The success of the operation to kill or capture Geronimo, aka Osama bin Laden, began years earlier with the interrogation of Guantanamo Bay detainees. Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was captured by U.S. forces and provided false, but useful, information regarding bin Laden’s trusted courier. In 2004, Hassan Ghul was captured and provided the name of Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti. More pieces came into place in 2005, when Abu Faraj al-Libi was captured. Al-Libi had lived in Abbottabad in 2003 and, when questioned, made up a false name for the courier and denied knowing al-Kuwaiti. Putting all the information together, with Ghul’s being the linchpin, led agents to realize bin Laden’s courier was Sheikh Abu Ahmed, aka al-Kuwaiti. In 2009, they began tracking him and last summer he made a phone call to a target who was being monitored. [1] The rest of the story has been front page news since May 2nd.
Navy SEALs made the critical assault on bin Laden’s compound using the best weapons available and suited for the specific mission. Although some of the information is classified, as one might expect, against bin Laden, these likely included night-vision goggles and the M4A1 Carbine, standard issue weapon for SEAL operators, which is about 30 inches with the stock retracted, carries a 30 round magazine and can be set for semi or fully automatic. Flash bangs or stun grenades may be used to disorient residents of a target location. Suppressers, which are built into many modern-day weapons, enable easier communication (without loud gunshots) and possibly more stealth advantage. Short-barrel weapons -- such as a shortened M4 or AR-15 assault rifle - allow easier maneuverability in close quarters, around doors and hallways. [2]
Osama bin Laden may have been the most influential terrorist on the planet during this generation. The efforts to stop his destructive influences have been extraordinary. Consider the financial cost, intelligence gathering, and development of highly technical equipment and weapons. As destructive as al-Qa’ida has been, do we as Christians consider the enemy who can bring even more devastation in the lives of people? Jesus told us, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). We take great precautions to protect ourselves physically from attacks with airport screening, home alarm systems, dogs, guns and so on. Do we show as much concern for our eternal souls and those of our loved ones? The true enemy of mankind is the spiritual force behind those who commit horrendous acts of evil and he has been masterminding terrorism for thousands of years.
The initial stage in the battle is identification of the enemy. As intelligence agents identified the courier and located bin Laden’s residence, those of us who are Christians identify the enemy, not as people who come against us, but the “forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). And one of the weapons we use is the “word of God” or the “sword of the Spirit” (v.17). Paul goes on to explain the manner in which we fight is to “pray at all times” (v.18).
Francis Schaeffer reminded that “We are locked in a battle. This is not a friendly, gentleman's discussion. It is a life and death conflict between the spiritual hosts of wickedness and those who claim the name of Christ.” [3] And, Matthew Henry informed, “Every true Christian is both a labourer and a soldier, working with one hand, and fighting with the other … never putting off our armour till our work and warfare are ended.” [4]
In ancient times, Roman soldiers used a sword that was not the biggest and heaviest, but most manageable and effective. As a lesson for Christians, “The believer needs a combat knowledge of the Word of God … The sword of the Spirit and prayer are the Christian’s offensive weapons. Once we have Satan on the run, we can keep him from a counterattack by using these weapons.” [5] Are we using our weapons in the ongoing battle against the master terrorist?
[1] Adam Goldman and Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press, “Phone call by Kuwaiti courier led to bin Laden”, 3 May 2011, < http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bin_laden_hunt_for_bin_laden>
[2] www.navyseals.com/weapons-demo
[3] Francis Schaeffer, The Shelter
[4] Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, Nehemiah 4:16-23.
[5] Hal Lindsey, Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1972), 226-227.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Expectations
Is it difficult to maintain one’s faith in God when things go badly in life? Trials certainly test a believer’s faith and it may be tempting to ask, “God, why did you let this happen after all those years of Christian service and church attendance?” Maybe we have tried to live as a Christian, giving up all of the vices, tithing, and doing good deeds, only to have hard times in life cause us to wonder if it was worth it. This “Christian thing” doesn’t seem to make a difference, life is still bad, so I may as well live like I please and forget about God. It appears He forgot about me. Has anyone ever had thoughts like these? Why do some people hold onto faith in God like a lifeline, while others toss it aside with disgust?
