TruthBook Religious News Blog

Double Helix: Religion Requires Memory; Memory-Killing Drugs Inspire Big Questions
By Arri Eisen
May 1, 2009

A host of experimental new drugs interfere with the process of creating memory, promising to help combat sufferers, addicts and others. But if memory is required for the creation of ethics (and religion) and indeed in the formation of who we are, what effect might these drugs have on our identities?
Magic bullet?

Surely you remember Total Recall, the hugely successful 1990 film starring California’s current governor and based on the great Philip K. Dick short story?

But what just happened when you tried to remember whether you remember it?

What if I could block that memory, or insert another one in its place (as happens in the story)?

Todd Sacktor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center is working on the most recent example of a drug that might have been plucked directly from science fiction. When he injects the drug into rats who have learned (that is, retained the memory) not to walk on a surface that gives them a mild shock, they turn right around and walk on it again.

Ethics=Memory?

I teach a class on bioethics to college students. We start the course with the simple question: What are we? Are we are genes? Our memories? A combination? It seems to me we are, in large part, our memories. Not just our individual memories, but also our cultural memories, and our species’ memories. In fact, one whole theory of the evolution of consciousness, by the engaging eccentric Julian Jaynes, posits memory as the initial font of consciousness and even of primitive religion.

Jaynes imagines a primitive tribe sitting around a fire. They have strong memories of warnings from their former leader, who recently died. It is dark, but the leader’s ideas—build a fire, stay together—still have power beyond his death. He is keeping them safe without his being present. Thus soweth the seeds of awareness and the power of things we cannot see or understand.

Whether you agree with Jaynes’ theories (which I’ve greatly simplified) or not, it’s clear that ethics—and its ritualized partner, religion—are significantly shaped and driven by memory: memories of how to do things, why we do or should do things, how those before us did them, how we felt when we did or did not do them.

This is a small excerpt from a longer article, which may be accessed by clicking on "external source."

Labels: ethics, Julian Jaynes, memories, religion, Todd Sacktor

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Stand up for fight for the weak, the ill, the persecuted

Wesley G. Hughes, Staff Writer
04/05/2009

I've had a hankering in the last few years to be an ethicist, not one of those ivory-tower or mountaintop kinds of guys but sort of a shade-tree, back-of-the-envelope kind of thinker on things right and wrong.

I'm not sure what impels the thinking of those other ethicists with the letters behind their names but what gets me going is the evil that men do or allow to be done to the weakest, meekest and most innocent among us.

And it's usually not something I've been thinking about for a long time. It's as though someone slapped me in the face with it like a big wet fish. It gets your attention.

A good example of that kind of attention grabber is when I learned of the festering outbreak of child prostitution going on right here in this county and just to the west in the Pomona area. It's not just there and in Ontario and Claremont. Those seem to be the only cities that have acknowledged it and are attempting to do something about it.

It seems unlikely that ethics and war go hand in hand but I promise I'm going to wage war against child prostitution and the evil merchandisers and users of these child slaves in every way I can. And I'll be talking about the enablers who allow it to go on under their noses.

Another example of one of those fishlike epiphanies occurred a couple of years ago. I remember it well, not the exact date but the moment.

It was probably a Saturday. I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking my coffee and reading the paper, looking forward to working the crossword puzzle.

I turned the page and the wet fish got me. There before me was a large photograph of a beautiful child, whose face was disfigured by a cleft palate and lip. It caught me so by surprise that it brought tears to my eyes.

The photo was in an ad placed by The Smile Train...

The Smile Train became my favorite charity and I've written about it in this space before and I wear and never remove one of those rubber wristlets - what do they call those things anyway? - bearing The Smile Train name. There's a pang of guilt that goes with that. It's been too long since I sent a contribution. It's time.

The final fish I'll use today occurred Saturday.

I don't usually stick my nose into religious issues but I'll make an exception for the story that I read in Saturday's New York Times. It was about a 17-year-old girl, who was publicly flogged by a Taliban commander in the Swat region of Pakistan. Someone caught it on video.

Why this incident affected me so, I don't really know. Over time, I've witnessed and read so many vile things done in the name of God that I should not be surprised. That includes the religions granted freedom of worship by our Constitution right here at home.

Fortunately, they don't have completely free reign here. If my neighbors dragged my daughter into the street and flogged her for missing Sunday school, they'd have more than just me to deal with.

