Some will spin in circles sputtering to themselves regarding this one but the research seems even-handed and bereft of an agenda.
Robert Lynch, a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, says the level of devotion one feels toward religious beliefs can predict how that person likely will interact with members of his own group or with members outside of the group. Lynch's latest research paper, "Religious Devotion and Extrinsic Religiosity Affect In-group Altruism and Out-group Hostility Oppositely in Rural Jamaica," published in Evolutionary Psychology Science, suggests that a sincere belief in God—religious devotion—is unrelated to feelings of prejudice. Rather, Lynch's research finds that those whose religious beliefs are extrinsic—who use religion as a way to achieve non-religious goals such as attaining status or joining a social group—and who regularly attend religious services are more likely to hold hostile attitudes toward outsiders.
"It's not the true believers who are the problem," Lynch says. "It's the people who use religion, perhaps in a cynical way, to further their goals."
Phys.org: Religious devotion as predictor of behavior
That will likely get another crew sputtering and spinning but the truth of it is readily evident in prayer photo ops for politicians. Do you seriously believe that pose?
Note: that's not as slanted as it may seem since I've seen Comrade Vlad dancing about some with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church.
Lynch says one way to look at the issue is to compare ISIS with Al Qaeda. He says ISIS is mostly composed of former Iraqi generals who served under Saddam Hussein, and they are not particularly religious. Members of ISIS routinely kill members of their own group as well as individuals outside their group (both Sunnis and Shias). One of the main objectives for ISIS is to expand its territory, and it often uses a religious pretext to achieve its goals. On the other hand, Al Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim organization created in 1988 to fight the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, does not typically kill fellow Muslims. Lynch says members of Al Qaeda are true believers who like members of their own group and are not as hostile to outside groups.
- PO
There's a novel perspective on al Qaeda relative to IS-IS.
I'm lifting the article so you see I am not warping it to any purpose of my own.
Lynch's research is based on a 30-year study of 288 Jamaican citizens from youth to adulthood by Robert Trivers of Rutgers University, a colleague who is studying symmetry (how much an individual varies from left to right) in the island population. Lynch gave the study participants a survey to determine whether religious beliefs were intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as measuring religious devotion and church attendance. He says the findings suggest that the beliefs and social aspects that underlie religion have distinct effects on attitudes within and between groups. His research found that religious beliefs are positively associated with a willingness to sacrifice for one's beliefs and a greater tolerance of outsiders, while the social facets of religion, such as attendance, promote greater hostility toward outsiders.
- PO
From that I discern he is not assailing religious belief but rather those who use it inappropriately. He's really not assailing the ones who do use it inappropriately and instead observes the phenomenon and make of it what you will.
Fair enough and proceeding.
"Group membership may be enough to produce a particular behavior and the religious beliefs themselves may be irrelevant," Lynch says. "Taken as a whole, these results point to a generally optimistic view of the ability for religious beliefs to generate compassion and a darker view on the social activities that promote group cohesion, which may also produce hatred of others."
- PO
The Rockhouse is calling that even-handed since you can observe the phenomenon any time and it would insult the point of the article if I suggest in this context any specific direction to point your finger.
The crux of it is in the nature of extrinsic (from without) or intrinsic (from within) belief. That's a win for me since my beliefs don't seem to have come from anywhere; they just are and have been although a bit muddy for a time.
Ed: so you just have monkey belief then?
I'll take that as a compliment for gorilla (i.e. ape) belief since they never hurt anything unless it screws with them and then only to defend.
Ed: must be a blind gorilla since chimpanzees are hard-core predators
We never could teach them anything and found the best way to resolve it was to grow bigger than the chimps so they don't screw with us. We couldn't teach the wise elephants either since they will run you down if they're annoyed. Never mess with an angry elephant.
Ed: it was probably because of the chimp helping the elephant
Chimps also work with Ronald Reagan. Gorillas just kick back to observe.
Ref: based on Chinese and possibly Indian mythology which relates to the relationship between an exceptional relationship between a monkey and an elephant in which the monkey is spontaneous and fast while the elephant is wise but slow so that made a perfect partnership.