This is a complex issue and a simple answer would be trite; however, one component in the mindset of those who choose to retain their faith involves expectations. These form part of a person’s philosophical outlook on life. These perspectives that color our perception of events often take the form of imperatives such as “should” or “must”. For example, “everyone I meet should like me” or “circumstances must always turn out good.” Other beliefs can include “It’s unfair that life is difficult”, “I deserve to be happy”, and so on. Clinical Psychologist Albert Ellis developed rational-emotive therapy (RET), which is based on the theory that irrational beliefs are a cause of distress in life. This is not new: 1st century philosopher Epictetus allegedly stated, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view that they take of them.” The imperatives in our cognitive belief system (“should” and “must”) are generally followed by perceived outcomes or cognitive distortions, such as catastrophizing. For example, “If something bad happens in life, it is a catastrophe.” For this mindset, there is often no middle ground, situations are good or bad, black or white.
Aaron Beck, father of cognitive therapy, listed typical cognitive distortions, some of which include:
• Overgeneralization - making a broad statement based on one, or a few, instances
• Polarized thinking - separating life events into only positive or negative, either a success or total failure
• Selective abstraction - pulling one event out of context to arrive at an erroneous interpretation
• magnification or catastrophizing - as the name suggests, is like turning an ant hill into Mount Everest
• Heaven’s reward fallacy - the expectation that our sacrifice and self-denial will pay off, as if someone is keeping score. We feel bitter when the reward doesn’t come.
So, how can irrational beliefs be countered? Books have been written on these topics, but we'll be brief here. The first step is to recognize and admit the problem by thinking about what we’re thinking about. We need to act as our own counselor and ask ourselves leading questions, such as “If X happens, will the world really end?” or “Because X happened, is my life over?” The irrational beliefs – and logical conclusions – must be disputed with reason. A second step involves changing our language, even if it is only in our head. For example, “should” and “must” can be replaced by more reasonable language, such as “If X happens, it will be difficult, but my life will not end and God will help me to recover.” As a caveat here, it is understood that some people go through very difficult circumstances in life and this is certainly not meant as a quick solution.
Concerning the issue of expectations, a man who lived long ago and suffered many difficulties said: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” This was spoken in response to the man’s wife who instructed him to “Curse God and die”. This is exactly what the enemy of our soul tells us when things go bad: “Curse God, He’s not helping you. If He even exists, He let you down.” As Al Pacino said to Keanu Reeves in The Devil’s Advocate, God is “an absentee landlord”, not really helping people. But Job did not accept that irrational reasoning and, instead, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (Job 1:22). The matter of expectations is vital. If we expect life to always be good, it will be easy to lose faith when things go badly. But, even Jesus did not promise an easy life: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). James stated, “Consider it all joy … when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2) and Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice … you have been distressed by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). If we expect difficulties at times in life, our faith will not be destroyed when they come. And, we have the promises that God will take us through the trials and reward perseverance. King David expected trouble at times: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”, but he also expected help from above – “but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” After Jesus warned his disciples to expect trouble in the world, He said, “take courage; I have overcome the world."
This is a complex issue and a simple answer would be trite; however, one component in the mindset of those who choose to retain their faith involves expectations. These form part of a person’s philosophical outlook on life. These perspectives that color our perception of events often take the form of imperatives such as “should” or “must”. For example, “everyone I meet should like me” or “circumstances must always turn out good.” Other beliefs can include “It’s unfair that life is difficult”, “I deserve to be happy”, and so on. Clinical Psychologist Albert Ellis developed rational-emotive therapy (RET), which is based on the theory that irrational beliefs are a cause of distress in life. This is not new: 1st century philosopher Epictetus allegedly stated, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view that they take of them.” The imperatives in our cognitive belief system (“should” and “must”) are generally followed by perceived outcomes or cognitive distortions, such as catastrophizing. For example, “If something bad happens in life, it is a catastrophe.” For this mindset, there is often no middle ground, situations are good or bad, black or white.
