The Catholic Advantage: Why Health, Happiness, and Heaven Await the Faithful - Couverture rigide

Donohue, Bill

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0804185824 ISBN 13 : 9780804185820

Editeur : Image, 2015

Synopsis

The controversial president of The Catholic League shows how the Church may be the best guide for achieving long-term health and happiness.

Religious Americans are by far the healthiest and happiest of any segment of the population—this is true across religions according to recent Gallup polls. Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, goes a step further to show that Catholicism will not only make you healthy and happy, but it will ultimately lead you to heaven too. 
   In his latest book, The Catholic Advantage, Donohue turns his attention to the ways Catholicism is experienced by believers. He explores a simplified and practical way of looking at the faith, demonstrating how Catholic living enhances our well-being. With exciting new research and time-honored wisdom, Donohue shows how the application of beliefs, bonds and boundaries lead to a bountiful life, while the atheism, narcissism, and hedonism of secular intellectuals and celebrity culture paves the path to misery. 
   Donohue writes, “Catholics who have faithfully followed the precepts of their religion, and have lived a life of good health and happiness, are nicely positioned to experience even greater happiness in heaven. Anyone who bats three for three, especially given these stakes, must be doing something right.”

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

DR. WILLIAM A. DONOHUE is the president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization. The publisher of the Catholic League journal, Catalyst, Donohue is also a former Bradley Resident Scholar at The Heritage Foundation and served for two decades on the board of directors of the National Association of Scholars. A formidable TV presence, Donohue has authored several books on civil liberties, social issues, and Catholicism.

Extrait. © Reproduit sur autorisation. Tous droits réservés.

Chapter 1

Beliefs

Perks of Prayer and Parish

Those of us who are drawn to prayer have personal reasons for doing so, and while we often pray for a certain outcome, we typically don’t seek to reward ourselves with a host of residual benefits. But there are perquisites attendant to prayer; psychological and physical bonuses await the faithful. Doctors, however, are split on this issue. Indeed, many of them are conflicted about the power of religion to affect well-being.

Doctors are trained, quite properly, to concentrate on matters that are empirically verifiable, thus making religious claims hard to assess. Their practice, however, allows them the opportunity to encounter situations where the power of religion cannot be discounted. For example, a study of 1,134 physicians found that 72 percent believe that miracles existed in the past, and 70 percent believe they can occur today. About the same number, 69 percent, believe religion is a reliable and necessary guide to life.1

Paul N. Duckro and Philip R. Magaletta of Saint Louis University, who have done pioneering work on the subject of religion and its healing effects, nicely capture what is happening: “Demonstrating positive outcomes of prayer is not equivalent to unmasking the mechanism by which the effects of prayer are accomplished. Studies hoping to do so necessarily enter much trickier waters.” Dr. Jeff Levin, an epidemiologist and former medical school professor, comments on their astute observation, saying, “[t]he resistance and hostility that some scientists and physicians show to this topic stem, I believe, from an unwillingness to consider explanations that undermine a strictly materialistic worldview.”2 Ironically, many of these same doctors no doubt consider themselves to be open-minded, yet they evince a bias that undercuts their presumed objectivity.

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty is a Catholic psychiatrist and director of Residency Training and Medical Education in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine. He traces much of the antireligious bias in the health profession to Freud. Kheriaty maintains that the overwhelming evidence on the subject of religion and its positive impact on people’s lives demonstrates just how wrong Freud was in branding religious beliefs intrinsically neurotic. “On the contrary,” he writes, “if there is any effect on mental health, the evidence suggests that it is generally a beneficial one.”3 Therefore, to dismiss religion as inherently irrational, and void of redeeming qualities, is not supported by the data.

Things are changing: more of those in the health field are open to the role religion can play in fostering desirable outcomes. For example, the number of medical schools that have courses on religion and health is considerable. One leading researcher, Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School, holds that prayer and general stress management can reduce doctor visits by up to 50 percent.4 Most patients would agree. In a national survey, it was revealed that 35 percent of respondents used prayer for health concerns; 75 percent of these prayed for wellness, and 22 percent prayed for specific medical conditions. Perhaps most important, 69 percent of those who prayed for specific medical conditions found prayer very helpful.5 With data like this, it makes moot the convictions of skeptics: what matters is that “Hail Marys” work.