They would be prosecuted and punished (if there was anything left after I got through but then of course, I'd be prosecuted too. We have a good system).

This final item came together in my mind Saturday with the children, who are prostituted ...They too are beaten and abused and have no power and no choices. It doesn't matter whether it's done in the name of commerce or the name of religion. It should be stopped.

It extends beyond children to women everywhere. A woman should have every right to live her life with the same freedoms as any man, no matter where on the planet, the color of her skin or the name of her religion, or if she chooses, without religion.

Those are my ethics.

Labels: children, ethics, exploitation, persecution, Wesley G. Hughes, women

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Friday, March 06, 2009

Recent poll finds most teens think lying, cheating can be ethical

A new survey finds that 80 percent of American teenagers believe they are "ethically prepared" for life in the real world but 40 percent believe they have to "break the rules" to succeed.

The poll of 750 teens conducted by Junior Achievement and Deloitte doesn't bode well for religious leaders. It shows that only 3 percent of teens see members of the clergy (pastor, priest, rabbi or imam) as "role models."

In contrast, most teens (54 percent) see their parents as role models, followed by friends (13 percent), teachers or coaches (6 percent) and brother or sister (5 percent). About one in 10 teens (11 percent) say they have no role models.

Key findings of the survey:

•80 percent of teens either somewhat or strongly agree that they are prepared to make ethical business decisions when they join the workforce, yet more than a third (38 percent) think that they have to break the rules at school to succeed.

•More than one in four teens (27 percent) think behaving violently is sometimes, often or always acceptable. Twenty percent of respondents said they had personally behaved violently toward another person in the past year, and 41 percent reported a friend had done so.

•Nearly half (49 percent) of those who say they are ethically prepared believe that lying to parents and guardians is acceptable, and 61 percent have done so in the past year.

•Teens feel more accountable to themselves (86 percent) than they do to their parents or guardians (52 percent), their friends (41 percent) or society (33 percent).

•Only about half (54 percent) cite their parents as role models. Most of those who don't cite their parents as role models are turning to their friends or said they didn't have a role model.

•Only 25 percent said they would be "very likely" to reveal knowledge of unethical behavior in the workplace.

"If teens lack accountability to others," Grocholski said, "the data suggests that their choices may be driven purely by selfinterest and not by interest in the greater good. . . . Teens seem to be experiencing a sense of ethical confusion and relativism, an endemic ethical attitude of 'the ends justify the means.'"

That attitude is compounded by the absence of adult role models, "which can leave a vacuum of ethical guidance as young people enter adulthood," Grocholski said. "With a significant number of teens reporting they don't have an adult role model for ethical behavior, the data raises even more questions about why adults are not viewed as role models and what can be done to fill the gap."

This story is written by Jerry L. Van Marter

Labels: ethics, Jerry L. Van Marter, Junior Achievement, success, teenagers

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Friday, January 02, 2009

Is anyone watching you?

Religion's link to altruism grows from a believer's desire to look good in God's eyes, a new study finds
By J. Peder Zane - Staff Writer
Published: Thu, Dec. 25, 2008

After analyzing three decades of research, Canadian scholars have concluded that religion can make people more honest while inspiring them to help people they don't know, even when that exacts a personal cost.

While most people are willing to put themselves out for their families, their friends and even their country, religion makes them more likely to make sacrifices for strangers, to engage in what the authors call "prosocial" behaviors.

"Experimentally induced religious thoughts reduce rates of cheating and increase altruistic behavior among anonymous strangers," University of British Columbia social psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim F. Shariff report in the journal Science. "Experiments demonstrate an association between apparent profession of religion and greater trust."

It is not empathy or compassion that makes the religious more likely to do unto others, the authors conclude, but a heightened concern about their own reputation. It is this "egoistic" desire to look good in the eyes of others or to avoid feelings of guilt that drives their admirable conduct.

To illustrate this, they cite a classic good Samaritan study. In this experiment, a lone subject lay on the ground in obvious need of attention. As prescreened people passed by on their way to participate in another study, researchers noted who stopped to lend a hand.

"Recorded offers of help," the authors write, "showed no relation with religiosity in this anonymous context."

