crev-info article image.
Posted on 12/05/2016 10:31:59 AM PST by fishtank
Can an MRI scan tell anything about spiritual experience?
Some neuroscientists at the University of Utah decided to put Mormons in an MRI scanner and watch their brains light up when they felt spiritual. Science Daily describes the experiment:
During fMRI [functional MRI] scans, 19 young-adult church members — including seven females and 12 males — performed four tasks in response to content meant to evoke spiritual feelings. The hour-long exam included six minutes of rest; six minutes of audiovisual control (a video detailing their church’s membership statistics); eight minutes of quotations by Mormon and world religious leaders; eight minutes of reading familiar passages from the Book of Mormon; 12 minutes of audiovisual stimuli (church-produced video of family and Biblical scenes, and other religiously evocative content); and another eight minutes of quotations.
(Excerpt) Read more at crev.info ...
From the article, the author asks:
"We would like to know the motivation of these scientists. Why are they performing such experiments, which are doomed from the start to be meaningless? Knowing the mindset of today’s naturalistic secular scientists, we suspect their motivations include trying to prove that religion is nothing more than a neural activity in the brain that evolved because it makes people feel good. Like Marx, they want to show that religion is an opiate of the people, producing the same response as drugs"
From the article:
“This research was funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health. If anyone thinks this was a well-designed scientific activity, let’s start asking some questions:
Why did they choose only Mormons and no control group? The paper astonishingly says that “each subject served as their own control,” hardly a good model of experimental setup.
Why did they not compare feeling-based religions like Mormon with rational-based religions like Presbyterianism, and atheism as an outgroup? How about scanning a Christian suffering persecution? or a PhD theologian writing a book on systematic theology?
Why did they measure only self-induced “spiritual” activities and not rational activities like a debate on the truth claims of Mormonism?”
From the article:
“A note to Mormon readers: If your religion makes you feel warm and happy, that’s nice, but it has nothing to do with the truth of your church’s doctrines. You can get the same warm fuzzies from sex and drugs. The same warning applies to all religions and systems of ideas. Better do your homework on what you believe.”
crev-info article image.
God made the human brain, and exploration of Gods creation is exactly what he intended us to do. That in itself is a moral act.
There very likely is a “religious” structure or system in the brain. The more we know the better off we are, regardless of the intentions of the investigators. Who knows, this revelation of what we are designed for may bring some over to belief, as so many scientists have discovered religion in the beautiful structures of nature.
They should have used Baptists............Read the Bible for 12 minutes then watch a beer commercial.................
;-)
A little narrow minded there.
It is obviously not the same thing as sex and drugs, and the effect on the brain is very likely to be common among all religions. This brain-structure thing is not in itself the endpoint of religious belief; there are obviously hordes of people ecstatically holding to wrong beliefs - this is known of ancient times.
It would however be a telling discovery that people are designed to believe.
I just rode in on a flight from Salt Lake City with a bunch of Mormons going on a 2 year missions trip. Found out along with alcohol they cant drink coffee and tea as their practice. I asked them what was wrong with coffee and tea but they could only answer that these. Weee restricted to lead a better life. But pork products are just fine. They were really trying to push their Mormon teachings on me. But they were a friendly bunch of goobers just the same.
Mormons are good folks. Dunno how I’d live without caffeine, though.
First, let's look @ the assumption headline & the assumptive study:
That this was somehow measuring THE "God" -- versus "religious feelings"...which, when dealing cults like Mormonism...is worlds apart.
ScienceDaily.com reports when it ran these experiments by Mormons:
"When our study participants were instructed to think about a savior, about being with their families for eternity, about their heavenly rewards, their brains and bodies physically responded," says lead author Michael Ferguson, who carried out the study as a bioengineering graduate student at the University of Utah.
Of course, they (these former Mormon missionaries) physically responded!
The Mormon false narrative that families will automatically be eternally together would of course trigger an emotional reaction!
Jesus, btw, set the record straight on this:
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-54)
Indeed, millions of families are united in Jesus, in His Gospel. But many more, historically & otherwise, are not!
Heavenly rewards? [I'll cover this on next post]
ScienceDaily.com reports when it ran these experiments by Mormons:
"When our study participants were instructed to think about a savior, about being with their families for eternity, about their heavenly rewards, their brains and bodies physically responded," says lead author Michael Ferguson, who carried out the study as a bioengineering graduate student at the University of Utah.
Heavenly rewards?
May I be so bold as to suggest that many, especially Mormons, misunderstand the Christian gospel in this area of "rewards?"