That was the entirety of the article and the interested student is encouraged to pursue the additional references it presents.
Robert Lynch, a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology, says the level of devotion one feels toward religious beliefs can predict how that person likely will interact with members of his own group or with members outside of the group. Lynch's latest research paper, "Religious Devotion and Extrinsic Religiosity Affect In-group Altruism and Out-group Hostility Oppositely in Rural Jamaica," published in Evolutionary Psychology Science, suggests that a sincere belief in God—religious devotion—is unrelated to feelings of prejudice. Rather, Lynch's research finds that those whose religious beliefs are extrinsic—who use religion as a way to achieve non-religious goals such as attaining status or joining a social group—and who regularly attend religious services are more likely to hold hostile attitudes toward outsiders.
"It's not the true believers who are the problem," Lynch says. "It's the people who use religion, perhaps in a cynical way, to further their goals."
Phys.org: Religious devotion as predictor of behavior
That will likely get another crew sputtering and spinning but the truth of it is readily evident in prayer photo ops for politicians. Do you seriously believe that pose?
Note: that's not as slanted as it may seem since I've seen Comrade Vlad dancing about some with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church.
Lynch says one way to look at the issue is to compare ISIS with Al Qaeda. He says ISIS is mostly composed of former Iraqi generals who served under Saddam Hussein, and they are not particularly religious. Members of ISIS routinely kill members of their own group as well as individuals outside their group (both Sunnis and Shias). One of the main objectives for ISIS is to expand its territory, and it often uses a religious pretext to achieve its goals. On the other hand, Al Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim organization created in 1988 to fight the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, does not typically kill fellow Muslims. Lynch says members of Al Qaeda are true believers who like members of their own group and are not as hostile to outside groups.
- PO
There's a novel perspective on al Qaeda relative to IS-IS.
I'm lifting the article so you see I am not warping it to any purpose of my own.
Lynch's research is based on a 30-year study of 288 Jamaican citizens from youth to adulthood by Robert Trivers of Rutgers University, a colleague who is studying symmetry (how much an individual varies from left to right) in the island population. Lynch gave the study participants a survey to determine whether religious beliefs were intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as measuring religious devotion and church attendance. He says the findings suggest that the beliefs and social aspects that underlie religion have distinct effects on attitudes within and between groups. His research found that religious beliefs are positively associated with a willingness to sacrifice for one's beliefs and a greater tolerance of outsiders, while the social facets of religion, such as attendance, promote greater hostility toward outsiders.
- PO
From that I discern he is not assailing religious belief but rather those who use it inappropriately. He's really not assailing the ones who do use it inappropriately and instead observes the phenomenon and make of it what you will.
Fair enough and proceeding.
"Group membership may be enough to produce a particular behavior and the religious beliefs themselves may be irrelevant," Lynch says. "Taken as a whole, these results point to a generally optimistic view of the ability for religious beliefs to generate compassion and a darker view on the social activities that promote group cohesion, which may also produce hatred of others."
- PO
The Rockhouse is calling that even-handed since you can observe the phenomenon any time and it would insult the point of the article if I suggest in this context any specific direction to point your finger.
The crux of it is in the nature of extrinsic (from without) or intrinsic (from within) belief. That's a win for me since my beliefs don't seem to have come from anywhere; they just are and have been although a bit muddy for a time.
Ed: so you just have monkey belief then?
I'll take that as a compliment for gorilla (i.e. ape) belief since they never hurt anything unless it screws with them and then only to defend.
Ed: must be a blind gorilla since chimpanzees are hard-core predators
We never could teach them anything and found the best way to resolve it was to grow bigger than the chimps so they don't screw with us. We couldn't teach the wise elephants either since they will run you down if they're annoyed. Never mess with an angry elephant.
Ed: it was probably because of the chimp helping the elephant
Chimps also work with Ronald Reagan. Gorillas just kick back to observe.
Ref: based on Chinese and possibly Indian mythology which relates to the relationship between an exceptional relationship between a monkey and an elephant in which the monkey is spontaneous and fast while the elephant is wise but slow so that made a perfect partnership.
That was the entirety of the article and the interested student is encouraged to pursue the additional references it presents.
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