On the other hand, in experiments where people's actions were not anonymous, where they were seen and judged by others, the religious were more likely to do the right thing. This helps explain studies that have found that believers tend to be more charitable than atheists -- more likely, for example, to donate blood or give money to the homeless.

The definition of ethicseth

The key dynamic in play here is the age-old definition of ethics: It's not what you do when everybody is watching but how you act when nobody is.

The religious, the authors contend, are more likely to be good in certain situations because they believe they are being watched by an omnipresent eye in the sky.

"The cognitive awareness of gods is likely to heighten prosocial reputation concerns among believers," they write. Even when no people are around, they want to look good in the eyes of God.

The Science paper also reports that the mention of religious ideas encourages truthfulness. When students were asked to unscramble faith-based words before taking a test, they were less likely to cheat. They were also more generous when religious ideas were invoked before experiments involving money.

Labels: altruism, Ara Norenzayan, Azim Shariff, ethics, God, J. Peder Zane, prosocial behavior, religion

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Monday, June 09, 2008

Survey of Indian Scientists’ Attitudes toward Religion, Ethics and Society

The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, recently released the first in a series of ground-breaking sociological studies entitled “Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists.” Each of the studies explores the opinions of science professionals in non-Western societies. The first report focuses on the views and attitudes of scientists in India. Subsequent studies will explore the opinions of science professionals in countries such as China, Japan, Russia and Turkey.

More than 1,100 participants from 130 universities and research institutes in India were surveyed for this research project, which was begun in August 2007 and completed in January 2008. The research team was led by Professors Ariela Keysar and Barry A. Kosmin of the ISSSC at Trinity College.

Among the findings, the study shows that only 8 percent of Indian scientists express ethical reservations about genetic engineering and stem cell research, while 90 percent somewhat or strongly agree with the teaching of traditional Ayurvedic medicine in university degree courses. The vast majority (88 percent) either definitely or probably endorse the theory of evolution.

Other survey questions cover such topics as Reasons for Becoming a Scientist; the Status of Women; Scientific Literacy in India; Ethical Constraints on Science; Belief in God; Belief in Miracles; and Spirituality.

Those queried include engineers, mathematicians, chemists, physicians, physicists, geologists, and those involved with behavioral and social sciences.

The survey was designed in consultation with Dr. Meera Nanda, author of Prophets Facing Backwards, and conducted in cooperation with the Center for Inquiry-India, for which Dr. P.M. Bhargava serves as a chief adviser.

The entire survey is available online at: http://cruller.cc.trincoll.edu/NR/rdonlyres/D98B14DA-CC70-4CA2-B270-EA0A6E9B4006/0/WholeIndiaReport.pdf

Labels: ethics, India, Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture, religion, scientists

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

National Happiness Index

ROCHESTER, N.Y.

--This spring, The Harris Poll® has asked Americans about nine areas in their lives that contribute to their overall happiness, and has created a National Happiness Index with the intention of tracking changes in happiness in the United States over time. This year's index stands at 35 (out of a possible 100).

Following are some of the findings of a Harris Poll of 2,513 adults surveyed online between March 11 and 18, 2008 by Harris Interactive®. This survey was conceived and developed by Harris Interactive and was not commissioned by any organization. Harris Interactive worked closely with MBA students at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in developing the survey questions and in the analysis of the results.

Religion

People who describe themselves as “very religious” are among the happiest of people. Those who say they are “very religious” come in ten points higher than America as a whole on the Happiness Index (45% compared to 35% are considered “very happy”). In contrast, just over one-quarter (28%) of people who describe themselves as “not religious” were measured at that level of happiness.

A similar difference is noted among people who say they “pray or study religion at home” on a daily basis compared to less often. Over four in ten people (43%) who engage in “daily” prayer or religious study are very happy. In comparison, just over one-quarter (28%) of people who “never” pray or study religion at home have a comparable happiness level.

Ethics

Ethics also appears to affect happiness levels. Just under four in ten people (37%) who are “never or rarely pressured to act unethically” are very happy according to the Index. Only about one-quarter (26%) who are pressured to act unethically “all the time” or “often” are very happy according to the Index.

Age

Older people tend to be happier according to the Happiness Index. Less than one in three (29%) in the 18 to 24 age bracket are very happy according to the survey, compared to almost one-half (47%) of people age 65 and older. The survey results also show a clear trend in increasing happiness between those two age groups.

