Theists Are More Likely to be Depressed Than Atheists

Ateo

http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2013/09/religious-believers-more-depressed-than-atheists-study.html

In a large study involving a huge sample across several countries and published by Psychological Medicine, a UK publication, it was found that theists and spirituals are more likely to get depressed than atheists. This runs counter from conventional thinking that theists find solace and hope from their faith.

The researchers concluded "these results do not support the notion that religious and spiritual life views enhance psychological well-being. There was no evidence of religion acting as a buffer to prevent depression after a serious life event."

Wow!

Fenix

Siguro dahil:

- Dasal ng dasal, worship ng worship, tapos parang wala din namang god: puro "pagsubok" ang inaabot sa buhay, tapos pilit sinasabi sa sarili na may reward sa huli.. hintay ng hintay, tapos wala din naman. Kaka-depress nga naman yun!

- Kapag may problema sa buhay, pinapasa-diyos na lang madalas. Kaya hindi madali maka-cope at matuto maghanap ng solusyon sa sariling paraan, kaya ayun, natatalo ng problema sa buhay. Nade-depress.

Taga-dagat

Sabi nung isang religious na amiga ng nanay ko: "(non-verbatim) Ang buhay parang gulong, mapupunta rin kami sa ibabaw. Ipag-sa-Diyos ko na lang ito."


Tragis na yan. Ayun, inaway ng nanay ko. Haha.

oobi

Siguro nga, kaya malimit jokes lang ang ipinunta nila sa misa o service:
[video=youtube_share;UdL0KLV6OqI]

Formality lang at pampamalubag loob ang nangyayari. Well, marami rin palang ibang benefits - tsismis, ligaw, pera/negosyo at iba pang malayo naman to what they profess.

madsts

nakakastress dasal ng dasal ako pero hindi pa talaga tumatama sa lotto mga numero ko.

vizayanfan88

I find prayer to be comforting and relaxing, it's like meditation... and it also reduces stress levels

Ateo

I don't think that deep down theists really believe that their prayers work. If they have sickness, they pray; but as the sickness gets worse they go to the doctor. The behavior obviously betrays lack of faith in prayers. They are just a "baka sakali" automatic behavior with no value to psychological health.

sophion

yeah its depressing kasi when 99.999999% of your prayers fall on deaf ears.

alchemistofophir

sophion wrote: »

yeah its depressing kasi when 99.999999% of your prayers fall on deaf ears.

To be honest, ito rin yung naiisip kong rason. maraming mga theists ay ginagamit ang dasal sa kanilang kahilingan. pag di natutupad, mas lalong nalulungkot imbes na maghintay pa o maging patient pa.

iskrotum

alchemistofophir wrote: »

To be honest, ito rin yung naiisip kong rason. maraming mga theists ay ginagamit ang dasal sa kanilang kahilingan. pag di natutupad, mas lalong nalulungkot imbes na maghintay pa o maging patient pa.

Dapat lang na madepress sila dahil hindi tinutupad ni Jeezas ang pangako niya!

Ateo

Tapos pag na-depress na at nagtampo ay lilipat na sa Atheism. Si ElCid dating naging agnostic yan eh. Ayaw namin ng ganyan; makakasira yan sa stats namin na psychologically healthier.

Lola_Rose

Ateo wrote: »

I don't think that deep down theists really believe that their prayers work. If they have sickness, they pray; but as the sickness gets worse they go to the doctor. The behavior obviously betrays lack of faith in prayers. They are just a "baka sakali" automatic behavior with no value to psychological health.

Naku, nag generalize na naman itong si ateo sa mundo ng theists. Sweeping judgment. Tsk tsk tsk.

Lola_Rose

There is a study that ATHEIST nations have a higher suicide rate. Not surprising. Both theists and atheists experience suffering, but atheists only rely on themselves, and unable to cope with the stress, take their own lives. Whereas, Christians, when depressed, believe in God who will take care of them.



ATHEISM AND SUICIDE
'Concerning atheism and suicide, although there are recent studies relating to atheism being a causal factor for suicide in some individuals, an early proponent of atheism being a causal factor for suicide in some individuals was the Reverend Dr. Robert Stuart MacArthur.[1][2][3]

In 1894, the NY Times declared regarding atheism and suicide:
“ Dr. Martin urged that a great cause of suicide was atheism. It was, he said, a remarkable fact that where atheism prevailed most, there suicides were most numerous. In Paris, a recent census showed one suicide to every 2,700 of the population. After the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason" suicides increased.[4] ”

The same NY Times article quotes the Reverend Dr. MacArthur describing suicide in the following manner:
“ It is mean and not manly; it is dastardly and not daring. A man who involves his innocent wife and children in financial disaster and disgrace and takes his life and leaves them to bear the burden he was unwilling to bear, is a coward.[5] ”

In 2004, the American Journal of Psychiatry reported the following:
“ Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Unaffiliated subjects were younger, less often married, less often had children, and had less contact with family members. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide. In terms of clinical characteristics, religiously unaffiliated subjects had more lifetime impulsivity, aggression, and past substance use disorder. No differences in the level of subjective and objective depression, hopelessness, or stressful life events were found.[6] ”


The Rev. Dr. Robert Stuart MacArthur was an early proponent of atheism being a causal factor for suicide.[7][8][9]
The website Adherents.com reported the following in respect to atheism and suicide:
“ Pitzer College sociologist Phil Zuckerman compiled country-by-country survey, polling and census numbers relating to atheism, agnosticism, disbelief in God and people who state they are non-religious or have no religious preference. These data were published in the chapter titled "Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns" in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, ed. by Michael Martin, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK (2005).

In examining various indicators of societal health, Zuckerman concludes about suicide:
"Concerning suicide rates, this is the one indicator of societal health in which religious nations fare much better than secular nations. According to the 2003 World Health Organization's report on international male suicides rates (which compared 100 countries), of the top ten nations with the highest male suicide rates, all but one (Sri Lanka) are strongly irreligious nations with high levels of atheism. It is interesting to note, however, that of the top remaining nine nations leading the world in male suicide rates, all are former Soviet/Communist nations, such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Latvia. Of the bottom ten nations with the lowest male suicide rates, all are highly religious nations with statistically insignificant levels of organic atheism."[10]'


SOURCE

friedmorsel

I do get wary about studies here and studies there. There are just as good as palmistry and Feng shui.

One study might say atheist are more depressed which will lead them to suicide. One study might say theist are more depressed. If you have noticed, no studies are really in agreement with each other. They will always contradict.

I gave up being an idiot a long time ago depending on studies as factual truth. There are just incomplete, non conclusive experiments, hearsay, and suspicions.

If you were in a court of law, I don't think it would ever be submitted as facts. DNA results are facts, but studies are NOT. Any lawyer who uses studies for their defense is an idiot. The judge will surely throw the hammer at him.

Fenix

sophion wrote: »

yeah its depressing kasi when 99.999999% of your prayers fall on deaf ears.

Pero pag natupad naman (0.000001%), aba hallelujah! It's a miracle! Thank you god! I love you!! Bait talaga ni lord!