Does it matter whether prayer is private or publicly expressed? It terms of efficacy, it does not. “Frequent prayer,” Dr. Levin writes, “whether public or private, is associated with better health and emotional well-being and lower levels of psychological distress.”6 For Dr. Benson, contemplative or meditative prayer is clearly tied to better health and helps to ameliorate conditions of depression and anxiety.7 Dolores Hart, the Hollywood actress who became a cloistered nun, believes that what works best is public prayer. “I think common prayer, the Office, is very good for dealing with pain. It’s where you know you are in union with others and with their prayers. But to be constantly praying by yourself when you feel pain, well, all you do is go back into yourself.”8

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of prayer and better well-being is whether praying for others actually has beneficial consequences. As it turns out, what is called “absent prayer,” or “intercessory prayer,” does yield positive outcomes. When people are asked to pray for a specific person, whom they do not know, but who is suffering from an illness, and the recipient of prayer has no knowledge that this is happening, these “double blind” studies show that patients who are prayed for improve better than those patients with the same condition but who did not have anyone pray for them.9

One of the earliest and most prominent studies ever done on the health effects of intercessory prayer was conducted by Dr. Randolph C. Byrd in 1988. In a study of 393 people admitted to the coronary care unit at San Francisco General Hospital, the patients were divided into two groups. Half the group was selected for intercessory prayer by devout Christians, and the other half received no such treatment; the patients were randomly assigned and neither the patients nor the health staff had a clue which was the experiential group and which was the control group. The former fared significantly better than the latter. Two explanations are possible: praying for others works, or the results were due to chance. However, the odds that this was due to chance were one in 10,000. Those who did the praying were all devout Catholics and Protestants. Dr. Byrd concluded that these findings “suggest intercessory prayer to the Judeo-Christian God had a beneficial therapeutic effect in patients admitted to a CCU [coronary care unit].”10

Every Sunday at Mass we are asked to state our own personal intentions, and many of us pray not for ourselves, but for others. For many practical reasons, most of the time we don’t inform those whom we are praying for, yet our efforts, it would appear, are not in vain. When the famed atheist Christopher Hitchens was dying of cancer, he acknowledged, somewhat reluctantly, that many Christians were praying for him. Whether he would have preferred they did not is irrelevant: it was not his decision to make. That’s one of the great strengths of Christianity--we don’t seek reciprocity. Giving is what counts, and prayers are one of the finest gifts in the world that anyone can receive, including nonbelievers.

The word religion is derived from the Latin religare, which means “to bind together.” The bonds that are formed at the parish level matter greatly to well-being, so it is particularly gratifying that by practicing our religion, we not only get closer to God; we also live a happier and healthier life. Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist who has studied well-being, puts it nicely when he observes that “having strong social relationships strengthens the immune system, extends life (more than does quitting smoking), speeds recovery from surgery, and reduces the risks of depression and anxiety disorders.”11

Catholics have an unusually wide array of social options available to them. Parish councils and finance committees, along with music ministries, are commonplace. Meals on Wheels and hospital ministries bring people together, as do soup kitchens and other charitable enterprises. Marriage encounter groups are common, as are retreats. There are St. Patrick’s Day parties, parish picnics, athletic teams, Christmas events--opportunities for social interaction abound. Catholic Daughters of the Americas and the Knights of Columbus draw millions.

Communion and Liberation is popular with many young people, as are the Focolare Movement and Theology on Tap. Communion and Liberation, which began in Italy, is a movement in the Church that brings Catholics together based on the conviction that authentic liberation is a function of living the Christian event in communion. The Focolare Movement has its roots in World War II: it promotes unity and universal brotherhood, reaching out to the dispossessed and to those of other religions. Theology on Tap is a monthly forum held in many cities that attracts young people because of its venue: they come to enjoy fellowship in a local pub, and engage in robust discussion following the remarks of a guest speaker. The choices are vast, and all of them bind us together. Those bonds pay important dividends.

The religious advantage is manifest. For example, when asked in a Pew survey whether “belonging to a community of people who share your values and beliefs” is a) very important, b) somewhat important, or c) not too/not at all important, Catholics and Protestants selected “a” over the other two choices. Those who are unaffiliated chose “b.” Even more striking, twice as many of the unaffiliated, as compared to the public in general, said belonging to a community didn’t matter to them (nearly a third chose “c”).12 The greater degree of individualism among the unaffiliated, especially among atheists, works against them in so many ways. That they don’t place a priority on establishing bonds is one of the most fundamental differences they have with those who are religious.

There are signs that even die-hard secularists have had it with their solitary existence. For instance, some nonbelievers have decided to do something about their hyperindividualistic lifestyle, but what they settled on is not what we would have expected. They could have decided to form new associations, groups based on sharing their own stories. They could have founded a social network for young people, offering dances and weekend get-togethers. They could have established cell groups where they meet in each other’s homes for hospitality and social action. Instead, they decided to copy Christians. How? By literally founding churches. To be sure, they are anything but orthodox: these are churches without God.

