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Self-control is critical for success in life, and a new study by University of Miami professor of Psychology Michael McCullough finds that religious people have more self-control than do their less religious counterparts. These findings imply that religious people may be better at pursuing and achieving long-term goals that are important to them and their religious groups. This, in turn, might help explain why religious people tend to have lower rates of substance abuse, better school achievement, less delinquency, better health behaviors, less depression, and longer lives.
In this research project, McCullough evaluated 8 decades worth of research on religion, which has been conducted in diverse samples of people from around the world. He found persuasive evidence from a variety of domains within the social sciences, including neuroscience, economics, psychology, and sociology, that
religious beliefs and religious behaviors are capable of encouraging people to exercise self-control and to more effectively regulate their emotions and behaviors, so that they can pursue valued goals. The research paper, which summarizes the results of their review of the existing science, will be published in the January 2009 issue of
Psychological Bulletin.
Comment: It is clear that throughout the history, religions have been used to perform horrendous atrocities. But it wasn't always this way, or it wasn't their initial intention. There were times, when people followed "The Way". "The Way" referred, in ancient times, to the inner secrets of the Mystery religions which influenced the formation of Gnosticism and some forms of early Christianity.
These were groups of individuals who worked to know themselves, to master their emotions, who aspired to higher thought and Truth as the ultimate ideals; Plato was a follower of "The Way." Some of these mystery religions were co-opted by psychopaths and turned into wild frenzies such as the religions that worshiped Bacchus and Dionysus leading to some pretty awful stuff. People, who were part of these religions fell into confluence with
ponerized elements, since psychopaths have an insidious and corrupting influence on the minds of normal humanity, dulling their ability to think and feel in humane categories.
Fellowship of the Cosmic Mind Statement of Principles has the following to say about the process of
Ponerogenesis:
We recognize that the inability to recognize pathological forms of behavior, and thus pathology itself, within one's social milieu is the First Criterion of Ponerogenesis. When groups base their understanding of Evil on unfounded and simplistic beliefs, as are propagated by the vast majority of religious organizations, they risk being used as tools by the very Evil they claim to oppose. In such a dynamic, the aforementioned lack of discernment works in conjunction with human moral failings, and it is common to see religious groups denouncing the "Evil" of others, whether homosexuals or people of different ethnicities or religious, while ignoring the deplorable behavior of their own members, and even engaging in pathological behavior themselves. As such, we repudiate the notions that a "statement of faith" absolves one of the "sins".
Psychopaths cannot change their nature, nor should they, and yet the mere declaration of being a "good Christian" or "born again", for example, is often taken to be sufficient grounds for the inclusion in religious groups, and denial of the psychopath's true nature. PaleoChristianity has thus always taken efforts to protect against the inclusion of psychopaths within their midst by refusing their access to positions of influence within the group. The first reaction of those who would destroy fairness and justice to such exclusion is of course the cry that such groups are "unfair" and "unjust". We repudiate such interpretations, asking instead, is it "fair" to allow the fox to enter the hen-house or the wolf to guard the sheep?
Comment: Although this research brings up several valid points, it is important to mention that concepts like breastfeeding and "no spanking" require some clarification:
Extended breastfeeding, for example, perhaps was very beneficial to children back in the days where level of toxicity was low. But today, SOTT editors have a growing feeling of concern, that extended breastfeeding is being promoted among populations that are not aware of mercury and detox diet for the express purpose of toxifying children - of hitting hard another segment of society that Powers That Be see as desirable to destroy: the middle class.
There's a big movement to urge women to engage in prolonged breastfeeding, while Powers That Be know that the milk could include toxic concentrations, and while the well-to-do may only breast feed for 6 to 9 months and have nannies and better food. Meanwhile, the very poor find it cheaper and easier to get formula with WIC.
Ideally, a future mother should detoxify before she gets pregnant. Ideally. At the very least, she should decrease toxicity exposure as much as possible. She can take some nutritional supplementation and modify her diet so that it will be a healthy one. There are detox protocols for children, but for children less than 2 years old, it should be done under a supervision of a health care provider.
Read Diet and Health section of the Cassiopaea forum to educate yourself on the topic.
As for "no spanking", consider the following excerpt from Superluminal Communications dated 22 July 2010: