Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Is Religion Theraputic?

I want some opinions...

What would you say to the statemen: "Religion is the greatest form of therapy."

7 comments:

FeedingYourMind said...

I don't know if this will make sense, but be sure that when you read the statement you are NOT interpreting it to say, "Religion is ONLY the greatest form of therapy," or "Religion is JUST the greatest form of therapy."

View it more as a statement being said as just one aspect of religion. Just as a person as a whole has many aspects, so might religion.

Now, share your opinions on the matter! ;)

Ellison said...

Like Jules, I'm going to have to think about it, and respond in a little bit. I've got some immediate thoughts, but I don't want to speak too soon. I'll write again later.

Holly said...

Everything we do is, in a way, therapy...

Anonymous said...

Even though I don't know her, I agree with Holly. If it weren't somewhat therapuetic, then people wouldn't participate, at least I wouldn't think so. I suppose it also depends upon your personal view on the matter; it may be therapuetic to some and not so much to others.

Jennifer said...

Posted this on Julsie's blog...


Hmm...at first I completely agreed, thinking that it's the spirituality that's therapeutic, but now I'm not so sure. Christian spirituality- the sold out, radical for Jesus part- is way too crazy to be therapeutic. I can pretty much guarantee the radicals I know don't see their relationships with the Lord as therapy. Hmm.

Also, Religion for religion's sake...without spirituality...is worthless. Many who are very spiritual just get frustrated with religion. So basically, I definitely think that religion itself is either too frustrating or unfulfilling to be therapy.

That said, it seems as though I find neither religion nor spirituality therapeutic. I can see sides of each that could possibly be classified as therapeutic, but I don't think that either can completely fall into the category of therapy. Funny, because I didn't start this comment feeling that way. Must have been the Spirit's promptings. :)

Sarah P said...

I have to turn in articles for work concerning this topic once a month. Email me and I'll attach the articles I've got. They're usually medical journal articles - I don't write these ones.

A. Lo said...

Well, I'm a little late, but I wanted to put in my two cents (surprise, surprise).

My first, gut response to the question is, “No!” It seems to me that religion is annoying. I mean, this Jesus guy is always trying to get me to do stuff that’s hard like love my enemies or spend money on the poor instead of that new pair of shoes. What the crap is that all about?

I've also been burned too much by people who think they're following Christ, and that almost hurts worse than anything else, I think.

And no one annoys me more than Christians. No one. But no one amuses me in their stupidity more than Christians, either, so I owe them that at least.

And I hate the word “religion.” It’s too loaded, I think.
I would have to say, though, that belief in Jesus and his father, God, can be comforting in a way. It can be therapeutic in the fact that when I do something mean or stupid, I can blame it on my sinful nature (kind of like blaming all your screwed up-ness on your Mom).

But I think it might be therapeutic most of all because it allows us all a bit of hope. Hope that this isn’t it. Hope that something better is coming. We may be anguished that things are the way they are right now in our world, in our lives, but we know it’s like Good Friday: we wait in the dark and do what we can until the light of Easter comes. We stumble around as best as we know how and try to do the good stuff, to feed the poor, to love the unlovables, to dance, to throw parties for Jesus, to be good. And when that doesn’t work, we get up and dust ourselves off and try again. And then we learn that, in a way, we are the light-bearers, and it’s our job to bring “therapy” or “comfort” or “love” to others.