Belief In God Research Articles

"God gave you a special child because you are special": difficulties, coping strategies, and parental burnout of Jewish mothers - a qualitative study.

"Parental Burnout" is a specific syndrome resulting from an imbalance between continuous exposure to chronic parenting stress and available protective resources. Mothers of children with special needs have an increased risk of Parental Burnout due to dealing with various difficulties from carrying out long-term childcare. To examine difficulties, coping strategies, and PB (risk factors and protective resources), among ultra-Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish mothers of children with special needs with high or low levels of Parental Burnout. A qualitative study. Twelve mothers of children with special needs identified with high or low Parental Burnout via a quantitative study were interviewed. The constant-comparative analysis method was used to analyze the findings. Three themes and twelve categories emerged: 1. Difficulties involved in motherhood with six categories: (a) caregiver burden, (b) task overload, (c) physical and mental self-neglect, (d) environmental, couple-hood, family and social neglect, (e) recognizing the gap between their child with special needs and other children of the same age, (f) the environment's contradictory expectations from the mother; 2. Coping strategies with four categories: (a) practical, (b) spiritual, (c) social and (d) emotional; and 3. Parental Burnout, consequences and coping with two categories: (a) personal and environmental risk factors (e.g., fear of the future, difficulty in trusting others in taking care of their child), and (b) personal and environmental protective resources (e.g., sharing similar circumstances with other mothers, a belief in God). The findings contribute to understanding the unique difficulties, coping strategies and differences in risk factors and protective resources of Parental Burnout among ultra-Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish mothers of children with special needs. In order to alleviate the difficulties experienced by mothers and thus also reduce Parental Burnout risk factors and provide effective protective resources, it is recommended to develop empirically based professional guidance for policymakers, child development specialists, nurses, physiotherapists, and informal caregivers.

The Epistemology of Religion

Entertaining a proposition normally exposes our mind to a range of psychic states, ranging from involuntary to voluntary states, depending on the irresistibility of the proposition in question. There are some propositions which are too certain to entertain without believing them, and some too vague, too suspicious to hold without some degree of doubt. Normally, we relate to any matter we consider in one of these three different propositional attitudes: (dis)belief, acceptance (or rejection) or suspension of judgment. Though religion cannot be confined solely to acceptance of or a belief in the theistic God, as religions like Buddhism and Hinduism demonstrate, it is commonplace in ordinary language to think of religion in terms of having a belief in a transcendent being, a deity, at least in the Christian, Jewish or Muslim cultures. Most religions assert themselves as an account of the universe, human condition or their nature. Some people believe its explanations, some merely accept them. That is, religion can be a belief-system about the universe. But it may lack such belief-system, and could be a matter of mere acceptance. There are people who do not believe religious explanations about the origin of life or the universe, but they still accept them as a way of life. In this article, I aim to analyze the psychological bridge, in the way of belief and mere acceptance, between us and the idea there is a God in light of the existing evidence for and against the existence of God, assuming that we are dealing with rational agency.

Mahabbah Concept According to Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali

According to Sufi thought, every step we take in life is an opportunity to learn more about God and become closer to him. Serious believers in God have a decision between the following three paths, each of which is informed by one of the three fundamental capabilities of the human mind. If a person is willing to put in their best effort, they will engage in jihad (mujahid) and seek martyrdom in the sake of Allah SWT. If he uses his mind to its fullest capacity, he may engage in ijtihad and become closer to God's truth via inference. If he puts out his best spiritual effort, he will engage in mujahadah in order to deepen his devotion to God. following the teachings of Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali. QS Surah Al-Imran [2]:31 and Al-Baqarah [3]:165 explain mahabbah, although they don't go into great depth about the many steps involved. Humans are encouraged to be able to carry out the obligations of Muslims because this will bring us close to Allah SWT. This verse is included in the hubbun chapter of the book of tafsir arba'in fi usul al-din, where he explains that the ultimate love is only Allah with us carrying out his commands and staying away from his prohibitions, then this is clear evidence of our love for him. The approach is a socio-historical character analysis that employs the author's tafsir book as an analytical knife. Findings are presented in the guise of an explanation of the Arabic term mahabbah, which means "deep love" or "fondness" and comes from the verb Ahabba-Yuhibbu-mahabbatan. To have a mahabbah is to have an intense emotional attachment to anything to the point that it takes precedence over one's own life, happiness, and possessions. Mahabbah may also refer to the internal and external disposition of one who demonstrates love for the Owner of All Greatness by obeying His precepts and avoiding His admonitions. which can be easily put into practise and has not lost any of its relevance.

