Posts by glenster

67

Mental health crisis in America-

by moshe in

i found this mother's letter to be an eye opener--.

written by liza long, republished from the blue review.

friday's horrific national tragedy -- the murder of 20 children and six adults at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut -- has ignited a new discussion on violence in america.

glenster

"this i would believe more than what i would read on wikipedia"

I wouldn't:

"Second, there is considerable uncertainty whether schizophrenia without
substance abuse comorbidity is actually associated with violence. Large
prospective and case-control studies have found no or only a weak association."
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=183929

Individuals with severe mental illness including schizophrenia are at a
significantly greater risk of being victims of both violent and non-violent
crime. On the other hand, schizophrenia has sometimes been associated with a
higher rate of violent acts, although this is primarily due to higher rates of
drug use. Rates of homicide linked to psychosis are similar to those linked to
substance misuse, and parallel the overall rate in a region. What role schizo-
phrenia has on violence independent of drug misuse is controversial, but certain
aspects of individual histories or mental states may be factors.

Media coverage relating to schizophrenia tends to revolve around rare but
unusual acts of violence. Furthermore, in a large, representative sample from a
1999 study, 12.8% of Americans believed that individuals with schizophrenia were
"very likely" to do something violent against others, and 48.1% said that they
were "somewhat likely" to. Over 74% said that people with schizophrenia were
either "not very able" or "not able at all" to make decisions concerning their
treatment, and 70.2% said the same of money management decisions. The perception
of individuals with psychosis as violent has more than doubled in prevalence
since the 1950s, according to one meta-analysis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia#Violence
Footnote 132
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000120

67

Mental health crisis in America-

by moshe in

i found this mother's letter to be an eye opener--.

written by liza long, republished from the blue review.

friday's horrific national tragedy -- the murder of 20 children and six adults at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut -- has ignited a new discussion on violence in america.

glenster

Despite public or media opinion, national studies have indicated that severe
mental illness does not independently predict future violent behavior, on
average, and is not a leading cause of violence in society. There is a statis-
tical association with various factors that do relate to violence (in anyone),
such as substance abuse and various personal, social and economic factors.

In fact, findings consistently indicate that it is many times more likely that
people diagnosed with a serious mental illness living in the community will be
the victims rather than the perpetrators of violence. In a study of individuals
diagnosed with "severe mental illness" living in a US inner-city area, a quarter
were found to have been victims of at least one violent crime over the course of
a year, a proportion eleven times higher than the inner-city average, and higher
in every category of crime including violent assaults and theft. People with a
diagnosis may find it more difficult to secure prosecutions, however, due in
part to prejudice and being seen as less credible.

However, there are some specific diagnoses, such as childhood conduct disorder
or adult antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy, which are defined by,
or are inherently associated with, conduct problems and violence. There are con-
flicting findings about the extent to which certain specific symptoms, notably
some kinds of psychosis (hallucinations or delusions) that can occur in dis-
orders such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder or mood disorder, are linked
to an increased risk of serious violence on average. The mediating factors of
violent acts, however, are most consistently found to be mainly socio-demograph-
ic and socio-economic factors such as being young, male, of lower socioeconomic
status and, in particular, substance abuse (including alcoholism) to which some
people may be particularly vulnerable.

High-profile cases have led to fears that serious crimes, such as homicide,
have increased due to deinstitutionalization, but the evidence does not support
this conclusion. Violence that does occur in relation to mental disorder
(against the mentally ill or by the mentally ill) typically occurs in the
context of complex social interactions, often in a family setting rather than
between strangers. It is also an issue in health care settings and the wider
community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder#Perception_and_discrimination

67

Mental health crisis in America-

by moshe in

i found this mother's letter to be an eye opener--.

written by liza long, republished from the blue review.

friday's horrific national tragedy -- the murder of 20 children and six adults at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut -- has ignited a new discussion on violence in america.

glenster

"And then there are the video games."

Whoa. Ease up.
http://www.freewebs.com/glenster1/index.htm

Controversies over video games center on controversial content of video games
and effects that video games have on behavior.

Video games have been studied for links to addiction and aggression. Before
this[when?] meta-analyses were conflicting. A 2001 study found that exposure to
violent video games correlates with at least a temporary increase in aggression.
A decrease in prosocial behavior (caring about the welfare and rights of others)
was also noted. Another 2001 meta-analysis using similar methods and a
more recent 2009 study focusing specifically on serious aggressive behavior
concluded that video game violence is not related to serious aggressive behav-
ior in real life. Many potential positive effects have been proposed. Recent
research has suggested that some violent video games may actually have a pro-
social effect in some contexts, for example, team play.

