Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

[Unknown Soldier]

In what ways has Christian faith and practice improved the mental health of believers? I'm very open to any evidence including anecdotal / personal evidence for the mental-health benefits of Christian beliefs. That said, if there are any such benefits, then they are far from obvious. I cannot recall ever being impressed with a person's Christian beliefs or practices leading to them being emotionally stable.

In any case, if Christian beliefs are beneficial to a person's mental health, then it seems reasonable to expect that a very "Christian" person should be very sane. So if that person studies the Bible a lot looking for truths in it, prays very often, attends church regularly, believes that she or he speaks directly to the Father In The Sky (FOTS) and literally hears his voice, then that person should be noticeably more mentally healthy than a Christian who is "lukewarm." And if we look at the other extreme, a person who holds few if any Christian beliefs risks mental illness, and we should expect such a person to exhibit signs of mental illness unless that person belongs to another religion.

One way to help clarify this issue is to study mental health in cultures that are either very Christian or not very Christian and compare the two kinds of cultures. If the Christian cultures have a significantly larger percentage of mentally healthy people than the non-Christian cultures, then that evidence argues for the health benefits of Christianity. For example, we could compare people's mental health in the Bible belt and compare that mental health to relatively non-Christian parts of the country like New England.

Personally, I found that as a Christian my mental health was actually harmed by Christian beliefs and practices. I became paranoid believing in a wrathful FOTS who could cast me into a lake of fire. I even experienced nightmares about God. When I told my pastor what was happening to me, he only seemed concerned that I maintain my faith. If any person asked him if Christian faith is good for a person psychologically, then I'm sure he would have said yes!

 

[Wiploc]

A Christian friend of mine went out into her back yard. While she was out there, her family went out into the front yard. My friend, upon reentering the house and finding it empty, thought she had missed the Rapture. Imagine her terror.

Another friend thought he had committed the unforgivable sin of dissing the holy ghost. He thought he was therefore Hellbound, and that there was nothing even god could do about it.

Everybody's got problems, but it seems to me that Christians have extra problems on top of the normal ones.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Guy on my first boat never beat off due to sin. Never watched the movies if there might be nudity.
No female stimulation in his life anywhere, stopped having wet dreams. Sperm rotted in his balls, body got rid of it. He woke up to find 'seamy, yellowish discharge' in his boxers.
Became convinced the other guys' TALK had gotten him a case of STD. Verbal-nereal Disease.
After those Navy hygiene movies, feared it was gonna turn black and rot off.
And of course, too humiliated to tell anyone....

 

[Politesse]

Does Christianity enhance your mental health?

I think so, but it doesn't occur in a vaccuum. It's hard to isolate a single cause in something as complicated as your overall mental state, especially when you are also treating your condition by other means. I definitely don't find its effects to be harmful, and I know for certain that I start skipping church services (and other social gatherings) when my depression is getting worse. Doing so inevitably perpetuates the negative cycle, it's not good for me to be alone when I am in such moods.

I don't much relate to the bulk of your post, and would not be interested in trying to defend the proposition that Christianity is uniquely or exclusively suitable as mental health care, as I don't think that is true. There is some fairly strong empirical evidence that religious participation in general is good for mental health outcomes, but these benefits aren't partisan in character, it seems that all religious communities connote the observed benefits. Intentional atheism as well; it's non-participating people within religious traditions and "nones" who underperform relative to the highly religious.

 

[Politesse]

Guy on my first boat never beat off due to sin. Never watched the movies if there might be nudity.
No female stimulation in his life anywhere, stopped having wet dreams. Sperm rotted in his balls, body got rid of it. He woke up to find 'seamy, yellowish discharge' in his boxers.
Became convinced the other guys' TALK had gotten him a case of STD. Verbal-nereal Disease.

Sounds more like a urinary tract infection to me.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

A Christian friend of mine went out into her back yard. While she was out there, her family went out into the front yard. My friend, upon reentering the house and finding it empty, thought she had missed the Rapture. Imagine her terror.