Handedness and religiosity, a two-nation study: Evidence that hemispheric functioning may influence religious beliefs

Prior research has reported that so-called consistent-handers are more religious than non-consistent-handers. This study analyzed data bearing on this possibility using large samples of college students from two different countries; Malaysia and the United States. When samples from both countries were separated by sex, no significant support for this prior research was found. However, when we analyzed our data with handedness dichotomized between right-handers and non-right-handers, some significant relationships were found. Among females in both countries, left- and mixed-handers expressed lower degrees of certainty about the existence of God and life-after-death. Also, right-handedness and religious service attendance were positively and significantly associated among Malaysian males. Among US males, however, belief in God was actually significantly stronger among right-handers than among left and mixed-handers. Assuming that right handedness is a rough proxy for left hemispheric dominance, our findings provide some support for the hypothesis that right hemispheric dominance is associated with orthodox religiosity at least among females.

Comparison of Women and Prostitution in Woman at Point Zero and Tuhan Izinkan Aku Menjadi Pelacur

Everyone has their rights from birth, but not everyone has the same degree of freedom as everyone else, especially if they belong to a minority group. Because of this, women have always been subject to male power and marginalized in all aspects. Due to disappointment toward the gender differences and objectification, many women fall into a profession that is considered taboo and dishonorable by society, that is as a prostitute. This article focuses on the feminist studies regarding women and how they ultimately choose the path of prostitution at last as experienced by the two main characters, that are Firdaus in Women at Point Zero and Nidah Kirani in Tuhan Izinkan Aku Menjadi Pelacur. This article aims to compare and describe women's issues related to prostitution in two different countries, which are Egypt and Indonesia. These two countries have the same religious background because both of them have a majority of Muslim population. To complement the research, a comparative literary approach is also employed to identify the similarities and differences to find the factor that determines the female characters to become sex worker. The results indicate that both of the novels tell the life story of a woman who chose to become a prostitute due to their disappointment in man. Despite the similarity, family issues are a significant contributing factor to Firdaus's becoming a sex worker. As for Nidah Kirani in Tuhan Izinkan Aku Menjadi Pelacur the failure to deal with certain issues effectively. Kirani’s belief in God and the Islamic organization that she thought would show her the real Islam has misled her and because of her disappointment, she turned to be a sex worker.

Palestinians and Israelis believe the other's God encourages intergroup benevolence: A case of positive intergroup meta-perceptions

How does religious belief influence intergroup conflict? Research addressing this question generally focuses on how individuals' own beliefs influence intergroup behavior. However, intergroup cooperation may also be influenced by second-order beliefs; in this case, perceptions about how outgroup members' religious beliefs influence their intergroup behavior. Indeed, across different domains, intergroup conflict is often driven by inaccurate and negative intergroup perceptions and predictions. If true of religion, such negatively biased predictions may independently hinder intergroup cooperation by reducing the extent to which individuals see religious outgroup members as cooperative partners. Contrary to this hypothesis, three preregistered studies (N = 1081) provide consistent evidence that Palestinians and Israelis predict that belief in God motivates outgroup members to give more money in intergroup exchanges (Studies 1 and 2) and to place a greater value on outgroup members' lives (Study 3). Results have important implications for policymakers' and the public's understanding of religion's role in intergroup relations.

Parental Influence and Intergenerational Transmission of Religious Belief, Attitudes, and Practices: Recent Evidence from the United States

A traditionally salient topic of empirical investigation in the sociology of religion, this paper seeks to offer a recent investigation into the intergenerational transmission of religion and the parental forms of religious engagement that predict adult engagement with religion. The study of this paper explores the intergenerational transmission of religion, focusing on the parental forms of religious identity and engagement that influence religious identity, beliefs, and practices in adulthood. By analyzing the 2018 GSS dataset in the United States with multiple regression analyses, I found strong parental and childhood influences on adult religiosity, religious service attendance, and belief in God. Indeed, this engagement often mirrors parental engagement for these variables. However, while paternal religious identity often predicts these religious variables, I found that the religious identity and engagement of parents generally do not predict religious identity in adulthood. Ultimately, while these results generally show strong predictive mechanisms of intergenerational transmission, they also illustrate that these relationships are variably dependent on the form of parental and adult religious engagement, and which parent participates or is associated with that engagement.

