Spiritual Support For Atheists

Some individuals find a sense of comfort in practicing religion that they cannot find elsewhere. Additionally, religious events can be a source of social interaction and the basis of some friend groups for some individuals. Also, some individuals feel as though they become better people as a result of practicing their religion and worshipping God. Despite the resources the worship requires, some individuals find fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment from doing so. Not all individuals view worshipping God as an opportunity to deprive them of a high quality of life on

5. James Dao, “Atheists Seek Chaplain Role in the Military,” New York Times, 26 April 2011, accessed 14 May 2016,

The most fundamental law of all thought is the law of non-contradiction. As with the other laws of logic, the law of non-contradiction is self-evident–you can’t prove it, you just know it. In fact, the laws of logic are the tools of thought that allow you to learn everything else:

McMinn’s book is an excellent tool for Christian counselors, secular counselors and other professions who actively engage in helping people. It is also an essential tool for those who are seeking an understanding of the integration of spirituality, theology, and psychology. In addition, it is crucial to recognize the array of both personal and professional challenges that Christian counselors encounter when integrating an interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary approach.

The benefits of religious counselling is it’s proven efficacy Nathaniel (2005) that illustrates clients as experiencing a greater feeling of closeness within the

This study evaluated the interaction effect of organized religiosity, non-organized religiosity, and intrinsic religiosity on general mental health and depression. In a random stratified sample of 1000 participants from Alabama counties those who scored high in all three dimensions of religiosity reported fewer depression symptoms and better mental health.

Eighteen options were offered as choices for this question, excluding the categories of atheist and agnostic. The responses to each category have not been captured in the survey results, owing to certain privacy concerns. However, the percentage of none as a choice was calculated from the annual survey results. Moreover, the sample for this question excluded the Californians after 1997.

But for many communities, social support, networks, demographics of the area, and daily activity also determines spirituality and life satisfaction. The study by Park, J., Roh, S., & Yeo, Y. (2012) states that social factors; social support; and family had significant influence on religiosity and life satisfaction. Patricia Wilkerson also found out that in the African American community, other social conditions and economic situations also affect life satisfaction. Health conditions limit activities which might in turn affect happiness and spirituality. Other factors included family structure (widowed, living alone etc.) and income (fixed income) (Wilkerson, u.d.).

Hope Haslam Straughan Within the social work profession, there is a growing movement affirming that spirituality and religious beliefs are integral to the nature of the person and have a vital influence on human behavior (Hugen, 1998). Canda (1988) identifies spirituality as a basic aspect of human experience, both within and outside the context of religious institutions. If a social worker is going to approach a person in a holistic manner, he or she must be willing to consider each person as a wondrous compilation of bio-psycho-social-spiritual elements. In this way, workers will have an extremely broad base from which to approach the strength and resiliency in the people with whom they interact.

Well, even though there seem to be a lot of empirical precedents that suggest a “positive association between religious involvement and beneficial outcomes, existing outcomes research in faith-based settings have treated the faith in faith-based services as a contextual factor rather than a programmatic one” (Ferguson, Wu, Spruijt-Metz, & Dyrness, n.d.). According to Fisher and Ragan (2003 & 2004), there are multiple studies conclude that faith-based services are effective, yet relatively few aim to identify the specific faith components related to successful outcomes . It is crucial for us to operationally and conceptually delineate what the faith

Atheism is disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods, they reject religion as apart of not only a rejection of ignorance, but also a rejection of their religious family and association of religion itself, says Catherine L. and Caldwell-Harris who are published in the Department of Psychology for Boston University, Lesley College,University of Haifa, and Trinity College. This is a stark contrast to theism, which is the belief in god and is the case for many Americans. This demographic is about 83% of America’s population, according to the most recent census. About 16% of the population, or about 34,169,000 people are of an unaffiliated position, which would include Atheists,

The bible states that Christians are supposed to love and help each other at all times so I find myself always helping people in need. Also, on the political end, religion has strongly influenced which party I vote for. In my life, religion affects the way I look at life, communicate with others, spend my time, and how I act. My faith has shown me evidence of the resilience I’ve had towards the inherited oppression in my life. I am now more compassionate and have a lot more empathy towards different ethnic and racial backgrounds which has allowed me to have more humility and empathy in my social work practice and relationships.

The support services that can be beneficial for Kesha is joining a religious based women’s group that can attend and relate to other women. Stanley, Bush, Camp, Jameson, Phillips, Barber, Zeno, Lomax, and Cully (2011) reveal that individuals who attend forms of religious/spirituality coping organizations, have lower stress/depression, less mortality, and higher health benefits. By offering a facility that aims towards women and incorporates Kesha’s religious beliefs, it can reduce her anxiety and depression, have a support groups, and use her religion as a treatment.

A 10-year study from the Journal of Family Practice, “found that 83% of the studies done on spirituality found a positive effect on physical health, 92% showed mental health benefits, 4% showed neither a positive nor negative effect and 4% showed harm” ("Spirituality and prayer," 2012), and in these studies spirituality was measured by participation in a religious ceremony, social support, prayer and belief in a higher power. Research among women diagnosed with breast cancer show that “prayer was associated with improved psychological well-being” ("Spirituality and prayer," 2012) and that high religiosity was linked to much lower levels of depression.

In the article, “On Being an Atheist”, H.J. McCloskey discusses the reasons of why he believes being an atheist is a more acceptable than Christianity. McCloskey believes that atheism is a more rational belief versus having a God who allows people to suffer so he can have the glory. He believes to live in this world, you must be comfortable. The introduction of his article, he implements an overview of arguments given by the theist, which he introduces as proofs. He claims that the proofs do not create a rationalization to believe that God exists. He provides 3 theist proofs, which are Cosmological argument, teleological argument, and the argument of design. He also mentions the presence of evil in the world. He focuses on the existence