Aaron Beck, father of cognitive therapy, listed typical cognitive distortions, some of which include:
• Overgeneralization - making a broad statement based on one, or a few, instances
• Polarized thinking - separating life events into only positive or negative, either a success or total failure
• Selective abstraction - pulling one event out of context to arrive at an erroneous interpretation
• magnification or catastrophizing - as the name suggests, is like turning an ant hill into Mount Everest
• Heaven’s reward fallacy - the expectation that our sacrifice and self-denial will pay off, as if someone is keeping score. We feel bitter when the reward doesn’t come.
So, how can irrational beliefs be countered? Books have been written on these topics, but we'll be brief here. The first step is to recognize and admit the problem by thinking about what we’re thinking about. We need to act as our own counselor and ask ourselves leading questions, such as “If X happens, will the world really end?” or “Because X happened, is my life over?” The irrational beliefs – and logical conclusions – must be disputed with reason. A second step involves changing our language, even if it is only in our head. For example, “should” and “must” can be replaced by more reasonable language, such as “If X happens, it will be difficult, but my life will not end and God will help me to recover.” As a caveat here, it is understood that some people go through very difficult circumstances in life and this is certainly not meant as a quick solution.
Concerning the issue of expectations, a man who lived long ago and suffered many difficulties said: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” This was spoken in response to the man’s wife who instructed him to “Curse God and die”. This is exactly what the enemy of our soul tells us when things go bad: “Curse God, He’s not helping you. If He even exists, He let you down.” As Al Pacino said to Keanu Reeves in The Devil’s Advocate, God is “an absentee landlord”, not really helping people. But Job did not accept that irrational reasoning and, instead, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God” (Job 1:22). The matter of expectations is vital. If we expect life to always be good, it will be easy to lose faith when things go badly. But, even Jesus did not promise an easy life: “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). James stated, “Consider it all joy … when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2) and Peter wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice … you have been distressed by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). If we expect difficulties at times in life, our faith will not be destroyed when they come. And, we have the promises that God will take us through the trials and reward perseverance. King David expected trouble at times: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”, but he also expected help from above – “but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” After Jesus warned his disciples to expect trouble in the world, He said, “take courage; I have overcome the world."
Saturday, April 9, 2011
True hero killed in Jerusalem bus bombing
Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness. (Matthew 25:23)
Mary Gardner, originally from Orkney, Scotland, spent 20 years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the West African nation of Togo where she completed a translation of the New Testament for the first time into the language of Ife, which is spoken in Togo and Benin. She then planned to also translate the Old Testament into Ife and had just spent six months studying Hebrew at the Homes for Bible Translators near Mevaseret Zion, close to Jerusalem [1]. On March 23, 2011, a bomb exploded at a bus stop in Jerusalem, injuring about 30 and killing one person, Mary Gardner. This was the first major bombing in Jerusalem in seven years. A bag had been left on the pavement near the central bus station [2]. The language of Ife (also known as Ana, Ana-Ifé, and Baate) is spoken by about 182,000 people in West Africa [3]. The people in Togo and Benin who pick up a New Testament, for the first time now in their native language, may forever be grateful for the work of Mary Gardner.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)
Wycliffe Bible Translators have made more than 700 translations available since they began in 1942, with several hundred more currently underway [4]. John Wycliffe was a reformation leader who completed a translation of the first English Bible from the Latin Vulgate in 1382. After he died in 1384, Wycliffe was declared a heretic and his bones were disinterred, burned and thrown into a river.
[1] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Mary Jean Gardner”, 23 Mar 2011,
< http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2011/Victims/Mary_Jean_Gardner.htm >
[2] BBC News, “Jerusalem bus bomb: Mary Gardner’s family pays tribute”, 24 Mar 2011,
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-12856418 >
[3] Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International.