Humanist, Pluralist, and Dialogical Concepts in Hindu Theology

The aim of this research is to describe humanist, pluralist, and dialogical concepts in Hindu theology. The method used is qualitative with a descriptive approach. Human life cannot be separated from the beliefs he holds. These beliefs generally take the form of religion (organized religion). Outside of that, it is often called belief or original religion (native religion). Whatever the name, it all pivots on belief in the Almighty God, who is called by various names. This belief becomes the guidance of life for a person and their group. Religious teachings provide enlightenment and direction in life to their adherents. In living together in society, there are various religions and/or beliefs, and each religion or belief has differences, especially regarding faith (sraddha), the way to connect oneself to Him, and ethics. These differences give color and color to religious life in society. However, they have similarities in certain aspects, for example, regarding humanity.

A rural resilience development indicator system oriented to common prosperity: The case of a coastal village in Zhejiang Province

China’s coastal village is a typical synthesis of material and intangible culture, such as natural landscape, marine pasture, and belief in the sea god. Simultaneously, it is also a valuable resource that can be universally utilized for the development of innovative industries such as the marine industry and leisure fisheries. However, with the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, the coastal village has not received much attention and the eco-environment has been damaged to some extent. Rural resilience development becomes the future trend of humanistic ecological wellbeing communities, while being able to circumvent rural vulnerability to varying degrees in a wave of global rural revitalization. Thus, establishing an evaluation system for resilience development of coastal rural eco-environment can provide a baseline for rural revitalization for sustainability. This article constructs an evaluation system for the rural resilience development based on the DPSER (driver, pressure, state, effect, and response) model. 29 indicators and corresponding weights of drivers, pressures, states, effects, and responses are evaluated using the objective and subjective weighting methods. Thereby, the study ascertained the conditions and dilemmas of resilience development of coastal rural eco-environment, and revealed that the response indicators have the greatest influence. This evaluation system can not only contribute to quantify the qualitative assessment or take the qualitative social assessment of resilience to a quantitative level, but it can also provide guidance and apply to the issues of well-being sharing and social equity in resilience development of rural areas.

Religiosity and Mental Health: A Case Study

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by hopelessness then heartbreak, helplessness, excessive and unable to decide to start an activity, then unable to concentrate, not having the spirit of life, and in the final stage trying to commit suicide. Depressive symptoms are a collection of behaviors and feelings that can be specifically classified as depression. Symptoms of depression are at least seen from three aspects, namely physical symptoms, psychic symptoms, and social symptoms. Some people have a negative stigma about individuals affected by mental disorders such as depression, some studies show data on affected individuals exposed to negative stigma, one of which was shown by McLean Hospital in 2020 which showed that 75% of individuals with mental disorders had been stigmatized by society. The stigma given by society related to people who have a mental disorder is very diverse, ranging from so-called insane, people who do not have reason, and so on, but the highlight in this study is the stigma from society against people affected by mental disorders is the stigma that those who experience depression or other mental disorders that they lack faith, lack of prayer, lack of belief in God, and various other stigmas, this is then exacerbated by "religious figures" who sometimes give the same stigma and do not provide solutions to what is being felt by people who are affected by mental disorders. The results showed that faith can be a factor that can improve the mental health of an individual.

Counting hiddenness: cognitive science and the distribution of belief in God

AbstractEstablishing the distribution of belief in something, especially something that spans cultures and times, requires close attention to empirical evidence and to certain inadequacies in our concept of belief. Arguments from divine hiddenness have quickly become one of the most important argument types in the philosophy of religion. These arguments and responses to them typically rely on robust but relatively undefended empirical commitments as to the distribution of belief in God. This article synthesizes results from psychology, anthropology, and the cognitive science of religion to show that the distribution of belief in God is much more messy and much more philosophically interesting than is currently appreciated. I then derive some implications for how one might reconceive the hiddenness debate in light of these findings.

