> -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Dinowitz [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 2:19 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: Warning: This may offend if religious > > > I'll look up the reference but there was research on a "God > node" or the like in the front of the head. Maybe some of our > members who keep track of the biological sciences can point > to a reference.
I don't know of a reference, but it is a touchy subject. A lot of research has been done on "distance healing through prayer" and "thearputic touch" (considered "proof" of "Laying on of hands") and such and nothing much as come of it (although you can always find studies that refute that... But then there are studies refuting those studies so...) However there is a definate psychological aspect to community that is stronger or weaker in some people. Some people are "born followers" some are "born leaders" and so on. There are people raised religously that leave it (such as myself) and there are also people raised outside of religion that find it later and truly feel that a void has been filled. Whether that's purely physical is up for debate (personal, my opinion is that it is, but of course I doubt it can be proven either way) but the result is undeniable: people gravitate towards this kind of community. Claiming (as some do) that it's based completely on fear is shortsighted (and I feel insulting) to the faithful. There is something more there. I do feel that fear is a component (fear of complete death without afterlife, fear of reprisals for sin, etc) but it's not the only component and not a necessary component. There's also proof that patterns set up in childhood are very hard to change. I was raised Catholic and still, to a large degree "think Catholic" even as I'm an avowed atheist. There's a comfort in those childhood patterns that can't be denied. So, basically, on a purely physical level (the only one that I feel comfortable debating) there's a lot of evidence that shows that religion (or, more generally, community) is both attractive and comfortable to humans. That doesn't mean there's not also a spiritual aspect... But since the unknowable is also the unproveable I'll gladly leave that to the religious philosophers. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