In June 2013, Louisiana witnessed its first atheist service. Titled “Joie de Vivre: To Delight in Being Alive,” the service was led by a charismatic man who acted and sounded like the Pentecostal preacher he once was. But this time he was in front of his fellow atheists, offering an upbeat sermon. There was singing and swaying--all the trappings of a Christian service were there--but to an atheist message. Most of these atheists have a craving for what they left behind when they decided to reject their Christian roots. “When you go into an actual church,” one atheist said, “it’s almost like having a family reunion. When you leave that lifestyle and leave that church life behind, a lot of times you can feel ostracized. Things like this let fellow atheists and agnostics know that they’re not alone.”13

This atheist reawakening is not confined to the South. In the tony enclave of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a town rife with a number of sure-minded atheists, it is apparent that many have gotten the religious bug, minus the religion. The Humanist Community at Harvard University is known for its outreach to agnostics and atheists, but whatever their traditional programs allowed, it was not sufficient to satisfy their needs. So they adopted the Christian way, throwing God overboard, of course. When they meet, they sit in pews, and what they witness is a service, albeit an atheist one. They listen to talks on subjects ranging from evolution to war. It is not the topics that bring them together; it is the need for communion. They could meet any day of the week, but they chose Sundays. They call themselves a congregation and indeed advertised their first meeting as a “Community Mission Chapel.” They even sing atheist hymns.14

There are even atheist “megachurches” springing up. They are not huge when compared to the size of Christian megachurches--the atheist variety number only in the hundreds--but they are big by comparison to most other atheist churches. And they are not just in the United States: Great Britain and Australia are also witnessing an increase in godless congregations. Yet some of the adherents admit they’re engaged in a con game. “There was so much about it that I loved,” is how one of the British leaders put it, “but it’s a shame because at the heart of it, it’s something I don’t believe in.” She readily admits that at the Christian church she used to attend, the songs were “awesome,” the talks were “interesting,” and the collective interest in helping others was “wonderful.”15 Regrettably, she notes, she cannot identify with the heart of Christianity, namely the love of God.

So if God is no longer relevant, why join a congregation? The songs are good. “During the service, attendees stomped their feet, clapped their hands and cheered,” is how one observer put it. They sang “Lean on Me” and “Here Comes the Sun,” but had no time for “How Great Thou Art.”16

One of the more fascinating developments of this attempt by atheists to hijack the practices of Christianity, without adopting its beliefs, is the realization on the part of atheist parents that they have shortchanged their children. Their kids are psychologically dialed on empty, and their parents know it. Thus it is the parents of college-bound guys and gals who are pushing for atheist services and secular chaplains in many colleges and universities. Rutgers, American, and Carnegie Mellon were among the first to establish such programs.

The fact that 12 percent of Americans who say they don’t believe in God admit to praying--6 percent of self-identified atheists pray--is yet another indication that atheism fails to satisfy.17 Pete Sill, a former Catholic turned atheist, believes the number of atheists who pray is higher than 6 percent. “I think prayer is important because it takes your mind away from the horrible aspects of everyday life,” he says.18

1. “Majority of Docs Believe Miracles Have Occurred in the Past and Can Occur Today,” marketwatch.com, December 9, 2008.

2. Jeff Levin, God, Faith, and Health (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002), p. 192.

3. Aaron Kheriaty, The Catholic Guide to Depression (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2012), p. 36.

4. Elizabeth Bernstein, “Churches, Synagogues Embrace Idea That Worship Can Help Fight Disease,” Wall Street Journal, December 22, 2000. See interactive.wsj.com.

5. Anne M. McCaffrey et al., “Prayer for Health Concerns: Results of a National Survey on Prevalence and Patterns of Use,” JAMA Internal Medicine, archinte.jamanetwork.com, 2004.

6. Levin, God, Faith, and Health, p. 77.

7. Kheriaty, The Catholic Guide to Depression, p. 179.

8. Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., and Richard DeNeut, The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2013), p. 390.

9. Levin, God, Faith, and Health, pp. 189–90.

10. Ibid., pp. 185–86; Randolph C. Byrd, “Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population,” Southern Medical Journal 81, no. 7 (July 1988): 826–29; Dr. Julian Whitaker, “The Powerful Effects of Prayer,” Human Events, November 10, 1985, p. 11.

11. Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (New York: Basic Books, 2006), p. 133.

12. “ ‘Nones’ on the Rise,” p. 55.

13. David Thier, “In the Bible Belt, Offering Atheists a Spiritual Home,” New York Times, June 24, 2013, p. A11.

14. Dakota O’Leary, “Massachusetts Has a Church Full of Atheists--Who Actually Want to be There, for Godless Services,” goddiscussion.com, June 24, 2013.

15. Gillian Flaccus, “Atheist ‘Mega-Churches’ Take Root Across U.S., World,” www.news.yahoo.com, November 11, 2013.

16. Ibid.

17. Michelle Boorstein, “Praying to an Imaginary ‘God,’ ” Washington Post, June 25, 2013, p. B1.

18. Ibid.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Image
• Date d'édition: 2015
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0804185824
• ISBN 13: 9780804185820
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 304
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
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