Right after John 3:16...comes these two verses: 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:18-19)
IOW, God already has judged our sin. The verdict has already been rendered...and the punishment was taken out upon Christ on the cross.
That's the Christian gospel: That we don't have to to wonder about our eventual destination. 1 John 5:11-13 also expresses how one can have assurance of salvation. (And in John 3:36 and 5:24, Jesus expresses eternal life as something we have -- present tense -- not will have...future tense). The reason for that is because when Jesus Christ defined eternal life, He defined it as “knowing” (a relationship) between His Father and Himself and His people.
We need to ask ourselves: What is the basis of whether or how God will forgive our personal sins?
I think we tend to "miss the boat" in misunderstanding two dimensions of judgment: One dimension is our sin nature and our individual acts of sin--including our sins of omission. The other dimension is our works.
We can't exchange the two. For our sin, Heavenly Father fully judged Jesus on the cross (as I said; this is past tense). When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, He used a phrase that in His day was a financial phrase meaning, "paid in full." Our debt -- our sin -- was paid in full. If we try to pay for our sin/atonement, Heavenly Father rejects it as being laced with unrighteousness (Is. 64:6).
And as Judge, both the Father and Jesus could claim, “that's double jeopardy” if we try to pay for what Jesus already paid for on the cross.
But when people talk about God judging the stewardship of our works in the future, they are correct. Note this passage:
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's WORK. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; HE HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
Do we see that last sentence? Even if our work is burned up, we can "suffer loss" in heaven -- yet, Paul assures us that "he himself WILL BE saved." (Paul goes on to describe that like somebody pulled out of a burning building at the last second...by Jesus Christ the Deliverer and Rescuer).
So, our works will get quite a "grilling" of judgment from God -- future tense. But Paul makes it clear in this passage that even when our measured works burn up as nothing -- as God's fiery judgment takes a match to them like fuel, we ourselves "will still be saved." (1 Cor. 3:15)
So the righteousness of Jesus is our free pass into heaven. (1 Cor. 1:30). Entrust your life to Him (that is more than just mouthing a few words). But simultaneously, be prepared that once you get there based solely upon your faith in Christ, that He will take a fine-toothcomb to our works -- and judge them. And that it's possible to still become saved -- and still "suffer loss." (None of us should want to suffer such loss in heaven -- whatever that turns out to be). If anybody's shooting for trying to show God how "worthy" they are, they are worshiping the wrong God. (The word "worthy" is tied to "worship"; and we are not to either worship or "worthship" ourselves). Our value and worth was shown by Jesus at the cross. He died for us. We are only "worthy" in Him. 'Tis NONE of it is of ourselves.
On top of that, Jesus says we need to be perfect (Matt. 5:48). And if we break one part of the law, we are guilty of all of it (book of James). Therefore we fall short. Our self-worth is never enough. Our only hope is to have our sin be judged according to the perfection of Jesus Christ, which is substituted on our behalf. That's why Paul says Jesus is OUR Righteousness. (1 Cor. 1:30)
No; it was to 'poke fun' at the Creationists!
The Mormons manage to poke enough fun at themselves.
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
They have NO idea just what their SCRIPTURES say about this!!
They've 'learned' what their CULTURE thinks about it.
| The Official Scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © 2006 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Rights and use information. Privacy policy. |
They ain't no gooder or worse than any other folks.
Every two years their bishop is supposed to interview them to see if they qualify for a Temple Recommend card. (See question #11)
|
Temple Recommend Questions
1 Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost? 2 Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer? 3 Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days? 4 Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and as the only person on the earth who possesses and is authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church? 5 Do you live the law of chastity? 6 Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church? 7 Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 8 Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel? 9 Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? 10 Are you a full-tithe payer? 11 Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? 12 Do you have financial or other obligations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations? 13 If you have previously received your temple endowment: Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple? Do you wear the garment both night and day as instructed in the endowment and in accordance with the covenant you made in the temple? 14 Have there been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been? 15 Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord's house and participate in temple ordinances? |
I wonder how many admit to eating steak off the Barbie at one of last summers cookouts?
Temple Recommend Questions: 1857
D&C 49:18-19 18 And whoso forbiddeth to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not ordained of God; |
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D&C 89:12-13
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; |
Put a Mormon back in the machine and ask them how many of their 'Forever Family' have valid TR cards.
Heck; just ask any Mormons reading this thread if seeing an ELSIE ping sets off an emotional reaction in their brain!
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