[Paleopsych] drugs and violence

[Lynn D. Johnson, Ph.D.]

Paul's comments provoke a response from me: Research on religious bodies 
(like my own mormon community) suggests that it is not just giving 10% 
of my money that is the key to soul care, so much as the following:
    - meeting regularly with a diverse group of people who know you and 
whom you know and come to care about. The mutual caring is very important.
    - service to those people and through the organized group, service 
to others. Mormons are particularly high in this, but all religious 
groups have the concept of volunteerism and help.
    - sanctioned times of prayer / meditation / reflection.
    - reduced rates of drug and alcohol abuse. Obviously the mormon 
community and the adventists are well known for this, but research shows 
a very large decrease in alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use among 
the more religious.
    - Finally, by giving large amounts of income to charity and 
spiritual pursuits (actually, 10% is the bare minimum, and nearly 
everyone gives more) there is a detachment from material things. Marty 
Seligman (Authentic Happiness) has summarized the research that clearly 
shows that material things do not bring happiness, so it saves the 
religious community heartburn. Buddha has it right; happiness does not 
come from getting what we want, but from mastery of our wants.

This results in higher levels of physical and emotional health and 
longevity among the religious.

There has been a very strong trend in western society over the past 
fifty years toward an irreligious and secular society, and at the same 
time, depression and social costs have escallated. One might make the 
charge that state atheism (the so-called wall of seperation between 
religion and state, a late 20th century innovation) has been tried and 
found wanting.
Lynn Johnson
Salt Lake City

Werbos, Dr. Paul J. wrote:

>
>>
>>
>> If the world did what I wanted, we would have a
>> Universal Health Care system where 25-30% of
>> the budget would be dedicated to soul care :-)
>
>
> Mormons would sat they DO dedicate 10 percent to soul care.
> But how to allocate and strategize any human effort presents challenges..
>
>
>> Steve Hovland
>> www.stevehovland.net
>>
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