Other Findings

The various components of the Happiness Index also reveal some issues relevant to national politics and people's personal finances. While some of the findings from the happiness survey will be discussed in greater detail in The Harris Poll #47, to be released April 23, 2008, some highlights are:

Almost three-quarters (73%) of people say they feel their “voice is not heard in national decisions that affect (them).”

Almost four in ten Republicans (39%) are very happy compared to about one-third of Independents (34 percent) and Democrats (33%).

About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say they “frequently worry about (their) financial situation.”

More people without any credit card debt are very happy (38%) than people who have any amount of credit card debt (32%).

So What?

Although this data does not establish causal relationships among the various factors studied, it does raise some provocative possibilities. One possible explanation of the correlation between religion, ethics, and happiness, could be that people who struggle with personal relationships, financial pressures, and other stressful challenges feel more ethically pressured, more unhappy, and more disillusioned with religion. On the other hand, another plausible explanation is that people find relief and happiness in their religious faith despite such challenges and frustrations in life. It's also possible that people who practice their religion faithfully have a better developed ethical framework, feel more confident in unethical environments (or perhaps avoid unethical pressures altogether), and experience greater happiness as they live according to their convictions.

The trend of increasing happiness with age is also interesting. One explanation could be that younger people are more pressured with finances, time, and relationships. This might be due to a perceived or real need to establish their independence. Potentially satisfying relationships with family, friends, and God may suffer as a result. Another possibility might be changing expectations and perceptions with age, which would affect how older people assess their sources of unhappiness and happiness. Finally, maybe happiness does not really increase with age. Perhaps the age-related differences noted in the data are instead related to fundamental differences in each generation's attitudes, values, or environment. For example, maybe the circumstances in which younger people are currently being raised are fundamentally more stressful, less religious, and less ethical than for previous generations.

Methodology

This Harris Poll® was conducted online within the United States between March 11 and 18, 2008 among 2,513 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. A full methodology and data tables will be made available at www.harrisinteractive.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms.

Labels: age, ethics, happiness, happiness index, Harris Interactive, religion

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Monday, April 07, 2008

The Dalai Lama's Appeal Transcends Religion, Politics

April 5, 2008

Star Power

By JANET I. TU
The Seattle Times

SEATTLE | On his first visit to Seattle 30 years ago, the Dalai Lama drew a couple of thousand people. On his second, the crowds totaled more than 10,000.

The Dalai Lama's popularity - here and worldwide - reflects his rise during the past half century from a relatively obscure spiritual and political leader to a prominent global figure with transcendent star power.

SPREADING FAME

The Dalai Lama's increased prominence in recent decades can be attributed to several factors - including the spread of Buddhism worldwide, his Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the many books written by or about him, movies and stories on Tibet, and his own charisma.

He draws people as an ethical leader, rather than strictly as a religious leader, said Paul Ingram, professor emeritus of the history of religion at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. "They see him as a very gentle spirit whose values don't contradict their own."

The current - 14th - Dalai Lama, named Tenzin Gyatso, was born in Tibet in 1935 and, according to Tibetan tradition, was recognized at age 2 as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama.

'ENLIGHTENED BEING'

He is considered to be a manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion. A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who chooses to remain in this world to serve others.

For centuries, Tibet and China have had a complex relationship. Many times in history, Tibetans have acknowledged the Chinese emperor as a kind of overlord, while administering their own affairs with almost no interference, said Stevan Harrell, a University of Washington anthropology professor specializing in China and ethnic relations.

Their language, culture, religion and political systems were completely separate from those of China, Harrell said.

In 1950, Chinese Communist troops invaded Tibet and established direct control, but allowed the Dalai Lama to remain as spiritual leader.

In 1959, after an unsuccessful Tibetan revolt and subsequent crackdown by the Chinese government, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet with about 85,000 followers. They eventually established the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India.

While the Chinese government has improved schooling, health care and infrastructure in Tibet, Harrell said, it has also placed enormous restrictions on the practice of religion, which is immensely important to most Tibetans.

CURRENT UPROAR

Perhaps causing the most resentment over the past decade, he said, is the Chinese government's requirement that monks undergo "political education," which includes renouncing the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama has characterized what is happening in Tibet as cultural genocide. But he did not call for the protests, Thurman said, and he remains open to talking with Chinese leaders.

