- cross-posted to:
- news@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- news@beehaw.org
A mountain of research has linked loneliness to an increased risk of dementia, depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke and early death.
Loneliness is officially a health emergency in California’s San Mateo County, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and includes part of Silicon Valley.
The county’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Tuesday that declared loneliness a public health crisis and pledged to explore measures that promote social connection in the community.
It’s the first county in the U.S. to make such a declaration.
Setting aside the object of religious worship for a moment, purely from a secular view Daniel Dennett’s book “Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon” goes into many ways in which religion was an positively adaptive force that shaped the development of humanity, leading it from a tribal nature (that could be extended to the country level) to one where larger groups that share common beliefs (like Democracy I guess) can coexist with lesser friction. So even without a god, religion was an important stepping stone to get us to today, which implies neither that it is still needed anymore nor that it is not so needed, nor that something better might not exist but it does say how that route in particular was what WAS used bc it WORKED.
But like anything, let’s say a gun, the proper use is one thing while improper use is another, and it can be dangerous if misused. Probably talking on social media is even one of these things (it can get addictive and therefore become maladaptive)! People who hold a gun should be aware of its potential for misuse, not just to oneself but to those around them as well, and those who are not aware are unfit to hold it, while those who are aware yet do not care are absolute jerks. And similarly with religion. And yes, as you pointed out, similarly with atheism/agnosticism/apatheism (a newer word meaning those who simply DGAF one way or another), as changes intended to have been made for the better end up missing a few pieces.
I am not arguing for any religion or lack thereof in particular, simply saying that those who don’t know their history… well you know the thing:-D.
It’s like that line from The Hogfather, where kids have to practice believing in the little lies - Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc - so they can believe the big lies like justice and mercy.
Test EVERYTHING against what you KNOW to be true - 1 Thessalonians 5:21. If only the (checks notes) “Bible” would be required reading for someone to stand behind a pulpit that purports to teach said text!:-( But then they would lose their power over the sheeple, so ofc it’s to their advantage that they do not.
Tbf, some ministers strongly advocate for being skeptical, even/especially of religious matters, I know of Andy Stanley, John Piper, and ofc the infamous inkling C.S. Lewis, and so very many others. But not all of them are so careful, and just like guns, if you are surrounded by people who are less than careful with them, then the presence of a few who are is of little comfort.
Exactly. A lot of my morality was developed by my catholic priest growing up. He taught me to question my beliefs against my knowledge, my soul, and my conscience. He taught me that his primary goal was for all of us to do good and avoid evil. And he told me and many of my fellow students at catholic school that he’d rather we grow up to be atheists because we came to that conclusion than Catholics because we were told to be growing up. He also fought the magisterium over gay marriage in the 00s because he wanted to perform his sister’s lesbian wedding.
I’m still deeply wary of Christians, but I’m no longer an atheist (paganism spoke to me). But nothing scares me like a religion that can be easily twisted and teaches that you’re holy if you do what it says.