Another friend thought he had committed the unforgivable sin of dissing the holy ghost. He thought he was therefore Hellbound, and that there was nothing even god could do about it.

Everybody's got problems, but it seems to me that Christians have extra problems on top of the normal ones.

Thank you for those examples of how Christianity can cause emotional distress. I think that Christianity can have positive emotional effects resulting from belief in a savior-God and eternal bliss in heaven, but it can also have very negative effects resulting from fear of a wrathful God and eternal damnation. Your Christian friend feared that she would suffer in the great tribulation being "left behind" to live seven years under the anti-Christ and for no other reason than that she momentarily lost sight of her family! Your other friend is even less fortunate suffering continual emotional distress resulting from his Christian beliefs with no end in sight to that distress.

So yes, as you say everybody is vulnerable to emotional upset, but Christianity often adds more reasons to get upset. Happy smiles are just a few words away from angry scowls or eyes wide with fear.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Atheist here. Worked at a church camp for six summers (ages 16 to 21.) I would bet that the actuarial tables look better for the group that made up the camp staff than the more general population of my high school. It was a non-doctrinaire camp overall, with various degrees of piety among the staffers, and while I was there, no hellfire stuff. One study I called up on google claims that those who regularly attend religious services live an average of four years longer than non-attendees. Possible reasons were social interaction, positive attitudes, better health habits. Squares live longer than hipsters.
My impression of the hyper religious -- the most orthodox born-agains, for want of a sharper description -- is that many, or most of them, are secure in their afterlife destination. Hell happens to The Others. I've heard exactly this sentiment in recent weeks. From a born-again friend who is struggling in the part-time employment triple-job economy: "Things are rough, and someday God is just going to take me away." From a super-devout cousin who just lost a parent: "The important thing is being sure of where ---- will spend eternity. We've all got to face the fact that this life is just a springboard to eternity, and we better make sure of where we'll go." This promise they imagine they have with God can be psychologically stabilizing. As an atheist I'm always going to be an outsider to the happy club, but I may be okay on the actuarial odds, because I exercise like a son of a bitch, am vegetarian, and use humor as my stabilizer. If Jehovah God doesn't fracture my cranium with a big falling tree branch, I may live to attend that friend & cousin's funerals -- with a pious look plastered on my face.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Guy on my first boat never beat off due to sin. Never watched the movies if there might be nudity.
No female stimulation in his life anywhere, stopped having wet dreams. Sperm rotted in his balls, body got rid of it. He woke up to find 'seamy, yellowish discharge' in his boxers.
Became convinced the other guys' TALK had gotten him a case of STD. Verbal-nereal Disease.

Sounds more like a urinary tract infection to me.

Kid got a prescription to masturbate out of it. Only one i ever saw.
We lzminated it for him and taught him the ettiquette of the porn locker.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

One study I called up on google claims that those who regularly attend religious services live an average of four years longer than non-attendees. Possible reasons were social interaction, positive attitudes, better health habits. Squares live longer than hipsters.

For those who regularly attend church, they are obviously healthy enough and fit enough to get there. So it seems to me that attending church doesn't cause good health but for some people is an effect of good health.

My impression of the hyper religious -- the most orthodox born-agains, for want of a sharper description -- is that many, or most of them, are secure in their afterlife destination. Hell happens to The Others. I've heard exactly this sentiment in recent weeks. From a born-again friend who is struggling in the part-time employment triple-job economy: "Things are rough, and someday God is just going to take me away." From a super-devout cousin who just lost a parent: "The important thing is being sure of where ---- will spend eternity. We've all got to face the fact that this life is just a springboard to eternity, and we better make sure of where we'll go." This promise they imagine they have with God can be psychologically stabilizing.

Some other Christians are not so sure they will make it to heaven. We are told that Jesus preached that some will be sure they are heaven-bound only to have their hoped-for savior tell them to depart from him because he never knew them.

