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A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry found attending religious services
regularly prevents depression. The controlled study, conducted by researchers at the University
of Saskatchewan, monitored approximately 12,600 people between 1994 and 2008. It found "Significantly
fewer monthly attenders (sic) reported having episodes or a diagnosis of depression. This
... suggests a protective effect of religious attendance."
People from all faiths were included in the study, but 80% of the subjects were Christian.
According to Marilyn Baetz, one of the researchers, the lower incidence of depression in people
who attend religious services regularly may be because they live healthier lifestyles
. . . display more altruism, which is linked to health benefits; and that regular religious
activity furnishes feelings of wellbeing.
Unfortunately, there are no similar results for those who claim to be spiritual but not
religious. Attendance at religious service is countable, but spirituality is not.
Baetz warns "there's no guarantee that any individual will benefit from religious attendance,"
and religious attendance cannot be prescribed as a cure for depression. However, the study
shows that there is an "unmeasurable" aspect of religious attendance that benefits worshippers.
. . . "From the believers' perspective, they have recourse to divine assistance (even a
personal relationship in Christian traditions) and thus are less likely to feel alone with
the vicissitudes of life."
Third District Judge Denise Lindberg in Salt Lake City is frustrated by the length of time
she has spent trying to settle a dispute among disaffected members of the Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the Utah-Arizona border. Some relief came
on April 12, when Utah filed a plan for appointing a board of trustees that will turn homes,
land and farms owned by a polygamous sect into private ownership.
It will not be easy to finding trustees willing to get involved in distributing or redistributing
land among groups already affected by defections and split loyalties; and it could take until
the end of this year to appoint trustees and begin to settle the disputes.
One FLDS member, LeRoy Stubbs, "describes the split between members and ex-FLDS members
as 'like the Sunnis and Kurds' of Iraq" and "residents say assigning property to individual
owners is crucial to resolving the conflicts" between FLDS groups in Hildale, Utah, and
Colorado City, Arizona.
The Russian Orthodox Church has posted a speech delivered by head Patriarch Kirill (pronounced
Cyril) that proclaims "feminism is dangerous". Kirill delivered his archaic doctrine in front
of a women's group where he stated that men "must work, make money -- and women must be
focused inwards, where their children are, where their home is".
The ultra-conservative leader thinks that the homeland itself would be destroyed by
the "pseudo-freeedom" that feminism apparently provides. Kirill is a close ally to President
Vladimir Putin. The two men were highly critical of the all-girl rock band *** Riot. Infidel
viewers may remember the band had been charged with "hooliganism" for their boisterous "punk
prayer".
Two of the band members remain locked up in a particularly brutal Russian prison. Kirill
once called Putin's rule over the Russian people a miracle of God. Kirill's delusional
philosophy pleases Putin who is calling for the church to play a larger role in the country.
In the process of taking the country even further back, Russian lawmakers recently gave
the go ahead for legislation that could make offenses against religion punishable by up
to five years in prison. This dangerous idea is eerily similar to other blasphemy laws
being enacted around the Muslim world.