Dear Jar;
Here is my revised OP.
On this board we argue over this or that detail of creation etc. But a fundamental difference between the evolution & science side of the debate and the creation & religious side, is that it is only on the religious side that true peace can be found. While science can be very interesting, it doesn't gave meaning to our lives or tell us why we are here. To find real inner peace we have to look to God. To find real inner you have to know were to look, here is a link to a very good article on finding it. (two articles) "Can You Find Inner Peace?"
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/7/1/article_01.htm &
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/7/1/article_02.htm
The fact that spirituality creates an inner peace that improves mental health, improves coping skills and even has physical health benefits, is well documented by research findings as shown by the following abstract quotes.
Spirituality has become a subject of interest in health care as it is was recognized to have the potential to prevent, heal or cope with illness. There is less doubt that values and goals are important contributors to life satisfaction, physical and psychological health, and that goals are what gives meaning and purpose to people's lives.
Role of religion and spirituality in medical patients: Confirmatory results with the SpREUK questionnaire | Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Full Text
There is a recognized connection between spirituality and health, and nurse leaders have acknowledged the importance of the spiritual as well as the physical in providing optimal nursing care. Spirituality goes beyond religious or cultural boundaries. Spirituality is characterized by faith, a search for meaning and purpose in life, a sense of connection with others, and a transcendence of self, resulting in a sense of inner peace and well-being. A strong spiritual connection may improve one's sense of satisfaction with life or enable accommodation to disability.
Link to paper:
It appears that religious beliefs and associated moral habits vitally affect health attitudes and behaviors. As a result of this causal relationship, health and disease indices vary in important ways according to the penetration of these beliefs into the daily fabric of the patient's life. Three religious dispositions, born of fundamental belief, anchor those moods and behaviors which profoundly influence health. As these three overarching themes purity of life, peace in existence, and belief in immortality are common to most religions, this paradigm might serve to organize further research on those belief characteristics which have health import. More work is needed to differentiate the relative importance of interacting variables where religion and health are considered; for this inquiry will produce insights with great significance for preventive medicine and public health. As the public response to health care possibilities and imperatives may depend on the penetration and pervasiveness of religious feelings and disciplines, the general culture will benefit from the discoveries of this investigation.
Link to paper:
Spirituality generally relates to better mental health, greater well-being, and higher quality of life. Physical health and medical outcomes may also be affected.
Link to paper:
Research has shown that religiosity and spirituality significantly contribute to psychosocial adjustment to cancer and its treatments. Religion offers hope to those suffering from cancer, and it has been found to have a positive effect on the quality of life of cancer patients. Numerous studies have found that religion and spirituality also provide effective coping mechanisms for patients as well as family caregivers. Research indicates that cancer patients who rely on spiritual and religious beliefs to cope with their illness are more likely to use an active coping style in which they accept their illness and try to deal with it in a positive and purposeful way. Faith-based communities also offer an essential source of social support to patients, and religious organizations can play a direct and vital role in cancer prevention by providing screening, counseling, and educational programs, especially in minority communities.
Link to paper:
The degree of positive effectiveness is related to the degree of religiousness, the more religious or 'closer to God' the person was, the more effective was their inner peace or coping.
FINDINGS: Higher meaning in life scores were associated with higher psychological well-being and lower symptom distress scores. Higher prayer scores were associated with higher psychological well-being scores. Regression analysis indicated that meaning in life mediated the relationship between functional status and physical responses to lung cancer and explained 9% of the variance in symptom distress. Prayer mediated the relationship between current physical health and psychological responses and explained 10% of the variance in psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Aspects of spirituality, meaning in life, and prayer have positive effects on psychological and physical responses in this group of people with lung cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This research provides knowledge about spirituality and sense of well-being to guide the care of people with lung cancer.
Link to paper:
These articles cover mostly christian religions in general, since the quality or effectiveness of the inner peace was dependant on the degree of religiousness, it is to be expected that some religions will be much more effective than others and some will even have a negative effect. What is important is the degree of religiousness for achieving this general type of inner peace. There is a second kind of inner peace that only comes from God by means of his son. (John 14:27) "I leave YOU peace, I give YOU my peace. I do not give it to YOU the way that the world gives it. Do not let YOUR hearts be troubled nor let them shrink for fear." Biblically Christians have been given the gift of peace by Jesus Christ. This having the 'peace of God' is an important part of being a Christian. Paul referred to this peace many times in his letters.
(Romans 1:7) . . .May YOU have undeserved kindness and peace from God . . .
(Romans 15:33) "May the God who gives peace be with all of YOU."
(Romans 16:20) . . .the God who gives peace . . .
(Philippians 4:6-7) Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:9) . . .practice these; and the God of peace will be with you.
(2 John 3) There will be with us undeserved kindness, mercy [and] peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, with truth and love.
The peace of God is not given to all who claim to follow God, according to Philippians 4:9 we have to practice what was taught to the congregations. "practice these; and the God of peace will be with you."
This peace of God which he gives to those who serve him, is a very calming peace and has carried true servants of God through horrors like the Nazi concentration camps. ("When I met Jehovah's Witnesses I saw they were not damaged," he said. "They were still intact. How could they survive without the suffering and mental damage I had?"-
http://zephyr.unr.edu/.../fall_02_pages/fredrickson_hol.html )That is the inner peace we can have by knowing God, now since inner peace is something that we all want and need to have, what is the alternative from the other side of the debate? This is one of the key things that sets us apart from the animals, we have a spiritual side to us that they just don't have.
This need for inner peace is a basic human need, I am curious to see what alternatives atheists would offer in place of it.
Sincerely Yours; Wm Scott Anderson
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