As an atheist I'm always going to be an outsider to the happy club...

Happiness is overrated. A drunken man can be happy, but I don't envy his happiness. My top priority is to be the man I think I should be no matter how miserable it makes me feel.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

There is some fairly strong empirical evidence that religious participation in general is good for mental health outcomes, but these benefits aren't partisan in character, it seems that all religious communities connote the observed benefits. Intentional atheism as well; it's non-participating people within religious traditions and "nones" who underperform relative to the highly religious.

I wonder what doctrines in particular make people happy. Thomas Aquinas said that people in heaven will be able to see the damned being tormented in hell and rejoice as a result of not sharing their fate. That doesn't appeal to me at all.

 

[steve_bank]

There have been psychological studies that show religious faith can improve mental health. Reduces stress and worry.

An example. A black friend of mine in his 70s grew up in Jim Crow Louisiana. I have listened to his stories. Someone he knew was lynched for trying to register at college. Being called nigger by whites even teachers as a matter of course.

Through it all it was faith that kept him positive. He is one of the most positive people I have known. He has not a trace of bittiness and anger towards anyone. Religion remains a community focal point for blacks.

A woman I met in my building has end stage cancer. A lot of pain and near the end. She is sustained by faith. A guy I nnow grew up Russian Orthodox. He's not really religious but the rituals help him, Hodgkin's lymphoma. Of late he has trouble walking.

The opposite would be the cynical atheist who sees nothing good. Relgion is not a requiremnt for mental health, but it help many. Of course the counter argument is the craziness religion can foster, but then the same can be said of pop culture and our modern destructive drug culture. Social media is helpful to some harmful to others.

It is not necessarily about faith, it is also about rituals that from a structure to live within.


We all have rituals. Following sports is a ritual. Monday Night Football became a national ritual. People talked about it during the week. The new Seattle hocking team created instant fans and followers without having played a game. Pop music concerts take on the form of a religious meeting.

Many rituals like gardening, playing chess. Groups who religiously meet weekly to play cards.

As I like to say religion is one manifestation of a fundamental human characteristic. Take away religion and people will fill ythe vacuum with new rituals. Like the rise of pop music cults.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

As I like to say religion is one manifestation of a fundamental human characteristic. Take away religion and people will fill ythe vacuum with new rituals. Like the rise of pop music cults.

I used to wear an Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt, and upon seeing it a man told me that Ozzy is God. Ozzy did a lot of sick things and was severely criticized for it especially by self-righteous Christians, but those Christians worship a God who killed people. "Let the Christian who is without the sin of lauding a killer God cast the first stone at Ozzy."

 

[Learner]

Is there such a thing as 'good people' (not necessarily religious) ever having the reasons to kill other people?

Has it happened? Does it happen? Would this be acceptable in your mind, when there's NO option in war, or defending one's self, or when applying this, to be of some reasonable lawful justice? I'd say yes, it IS acceptable today!

We won't agree here, but this is pretty much similar in my view, to outlining the Israelites who were commanded by God to keep themselves in check, so to speak (when sometimes going the opposite, to their demise) or to protect themselves from their enemies.

(BTW a little late but welcome aboard US)

 

[southernhybrid]

Religion, imo, is just like all made up beliefs or organizations. For some people, it offers hope and purpose, while for others, it causes pain and cognitive dissonance.

As one who grew up in an evangelical home, I can attest that Christianity caused me emotional pain, and cognitive dissonance, eventually leading to my atheism. For others, like a very poor, Black friend of mine, it offers purpose and hope. Sure, it's false hope, but if people never realize that there is no heaven and that a god isn't watching over them and protecting them, I don't see the harm in that.

We all find different ways of maintaining our mental health, but some of us are predisposed to mental illness, anxiety, depression etc. Religion can't change that, but in some cases, having a community where you are supported and loved, can at least lessen the pain acquired from those problems.