[4] Wycliffe Bible Translators, < www.wycliffe.org >
Mary Gardner, originally from Orkney, Scotland, spent 20 years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the West African nation of Togo where she completed a translation of the New Testament for the first time into the language of Ife, which is spoken in Togo and Benin. She then planned to also translate the Old Testament into Ife and had just spent six months studying Hebrew at the Homes for Bible Translators near Mevaseret Zion, close to Jerusalem [1]. On March 23, 2011, a bomb exploded at a bus stop in Jerusalem, injuring about 30 and killing one person, Mary Gardner. This was the first major bombing in Jerusalem in seven years. A bag had been left on the pavement near the central bus station [2]. The language of Ife (also known as Ana, Ana-Ifé, and Baate) is spoken by about 182,000 people in West Africa [3]. The people in Togo and Benin who pick up a New Testament, for the first time now in their native language, may forever be grateful for the work of Mary Gardner.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)
Wycliffe Bible Translators have made more than 700 translations available since they began in 1942, with several hundred more currently underway [4]. John Wycliffe was a reformation leader who completed a translation of the first English Bible from the Latin Vulgate in 1382. After he died in 1384, Wycliffe was declared a heretic and his bones were disinterred, burned and thrown into a river.
[1] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Mary Jean Gardner”, 23 Mar 2011,
< http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Memorial/2011/Victims/Mary_Jean_Gardner.htm >
[2] BBC News, “Jerusalem bus bomb: Mary Gardner’s family pays tribute”, 24 Mar 2011,
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-12856418 >
[3] Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International.
[4] Wycliffe Bible Translators, < www.wycliffe.org >
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Speaking the truth in love?
Well, he went ahead and did it. We reported in an earlier post (9/12/10) that Reverend Terry Jones, Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, had decided not to burn the Qur’an. He apparently had a change of mind and, on March 20th, Jones served as judge in a mock trial of Islam’s holy book, which was found guilty of “training and promoting terrorist activities … death, rape, torture of people worldwide”. [1] The latest news reports indicated that at least 20 have been killed and dozens more injured during protests in Kabul, Afghanistan. Following a sermon at the Mazar-e Sharif’s blue mosque, mobs formed, threw stones and breached the U. N. gates. Protesters chanted anti-American slogans, burned an effigy of President Obama, burned tires and blocked highways in other parts of Afghanistan.
Is Jones responsible for the deaths and rioting? There are two parts to the answer. First, those who committed the violent acts are responsible – not Jones. Humans have a pathological propensity to blame others for our own actions, claiming “I did this because he did that”. The truth is that each of us makes our own decisions to act and no one else is responsible. On the other hand, Jones knew his actions would lead to violence. In fact, he was warned last September by International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance, Geoff Tunnicliffe, whose organization represents millions of evangelical Christians worldwide. He told Jones at that time, “"If you continue with your action and violence occurs, pastors are killed, churches are burnt down, would you actually come with me and sit with widows and explain to them why you had to take the action you did?" [2]
Many prominent Christians have denounced Rev. Jones’ actions and we concur. Whereas a strong case can be made that Islam and the Qur’an have led to much violence from the 7th century and until present times, provocative acts like those of Jones are counterproductive. The Apostle Paul instructed believers in Corinth to proclaim the message of salvation, “giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited” (2 Corinthians 6:3). He instructed Titus to “be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds … dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:6-8). As followers of Christ today, we should consider our actions by the standard: “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
[1] Pittsburgh Tribune Review, “Quran protest enrages Afghans”, 1 Apr 2011.
[2] Jerome Socolovsky, Voice of America, “Religious Leaders Appeal for Calm After Quran Burning”, 5 Apr 2011,
Is Jones responsible for the deaths and rioting? There are two parts to the answer. First, those who committed the violent acts are responsible – not Jones. Humans have a pathological propensity to blame others for our own actions, claiming “I did this because he did that”. The truth is that each of us makes our own decisions to act and no one else is responsible. On the other hand, Jones knew his actions would lead to violence. In fact, he was warned last September by International Director of the World Evangelical Alliance, Geoff Tunnicliffe, whose organization represents millions of evangelical Christians worldwide. He told Jones at that time, “"If you continue with your action and violence occurs, pastors are killed, churches are burnt down, would you actually come with me and sit with widows and explain to them why you had to take the action you did?" [2]
Many prominent Christians have denounced Rev. Jones’ actions and we concur. Whereas a strong case can be made that Islam and the Qur’an have led to much violence from the 7th century and until present times, provocative acts like those of Jones are counterproductive. The Apostle Paul instructed believers in Corinth to proclaim the message of salvation, “giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited” (2 Corinthians 6:3). He instructed Titus to “be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds … dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:6-8). As followers of Christ today, we should consider our actions by the standard: “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
[1] Pittsburgh Tribune Review, “Quran protest enrages Afghans”, 1 Apr 2011.
