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Christian conversion linked to changes in psychological symptoms and personal values
psypost.org ^ | Eric W. Dolan

Posted on 06/09/2018 5:36:42 AM PDT by RoosterRedux

New longitudinal research provides evidence that converting to Christianity is associated with some psychological changes.

“Religious conversion is a major life event that some people claim would bring big psychological changes,” said C. Harry Hui of The University of Hong Kong. “However, no research has systematically looked at it with a rigorous, longitudinal research design.”

The study, which was published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, tracked 711 Chinese individuals from 2009 to 2012.

At the beginning of the study, there were 455 participants who were not Christians. But by the end, 46 of these non-Christians had converted to Christianity.

The researchers failed to find evidence that personality, social axioms, personal values, or psychological symptoms predicted conversion.

However, they did find that converts’ levels of anxiety and stress dropped over the 3-year period. The researchers also found evidence that converts’ personal values changed as well. In particular, they were more likely to endorse values like helpfulness, honesty, and forgiveness after converting.

(Excerpt) Read more at psypost.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bornagain; christianity; conversion; faithandphilosophy; newcreation
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1 posted on 06/09/2018 5:36:43 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

Sometimes, research is useful simply for confirming what had long been known.

Rather interesting that 10% of the non-Christians converted during the 3-4 year study.


2 posted on 06/09/2018 5:43:52 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: RoosterRedux

Need the Capt Obvious image.


3 posted on 06/09/2018 5:47:11 AM PDT by Fzob
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To: RoosterRedux

Well duh. That’s the point.


4 posted on 06/09/2018 5:48:55 AM PDT by cyclotic ( WeÂ’re the first ones taxed, the last ones considered and the first ones punished)
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To: marktwain

The 10% over 4 years represents nearly 100% over a lifetime. Given the rate of conversion will drop year by year for the remaining population this still leaves a bare minimum of 50% conversion. Some missionaries estimate the rate of practicing Christians in China is more than 25%. It is especially notable that government repression of Christians and Christianity is rampant especially in rural communities.


5 posted on 06/09/2018 5:53:04 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell (Islam is Satan's finest work.)
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To: RoosterRedux

Bill W., Founder of AA, was basically at the end of ropes when he contacted Dr. Carl Jung. After working together for a while Dr. Jung told him there was nothing he could do.

Bill W. was devastated. He asked “Is there no hope?”

Dr. Jung replied replied “There is. You’re going to have to have some kind of spiritual experience. Find a higher power”

Dr. Carl Jung had come to believe the alcoholic’s problem was more than just an addiction. It’s more than in his brain. It’s in his whole spiritual bieng.

Bill W. had a that spiritual experience when one night while in the hospital he cried out “If there is a God let Him show himself!”. He said the room lit up with a great light “and a wind, not of air, but of spirit blew through.”

The rest is truly history.

The qoutes are not exact.


6 posted on 06/09/2018 6:02:25 AM PDT by Terry Mross (On some threads it's best to go straight to the comments.)
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To: Terry Mross

Nice.


7 posted on 06/09/2018 6:05:01 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
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To: RoosterRedux

“Newagers” often quote the Serenity Prayer - just the first part of it, leaving off the basis for it in the second part.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.


8 posted on 06/09/2018 6:08:56 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: RoosterRedux

Does this ruling put Alcoholics Anonymous at risk?

Seems like that group is engaging in behavior modification.


9 posted on 06/09/2018 6:12:27 AM PDT by ptsal ( Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - M. Twain)
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To: RoosterRedux
Discovering that Jesus is all you need often comes after realizing Jesus is all you have
10 posted on 06/09/2018 6:16:27 AM PDT by MosesKnows (Love Many, Trust Few, and Always Paddle Your Own Canoe)
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To: Louis Foxwell
Some missionaries estimate the rate of practicing Christians in China is more than 25%.

If they keep practicing, they'll get it right eventually.

