  its fullest.
• It provides happiness by allowing the bonds
  socially to grow.
• The same religious people connect socially with
  one another for they share the same religious
  beliefs. This provides people with a sense of
  belonging and acceptance which is a great
  antidepressant.
• (James, William)

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Religion is goodhow it provides benefits

• There is supportive evidence showing that
  religious people enjoy a better mental and
  physical health.
• This is believed to mainly be caused by the
  social aspects of religion.
• Example social gatherings during church
  services, religious fairs and carnivals,
  religious dinners and studies.
• (Posner, Gary)

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Religion is goodHow it provides benefits

• Religion is mainly based on trying to improve
  peoples lives.
• Christianity-improves Christian's lives by
  offering hope. It also improves others lives by
  giving to charity and holding fund raisers for
  charity events.
• Judaism- improves peoples lives by trying to
  make the world a better place in the present.
  They try to fix the world into a better place in
  order for everyones lives to be more peaceful.

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Religion is goodEnriches childrens behavior

• When it comes to children, it has been proven
  that religion is a healthy practice. The belief
  that there is something greater and more powerful
  than them affects their behavior for the better.
  It teaches them self discipline.
• When they have religion they know how to value
  life and they know they believe there is a reason
  behind the things they do.
• By obeying their parents they are pleasing God.
• By not stealing they are following Gods
  commandments.
• (Chopich, Erika)

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Religion is goodIts affects on families

• Studies show that religious men who are
  frequently practicing their religion have lower
  blood pressure and a lower mortality rate.
• Husbands that are active in their religion have
  been shown to have lower divorce rates.
• Children who worship with their families are less
  likely to be included with alcohol, drugs, and
  gang activities.
• (Is Christianity Healthy?)

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Religion is goodprovides a myth

• Mythology provides a background, almost a
  culture, which people look up to and relate their
  own personal history to.
• A myth also provides heroes for people to have as
  idols and role models.
• Religion is like a myth because it provides a
  background (people might say Im Christian Im
  Jewish Im Muslim) and a hero for people to
  look up to (Jesus Christ, God, the Virgin Mary,
  Allahetc)
• Religion is beneficial by providing a myth. This
  allows people to feel associated with a certain
  group. When there are people who back share the
  same beliefs, it allows for great comfort and a
  decrease in depression.

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Bibliography

• Chopich, Erika J. Do Children Need Religion
  ltwww.beliefnet.com/story/129/story_13945_1.htmlgt
• James, William. The Varieties of Religious
  Experience. Simon Schuster Inc., 1997.
• Organ, Wayne. Religion and Health. (1-99). 2000.
• Posner M.D., Gary P. Has science proven that
  divine health benefits religion?
  lthttp//www.infidels.org/secular_uibs/feature/1998
  /prayer-usatoday.html gt Aug 34, 1998.
• Ryan S., Dale. When Religion Goes Bad.
  http//www.spiritualabuse.com/dox/gobad2.htm
• Walke, Jennifer. Bad Religion.
  lthttp//jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/humannaure00/Fina
  lArticles/BadReligion.html. gt

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This presentation was done by

• Kaitlyn
• Sophia
• Khrissy
• Heather
• Learning community -psychology