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**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 80657 04-29-2012 09:00 AM

LoP Guest Wrote:

LoP Guest Wrote:
LoP Guest Wrote:
This is going to likely confuse you, but I no longer have a "side". Learning to withdraw from the whole Us-vs.-Them arena is a significant step towards being a little more like Jesus.

Well, pal, hate to break it to you but we are in an us vs. them world so please stop trying to please both sides and come to THIS side, where truth resides. This is where Jesus is at. The world hates Jeus, just face that fact.

I personally am completely fascinated with science and math and it was the Bible that got me interested. This idea that you cannot have science an religion in the same place is totally ridiculous. True religion stimulates your curiosity to know more and the bible is the key to learning, a 'known quantity' to gauge findings against.

Debating with someone who is capable of making this statement with a straight face and mean it is an exercise of futulity.

Thou hast said it...

Probably the most truthful scientific statement so far in this thread. It is indeed a futile attempt to monopolize science by suggesting that science is separate from truth and religion. You cannot do it. That would make your "science" more of a "blind faith" than our position. The bible is not a "blind faith" it is full of scientifically verifiable truths. We can't know everything. There will always be a degree of "faith" necessary, but our evidences are always stronger than and science that is contrary to the bible. Takes more "blind faith" not believe in God.

Well said, Professor.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 80657 04-29-2012 09:12 AM

LoP Guest Wrote:

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

Older adults who say they've had a life-changing religious experience are more likely to have a greater decrease in size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain critical to learning and memory, new research finds.

According to the study, people who said they were a "born-again" Protestant or Catholic, or conversely, those who had no religious affiliation, had more hippocampal shrinkage (or "atrophy") compared to people who identified themselves as Protestants, but not born-again.

The study is published online in PLoS ONE.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/1324...z1tMjj3ndw
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Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/1324...z1tMjOrIW6
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They lack critical thinking like oh say...nuclear power plant and weapons designers? What about lacking critical thinking like current economic policies (Too BIG to fail) or politicians? They lack critical thinking like white collar criminals sealing 10's of millions at a clip....how many get caught?

I bet they lack critical thinking when it comes to spiritual warfare and ruses, not.

"How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!" "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit." "How can this be?" asked Nicodemus. Jesus answered, "You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message.
(John 3:4-11)

The world is running scared.....the attacks are growing and getting more vicious.

Born again Pentecost 2010..........Wow!

http://e-sword.com/

Excellent post, Sir.

Yes, they see that the Scripture are no joke. There are fully capable of "standing toe to toe" with the most advanced scientific knowledge. The bible is practically "coming alive", being unveiled, as prophesied. This is troublesome to them.

Only those of us that are "Born again" can see and understand.

Blessed are you since you do. Rejoice. Pray that they may also receive the Holy Ghost.

**hurchel** · **hurchel** Subscriber User ID: 4341 04-29-2012 09:15 AM **Posts: 1,930**

The title is a bit misleading:

From the story:

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.

The study authors also suggested that life-changing religious experiences could challenge a person's established religious beliefs, triggering stress.

"Other studies have led us to think that whether a new experience you consider spiritual is interpreted as comforting or stressful may depend on whether or not it fits in with your existing religious beliefs and those of the people around you," David Hayward, research associate at Duke University Medical Center, added. "Especially for older adults, these unexpected new experiences may lead to doubts about long-held religious beliefs, or to disagreements with friends and family."

Stress and Trauma, seem to be the basis for several of these articles, there is one with sex as being presented, another with pituitary depletion,another with malnutrition, Wiki has a very complex breakdown of the thousands of chemical reactions and releases. One might say that stress or trauma might get a person to god, but the article is stating that if you are a Baptist, Catholic, or large religious group, you will atrophy less than a voodoo practioner, or snake charmer sect of Pentecostal group, minority religion etc.

Fact is this is a bunch of dumb kids from Duke inventing new studies for funding. Alcoholism causes Huntingtons and Alheimers, I read a brain transmission book that says mens brains shrink faster than womens, and we have literal calcium transmissions to the brain. It does not have to do with being born again, as in Christian religion. It is how you handle stress, does your faith give you a bit of extra strength in the face of stress? Did you hit the bottle? Shoot everything in our body atrophies and then we die, I say take some extra Calcium and Iodine for your pituitary and feel sorry for these researchers whose brains will probably atrophy faster than all of us because they are stressed about funding.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 80657 04-29-2012 09:38 AM

hurchel Wrote:

The title is a bit misleading:

From the story:

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.

The study authors also suggested that life-changing religious experiences could challenge a person's established religious beliefs, triggering stress.

"Other studies have led us to think that whether a new experience you consider spiritual is interpreted as comforting or stressful may depend on whether or not it fits in with your existing religious beliefs and those of the people around you," David Hayward, research associate at Duke University Medical Center, added. "Especially for older adults, these unexpected new experiences may lead to doubts about long-held religious beliefs, or to disagreements with friends and family."

