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Archive for the Category »Religion «

Sep
18
Who gets to define bad science?
Ami Chopine

If you know me, you know I’m religious. A faithful Mormon to be exact. And you know that I’m skeptical.

There is a church in the area I live that has a sign with sayings posted on it.

This week, the quote is “The real opium of the masses is bad science.”

Hmmmm. That could be true. How often do we see science invoked for a new drug, educational method, etc that turns out to have little benefit or be harmful.

But is that the opium of the masses? No. I don’t think so. The masses, I believe, really don’t care about science or about God. They care about cars, movies, gadgets, getting thin, eating good food, hair, facials, TV, etc.

But that is beside the point. I’m worried about what a church who is complaining about bad science thinks that bad science is. Is it  Creationism and flood geology*? I wonder how often that false doctrine has lead to the loss of faith by rationally thinking children who examine the evidence and realize that what their parents and Sunday School teachers taught them is wrong? If that is wrong, doesn’t mean everything else is? That is often the conclusion.

No. And it is a pet peeve of mine that many people hang the truth of Christianity on that. This means they must either hang on to a view of the world that has been proven false or give up their whole belief. Both reactions are the result of poor logic.

But then, maybe that pastor was making that point? That would be awesome.

Bad religion is limiting God to a universe that is small in time and scope, which is what Creationism does.

*A definition is probably necessary for anyone who might not be aware of that discussion, and think that I suddenly don’t believe God created the earth. By Creationism, I mean the idea that the earth was created in 7 days (even 1000 year long ones) and is only 6000 years old, and that the layers that imply a much older earth were laid down by the flood.

Category: Culture, Religion  2 Comments
Apr
01
A bad trip
Ami Chopine

On the way home from my book club tonight, I saw an advertisement for Impact Training. Oh man, did that bring back some memories. I’m not sure whether to be thankful or angry. You see, my parents did this, way back in the mid eighties, when it was but a young company on the crest of this trend of New Age seminars meant to replace the spirituality that people had left behind in their pursuit of success. My parents were informed that this was the Mormon version.

I’ll start with the good. I learned two things from them. First, I am responsible for the way in which I react. Second, I should not be afraid to be exactly who I am, and conversely I shouldn’t want other people to be like me. Okay, a third one: guilt is not helpful.

These are excellent things to know, and I’m very glad to have learned them.

I learned them because my parents kept on bringing this message home and it really resonated with me. For them, it was good for a short while. But one of the problems was that this Impact Training wasn’t structured to give you the information and then let you go on your way. No. It was a situation where you’d need the next step, and the next, and the next – but without much substance in any of them beyond the initial teachings.

My parents brought my sister and I to the teenager/parent one. I was curious, at how great this must be. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. There was nothing much going on here than object lessons, relaxation techniques, and team building techniques brought together in what was actually a bit addictive. And what was worse, the leaders manipulated the bond built between these people so that social pressure was put on everyone to attend the next training. Each of these, of course, costing more money. One interesting and alarming side effect was that integrity was deemed very much less important than how one felt.

Wrapped up in some very excellent truths was a technique meant to enslave people. I saw people lose their religion, friendships, and marriages over it. I’m a bit older now and recognize it better.

My parents started to get clued in to what was actually going on. We had to move out of state to get away from it.

Most everything my parents had gained in self esteem and drive through these trainings faded. It had been artificially inflated, based not on real gains, but on junk spirituality.

Category: Culture, Religion  5 Comments
Mar
24
Mormon temples
Ami Chopine

Most of my readers know that I’m LDS; Mormon. We build temples. One of the most important reasons for temples is to tie together families from our oldest ancestors to those who are to come in the future. They are there to make the human family whole.

Where I live we have had two temples near us under construction. The first one, the Draper temple, was completed this winter and had its open house which we took our children to. Everyone can enter during this time, before a temple is dedicated. If you’re ever in an area where this is happening, take the opportunity to see one. The craftsmanship is remarkable. I believe these are probably the most beautiful buildings being made today.