[2] Jerome Socolovsky, Voice of America, “Religious Leaders Appeal for Calm After Quran Burning”, 5 Apr 2011,
Sunday, April 3, 2011
good mood = good health?
“Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down” (Proverbs 12:25)
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
“Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
Happiness is related to health and longevity, according to Ed Diener, University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology and senior scientist for the Gallup Organization, as reported in the journal Applied Psychology. Diener teamed with Micaela Chan, University of Texas at Dallas, to review studies of subjective well-being (SWB), which refers to an individual’s life satisfaction, absence of negative emotions, optimism, and positive emotions. They analyzed experimental trials and long-term studies to evaluate the health status of people who were stressed by natural events. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of eight different types of studies and reached the conclusion from each type that a person’s SWB contributes both to longevity and better health among healthy populations.
People experience sad moods or joyful emotions because they attach an evaluation to events in their lives as to whether theyse are going well or badly. The researchers found that SWB is a broad category that includes a diversity of phenomena ranging from general optimism to low anger to work satisfaction. Positive moods, joy, happiness, life satisfaction, hopefulness, optimism, and sense of humor predicted longevity and were associated with reduced risk of mortality in healthy populations. Diener and Chan controlled the analyses for socioeconomic status and health at baseline and they cautioned that causality could not be definitively established because initial unmeasured states of health could not be measured exactly. However, they did control for many of the plausible variables. Furthermore, the large populations, coupled with the longevity of some of the studies, lend credibility to the results.
The data appear to be statistically significant because quite a few studies have large sample sizes and subjects have been followed for several decades in some cases. A small sampling of the many studies are listed briefly here:
• One study followed nearly 5,000 individuals for more than 40 years. Those who were most pessimistic as young students age tended to die earlier than their peers.
• An even longer study, which followed 180 nuns from early adulthood to old age, found that those who wrote positive autobiographies in their 20s tended to outlive those who wrote more negative accounts.
• Optimism and positive affect were positively correlated with improved immune response.
• Higher levels of depression and anxiety predicted coronary heart disease in healthy subjects in 11 of 11 studies analyzed.
• Many studies found that stress, anxiety, and depression are associated with deleterious changes in the cardiovascular system.
• A review of physiological pathways indicated that negative emotions enhance production of proinflamatory cytokines, which may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.
• Low SWB was found to be related to telomere shortening, which resulted in physical ailments due to errors during cell replication, and were most often associated with major depression and old age.
Diener and Chan’s meta-analysis found: “In sum, moods and emotions are consistently found to be associated with biological measures such as blood pressure, cortisol (stress hormone), and inflammation, as well as indicators of disease such as artery wall thickening. The researchers found that "the overwhelming majority of studies support the conclusion that happiness is associated with health and longevity."
Does this mean we should all strive to become Pollyanna-like, smiling as the world crumbles around us and ignoring anything negative in life? Maybe the subjects in these studies were simply too naive to recognize all the evil in the world? That is hardly the case due to the very large sample populations and sheer number of studies analyzed. Recognizing the bad, but choosing to see the good in life, is biblical. For example, the Apostle Paul, writing from a harsh prison cell in Rome, stated, “even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (2:17) and “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4) Biblical advice seems to be corroborated – at least for physiological benefits - by empirical data.
References:
[1] Ed Diener and Micaela Y. Chan, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 2011, 3 (1), 1–43 doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2010.01045.
[2] Diana Yates, “Study: Happiness improves health and lengthens life”, University of Illinois News Bureau, 1 Mar 2011,
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)
“Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
Happiness is related to health and longevity, according to Ed Diener, University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology and senior scientist for the Gallup Organization, as reported in the journal Applied Psychology. Diener teamed with Micaela Chan, University of Texas at Dallas, to review studies of subjective well-being (SWB), which refers to an individual’s life satisfaction, absence of negative emotions, optimism, and positive emotions. They analyzed experimental trials and long-term studies to evaluate the health status of people who were stressed by natural events. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of eight different types of studies and reached the conclusion from each type that a person’s SWB contributes both to longevity and better health among healthy populations.