OK, I'll be Sirius. My fearless prediction is that within the next two generations China is going to trifurcate, with Christians dominating the east (joining spiritually with the Christians in what will certainly become a united Korea, and maybe even a mostly-Christian Taiwan), Buddhist/Taoists the center, and Muslims the west. It won't make for stability on the mainland, but a Christian Han China would be much more likely to ally with Japan, Viet Nam, the Philippines (unless the Muslims dominate there), and the US to make for a peaceful and prosperous Pacific region.

11 posted on 06/09/2018 6:22:07 AM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: MosesKnows

When you truly hit rock bottom, you discover Jesus is the Rock at the bottom.


12 posted on 06/09/2018 6:38:17 AM PDT by Islander7 (There is no septic system so vile, so filthy, the left won't drink from to further their agenda)
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To: RoosterRedux

The study they didn’t do:
M*slim conversion linked to degradation in personal values. New research provides evidence that converting to *slam is associated with deleterious psychological changes. “Religious coversion is a major life event, that in the case of *slam is caused by, and facilitates injurious physiological and psychological changes, especially feelings of megalomania, suicide, mass murder, and the forced sexual subjugation of women.”

Recent converts show a strong tendency to exhibit signs of mental imbalance, often overlooked by medical professsionals, because of their persistent bias towards *slam and their unreasonable tendency to accept its violent propensities as normal.


13 posted on 06/09/2018 6:39:56 AM PDT by I want the USA back (*slam is the most evil religion in the world. -Dawkins.)
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To: RoosterRedux

Lots of people will argue AA is not a “Christian” program. It was when Bill W. first started preaching it. Then a Jesuit priest reminded him that alcoholics are a stubborn bunch and don’t like being told what to do or be preached to so Bill broke it down from 6 to 12 steps.

He started out with the Oxford Group, a movement to convert the world to Christianity. In his story he says “With Jesus I had considered a great MAN not too closely followed by those who claimed him and that’s as far as I ever got”. I see that as saying he came to see Jesus was much more than just a man.


14 posted on 06/09/2018 6:53:14 AM PDT by Terry Mross (On some threads it's best to go straight to the comments.)
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To: Islander7; MosesKnows

Great sayings and very profound.


15 posted on 06/09/2018 6:54:51 AM PDT by Terry Mross (On some threads it's best to go straight to the comments.)
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To: Louis Foxwell

The number of Christians in HK is vastly underreported.

Example: The largest Protestant Church in HK is probably The Evangelical Community Church of Hong Kong. It has two location, one on HK Island and one on the Kowloon side. Each branch has multiple morning services with over 800 - 1000 attendees at each service yet the church had, in 2012 when I left HK. less than 500 actual members.

The reason for this is many Christians there have Buddhist parents who will object (A real source in multi-generational households) if their child formally converts by joining a church. So they attend church, tithe, lead Bible Studies and do all the things “Christians” do but do not affiliate with a church until their parents die.

China is the same way. As odd as it sounds, China may be the closest thing on Earth to a Christian nation at this point and time.


16 posted on 06/09/2018 6:59:55 AM PDT by Fai Mao (There is no rule of law in the US until The PIAPS is executed.)
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To: RoosterRedux

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.


17 posted on 06/09/2018 7:10:14 AM PDT by txrefugee
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To: RoosterRedux; TigersEye

At the beginning of the study, there were 455 participants who were not Christians. But by the end, 46 of these non-Christians had converted to Christianity>>>>>>>>>>>>>

And 409 remained Buddhist?

Buddhism wins hand down , proving that the 409 had no “psychological change.”

Such are the wages of sanity through meditation?

One brain washing is as good as another?

“Conversion.” Such a harsh word, frequently used by Islamofascists, as in “convert or else.”

Is this football? Two points for you then, Eric W. Dolan.


18 posted on 06/09/2018 7:29:36 AM PDT by Candor7 ((Obama Fascism)http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: RoosterRedux
Accepting a moral compass does wonders for lost people.

19 posted on 06/09/2018 7:57:26 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: RoosterRedux

More proof that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
What a burden He has born for us to set us free from our enslavement to human frailties/sins.


20 posted on 06/09/2018 8:19:39 AM PDT by Gumdrop
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