Tenzin Wangyal, a lab assistant in Seattle who is Tibetan, says he disapproves of violent protests, and that the Dalai Lama's approach is noble. But "we're also tired of not seeing any results from this" - especially from the Chinese side, he said.

Labels: Buddhism, China, Dalai Lama, ethics, Janet I. Tu, Tibet

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Ethical, scientific breakthroughs seen in new stem-cell studies

By Nancy Frazier O'Brien
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Scientists, ethicists and church leaders hailed as a breakthrough two studies showing that human skin cells can be reprogrammed to work as effectively as embryonic stem cells, thus negating the need to destroy embryos in the name of science.

Separate studies from teams led by Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in Japan and Junying Yu and James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were published online Nov. 20 by the journals Cell and Science, respectively.

By adding four genes to the skin cells, the scientists were able to create stem cells that genetically match the donor and have the ability to become any of the 220 types of cells in the human body.

Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, welcomed the news, expressing gratitude "for scientists who took up the challenge of finding morally acceptable ways to pursue stem-cell research, and for government leaders who have encouraged and funded such avenues."

The new technology "avoids the many ethical land mines associated with embryonic stem-cell research: It does not clone or destroy human embryos, does not harm or exploit women for their eggs, and does not blur the line between human beings and other species through desperate efforts to make human embryos using animal eggs," he added.

The White House also praised the breakthrough Nov. 20, saying that President George W. Bush's June 2007 executive order expanding stem-cell research using "ethically responsible techniques" was "intended to accelerate precisely the kind of research being reported today."

"The president believes medical problems can be solved without compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of human life," said press secretary Dana Perino. "We will continue to encourage scientists to expand the frontiers of stem-cell research and continue to advance the understanding of human biology in an ethically responsible way."

Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, said, "While it is still early days for this research, it is a very promising discovery which will help scientists to fight serious diseases without resorting to the deliberate destruction of human embryos to obtain stem cells."

In Great Britain, the head of the pro-life group Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said the new stem-cell studies "show that one can be both pro-life and pro-science."

Ian Wilmut, the Scottish scientist who created Dolly the cloned sheep in 1996, told the London Telegraph that he had decided in light of the new findings to abandon his efforts to clone human embryos and would instead concentrate on research involving the new reprogramming techniques.

Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, Scotland, chairman of the United Kingdom and Ireland Joint Bishops' Bioethics Committee, welcomed Wilmut's announcement, saying: "The Catholic Church has constantly supported the work of scientists who use adult stem cells, research which has produced much more promising results and avoids the ethical dilemma involved in creating and destroying human life."

The National Catholic Bioethics Center said Wilmut's change of heart "flowed largely from practical considerations" but that the scientist also had acknowledged that the new approach was "easier to accept socially."

However, Thomson and the International Society for Stem-Cell Research called on scientists to continue research involving the destruction of human embryos. More study is needed to ensure that the newly made cells "do not differ from embryonic stem cells in a clinically significant or unexpected way, so it is hardly time to discontinue embryonic stem-cell research," Thomson said.

"These findings do not obviate the need for research using human embryonic stem cells," said the society in a Nov. 20 statement. "Rather, the different avenues of human stem-cell research should be pursued side by side providing complementary information."

In light of that stand by some scientists, Mailee Smith, staff counsel for the Chicago-based Americans United for Life, said: "The need for states to pass legislation that bans all forms of human cloning remains."

Labels: Catholic, embryonic stem cells, ethics, human cloning, Nancy Frazier O'Brien, National Catholic Bioethics Center, science

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Faith and Health

Doctors incorporating spirituality into their medical practice

By MELISSA McEVER
The Brownsville Herald
July 15, 2007

Dr. Bruce Leibert makes no apologies for who he is: a devout, outspoken Christian doctor who asks to pray with patients and asks them about their spiritual beliefs. And many of his patients like him that way.

Leibert, program director of Valley Baptist Family Residency in Harlingen, openly incorporates spirituality into his practice because he believes it makes a difference in patients’ physical and mental health, he said.

“A lot of studies talk about this … how important this part of health is to people, and how often doctors ignore it,” Leibert said. “Health must address not only body, not only the mind, but the undying soul … If I can’t minister to the soul, then I can’t do medicine.”