People experience sad moods or joyful emotions because they attach an evaluation to events in their lives as to whether theyse are going well or badly. The researchers found that SWB is a broad category that includes a diversity of phenomena ranging from general optimism to low anger to work satisfaction. Positive moods, joy, happiness, life satisfaction, hopefulness, optimism, and sense of humor predicted longevity and were associated with reduced risk of mortality in healthy populations. Diener and Chan controlled the analyses for socioeconomic status and health at baseline and they cautioned that causality could not be definitively established because initial unmeasured states of health could not be measured exactly. However, they did control for many of the plausible variables. Furthermore, the large populations, coupled with the longevity of some of the studies, lend credibility to the results.
The data appear to be statistically significant because quite a few studies have large sample sizes and subjects have been followed for several decades in some cases. A small sampling of the many studies are listed briefly here:
• One study followed nearly 5,000 individuals for more than 40 years. Those who were most pessimistic as young students age tended to die earlier than their peers.
• An even longer study, which followed 180 nuns from early adulthood to old age, found that those who wrote positive autobiographies in their 20s tended to outlive those who wrote more negative accounts.
• Optimism and positive affect were positively correlated with improved immune response.
• Higher levels of depression and anxiety predicted coronary heart disease in healthy subjects in 11 of 11 studies analyzed.
• Many studies found that stress, anxiety, and depression are associated with deleterious changes in the cardiovascular system.
• A review of physiological pathways indicated that negative emotions enhance production of proinflamatory cytokines, which may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.
• Low SWB was found to be related to telomere shortening, which resulted in physical ailments due to errors during cell replication, and were most often associated with major depression and old age.
Diener and Chan’s meta-analysis found: “In sum, moods and emotions are consistently found to be associated with biological measures such as blood pressure, cortisol (stress hormone), and inflammation, as well as indicators of disease such as artery wall thickening. The researchers found that "the overwhelming majority of studies support the conclusion that happiness is associated with health and longevity."
Does this mean we should all strive to become Pollyanna-like, smiling as the world crumbles around us and ignoring anything negative in life? Maybe the subjects in these studies were simply too naive to recognize all the evil in the world? That is hardly the case due to the very large sample populations and sheer number of studies analyzed. Recognizing the bad, but choosing to see the good in life, is biblical. For example, the Apostle Paul, writing from a harsh prison cell in Rome, stated, “even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (2:17) and “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4) Biblical advice seems to be corroborated – at least for physiological benefits - by empirical data.
References:
[1] Ed Diener and Micaela Y. Chan, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 2011, 3 (1), 1–43 doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2010.01045.
[2] Diana Yates, “Study: Happiness improves health and lengthens life”, University of Illinois News Bureau, 1 Mar 2011,
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Unbelievable?
If you’re in the car frequently, but bored with the local radio programs, get tired of listening to music on the iPod when exercising, or would like to hear something intellectually and spiritually stimulating, you may want to check out Unbelievable? This Premier Christian Radio program, brings together Christians and non-Christians in a civilized debate format. Also, believers with different viewpoints discuss some of the most difficult issues of our time. Some of the most respected and well-known atheists, agnostics and Christian scholars respectfully debate a wide range of issues, providing listeners with some of the best arguments and rebuttals on all sides. A few of the many guests have been: Richard Dawkins, Bart Ehrman, Peter Hitchins, Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig, Michael Behe, Stephen Meyer, and many others. Weekly podcasts are available for shows dating back to 2007, so there are numerous topics from which to choose. I subscribe to the podcasts through iTunes, which are free of commercial advertisements. To check it out, search Unbelievable Premier Christian Radio or use this link: http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable.aspx
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Showing team pride
Steeler religious experience
The service at church this morning was a very religious experience, but not for the reasons we usually think of. The congregation, similar to many others in the area, was very prominently adorned in black and gold. The Steelers in the Superbowl makes for a powerful spiritual experience – when they win. Churches in Green Bay may have been adorned this morning with plenty of green and yellow. While it’s great to show support and root for the home team, this brings up a question: How do others recognize that I’m on God’s team. My clothing? Jewelry? Church attendance? How should non-Christians notice my faith?
