Being 'Born-Again' Linked to More Brain Atrophy: Study

[macrohard]

http://www.philly.com/philly/health/132456883.html

Oh now this is sounding interesting, before too long, the Surgeon General of the United States might begin saying that being "born again" is hazardous to one's health.....

[RT-here]

"One interpretation of our finding -- that members of majority religious groups seem to have less atrophy compared with minority religious groups -- is that when you feel your beliefs and values are somewhat at odds with those of society as a whole, it may contribute to long-term stress that could have implications for the brain," Amy Owen, lead author of the study and a research associate at Duke University Medical Center, said in a Duke news release

There may be some truth in that article. We are all dying a martyrs death; either slowly, or a quick one.

Romans 8:36, As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

[jackson64]

As someone whose specialty is working with pts who have some form of neuropathology, I would urge you to pay this very little credence.

First, it is a non-peer reviewed study.

Second, there are no parameters and the conclusion they've drawn is a very narrow causality based upon the 1,000's of mitigating factors for dementias. How many people total were studied from each group, how many in the non-believer control group? Did they interview healthy and neuro-impaired individuals alike? Did they ask other questions like, did they drink? did they smoke? what type of prescription drugs were they taking? were they ever married or widowed? Children? career?

Third, and maybe most important, it is quite obvious by the direction and narrow scope of the questions that the results of the "study" were already determined before the "study" was done. In other words, the atheistic researchers were probably sitting around a room together and said, " let's do a study which proves that those who believe in God are brain damaged." The key line in the article is, " Researchers suggested that stress..." this is where the giveaway is. They did all of this studying on a small sample group of less than 300 people and the entire thing was based upon a GIGANTIC presumption- that stress causes shrinkage of the Hippocampus. This is bad science and a waste of tax-payer funding.

Appx 75% of the pts I treat are at some level of dementia on the Allen scale. Although a large % are people of faith ( after all, it was a different generation and this is conservative, southern maryland) I also see plenty of non-christians with dementia.

Lastly, surveys have shown that those in the 60+ age bracket identify themselves as Christian over 92%. It stands to reason that many currently suffering with shrinkage of the hippocampus, Weirneke's aphasia, alzheimer's etc..will be people of faith, and also that there would be a lot more people of faith with the illnesses since their numbers were greater to start with.............

[Acts5:41]

I've been "crazy" my whole life.

Name calling like that just makes me laugh.

One thing I hear from atheists and other unreached: "I don't want what you have, but I admire it. Your faith has made you a better person, Heather".

[Tall Timbers]

[ThePenguin]

What about every-day stressors like school, family, friends, and work? As far as being a believer goes yes, it can be painful and yes there can be stress but having faith in Christ and being secure in my eternal salvation is a lot less stressful than, say, getting a decent grade in calculus 2. (Which is a lot more difficult! )

[CatChick]

As someone whose specialty is working with pts who have some form of neuropathology, I would urge you to pay this very little credence.

First, it is a non-peer reviewed study.

Second, there are no parameters and the conclusion they've drawn is a very narrow causality based upon the 1,000's of mitigating factors for dementias. How many people total were studied from each group, how many in the non-believer control group? Did they interview healthy and neuro-impaired individuals alike? Did they ask other questions like, did they drink? did they smoke? what type of prescription drugs were they taking? were they ever married or widowed? Children? career?

Third, and maybe most important, it is quite obvious by the direction and narrow scope of the questions that the results of the "study" were already determined before the "study" was done. In other words, the atheistic researchers were probably sitting around a room together and said, " let's do a study which proves that those who believe in God are brain damaged." The key line in the article is, " Researchers suggested that stress..." this is where the giveaway is. They did all of this studying on a small sample group of less than 300 people and the entire thing was based upon a GIGANTIC presumption- that stress causes shrinkage of the Hippocampus. This is bad science and a waste of tax-payer funding.

Appx 75% of the pts I treat are at some level of dementia on the Allen scale. Although a large % are people of faith ( after all, it was a different generation and this is conservative, southern maryland) I also see plenty of non-christians with dementia.

