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I don't think religion will be needed less because while some are religious solely for a god, others also consider the community aspect of the organization. I think learning about mental health will provide an opportunity to understand why some rely on religion for their well-being. Hopefully, a part of the mental health treatment is to develop skills on being able to see the perspective of others.
You bring up another aspect of religion - the community aspect. Which is certainly true.
Perhaps replace is too strong a word, reduce may be a better word. Currently there is some evidence of an inverse relationship between the development of a country and how religious the people in that country are. The less developed countries, where material security is harder, are generally more religious. And the more developed countries are less religious. For example: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/do-cou...alth-1.1310451
I'm asking whether we will see a similar relationship with mental health development. In 2050, will the countries that have the most secular mental wellbeing development also be the countries that are least religious? will there be an inverse relationship between mental health development and religious prevalence in the future?
I absolutely understand that religion can provide mental health benefits. I'm saying that as more children are brought up with secular tools to maintain their mental wellbeing, I can see fewer of those kids being religious as they grow up, compared to my generation and before. My generation and before had more need for religion as we were not brought up with same focus on mental health as future generations hopefully will be.
I doubt religion would be replaced completely, but the need for it reduced perhaps. Which can only be a good thing - the positives without any of the negatives. A better title may be:
"As future generations hopefully grow up understanding secular tools for maintaining good mental health, will they see less need for religion?"
To an extent, yes mental healthcare can replace religion. But there is a limit.
You consider the acceptance of fantastical claims as an undesirable accoutrement of religion. I think, from a mental health perspective, that it's a feature not a bug.
Most mental health problems are grounded in reality. Poverty, inability, loneliness are ineradicable problems for a significant number of people. An hour with a shrink every month won't fix this.
In order to see things positively in the face of a relentlessly discouraging reality, you need to embrace a very deep delusion. Religion primes the neural pathways to believe fantastical things, the best example being an afterlife reward. How many millions, billions of people through history have been sustained by a belief in an afterlife reward, in the face of crushing adversity?
There is no psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist or social worker who could promise an afterlife reward believably. They are too grounded in science to be able to effectively create deep delusions.
One of the things that I think we have to mention here is that it depends on the culture and which religion is involved.
I heard a terribly disturbing report today about pre-teen and young teen girls being sold into marriage in Afghanistan. It was heartbreaking.
So we have to differentiate a great deal between some first world nations and some third world nations (in particular) in terms of how religion is seen differently in different cultures.
To an extent, yes mental healthcare can replace religion. But there is a limit.
You consider the acceptance of fantastical claims as an undesirable accoutrement of religion. I think, from a mental health perspective, that it's a feature not a bug.
Most mental health problems are grounded in reality. Poverty, inability, loneliness are ineradicable problems for a significant number of people. An hour with a shrink every month won't fix this.
In order to see things positively in the face of a relentlessly discouraging reality, you need to embrace a very deep delusion. Religion primes the neural pathways to believe fantastical things, the best example being an afterlife reward. How many millions, billions of people through history have been sustained by a belief in an afterlife reward, in the face of crushing adversity?
There is no psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist or social worker who could promise an afterlife reward believably. They are too grounded in science to be able to effectively create deep delusions.
Yes, I added the caveat of material security in a couple of the posts above but didn't mention that in my OP. If people don't have their material needs met, then their mental health is also likely to be affected. So I think both material security and mental health are needed for humans, if that is achieved, fewer people may need to turn to religion.
There is already some evidence of an inverse correlation between material security and religion - with more economically developed countries being less religious. I was wondering if we would see a similar relationship with mental health development.
Mental health is being made more of a priority, which is great. Material security is a bit turbulent now, but if society finds a way to continue the improvement in material security we have generally seen over the last 100 years, then together with the improvement in mental health, we may see a corresponding decline in religion. That is my hypothesis at least. Not a complete replacement of religion for sure - just less of a need for it.
I don't think religion will be needed less because while some are religious solely for a god, others also consider the community aspect of the organization. I think learning about mental health will provide an opportunity to understand why some rely on religion for their well-being. Hopefully, a part of the mental health treatment is to develop skills on being able to see the perspective of others.