The second temple, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple I am lucky to live close enough to that I often run by it during my workouts. I have watched it being built for years now. It will have its open house this spring and summer.

This past weekend we dedicated the Draper temple. Even if we are regular temple goers, this is a rare experience.

Every worthy baptized member can participate. Because so many want to, the dedication is broadcast by satellite to church buildings across the local area. Tens of thousands of people bow their heads in prayer and lift up their hearts in the same sentiments being expressed. A dedicatory prayer is not only about this timeless building being put aside for God’s work, it is a blessing on the whole world – for wisdom in our leaders and peace for all the children of the Earth.

It is an awe inspiring, deeply touching prayer to be involved in.

Once a temple is dedicated, they are there both to serve our ancestors and for the growth and learning of those of us who are alive. Being in the temple is like interactively experiencing scripture. It’s reaffirming promises to do good to other people and to lift others up. I love the Celestial room inside the temple, where we can meditate in absolute peace – apart from all the distractions of the world, and come away with answers to questions, acceptance and strength for the hard things we can’t change, and renewed love for the world around us.

Category: Religion  Leave a Comment
Mar
15
Words, music, sunday thoughts.
Ami Chopine

One of the constants in our lives is words. We constantly use words to express ourselves, to glimpse the souls of others, and words stream through our private thoughts during all our waking hours and even many sleeping ones. Words are in many ways the skeleton of our conscious selves.

A person who has grown up with anger and abuse will have a large vocabulary of such words than one who has grown up in a loving home. As we become adults, we might intellectually come to understand the meaning of some words but we won’t attach the same emotional punch to them that other people might. Our personal experience not only molds our vocabulary, but it directs the possible effect words might have on us.

We take them for granted so often.

The one place where we don’t take them for granted is when we’re singing. Even if mindlessly humming a song we’re tuning into that state of being we associate with the music. If we’re paying attention to words, music, and our creation of them then this effect is enhanced seven fold.

In choir today we’re practicing an Easter song about the Atonement of Christ in Gesthemane. When practicing music, there is a focus on reading it, hitting the notes, and most importantly, expressing the feeling. All the while, we’re listening to the others around us and blending our voices in harmony to the choir. And at the same time, all these musically charged words and phrases are bringing up the emotions attached to them. And everyone (participating) in the choir is experiencing this energy that fills up the room.

I love Easter songs, songs of the Atonement so much because these in particular emphasize the incredible love that Heavenly Father and Jesus have for us. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, because he knows the past that we can’t remember, and the future that we can’t see, and he knows our deepest heart. And he loves each individual. We have only to look up and see. We mess up, screw up our lives and hurt others. Yet through his love we can put this behind us and build ourselves up to be better people. To do more good and spread more love through the world, without any baggage dragging us down.

The baggage doesn’t have to be sin, either. It can be depression, pain, fear… anything that is holding us back is subject to the Grace of Christ. The Gospel is meant to give peace and strength to us in this life, here and now. Followers are meant to extend that out in service and love to others.

The words I just wrote don’t really capture the essence of the feelings and thoughts during singing. The feeling is very strong, and the energy one comes away with after a good practice is incredible.

Category: It's a beautiful life, Religion  Leave a Comment
Aug
31
Integrity
Ami Chopine

I gave a talk at church today. It isn’t formatted very well into an essay, but below is the text of it more or less:

Integrity is one of those basic principles which is so simple, and yet means so much. It is a deep eternal aspect of the way things are. We often refer to it as truth, being aligned with truth, honesty in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.

In D&C 124:15 the Lord said of Hyrum Smith:

And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord.

What does that mean, that Hyrum had integrity of the heart? Did it mean he was perfect in his thoughts? I don’t think so. I think it meant that Hyrum constantly measured his thoughts and actions against the Gospel truth as he new it and strove to align himself with it.

Heavenly Father has told us that truth is everlasting. Possessions may be lost, fame may fade, governments may topple, the earth may be destroyed, and yet Truth will continue. Given that, can we align ourselves with anything but truth?

In D&C 88:67 And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.