In the past, a clear boundary has existed between religion and medicine: chaplains and pastors visited hospitals to attend to patients’ spiritual needs, while doctors and providers were expected to solely treat the physical. That line between faith and science is starting to blur, though, as more health providers and hospitals are incorporating spirituality into patient care. From Bible studies for health-care workers to prayer time with patients to meditation classes at hospitals, faith is playing a more prominent role in the health-care setting, and for a good reason, experts say.

“Science is telling us clearly that when you activate your spirituality, various things happen in the body that help you heal better in times of disease and distress,” said Dr. R. Murali Krishna, president of the James L. Hall Center for Mind, Body and Spirit in Oklahoma City. Krishna and others founded the center 10 years ago, hoping to increase patient awareness about the mind-body connection, he said.

“We don’t really talk about one particular religion or dogma — what we talk about is spirituality, connecting with a higher power,” Krishna said of the center’s focus. The center offers seminars on meditation, guided imagery and relaxation, in part to help people achieve that connection, he said.

“It helps you access the healing power within yourself,” Krishna said.

Connecting mind, body and spirit.

Researchers have actively studied the mind-body connection since the 1960s, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. Studies have suggested that mind-calming practices like meditation, yoga and visualization can help reduce chronic pain, improve immunity, speed wound healing and reduce stress, which in turn improves health.

More researchers are now looking into whether similar results come from prayer, church attendance or strong belief in a religion. Some studies have indicated that spiritual beliefs and practices can improve the mental and physical health of the chronically ill and sick elderly, improve patients’ ability to cope with pain and distress and protect against depression.

Patients seem to want to talk about spirituality and faith with their doctors, according to a 2004 survey that appeared in the Annals of Family Medicine. The survey found that 83 percent of respondents wanted their doctors to ask about their spiritual beliefs, and a majority wanted those beliefs to be considered when planning treatment.

Some local doctors routinely take a “spiritual history” of their patients. Leibert, of Family Practice Residency, often asks questions like “Do you go to church regularly?” and “Do you pray?”

A spiritual history can help doctors tailor treatment to the individual patient, said Dr. Linda Villarreal, an Edinburg internist. If a patient is suffering from symptoms related to stress, for example, she’ll suggest prayer or meditation depending on what the patient believes, she said.

Leibert said his patients rarely turn down the chance to pray with him, when asked. He’s prayed with people of all faiths and doesn’t try to change their beliefs, he said.

“I don’t go into the office to change them — I just go to love and care for patients,” Leibert said.

Separation of church and medicine?

Some experts, however, are concerned about doctors bringing religion into office visits and the possible ethical implications.

When questions about religion turn into evangelism, or when a patient feels pressured to pray or conform to the doctor’s beliefs, that’s when the inquiries cross the line, said Richard P. Sloan, psychiatry professor at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Sloan is the author of “Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine.”

Sloan said that questions about religion can invade patients’ privacy and also cause feelings of guilt and remorse — hardly a burden a sick person needs, he said.

“There are substantial ethical concerns in trying to link religion to medicine,” Sloan said. “Nobody, least of all I, want to dispute that religion brings comfort in times of difficulty. But that doesn’t justify bringing religious practices into medicine. The best solution is for (doctors) to allow people to express their religion without interference.”

Krishna, of the Hall Center for Mind, Body and Spirit, said he thinks prayer in the doctor’s office is a good idea only if the patient’s beliefs are consistent with that practice.

Doctors should inquire about patients’ spiritual beliefs, whatever they are, Krishna said. Having that information can help doctors offer better advice and help establish a connection with the patient, he said.

Sloan agreed that there is a place for faith in the health-care setting — but it isn’t the doctor’s office, he said. Chaplains should be the ones to discuss spiritual issues with patients, he said.

Villarreal, the Edinburg doctor, agreed that when doctors bring religion into their office, “there’s a line you could potentially cross.” That’s why she makes a point of asking patients about their beliefs, and not discussing religion or spirituality with them unless they’re comfortable with that terminology.

Properly used, spirituality is a valuable tool in health care that could improve outcomes for many people, Krishna said.

“It has enormous healing potential,” he said. “It’s a complement for modern medicine, not a replacement.”