Stress and Trauma, seem to be the basis for several of these articles, there is one with sex as being presented, another with pituitary depletion,another with malnutrition, Wiki has a very complex breakdown of the thousands of chemical reactions and releases. One might say that stress or trauma might get a person to god, but the article is stating that if you are a Baptist, Catholic, or large religious group, you will atrophy less than a voodoo practioner, or snake charmer sect of Pentecostal group, minority religion etc.

Fact is this is a bunch of dumb kids from Duke inventing new studies for funding. Alcoholism causes Huntingtons and Alheimers, I read a brain transmission book that says mens brains shrink faster than womens, and we have literal calcium transmissions to the brain. It does not have to do with being born again, as in Christian religion. It is how you handle stress, does your faith give you a bit of extra strength in the face of stress? Did you hit the bottle? Shoot everything in our body atrophies and then we die, I say take some extra Calcium and Iodine for your pituitary and feel sorry for these researchers whose brains will probably atrophy faster than all of us because they are stressed about funding.

Well, they are attempting to "single out" the more "potent" preachers and set them into a "bad light" by associating them with negative "profiles".

The "mass majority" of the Christian community, unfortunately, have bought into a "comfortable" "lukewarm" religion, which God is not happy with at all. Sadly, many people are going to "cave to the world" when tribulation arrives and they will, when cornered, choose the world before they lose their comfort zone.

A time of great testing is coming. You will have to choose to recieve the mark, or chose the guillotine.

There will be powerful prophets that will be "villainized" in an attempt to trick the faithful to believe that they are "witches" but they are actually supernaturally empowered to work "signs and wonders" just like Moses, Aaron, Elijah, David, etc.

This study is an attempt to "quarantine" the small group of "true believers". They are not worried about the vast majority. That is what they are on about with this study. It is a fear based tactic to scare the "herd" away from the ones who God has anointed with the last days message.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 82441 04-29-2012 08:16 PM

LoP Guest Wrote:

The world hates Jeus, just face that fact.

The World as a system might, but people don't. Psalms calls Him "the desire of nations". In the gospels, people crowded around to where some folks had to go down through the roof to get to Him or climb trees just to get a look at Him.

One of Christianity's biggest problems is its utter faith in evil - everybody is wicked except us, the devil this, the devil that, etc. Everything is a war. Everything is so grim and deadly. Our default mentality is so warped. It's jacked up. People don't want any of that mess.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 82441 04-29-2012 08:19 PM

LoP Guest Wrote:

A time of great testing is coming. You will have to choose to recieve the mark, or chose the guillotine.

Totally holding my breath on this.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 93532 04-29-2012 08:38 PM

LoP Guest Wrote:

LoP Guest Wrote:
A time of great testing is coming. You will have to choose to recieve the mark, or chose the guillotine.

Totally holding my breath on this.

Why can't this happen already. The Christians tease and tease and tease with the promise of having their heads cut off and yet here they all are torturing us with their stupidity.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 75721 04-29-2012 08:39 PM

A brain can't grow if the mind is closed.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 82441 04-29-2012 08:47 PM

LoP Guest Wrote:

LoP Guest Wrote:
LoP Guest Wrote:
A time of great testing is coming. You will have to choose to recieve the mark, or chose the guillotine.

Totally holding my breath on this.
Why can't this happen already. The Christians tease and tease and tease with the promise of having their heads cut off and yet here they all are torturing us with their stupidity.

Because Church Inc. teaches perpetual futurism, and few have any inclination to study history and examine whether perhaps most of that infamous end times doom stuff already occurred. Mainstream churches throw symbolism out the window and have most of the flock expecting literal catastrophes as described in Revelation, when verse 1 of chapter 1 plainly says the message is given in signs.

Meanwhile, God gave a call to come "outside the camp", way back in the Torah. Not many are interested, but that's cool - to each his own.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 54514 04-29-2012 08:48 PM

So i guess this makes Muslims brain dead...

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 93535 04-29-2012 08:59 PM

Odd. Seems to be saying having a mystical experience is the problem, not being religious.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 82441 04-29-2012 09:24 PM

LoP Guest Wrote:

Odd. Seems to be saying having a mystical experience is the problem, not being religious.

Or merely an emotional one. The problem itself has to do with Christianity's assertion that reciting an incantation ("sinners prayer")
does the trick, and that's that. Never mind that scripture tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, die daily, study, meditate, etc. Most people claiming to be born again are primarily concerned with getting to heaven, not becoming Christlike or getting to really know God.

I too felt something way back when I "received Jesus into my heart". Yes, He's real and yes, we commune with Him, but such a gesture barely scratches the surface.

**Storm** · **Storm** INTJ User ID: 75427 07-08-2012 01:00 AM **Posts: 3,582**

Just read about this study and thought it might have been posted here.

Does this mean we have a choice between going to hell or having a pea brain?

**Tyche Unleashed**

LoP Guest Wrote:

I've noticed within my family that the more religous they are the more ignorant and less critical thinking skills they seem to have. My mom actually believes all that nonsense about Jesus etc. and seems to have the mentality of a serf in the dark ages. My many conversations with religous and nonreligous people seems to bear this research out.

I totally agree.
Organized religion enters the picture and all critical thinking skills go out the door.