Symbols
Tradition states that early Christians who, facing persecution, were able to identify fellow believers in Christ by use of the simple fish symbol. The ancient Greek word for fish was IXθYΣ (or IXOYE). This was allegedly used by followers of Christ as an acrostic meaning Iesous (Iota) Christos(Chi) Theou (Theta) Huios (Upsilon) Soter (Sigma) or Jesus Anointed God’s Son Savior. These symbols have been found in 1st century Roman catacombs. Other persecuted believers today may use similar symbols. However, in free societies today, there is no need to keep one’s faith secret.
Christian clothing
In some regions of past Muslim dominance, Christians (“People of the Book”) and Jews were instructed to wear different types of clothing to distinguish them. At one point, this included wearing of yellow clothing for Jews, while Christians were to wear black and dark blue. Although these colors of clothing included yellow and black, it is doubtful they would carry the Steelers trademark today. Some Muslim jurists at the time advised that Christians and Jews should be recognizable by different shoes, such as one shoe of one color and the second shoe of a different color. The dhimmis (infidels living within Islamic territory) were also advised to tie a bell on their feet at the public baths so as to be distinguishable from Muslims. [1]
Shining lights
Jesus told His followers, “Let your light shine before men” (Matthew 5:16). How is that done? Jesus continued, “in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”. Good works are a primary method of shining our light. John wrote, “let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18) There’s nothing wrong with Christian symbols, shirts or bumper stickers, but our deeds should speak loudly of our faith. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Christian team colors are shown by good works performed out of love for others.
[1] Andrew G. Bostom, Editor, The Legacy of Jihad, (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2005), 218-219. Excerpted from Risala-yi Sawa’iq al-Yahud, “The Laws of Jizya”, Muhammad Al-Majlisi (d. 1699).
The service at church this morning was a very religious experience, but not for the reasons we usually think of. The congregation, similar to many others in the area, was very prominently adorned in black and gold. The Steelers in the Superbowl makes for a powerful spiritual experience – when they win. Churches in Green Bay may have been adorned this morning with plenty of green and yellow. While it’s great to show support and root for the home team, this brings up a question: How do others recognize that I’m on God’s team. My clothing? Jewelry? Church attendance? How should non-Christians notice my faith?
Symbols
Tradition states that early Christians who, facing persecution, were able to identify fellow believers in Christ by use of the simple fish symbol. The ancient Greek word for fish was IXθYΣ (or IXOYE). This was allegedly used by followers of Christ as an acrostic meaning Iesous (Iota) Christos(Chi) Theou (Theta) Huios (Upsilon) Soter (Sigma) or Jesus Anointed God’s Son Savior. These symbols have been found in 1st century Roman catacombs. Other persecuted believers today may use similar symbols. However, in free societies today, there is no need to keep one’s faith secret.
Christian clothing
In some regions of past Muslim dominance, Christians (“People of the Book”) and Jews were instructed to wear different types of clothing to distinguish them. At one point, this included wearing of yellow clothing for Jews, while Christians were to wear black and dark blue. Although these colors of clothing included yellow and black, it is doubtful they would carry the Steelers trademark today. Some Muslim jurists at the time advised that Christians and Jews should be recognizable by different shoes, such as one shoe of one color and the second shoe of a different color. The dhimmis (infidels living within Islamic territory) were also advised to tie a bell on their feet at the public baths so as to be distinguishable from Muslims. [1]
Shining lights
Jesus told His followers, “Let your light shine before men” (Matthew 5:16). How is that done? Jesus continued, “in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”. Good works are a primary method of shining our light. John wrote, “let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18) There’s nothing wrong with Christian symbols, shirts or bumper stickers, but our deeds should speak loudly of our faith. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Christian team colors are shown by good works performed out of love for others.
[1] Andrew G. Bostom, Editor, The Legacy of Jihad, (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2005), 218-219. Excerpted from Risala-yi Sawa’iq al-Yahud, “The Laws of Jizya”, Muhammad Al-Majlisi (d. 1699).
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