(September 12, 2016 at 4:34 pm)drfuzzy Wrote:(September 12, 2016 at 2:31 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: I'm surprised that few have made reference to any studies or scientific literature. I think the general unbiased consensus is that religion tends have a net positive mental health benefit:
http://baylorisr.org/wp-content/uploads/...health.pdf
http://roa.sagepub.com/content/27/2/197.short
So does watching a lot of comedy videos. Doing some form of meditation. Basically, religion falls into the same category as every other escape from reality.
Sure, reducing stress has health benefits-- and meditation for many IS a religious practice. I'd say that Catholic prayer, for example, is essentially mantra-speaking.
But faith involves a suspension of disbelief, even in the face of logic. This means that a person of faith has ingrained in them the possibility. . . maybe not the expectation, but the possibility. . . that anything can happen.
This kind of belief allows for Hail Mary events, which rarely but not-never, help people in life.