Labels: Christian, Dr. Bruce Leibert, Dr. Linda Villarreal, Dr. R. Murali Krishna, ethics, medicine, Melissa McEver, mind-body connection, religion, Richard P. Sloan, spirituality

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Monday, March 12, 2007

Morals, beliefs and values: 101

author Scott Cooper discusses the importance of teaching children about issues of faith and ethics in his latest book

Published: Wednesday, Mar 7, 2007

When it comes to education, much attention is paid to making sure children learn the three R’s: reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic. A lot of attention is also given to teaching kids how to work as a team through sports, and an appreciation for the arts through music programs. But it seems another critical aspect of education is being somewhat overlooked — the development of their inner morals, beliefs and values.

Scott Cooper, a Petaluma author and member of the city of Petaluma’s youth commission, addresses this topic in his latest book, “I Don’t Want to go to Church! Practical Ways to Deal with Kids and Religion (Whether You’re Religious or Not).”

“Based on Gallup Poll data as of the early 2000s, about 84 percent of young people considered religion to be very important to them,” said Cooper, who is a parent himself. “A study that came out in 2002 suggests that kids’ interest in faith has increased over the last few years. There’s no doubt that on a nationwide basis, young people are interested in issues of faith.”

Cooper has been writing on youth topics for a number of years and is best known for being an anti-bullying advocate. He’s been involved with teaching, coaching basketball and serving on education and drug-prevention boards. Having an interest in issues of philosophy and religion, Cooper wanted to write a book that provided parents with ways to teach their children about faith, morality and ethics.

And what issues of faith are kids interested in? “They are certainly interested in the big questions,” said Cooper. “One of the things that religion contributes to is our world view. It also addresses questions of purpose and where we come from and so forth. They have great interest in the larger issues of life and finding something they can grab hold of; having something bigger than themselves they can find comfort in and draw strength from.”

With the same Gallup Poll reporting that 95 percent of teens in the U.S. believe in the existence of God or a higher power, the issue of spirituality is one that needs to be addressed. In his book, Cooper discusses how at least some religion is important to children in that it aids in the teaching of morals, values and beliefs.

“High levels of faith connections are linked to lower levels of delinquency such as theft, vandalism and so forth,” said Cooper of a 2002 child trends report on children and religion. “The link between religious involvement and decreased teen alcohol and drug abuse is strong. It helps steer teens away from having sex too young. In early adolescence, it also helps develop in them positive associations and socially and altruistic attitudes and behaviors. Religious connections can keep children away from harmful influences, and on the other hand, help enhance positive social behavior, a sense of purpose and a positive guilt response. I mean positive guilt response in that it’s a healthy response to when you’ve done something wrong — you feel bad about it. Not all guilt is bad.”

Cooper added that helping children to develop morals, beliefs and values doesn’t require parents to be or become religious. “Most parents, regardless of whether or not they believe in God, certainly believe that life is unique and that something bigger than us created the universe, whether it was natural or supernatural. They also believe that it’s better to do good in this life and refrain from doing harm. I think most parents agree with the larger moral issues such as kindness being better than hate and nonviolence being better than violence. Most parents can agree on these core values whether religious or not.

Teaching kids about these issues can be done formally or informally. It can be faith-oriented through church or religious books or through non-religious activities such as spending time with your kids in nature just talking. “There are a number of things parents can do, religious or not.”

The most important thing, though, is to talk. “Something by way of grounding them in terms of faith and morality is critical, more so now than ever before,” said Cooper. “Given the Internet and the entertainment venues, if they don’t get it from their parents, they’re going to get it from somewhere else; being taught things we don’t want them to be taught. Sometimes we don’t have the support of society in trying to prompt our children to choose good.

“Sixty-seven percent of teens in the U.S. expressed a need in their lives for spiritual growth. If we’re not filling that in some form, there’s going to be a lack that they will find other ways to fill. Regardless of how formal we provide that direction, or informally, something needs to be provided for them in terms of religious and moral training. If you’re not religious, you can still provide them with a reverence for life and moral guidance.”

In addition to opening the dialogue between parents and children about these issues, Cooper said it’s also a good idea to get them involved with community service projects as a means of teaching. “Parents need to step-up and engage their children. Requiring them to experience community service can help them develop their inner lives, their morals, beliefs and values — the things that lead to happier lives.

(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@ arguscourier.com)

Labels: ethics, faith, God, morality, religion, Scott Cooper, spirituality

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