Religious education in Catholic schools in Ireland and South Korea: complex layers of diversity, policy and teacher agency

ABSTRACT This paper explores and compares the experiences and perspectives of primary teachers regarding the teaching of religion in Catholic schools in Ireland and South Korea. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten teachers from each country. The findings highlight the contrasting perspectives of teachers from the two countries regarding the importance of and approach to religious education as a response to the challenges posed by pluralism. Teachers from Ireland predominantly exhibit a proactive approach, valuing diverse viewpoints and making efforts to engage in interreligious dialogue. Conversely, many teachers from South Korea demonstrate a deep appreciation for their own belief in God and prioritise the faith development of children. The comparative study highlights the importance of understanding teachers’ experiences and the ways in which they navigate the intersection of religious diversity, national policies, Catholic ethos, and their own personal faith perspectives. Our findings demonstrate the central role of teachers’ beliefs and future-oriented agency in the construction and implementation of religious education which does not always follow prescribed confessional or secular-neutral approaches.

Conjuring Up a King

Conjuring Up a King

The Parable of the People's Faith and the Motive of the Crusade Fraternization in F.M. Dostoevsky's Novel "The Idiot".

The author studied the episode of fraternization by Myshkin and Rogozhin in several aspects: 1) as a specific literary transformation of folk’s legends about fraternization with Christ 2) both as the central episode of the novel’s plot and a reference to its final scene 3) ideologically as a spiritual unit between the protagonists and the Russian folk 4) as a symbolic description of internal contradictions of the Russian national character. The episode is closely connected with the preceding talk about belief in God, in whose course Myshkin refusing to directly answer if he believed in God, tells about his meetings with “common people” and arrives at a conclusion about the chaotic and enigmatic depths of the folk’s consciousness. This was the only discourse about religious belief in the whole Dostoevsky’s Pentateuch preceding “the Brothers Karamazov” which makes Myshkin conclude that religious belief can be obtained from Russian folk as a bearer of religious mission, notwithstanding the dark abyss in his soul. The conclusions based on the analysis lets us rethink and reconstruct Myshkin’s ideological evolution in the whole novel. The article traces Dostoevsky’s reliance on folk legends about fraternization with Christ. It is a pioneering research as it points to parallels with the novel’s final in terms of symbolic gestures, paradoxically completing the rite of exchanging crosses in the second chapter of the novel. Myshkin’s thoughts are proved in the next episode when Rogozhin attempts to kill Myshkin – which would have seemed impossible after the characters exchanged their crosses. Thus the imminent catastrophe outlined in the episode dooms the novel’s final, yet not in terms of religious belief and the author’s dependence on Russian folk.

The Rationality of Faith: Examining Arguments for the Existence of God in the Light of Islamic Teachings

A theist believes there is a God, an atheist believes there is no God, an agnostic is unsure if there is a God or not. This study focuses on the Islamic perspective, aiming to explore the rationality of faith by examining arguments for the existence of God within the context of Islamic teachings. The research delves into the rich tapestry of Islamic thought, drawing from the Holy Qur'an, Hadith (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), and the works of prominent Islamic scholars such as Imam Ghazali and Allama Iqbal. Through a comprehensive analysis, the study evaluates various arguments, such as teleological, cosmological, personal spiritual experiences, and moral arguments, as they appear in Islamic thought. These arguments are scrutinized through the lens of reason, logic, and critical thinking while acknowledging the intrinsic interplay between faith and reason in Islamic tradition. The research identifies the significance of faith as a powerful force in human nature, not immune to challenges and doubts. To address these concerns, the study explores how Islamic teachings embrace both intellectual and experiential aspects, providing a harmonious integration of intellect, emotions, and spirituality in the pursuit of faith. Furthermore, the study examines some common challenges to faith in the modern scientific age considering the role of revelation and natural theology in bolstering the rational foundations of faith. It also investigates the concept of personal experience and intuitive encounters with the divine, acknowledging their importance in strengthening one's belief in God. By examining arguments within the context of Islamic teachings, this study contributes to the broader discourse on faith's rationality, offering valuable insights into the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of the human journey in seeking a connection with the divine.