It has been argued[by whom?] there is generally a lack of quality studies
which can be relied upon and that the video game industry has become an easy
target for the media to blame for many modern day problems.[ The most
recent large scale meta-analysis, examining 130 studies with over 130,000 sub-
jects worldwide, concluded that exposure to violent video games causes both
short term and long term aggression in players and decreases empathy and pro-
social behavior. However, this meta-analysis was severely criticized in the
same issue of the same journal for a number of methodological flaws, including
failure to distinguish clinically valid from unstandardized aggression measures
and for failing to solicit studies from researchers who have questioned whether
causal links exist, thus biasing the sample of included studies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_controversies

46

THIS MAN proved that God exists and he did it effortlessly!

by Terry in

meet a really smart fellow named anselm 1043--1109 a.d.. .

he was elected abbot in lombardy in 1078 a.d.. .

that than which nothing greater can be thought exists in the understanding.

glenster

Ontological arguments don't require all beneficence. They should exclude it
if taken to require that He have us all live in heavenly circumstances forever
and we don't. Still, you can believe in life or not and a God that presides
over it or not and reckon on the possibility. Otherwise evil partly gets into
human free will and whether or not this God should provide that.

Atheism is rejection of belief in God or gods, similar to rationalism defined
to mean focus on only the known proven things, not a belief, although atheists
may be better or worse at rationalism--getting the facts right--and may believe
other things. Agnosticism leaves the possibility of God open. Belief can be
understood for God as beyond the known things while staying up on the known
things or not.

46

THIS MAN proved that God exists and he did it effortlessly!

by Terry in

meet a really smart fellow named anselm 1043--1109 a.d.. .

he was elected abbot in lombardy in 1078 a.d.. .

that than which nothing greater can be thought exists in the understanding.

glenster

"This is the kind of statement that sent me towards math and science rather
than religion or philosophy."

I don't think the perspective I intend should be any affront to someone who
doesn't care for religion or philosophy (although aversion to all philosophy
could obviously lead to problems whether you believe in God or not).

I enjoyed math and science in school and read the latest science news.
In understanding faith as such, as a hope for a possible God beyond the known
things, I'd also recommend keeping up with the known things God is possible
beyond (liberal not conservative stances on various issues--evolution, rights
and regard of women and LGBT people, etc.).

Understanding it as a possibility, not a proven, also means there shouldn't be
harm over it. Arbitrary hurting and killing are sadism and murder, and 'centric
intolerance by some of either choice about faith have caused the most harm on
the issue. Claiming proof of either stance can lead some to make either law of
the land with punishments, which is institutionalized 'centric intolerance.

An analogy I make is with music, the known things being like the objective
math of the music and faith or not being like subjective reactions beyond it
with no one obliged to anyone else's subjective reactions. Get the known things
right or you'll play off the beat and hit wrong notes. Not wanting final arbi-
ters of taste requiring subjective reactions is like wanting separation of
church and state. We can't objectively prove someone else has to have the same
subjective reaction so shouldn't be 'centric and only have friends with the same
likes and dislikes in music.

I've enjoyed math and science, but can love writing and listening to songs,
too. In this perspective, atheism, rejection of belief in god or gods, is like
someone not liking a song another likes to me, not a difference in acceptance of
math and science. Misinformation with those come with the sort of conservative
stances I referred to which I'd discourage as harmful to the God concept and
people.

46

THIS MAN proved that God exists and he did it effortlessly!

by Terry in

meet a really smart fellow named anselm 1043--1109 a.d.. .

he was elected abbot in lombardy in 1078 a.d.. .

that than which nothing greater can be thought exists in the understanding.

glenster

I understand faith or not in a possible God.

"Anselm's argument was not presented in order to prove God's existence;
rather, Proslogion was a work of meditation in which he documented how the
idea of God became self-evident to him."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontological_argument#Anselm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proslogion

PS: it's brought up in chap. eight of Adler's book.

16

Having It Both Ways

by Perry in

i posted this 10 years ago.

here is an updated version fresh for the 2012 holidays :.

1. jehovahs witnesses claim to have no clergy and hence are supposed to be totally unlike christendoms' rulers who get special reverence and lord it over their brothers.

glenster

The GB can read research material to (mis)use for their articles meant to
show the best evidence and reasoning supports their distinctive policies/rela-
tively distinctive policies distinctively taught. Followers shouldn't--it's
apostate material (and they'll realize how it's been misused).

This quite naturally seques into:

Followers who persist in disagreeing with any GB distinctions are to be
shunned.

6

your definition of "world" and "christendom"

by Honeybucket in

what does the bible actual refer to when it states "world".

i really hate the society's use of "worldly" and use of "christendom".

in fact i hate all things that put others in a bad light and demonize them.

glenster

"Worldly" in the Bible
http://glenster1.webs.com/gtjbrooklyn5.htm
Christiandom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christendom

View of the GB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of02afJDBLQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsuk9S0XknE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KJrfHxOL-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BeHi7ajJYY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We%27re_Only_in_It_for_the_Money

8

Man In India Facing Jail Time For Debunking a So Called 'Miracle'

by brinjen in

so this statue of jesus appears to be weeping which brings in the flock.

parishiners begin collecting it and distrubuting the water as 'holy water' and people drink it in hope it may cure then of their ailments.

man investigates and discovers it is actually coming from a leaking sewerage pipe.. in exchange for telling this, he is now being charged with blasphemy... for intruding on the church's right to believe that it's holy water... gimme a break.

glenster

I don't want anyone hurt or killed over such things, either, but I'm pretty sure
you meant guiltless crime.

14

Saw this - It made me laugh, I hope no one is offended!

by cantleave in

actually i don't care if they are.....enjoy.

.

glenster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2J13fwi56w