What does it mean to have an eye single to God’s glory? It means to put, above all else, our allegiance to God. To what our Father in Heaven, and his Son Jesus Christ would have us do.

God is a God of Truth.

He knows the truth of all things. And with that, He knows the truth of who you were, who you are, and who you can become. Can you say that of anyone on this earth?

If you follow Him, He will guide you through a course that is true. You will become glorified in him: the best that you are according to your unique self and the eternal principles of truth.

Along this path are many temptations. It is for no casual reason that another name for the Adversary is the Father of Lies.

What are the kinds of lies we might encounter?

The lie of happiness through social acceptance. If we act against that which we know is right in order to feel like we fit in more, to get someone to like us more, we will have given up our integrity: our allegiance to the truth, for people who do not have our best intentions in their purpose. Friendships forged or strengthened though sinful actions are doomed to fail, fade, disappoint us so that we’re left alone.

Another lie of social acceptance is to deny our testimony and destroy our testimony in order to gain acceptance among peers. This is the intellectual lie that science has discovered data which disproves the Gospel. The interesting thing about is that when one actually gets involved in discussion, rarely does follow a line of logical discourse. Instead, it usually turns into ridicule. When I was a teenager at a science fair banquet, we came to talk about something related to the Gospel, and I was told that my conclusion was stupid, intellectually weak. It was a hurdle I had to get over, but if I had thrown away my testimony during this time in my life for the acceptance of these people I would have ironically been following social conventions rather than being a “free thinker” as they like to call it.

So it was not sin that was tempting, but the denial of faith in order to gain respect among my peers.

Another lie that besets us is the lie of getting gain through dishonest behavior. If we cheat, in school, in our business practice, as employers treating or paying their workers poorly to increase profits, or employees shirking or stealing, as citizens avoiding taxes, we are selling our eternal salvation for a mess of pottage. Gains that will soon spoil and leave us destitute with nothing to show to our Father in Heaven but those souls whom we’ve hurt for reasons of gain.

Addictive behaviors are another form of lie. Engaging in activities such as drugs, pornography, games, gambling, sometimes shopping can give us feelings of accomplishment or pleasure that we did not earn.

Sometimes, while writing, I have often turned to playing a puzzle game on the computer when I get stuck. Recently, I found myself doing this a lot, playing a card game much more than I was actually writing. Doing it because I was “stuck” was the lie. I wondered why, when I so want to write, was I using my precious time playing a game. I determined that it was for the tiny pleasures of solving the puzzle. It gives a temporary sense of accomplishment, and yet I’d accomplished nothing.

We may not even think it is bad because, in moderation, such activities may not be harmful. They can stimulate our thinking. But if we find ourselves playing games instead of doing our work, then we need to consider that we should stop playing the game at all.

Addictive behaviors can go further than the lie in our thoughts, the little shots of pleasure, and start harmful chemical changes in our brain that themselves a lie: the lie that the body or self cannot live without the addictive behavior. We probably need help to overcome this lie.

We may not seek such help because of another lie: the lie of unworthiness.

But it isn’t just in poor behavior that we may find these harmful whispers that we are not good enough assaulting us. Discouragement and feelings like others see us as bad people are also lies that we must overcome. Sometimes such lies can lead us into depression. One of the helps for depression is what is called cognitive therapy, in which we learn to stop thinking things like “I’m a bad mom. I don’t know why he loves me, I don’t deserve it.” And sometimes, the lie is once again in the chemicals of our brain. Heavenly Father has inspired men in medicine through the light of Christ to give us helps to overcome these organic misfires of the brain.

To overcome all of this, we have the Truth of the Gospel. Our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ who know our thoughts, our desires, our sorrows and love us. They want us to be happy. It is through this truth that we can gain the eternal joy that they have in store for us.

It takes courage. We must fortify ourselves with the truth. We must prepare in advance to meet these lies with the truth.

In Ephesians 6:13-14 it says:

13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.

Our loins, in case you didn’t know, is that part of our body between our hips and our ribs. Where we are most vulnerable. And it is with truth that we protect ourselves from the Father of Lies.