One of the things that I think we have to mention here is that it depends on the culture and which religion is involved.
I heard a terribly disturbing report today about pre-teen and young teen girls being sold into marriage in Afghanistan. It was heartbreaking.
So we have to differentiate a great deal between some first world nations and some third world nations (in particular) in terms of how religion is seen differently in different cultures.
Yes and that is I think partly an example of the inverse relationship between material security and religion. In a country where people are poor and in physical danger, I understand how religion would play a much bigger part. When you start loosing hope in this world, then religion gives you a olive branch to hope there is more.
However in societies where material security is met, this is less needed. And hopefully we can keep moving societies in the direction of more material security.
In a potential future society where material security needs are met for most people, and people have reasons and tools to place their hope in this world, then I see even less need for religion.
To an extent, yes mental healthcare can replace religion. But there is a limit.
You consider the acceptance of fantastical claims as an undesirable accoutrement of religion. I think, from a mental health perspective, that it's a feature not a bug.
Most mental health problems are grounded in reality. Poverty, inability, loneliness are ineradicable problems for a significant number of people. An hour with a shrink every month won't fix this.
In order to see things positively in the face of a relentlessly discouraging reality, you need to embrace a very deep delusion. Religion primes the neural pathways to believe fantastical things, the best example being an afterlife reward. How many millions, billions of people through history have been sustained by a belief in an afterlife reward, in the face of crushing adversity?
There is no psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist or social worker who could promise an afterlife reward believably. They are too grounded in science to be able to effectively create deep delusions.
It will be interesting to see data on how many follow religious practices with an eye on the prize - afterlife rewards. How big a part does it play compared to just coping with difficult periods in life, of loss, pain, and sickness, addiction? 100%? 10? 0?
Yes and that is I think partly an example of the inverse relationship between material security and religion. In a country where people are poor and in physical danger, I understand how religion would play a much bigger part. When you start loosing hope in this world, then religion gives you a olive branch to hope there is more.
However in societies where material security is met, this is less needed. And hopefully we can keep moving societies in the direction of more material security.
In a potential future society where material security needs are met for most people, and people have reasons and tools to place their hope in this world, then I see even less need for religion.
Among the advanced nations US is an outlier in its high religiosity. And also in high income inequality. Within US, high religious participation, high levels of education AND wealth is among Jews and Hindus.
Just saying.
Yes and that is I think partly an example of the inverse relationship between material security and religion. In a country where people are poor and in physical danger, I understand how religion would play a much bigger part. When you start loosing hope in this world, then religion gives you a olive branch to hope there is more.
However in societies where material security is met, this is less needed. And hopefully we can keep moving societies in the direction of more material security.
In a potential future society where material security needs are met for most people, and people have reasons and tools to place their hope in this world, then I see even less need for religion.
You bring up another aspect of religion - the community aspect. Which is certainly true.
Perhaps replace is too strong a word, reduce may be a better word. Currently there is some evidence of an inverse relationship between the development of a country and how religious the people in that country are. The less developed countries, where material security is harder, are generally more religious. And the more developed countries are less religious. For example: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/do-cou...alth-1.1310451
I'm asking whether we will see a similar relationship with mental health development. In 2050, will the countries that have the most secular mental wellbeing development also be the countries that are least religious? will there be an inverse relationship between mental health development and religious prevalence in the future?
I absolutely understand that religion can provide mental health benefits. I'm saying that as more children are brought up with secular tools to maintain their mental wellbeing, I can see fewer of those kids being religious as they grow up, compared to my generation and before. My generation and before had more need for religion as we were not brought up with same focus on mental health as future generations hopefully will be.
I doubt religion would be replaced completely, but the need for it reduced perhaps. Which can only be a good thing - the positives without any of the negatives. A better title may be:
"As future generations hopefully grow up understanding secular tools for maintaining good mental health, will they see less need for religion?"
I think it would be helpful to identify the needs that make one turn to religion. Then we can determine if a particular mental health program will address those needs.
You mentioned material security and mental security. Mental health may take a slower approach such as through the concept of personal responsibility. Religion can provide immediate relief through a community because there is a shared belief on how life should be.
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