Oh lard, not another semi-pathetic "scientific finding" on the power of prayer.
Feeling angry? Say a prayer and the wrath fades away
Study co-author Brad Bushman said,
"We found that prayer really can help people cope with their anger, probably by helping them change how they view the events that angered them and helping them take it less personally."
From this study can we conclude that this religious activity is -- if not essential to some people's lives -- at least good for them?
No. Because we don't know what element of prayer was beneficial, and whether that benefit is available in non-prayer forms that aren't encumbered by potentially negative elements. Here's why: While the experimental group used prayer following an angering experience, the one control group was simply encouraged to think about it.
It seems to me that one group was instructed to pray, which is usually goal-directed and entails a behavior likely associated with positive feelings (relaxation?), while the other group was told to just think about it. Period. Which could have meant that individuals simply "spun their wheels" about the issue. They perseverated. Looked more closely, even.
A better study might have instructed the control group to, oh, write in a "problem solving" journal. Or engage in a deep breathing exercise while attempting to view the situation from a wider perspective. Or . . .
Can prayer help people attenuate feelings of anger? I have no doubt it can. But so can many other activities.
The article made this point -
While the three studies approached the issue in different ways, they all pointed to the personal benefits of prayer, Bushman said.
This critical thinker would like to know what it is about prayer that brought the benefits. Maybe the activity could be distilled to greater strength, with un-necessary elements jettisoned. If that were the case, I suspect that the purely religious component would be seen as superfluous.
Tags: critical thinking, mental health, religion
Leave a Reply