Where do we find these eternal truths that will bring us real and lasting joy? In the scriptures. In the council we receive at general conference and through the church publications. On our knees.

Quote from Elder Royden G. Derrick. He was part of the First Guorum of the Seventy in 1984.

“Let us diligently strive to understand the wonderful things of God. The jewels of the gospel of Jesus Christ are within our reach. But we must seek – ask and strive for – and live the principles of truth. When we do so, we will become better men and better women and contribute to a better community, a better nation, and a better world, for which I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

And that is my prayer too, brothers and sisters. Heavenly Father loves you. Seeking after the truth, following the truth, acting with integrity will improve your lives and bring you joy.

Category: Religion  2 Comments
Apr
15
Fundamental creation
Ami Chopine

Michael Heller will be awarded the Templeton prize, which is given for “progress towards research or discoveries about spiritual realities”, for his life’s work pursuing the ultimate cause. Reading his statement at the announcement of the prize, I find a kindred spirit:

“…I am interested in too many things. 

Amongst my numerous fascinations, two have most imposed themselves and proven more time resistant than others: science and religion.”

For quite a while now I’ve thought of evolution, chance, etc as simply another amazing facet in God’s creations that is an important part of a universe in which we can actually exercise our agency. So I really loved this quote and the paragraph after:

“Like in any masterly symphony, elements of chance and necessity are interwoven with each other and together span the structure of the whole. Elements of necessity determine the pattern of possibilities and dynamical paths of becoming, but they leave enough room for chancy events to make this becoming rich and individual.

…Within the all-comprising Mind of God what we call chance and random events is well composed into the symphony of creation.”

His whole statement is full of that kind of wonderful insight. Go take a look at it.

Category: It's a beautiful life, Religion, Writers and Bloggers  One Comment
Feb
23
What is good religion?
Ami Chopine

It’s always fun to meet people on the web, and someone I’ve met through his kind enthusiasm for my work is Rich. I recently checked his blog, and he has a posted a great chapter in the book he is co-authoring with is father, on what good religion is. 

Being of the same religion, we of course share some very similar beliefs about what constitutes Good Religion. But I have found that these kinds of things happen in every religion that is sincere about seeking truth.

A truthful observation of the world leads to understanding that can only lead to virtuous actions towards each other.

Category: Blogging, Religion  One Comment
Feb
10
Is Reiki religion or science?
Ami Chopine

The claim has been made that Reiki is not a religion, but is evidence based medicine. So I decided to compare it to both religion and medicine to see where it fit best.

I think I’m a pretty good choice to do the comparison since I am both religious and scientifically minded. I hope this doesn’t knock me out of the fight against quackary, but I admit I believe in faith based healing. I’m not just talking about placebos where people feel better because they believed they were getting an active medicine. I’m LDS (Mormon) and it’s our practice to administer priesthood blessings to those who are ill or otherwise afflicted.

This type of blessing is administered privately, usually by friends or family and happens in addition to medical treatment. It involves the laying on of hands. People get healed. I’ve seen it and I’ve experienced it, though the events I’ve been around couldn’t be called Miraculous in the large sense of the word.  I have heard of such events, though, and from reputable sources.

But I’ll never claim it is evidenced based medicine.

It is the practice of a religion that started its existence in 1820 when Joseph Smith received a revelation from God. Later, God restored the priesthood as it was had in the times of Abraham and Moses and Jesus. It has its foundations in Judaism and Christianity.

Reiki is a laying on of hands activity as well. It started in Japan when Mikao Usei had a mystical experience in 1914 during fasting and meditation. While meditating under a waterfall, he received a huge influx of healing energy and discovered he had been given the ability to heal without depleting his own energy. Hawayo Takata later brought it to America.

Modern medicine has been developed through thousands of years of observation and trial and error. As we’ve come into the last 200 years or so, the rigorous application of the scientific method has refined it, such that we have now have a very good understanding of how the body works and the process of disease.

