Christianity and its effect on self-worth

[Esquilax]

No they do not, you're expressing an opinion, more atheist take their lives than Christians period.

Yes, but not because atheists are more mentally ill than christians, merely because christians have moral objections to suicide based on their unjustified god claims that atheists don't have. In short, the reasons christians take their lives less is because they don't want to piss off god, not because they don't want to kill themselves.

Did you read the study, GC? Because I did.

Christians are not exempt from mental disorders and the study shows they handle it better.

That's not what the literal conclusion of the study was.

You can hold to your belief as to why, though it's not true nor factual.

It's what the study itself, the study you referenced, concluded. If you don't like that, take it up with the writers of the study, not with me. But don't reference a study when it agrees with you, and then disregard it when it doesn't; is the study a worthy reference in your eyes or not?

I live in the Christian community and so doing have a better insight into what they believe.

I live around christians too: in fact, my immediate surrounds contains exactly one atheist other than myself. Everyone else is a believer. By your logic that gives me exactly the same insight that you have, but for some reason I suspect you won't be agreeing with me on that point; special pleading is a bitch, isn't it?

The OP was Christianity makes self esteem worse for Christians than the unbelief of atheist. The study shows this isn't true thus my argument against the OP.

The study shows that incidences of mental illness are equal between the two groups; it says nothing at all about self esteem. You're just fabricating, now.

You bring things in from atheist sites and evolutionary sites, both are biased in nature to Christian beliefs, but I guess this little thing has eluded you.

Sorry, but "conflicting with GC's specific version of the christian belief system," is not the same thing as "biased."

You are contradicting yourself and the study, first you say the rate of suicide is lower in Christians then you say it's equal to the atheist rate of suicide, and I'm suppose to take your ideas seriously, especially when you are doing what the study and others studies say,"passing the problems onto others," mainly Christians.

Actually, you're just not paying attention, but that's not surprising. I never once said that the atheist suicide rate is lower than christians, and what I said was equal to christians is the rate of mental illness between the groups. I've said that in language that's plenty clear multiple times; so, why should I take your ideas seriously when it's apparent you aren't even absorbing what I'm saying before you respond?

The study by these institutions show Christians are not exempt from mental disorders nor suicide and it also shows that Christians can cope with this better because of their beliefs.

No, it just shows that they don't kill themselves as often, despite the same levels of mental illness and life stress. The study only mentions that moral objections to suicide are more prevalent among christians, but not doing something because it'll land you in hell, or because god doesn't want you to, or whatever those moral objections might be, is not the same thing as coping better.

The study shows atheist have no support in their disbelief because there's nothing in disbelief to help, disbelief is necessarily nothing.

Doesn't say that, either. How much of this study occurred just in your mind, you think?

This is what the OP's about, right, that Christianity degrades the Christian's self worth and if this was true the suicide rate should necessarily be higher for us, but the reality of it is atheist have a higher rate of suicide.

Why would that "necessarily" be the case? That's just you asserting what you want to be true; wanting to commit suicide doesn't mean that you want to go to hell. The christian could still want to die, and just be afraid of hell. Or want to die, but not want to offend god- there's someone in my personal life who's a die hard christian believer doing exactly that, risking his life and refusing medical treatment so as to die more quickly, without just outright committing suicide and offending god.

There are plenty of reasons a christian- or anyone who believes in an afterlife- to avoid suicide without having a high self worth. You shouldn't just add in things that you want to be true, but aren't present in the study, GC. Especially when the study itself says otherwise.

As for gloating, that's been your signature ever since you've been here, you think more highly of yourself than even your fellow atheist and that's exactly why all the Christians here have a problem with you.

Interesting: when did you gain the ability to read my mind, to be able to tell me what I think?

Oh wait, you can't do that? You're just bullshitting in your usual holier than thou way?

Even if it were for imaginary reasons, which it's not, the fact remains that the OP is in contradiction to the institutions studies, the OP is nothing more than unprofessional opinion.

Again, your "lower self worth correlates to higher suicide rates," is a completely unjustified non-sequitur. Firstly because there are more ranges of self worth than just "normal" or "suicidal," but also because the premises of the christian belief system tend to preclude suicide without necessarily affecting self worth.

These institutions are of the highest professionalism and their research stands as such also. The disease doesn't effect both equally, if it did the suicide rate would be the same, you really do have trouble with understanding this, don't you.

The disease is present in both groups equally, which is what I actually said. Moreover, you don't really understand nuanced topics like mental illness, do you? Why the black and white binary idea of how it affects people?

It doesn't offend my dignity, it's against all I believe, human life will always be more important than an animals and if you can't see this you are someone to be feared in your judgment.

What if I believe animal life to be as precious as a humans? Why is it that your idea of human parity with animals involves only degrading animals? You say you'd fear my judgment, but I'm not the one of us whose only idea of what life would be if it wasn't magically created is solely negative.

If you can't see that human life is far more valuable than an animals you are seriously callous, maybe heartless. God created us to have a relationship with Him and gave us dominion over the animals, that's the simple answer, yet something you want accept.

As usual, the christian's response is instructive in that it projects so much; GC seems to be unable of envisioning a worldview where people don't think of all other forms of life as lesser. He can't even imagine a worldview where respect for animal life is elevated, rather than just human life being denigrated.

If even the possibility that I might hold all forms of life in equal, high respect didn't even occur to you, well, then I don't think I'm the callous one for being able to do so, where you can't.

That's no justification, evolution shows no respect for any life being any more important and in conversations all over this site it's been made quite clear this is the effect evolution has on people.

Evolution isn't a mind, it can't respect anything. But as a being with a mind myself, I can respect humans for being a unique product of evolution. Just because evolution doesn't favor any one species inherently doesn't mean that it hasn't produced anything important or special as a part of its equal process.

I've seen time and again evolutionist state that no one life is more important than another, this kind of thinking degrades human life, this is exactly what atheist have to deal with when believing suicide is the answer.

... Unless that equality of life is equally high. It's so very telling that the only position you can even imagine is a person thinking of all life as being equally low.

But that's your problem, and not mine. It's not my fault that you can't- or won't- share my respect and admiration for all life equally.

Your expressed opinion of fiat nothingness doesn't match the study, however the bases of Christianity fits the study well.

It is a fiat nothing: "God thinks humans are special, therefore they are," is just god's opinion, it's not an actual objective fact. And the fact is that your view of christianity is apparently so nihilistic and bleak that you can't even imagine anyone valuing life for life, instead of the thumbs up of a space wizard.

My reasoning has been expressed by many evolutionist, even Darwin's father who proposed evolution in his writings before Darwin came to this conclusion. Darwin's father had no proof of what he was proposing, no scientific certainties just a belief, yep a belief system is the way evolution started and continues to this day. Deny this all you want but, the truth of evolution is out there and you can't get rid of it. Evolution is detrimental to man and his health.

GC

It's unfortunate that your dark, horrible religion has tainted you to such an extent that you think "all life is equal," automatically means "all life is equally worthless." Such a shame.