That's how this strong atheist views religion. I just would like to see all religions become more progressive, and more humane. If Christians followed the more positive teachings of their savior, that would be better for all of us. I just don't see that happen very often these days. But, I do wonder if my sweet, poor Christian friend would have more emotional struggles in her life, if she didn't have her church community and her beliefs. She is the only friend of mine, who was never told I'm an atheist. She has probably figured out by now that I'm not religious, but I see no need to tell her that I don't believe in her god, as that might cause her more emotional pain. I could never hurt this dear woman, and since her beliefs seem to bring out the best in her, and help her cope, it's best to allow her not to have to worry about her white, godless friend. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Then again, perhaps she is the type of person who judges others based on their characters and not on their beliefs. That is how I tend to see others. I don't care what they believe as long as they don't use those beliefs to harm or judge others.

 

[Rhea]

I find the benefits of religion to be far too inconsistent to claim they are from religion.

Most of the studies that show religion as a benefit take care to note that it is the religious community that provides the benefit, not the act of belief or faith. It’s the act of being with other humans in a mutually supportive community.

So if the community of faith is not supportive (like hellfire and brimstone) it does not contribute to positive mental health. And if it is too fractured to be mutual, it does not contribute to positive mental health.

In other words, the god and the doctrine is irrelevant and unuseful. Put another way, no, it does not appear that “Christianity enhances your mental health.” Rather, a regular, communal, supportive group enhances your mental health. The more regular and the more supportive and the more communal, the better - until doctrine poisons it, which Christianity has many built-in mechanisms, unfortunately, to do.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Agree with a lot of #15. It's risible when believers (in my experience, many Christians) talk up religion as if, without it, they (or more likely, 'most of us') would be burglars, rapists, and razor murderers, because there'd be nothing to stop them. How's that for an image of basic humanity?

 

[Elixir]

Of course.
ALL my imaginary friends enhance my mental health!
(Right, gang?)

 

[ideologyhunter]

Mine tell me to run naked through Target carrying a hatchet and a mint Kit Kat. With the help of Jesus, I resist them.

 

[Learner]

Agree with a lot of #15. It's risible when believers (in my experience, many Christians) talk up religion as if, without it, they (or more likely, 'most of us') would be burglars, rapists, and razor murderers, because there'd be nothing to stop them. How's that for an image of basic humanity?

Yes, it is not unheard of, that a lot of individuals who have come out of prison, have changed from their old particular ways, due to their new found faith, while being inside. Or things like reading those headlines like for example "Ex-gang member becomes a pastor, preaching the Gospel on his Harley Davidson..." there's been a few of those I believe.

 

[steve_bank]

As I like to say religion is one manifestation of a fundamental human characteristic. Take away religion and people will fill ythe vacuum with new rituals. Like the rise of pop music cults.

I used to wear an Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt, and upon seeing it a man told me that Ozzy is God. Ozzy did a lot of sick things and was severely criticized for it especially by self-righteous Christians, but those Christians worship a God who killed people. "Let the Christian who is without the sin of lauding a killer God cast the first stone at Ozzy."

Ozzie was and I presume is still a sick puppy, seeing as you invoke mental health. Like I said take away religion and the vacuum gets filled. People take on the persona of a band or musician. It is just as illusory as religion. Do you think Mick Jagger is anything like his on stage raggedy anti system image? In reality he parlayed the bands money making them all wealthy. Jagger became a financial player in Europe. The Rolling Stones are an act.

The tragic Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin are elevated to pop culture mystical icons despite being self destructive and having bad ends. Kurt Cobain blew his head off with a shotgun.

Is pop culture mentally healthy? I'd say no. Pure escapism, as is religion.

In the 60s Bob Dylan was raised to a counter culture prophet, which he publicly distanced himself from. When he went electric at a Newport Folk festival his followers were devastated. Dylan was always a stage act. In a film clip from a documentary he is in a room with Joan Baez typing. He comments that his lyrics are going to drive people crazy. Dylan the anti system counter culture hero also became rich.

Jesus apologist - Ozzie apologist same principle. You defend your identity.