In order to give a priesthood blessing, the person must have the priesthood. This requires that he be keeping the commandments. At the time the blessing is given, the person must be in such a spiritual state that they can listen to the Holy Ghost. They must have no anger, they should be keeping the commandments, etc. The priesthood can be revoked for immoral or unethical behavior. Every worthy male of a certain age in the congregation has been given the priesthood.

The practice of Reiki is not nearly so stringent. All that is required is to become initiated or attuned by a Reiki Master. The process takes no longer than two days. Adherence to ideals is encouraged, but not necessary. Once a person has acquired this ability, they never lose it.

A medical worker usually has a minimum of one year of training (CNA) and can have over 10 years of medical training (after 4 years of previous college). Continuing education courses are often a requirement for continued practice (for doctors). 

When one administers a priesthood blessing, he calls upon God to bless the person, using the Holy Ghost as a guide for how God wants the person blessed. Assuming the answer is that God wants the person healed (not always the case), the person is healed through the priesthood by the power of God. It is unknown exactly how God accomplishes the healing.

In Reiki, life force energy is transmitted from the one healer to the patient. It automatically knows how to heal the person, because it is guided by a Higher “Divine” Intelligence. One of Reiki’s great brags is that it lacks intellectual concepts or dogma. Nothing is required of the person other than to place their hands over the body and wish.

In medicine the treatment depends on what is being treated. A broken bone is set and stabilized. Gallstones are removed. A dying liver is replaced, and the body is given chemicals to convince it not to reject the foreign liver. Irregular menstrual cycles and PMDD are treated with hormones. Very often a wait and the body will heal itself approach is considered the best course of action, as many diseases are self limiting. Treatments are constantly being discovered and refined.

Two priesthood holders are usually needed for a priesthood blessing. It is often the father or husband, and a friend who goes to the person in need. It is an act of service and would be considered evil to ask a fee for it. It is usually a one time occurrence, though several blessings may be given at critical points over the course of a long illness.

Some Reiki practitioners make a living doing this, and sometimes have rented space to practice in. In America, unless one has a friend who practices Reiki, the patient must pay for the treatment. Fees can be sliding scale, but are about $80 for in studio sessions, over $100 if the practitioner goes to the patient. Sometimes many treatments are given, often in addition to modern medicine.

Medical workers also make a living healing people, and often have large debts accrued through their medical education. There is also equipment and pharmaceuticals and sometimes hospital space that must be paid for. It can be very expensive.

The belief about priesthood blessings is that God decides what happens.

The belief about Reiki is that the practitioner and patient decide what happens.

The belief about medicine is that its success depends on the laws of nature. 

So, is Reiki a religious practice or medicine? I say it is neither, and I will further state that Reiki is not only a form of medical quackery, it is also a form of spiritual quackery. It offers warm fuzzies without any real effort other than imaging good things. True religion requires of the adherent a striving to behave well towards their fellow man. To serve those around them without the intent to gain advantage through this service.

Faith, by itself, flung into the morass of the human animal who desires only comfort and pleasure, is nothing. When you have to start to pay money for that, it crosses from being nothing to being harmful. 

For more information about Reiki visit www.reiki.org and http://danesparza.com/reiki.asp

Category: Religion, Writers and Bloggers  3 Comments
Jan
31
The mind/body connection
Ami Chopine

There has been an interesting discussion about complementary and alternative medicine between bloggers Lynn and #1 Dinosaur. One thing I’d like to point out in this discussion is why the mind/body connection is not alternative medicine. By alternative medicine, I mean therapies that patients pursue that have little to no scientific backing.

It is not because doctors or scientists become suddenly open minded that a therapy which was previously alternative medicine becomes accepted and part of conventional medicine. It is because the scientific testing they conducted about that therapy backed it up. So when something like biofeedback turns out to be effective in certain situations, it is part of the scientific process that it becomes accepted for those situations.

Applying those therapies to illnesses for which they are inappropriate and/or not proven puts the practice right back in the ring of non-evidence based or alternative therapies.

