Being 'Born-Again' Linked to More Brain Atrophy: Study

Being 'Born-Again' Linked to More Brain Atrophy: Study

verthex

Member #11,340

September 2009

And who was the last president before Obama...

I guess it explains it all now doesn't it. :-/

Specter Phoenix

Member #1,425

July 2001

I'm waiting for the study that talks about the number of pointless studies that are conducted by universities.

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verthex

Member #11,340

September 2009

Are you kidding me this is important. Now I know how fast to run from anyone who utters the word "born again christian".

Trent Gamblin

Member #261

April 2000

I'm a born again Christian. Now please run away and never come back.

Evert

Member #794

November 2000

Is it popcorn time yet?

someone972

Member #7,719

August 2006

A sample size of 268 seems a bit small for a study like that in my opinion. It also seemed to me, when reading the article, that they were talking more about the effect of stress than religious affiliation.

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Tobias Dammers

Member #2,604

August 2002

someone972 said:

A sample size of 268 seems a bit small for a study like that in my opinion.

Yeah, but there are practical concerns - I challenge you to come up with more than 268 born-again Christians willing to participate in a study on brain damage.

You'd be surprised how many single-case studies are being published; I've seen some where the author even tries to argue that single-case studies are more meaningful than randomized-sample double-blind studies with huge populations, cross-matched control groups and proper baselining.

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Specter Phoenix

Member #1,425

July 2001

verthex said:

Are you kidding me this is important. Now I know how fast to run from anyone who utters the word "born again christian".

You'd run from a Charlie Brown cartoon.

Any idiot can say they are Christian just by believing in God. Born again Christian means they had some life changing experience (near death accident or something that makes them believe in God more) to where they change how the live and worship God more than just believing in the idea of God. For example, a lot of soldiers who return from war become born again Christians due to them being alive while their friends being killed in the war.

Wikipedia defines it as:

Quote:

In Christianity, born again refers to a "spiritual rebirth" (regeneration) of the human soul or spirit, contrasted with the physical birth everyone experiences. The origin of the term "born again" is the New Testament: "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.'"[Jn 3:3 NIV] It is a term associated with salvation in Christianity. Individuals who profess to be born again often state that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Being born again Christian is no more a threat than a 40 year old person still believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. Only danger you have from a born again Christian is that they will walk door to door preaching for you to become saved and "accept Jesus Christ as your savior".

23yrold3yrold

Member #1,134

March 2001

No one's going to mention the brain damage is a result of stress? Damn Atheists, persecuting us all the time ...

In seriousness, where is "Duke University"? Because if that's the explanation they're rolling with, I would expect this effect would occur more in, say, California, than the Bible Belt, correct?

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Arthur Kalliokoski

Second in Command

February 2005

You're so stressed you can't Google?

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Tobias Dammers

Member #2,604

August 2002

23yrold3yrold said:

No one's going to mention the brain damage is a result of stress? Damn Atheists, persecuting us all the time...

I have absolutely nothing against Christians. I don't buy most of what Christianity says, but I respect Christian beliefs. Just don't try to convert me or demand that scientific evidence be ignored in favor of any religious belief, and don't demand that science be treated as a religion or other subjective belief.

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MiquelFire

Member #3,110

January 2003

Tobias Dammers said:

Just don't try to convert me or demand that scientific evidence be ignored in favor of any religious belief, and don't demand that science be treated as a religion or other subjective belief.

QFT

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Arthur Kalliokoski

Second in Command

February 2005

I don't quite get it, are they trying to say that an atrophied brain is susceptible to religion, or religion atrophies the brain?

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Matthew Leverton

Supreme Loser

January 1999

That study was from last year... You guys have bad memories. >:(

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verthex

Member #11,340

September 2009

Arthur Kalliokoski said:

I don't quite get it, are they trying to say that an atrophied brain is susceptible to religion, or religion atrophies the brain?

It doesn't say it in the article but people get brain atrophy because of cocaine and meth use and those are the people I'm talking about.

bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

Being 'Born-Again' Linked to More Brain Atrophy: Study said:

According to the study, people who said they were a "born-again" Protestant or Catholic, or conversely, those who had no religious affiliation, had more hippocampal shrinkage (or "atrophy") compared to people who identified themselves as Protestants, but not born-again.

That seems vague. :-/ Do they mean atheists or people that "don't know" or "don't care"? >:( I would expect the latter, but it seems intentionally unclear.

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Johan Halmén

Member #1,550

September 2001

This thread is about nothing, so... wait...
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bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

8-)

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I mean the best with what I say. It doesn't always sound that way.

Tobias Dammers

Member #2,604

August 2002

bamccaig said:

Do they mean atheists or people that "don't know" or "don't care"?

When you say "atheist", do you mean "someone who believes that no gods exist", or "someone who doesn't believe that gods exist"?

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bamccaig

Member #7,536

July 2006

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Tobias Dammers

Member #2,604

August 2002

Valid question.

When people say "atheist", they may mean any combination of:

a) A person who positively believes that no deities exist.
b) A person who lacks any belief in a deity, but does not per se reject such beliefs.
c) A person who rejects any notion of spirituality or religion.

Note the subtle yet important differences. Considering them, I would say the word "atheist" is about as politically correct as "heathen", and from the mouth of a militant Christian, they usually mean exactly the same ("someone who does not share my beliefs").

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Me make music: Triofobie
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"We need Tobias and his awesome trombone, too." - Johan Halmén

Specter Phoenix

Member #1,425

July 2001

Wonder which makes less sense. Scientology or Atheism?

Member #1,086

March 2001

Re: sample size

Why just have an "opinion", just give us the sample size and power analyses calculations. You could start at http://www.fmripower.org/

Stas B.

Member #9,615

March 2008