COVID-19 Survivors: The Role of Religion and Religiosity

This study aims to explore the role of religion and determine the impact of using religion and religiosity on COVID-19 survivors. This research was conducted in Lampung Province, Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative method, with a phenomenological approach and data analysis—interpretative phenomenological analysis. The instruments used are in-depth interviews and observations toward eight positive COVID-19 patients with the criteria of experiencing moderate or severe symptoms and undergoing isolation in the hospital. This study found results, namely, 1. A deep belief in the greatness of God, deep appreciation of the sensation of asking and praying to God, surrender and ridho of God’s decree, gratitude and meaning in life; 2. Religious practice (prayer, dhikr, reciting, saying Asma Allah); 3. Social support (information, emotional, instrumental, appreciation appraisal support). The impact of the meaning of religiosity felt by COVID-19 survivors has increased their beliefs in God, feeling more stable emotions, reducing anxiety, being able to think positively, feeling more optimistic about healing, and feeling a deep spiritual sensation. This study concludes that religion and religiosity can provide energy so that a person can survive COVID-19.
 Keywords: Religion, COVID-19, Phenomenology

Religion as a Means of Political Conformity and Obedience: From Critias to Thomas Hobbes

This study identifies common perceptions between Thomas Hobbes’ approach to religion with that of Critias the sophist. Despite the distance that separates the social environments within which each of these authors lived and wrote, in their political philosophy we can spot a shared set of concerns, whose importance transcend the historical and political contexts in which the authors lived and wrote: in the state of nature, where no organized commonwealth (or civil society) exists, capable of repressing the innate greed of men and women, savagery and conflict reign supreme; life is threatened by violence and extreme aggression. It is only the state of society that guarantees stability and good life. For both thinkers, belief in immaterial spirits protects the state of society; belief in God promotes obedience to civil law and guarantees human co-existence. In Critias’ mind, religion is a necessary means to avert aggression, even when the State’s executive powers are unable to punish offenders, using all necessary tools to prevent hostility and conflict. While civil law is the hallmark of peace and stability, belief in a transcendent entity that influences collective and individual modes of living, is an important addition to the pursuit of social peace. A few centuries later, Hobbes (influenced by the misery of the English Civil War) developed viewpoints that also highlight the role of religion in defending social peace. Nonetheless, in Hobbes’ mind religion could safeguard stability only (A) when ecclesiastical authorities submit to the judgment of an omnipotent Sovereign and (B) when the coercive mechanisms of the State supress religious pluralism, prohibiting different interpretations of the Bible, which Hobbes himself considered one of the main causes of conflict.

God or good health? Evidence on belief in God in relation to public health during a pandemic

Religion has played a role in facilitating the coexistence of many people, hence making complex societies possible. Since secularization, its role has apparently become less important, even though crises tend to push people towards religion. Did a belief in God play a role in the public's behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic? The literature suggests that during a crisis more and more people find comfort in religion. Using data about the share of believers and the evolution of the contagion in three different sets of countries, by means of a quantitative analysis that employs hybrid models, we find evidence of a positive relationship between the share of citizens that believe in God and the trend in COVID-19 infections. This suggests that believing in God does not help the coexistence of a large number of people in this setting, and provides lessons regarding ways to implement stricter non-pharmaceutical interventions in these countries that will achieve better results.

Psychological change before and after religious conversion and deconversion.

Theory and anecdotal evidence suggest that people undergo psychological changes before and after religious conversion and deconversion. Yet, existing research provided inconclusive evidence. Here, we examined psychological change before, during, and after institutional conversion and deconversion in a large-scale longitudinal study. We used 11-wave longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of Dutch adults (N ~ 20,000) to assess changes in religious beliefs and practices, personality traits, and well-being before, during, and after conversion to and deconversion from Christianity. Converts (N = 181) increased in service attendance and prayer, but not in their belief in God, as they approached conversion. Deconverts (N = 450) declined in religious beliefs and practices before, during, and after deconversion. In terms of personality, converts displayed small, unexpected declines in emotional stability, extraversion, and agreeableness at time of conversion. Deconverts declined in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness at time of deconversion. Neither group showed changes in their well-being. The present findings suggest that psychological changes during religious conversion and deconversion are generally small and mostly manifest as changes in people's religious beliefs and practices. Findings are discussed in the context of person-religion fit, meaning-making, and sociocultural motive perspectives on religious change.

Constructing Reason

AbstractIn The Architectonic of Reason, Lea Ypi provides an illuminating and innovative interpretation of the Architectonic in the first Critique. Ypi argues that Kant’s project of uniting practical and theoretical uses of reason in a critical metaphysics ultimately fails because practical reason does not have its own domain in which to legislate. This article challenges Ypi’s objection to practical reason’s lack of a domain in the first Critique. Its main contention is that reason’s need for unity in legislation may be satisfied by a belief in God as a necessary practical presupposition rather than a dogmatic metaphysical reality.