Lastly, surveys have shown that those in the 60+ age bracket identify themselves as Christian over 92%. It stands to reason that many currently suffering with shrinkage of the hippocampus, Weirneke's aphasia, alzheimer's etc..will be people of faith, and also that there would be a lot more people of faith with the illnesses since their numbers were greater to start with.............

[Jan51]

As someone whose specialty is working with pts who have some form of neuropathology, I would urge you to pay this very little credence.

First, it is a non-peer reviewed study.

Second, there are no parameters and the conclusion they've drawn is a very narrow causality based upon the 1,000's of mitigating factors for dementias. How many people total were studied from each group, how many in the non-believer control group? Did they interview healthy and neuro-impaired individuals alike? Did they ask other questions like, did they drink? did they smoke? what type of prescription drugs were they taking? were they ever married or widowed? Children? career?

Third, and maybe most important, it is quite obvious by the direction and narrow scope of the questions that the results of the "study" were already determined before the "study" was done. In other words, the atheistic researchers were probably sitting around a room together and said, " let's do a study which proves that those who believe in God are brain damaged." The key line in the article is, " Researchers suggested that stress..." this is where the giveaway is. They did all of this studying on a small sample group of less than 300 people and the entire thing was based upon a GIGANTIC presumption- that stress causes shrinkage of the Hippocampus. This is bad science and a waste of tax-payer funding.

Appx 75% of the pts I treat are at some level of dementia on the Allen scale. Although a large % are people of faith ( after all, it was a different generation and this is conservative, southern maryland) I also see plenty of non-christians with dementia.

Lastly, surveys have shown that those in the 60+ age bracket identify themselves as Christian over 92%. It stands to reason that many currently suffering with shrinkage of the hippocampus, Weirneke's aphasia, alzheimer's etc..will be people of faith, and also that there would be a lot more people of faith with the illnesses since their numbers were greater to start with.............

I just happened to watch this video yesterday, "Baloney Detection Kit," which supposedly shows that science has all the answers and the scientific method as currently practiced is gospel truth. I found it hilarious because all its points illustrated exactly why I can't buy the theory of evolution, and I'm sure the video was supposed to have just the opposite effect on me, convincing me that any alternate explanation was obviously baloney. According to this video, the theory of evolution does not pass the baloney test!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUB4j0n2UDU

[ann_in_texas]

Here is an interesting take on a similar study ...
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/...ArticleID=7062

[one4God]

That was a great article!!!!!!!!!! It had me laughing................

[Reason&Hope]

As someone whose specialty is working with pts who have some form of neuropathology, I would urge you to pay this very little credence.

First, it is a non-peer reviewed study.

Second, there are no parameters and the conclusion they've drawn is a very narrow causality based upon the 1,000's of mitigating factors for dementias. How many people total were studied from each group, how many in the non-believer control group? Did they interview healthy and neuro-impaired individuals alike? Did they ask other questions like, did they drink? did they smoke? what type of prescription drugs were they taking? were they ever married or widowed? Children? career?

Third, and maybe most important, it is quite obvious by the direction and narrow scope of the questions that the results of the "study" were already determined before the "study" was done. In other words, the atheistic researchers were probably sitting around a room together and said, " let's do a study which proves that those who believe in God are brain damaged." The key line in the article is, " Researchers suggested that stress..." this is where the giveaway is. They did all of this studying on a small sample group of less than 300 people and the entire thing was based upon a GIGANTIC presumption- that stress causes shrinkage of the Hippocampus. This is bad science and a waste of tax-payer funding.

Appx 75% of the pts I treat are at some level of dementia on the Allen scale. Although a large % are people of faith ( after all, it was a different generation and this is conservative, southern maryland) I also see plenty of non-christians with dementia.

Lastly, surveys have shown that those in the 60+ age bracket identify themselves as Christian over 92%. It stands to reason that many currently suffering with shrinkage of the hippocampus, Weirneke's aphasia, alzheimer's etc..will be people of faith, and also that there would be a lot more people of faith with the illnesses since their numbers were greater to start with.............

Thank you for your informed understanding of this. "Journalists" all too often jump on the least credible stories, just because they bolster the "journalist's" opinions.

[HopeOfHeaven]

I would like to know if the researchers involved with this study have taken a good hard long look at the lives of unbelievers right outside their door and all around them. Along with the state of our world???