Lynn said that because biofeedback, hypnotherapy, and guided imagery were mind/body phenomena, this meant that they were automatically alternative. I believe that part of her definition of alternative is that it addresses the spiritual. The culturally known triune of mind/body/spirit links mind/body to spirit in many people’s thinking. Under that influence, anything that would be mind/body would also be spiritual. Another interpretation of mind/body that could give it a special meaning is the ‘mind over matter’ theme which is sometimes thought of in telekinetic terms: the mind can manipulate matter without any physical connection to it.

So let’s put those two interpretations of mind/body aside and concentrate on the tested and observed connections.

The brain is connected to the body via the nervous system and through chemical messengers such as hormones and endorphins. This is a two way street: the brain sends signals to the body, and the body both replies and sends information to the brain.

So, for instance, a person wants their muscle to relax, they send a signal and it relaxes. If there is nervousness or anxiety in them so they don’t feel psychologically comfortable enough to let down their physical guard, to stop being ready at any moment for fight or flight, then they have a difficulty sending the signal to the muscle to relax. The problem is not in the body, but in the mind. So when the mind is reassured, then it can send the signal to the body so the muscle can relax. There is smooth muscle (along digestive track, contracts and when relaxed dilates blood vessels, etc) which is not under direct conscious control, but under control of the autonomic nervous system. But that part of the brain is under the influence of our conscious brain. When we are consciously stressed, the autonomic nervous system doesn’t know why. It just responds. Our blood pressure rises, our heart beats faster and we breath faster. We tense up, ready for action, even if there is no physical action that can help. Again, if we reassure our conscious brain that all is well, then the autonomic nervous system responds as well, bringing our body back into rest mode. 

So these mind/body therapies: hypnotherapy, guided imagery, biofeedback, are all just different methods of helping the mind relax and send signals to the body that all is well. There are a lot of interesting things that are occurring here, but none of them are magic.

The ways in which this can help in medicine are both far reaching and limited. Being relaxed and at peace can help healing by encouraging a resting state where good blood flow reaches extremities and compromised areas, and oxygen and nutrients are utilized for rebuilding rather than reserved for possible survival reaction (stress: fight or flight). There may also be a reduction in stress hormones that have long term damaging effects. The added benefit is that the patient feels subjectively better and may require less pharmaceutical intervention for pain relief.

But this is as far as those therapies go, in regard to physical healing. There are no energy fields at work, manipulating the matter.

Psychological healing is a different kind of thing, but again – no energy fields magically change a person’s thought processes. Just ask God.

As for Reiki, I would say it is probably like a physically enforced guided imagery. The patient has to have some belief in that particular story to work, as I imagine (I’m hardly an expert) that the imagery that works best is different for every individual. There is no physical healing going on that couldn’t be achieved by some other relaxing method. Any psychological healing occurring is more likely to be due to the human interaction involved in the therapy than any hand movement.

One other thing to understand is that feelings of tingling or warmth during Reiki can easily be attributed to the ‘guided physical imagery’ we are experiencing. Just like we can see an image in our minds (like a memory, or a picture we are painting that doesn’t yet exist) we can ‘feel’ a sensation in our minds. That experience seems less imaginary to us because we have an existing physical reference, our body, that is sending real signals at the same time. There is also a hyperawareness of the area that is being worked on. To further muddy the situation, when a subject in a study is recalling their experience, their memories are influenced by their personal beliefs.

The mind/body connection is real. It is scientifically backed up. But it is not proof of the spiritual, of alternative medicine, or anything that requires magical thinking in order to work.

 

Category: Culture, Medicine, Religion, Writers and Bloggers  8 Comments
Jan
27
President Hinckley passes on
Ami Chopine

My sister just emailed me. I hadn’t watched the news in the last two hours, and so I ‘missed’ the report of the death of the prophet. I don’t think we could classify this event as sad. It is simply a time of change. As David G. from the Juvenile Instructor said, “The prophet is dead. Long live the prophet.” 

When a person is 97 years old, lived a life of love and kindness, has been able to work to his last days, and died in his own bed with his family surrounding him – that is a good end. He served God well, and now God has him.

Category: It's a beautiful life, Religion  3 Comments
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