Does Belief in God Decrease the Motivation to Pursue Personal Goals?
- Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:12pm by
Billy Hallowell
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The majority of the world believes that a higher power exists. In fact, Dr. Kristin Laurin of the University of Waterloo in Canada, claims that 90 percent of people across the globe believe in the existence of “God or a similar spiritual power.” But how does that belief impact personal decision-making?
Laurin, who is the lead author of a new study published by the American Psychological Association about the impact that belief in God has on human behavior, claims that her research is unique in its findings.
“This is the first empirical evidence that simple reminders of God can diminish some types of self-regulation, such as pursuing one’s goals, yet can improve others, such as resisting temptation,” Laurin explains.
At the heart of the research was the quest to see what would happen when people were reminded of the concept of “God.” According to Laurin and her team, such a reminder can lead to a decrease in personal motivation to recognize one’s goals. While this will likely be seen as a negative, the study also found that a belief in a higher power can help people resist temptation — clearly a positive. Here’s a description of the study:
Despite the cultural ubiquity of ideas and images related to God, relatively little is known about the effects of exposure to God representations on behavior. Specific depictions of God differ across religions, but common to most is that God is (a) an omnipotent, controlling force and (b) an omniscient, all-knowing being. Given these 2 characteristic features, how might exposure to the concept of God influence behavior? Leveraging classic and recent theorizing on self-regulation and social cognition, we predict and test for 2 divergent effects of exposure to notions of God on self-regulatory processes.
After examining 353 college students (average age of 19), the researchers were able to explore how the notion of God — both directly and indirectly – impacts personal motivation. Rather than focusing solely on the religious, the study also looked at those who don’t embrace faith. ScienceDaily.com has an example of the tests that were employed:
In one experiment, engineering students completed a “warm-up” word task. They were asked to form grammatically correct sentences using four words from sets of five. Some students were provided either God or God-related words (divine, sacred, spirit and prophet), while the control group used more neutral words (ball, desk, sky, track and box). Next, each student had to form as many words as they could in five minutes, using any combination of specific letters. The researchers determined the students’ motivation level by the number of words they produced. The more motivated they were, the more words they produced. They were told that a good performance could help predict if they would succeed in an engineering career.
Weeks before this experiment, the students were asked if they believe that outside forces impact or have influence on their careers. These “outside forces” would include people, a higher power and other “beings” and would essentially account for anyone or anything exercising influence on the subjects’ careers.
The participants who said that outside factors (like God) may have an influence over their career success, performed worse than those who used neutral words. Among those who did not believe in the influence of outside factors on their career success, there was no difference.
Perhaps the notion that God will protect individuals and provide for them — something that is stated commonly in various faith systems — offers a level of comfortability in which people didn’t feel the pressure to push themselves so hard. In the end, while intriguing, this, of course, is only one lens into the impact that God has on personal achievement. Other studies may have different results and the explanations that add to understanding of this indicator are likely diverse.
For any critics who may assume that the study paints a negative view of faith and religion, another experiment that focuses upon temptation paints a different picture. Among participants who said that eating healthy food is important to them, fewer cookies were eaten after reading a short passage about God when compared to those who read a passage unrelated to a higher power. Considering that faith often inspires personal restraint, this is an intriguing finding.
According to researchers, the level of personal religious devotion didn’t have any impact on the outcomes in any of the experiments. These results, among others, were published in the online version of the APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
(H/T: Science Daily)
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Comments (179)
stpppim
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:08pmAyn Rand presents a very interesting point of view that everyone should try at least to understand.
Report Post »http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/mysticism.html
“Mysticism is the acceptance of allegations without evidence or proof, either apart from or against the evidence of one‘s senses and one’s reason. Mysticism is the claim to some non-sensory, non-rational, non-definable, non-identifiable means of knowledge, such as ‘instinct,‘ ’intuition,‘ ’revelation,‘ or any form of ’just knowing.’” http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/mysticism.html
Only three brief periods of history were culturally dominated by a philosophy of reason: ancient Greece, the Renaissance, the nineteenth century. These three periods were the source of mankind’s greatest progress in all fields of intellectual achievement—and the eras of greatest political freedom. The rest of human history was dominated by mysticism of one kind or another, that is: by the belief that man’s mind is impotent, that reason is futile or evil or both, and that man must be guided by some irrational “instinct” or feeling or intuition or revelation, by some form of blind, unreasoning faith. All the centuries dominated by mysticism were the eras of political tyranny and slavery, of rule by brute force—from the primitive barbarism of the jungle—to the Pharaohs of Egypt—to the emperors of Rome—to the feudalism of the Dark and Middle Ages—to the absolute monarchies of Europe—to the modern dictatorships of Sovie
PATTY HENRY
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:20pmGOD made each one of us for a reason. GOD is the great CREATOR. GOD loves hard work. GOD loves persistence. GOD knows that it’s only through Hard Work and overcoming problems that we grow character. LIFE is all about growing Character…knowing GOD and growing Character.
Report Post »I don‘t think bleeding hearts know they are doing Satan’s work. I think politicians who promise food stamps and free housing etc. aren’t helping anyone…they are just buying votes. Let’s look at PERRY. I don’t think he was just buying votes with the Hispanic Kids of Illegals getting tuition in Texas, on one hand he’s right about not having a derelict generation…but!!! HE missed the boat by a mile. A real program would have offered tuition money in exchange for work! That work can start in 10th grade. Working with younger students, cleaning class rooms, etc. THIS could/should work for all kids (legal/illegal) IF you want to earn tuition to college, then come and work and earn points towards tuition. ANYTHING but ” here is your loan or here is your $$ “…that‘s where CAIN works for me and PERRY doesn’t. GOD wants our UTMOST for HIS HIGHEST. AND, HE has provided the HOLY SPIRIT to help us. Our sins were paid for by JESUS CHRIST, our role model. Make fun of it at your own peril. Try it – it will change your life. IT changed mine.
Ruler4You
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:20pmDoes Belief in God Decrease the Motivation to Pursue Personal Goals?
Can’t be. There isn’t more than a handful of God believers in the “occupy” crowds and NONE of them are doing anything productive for more than a month. Must have gotten your facts crossed
Report Post »Iclonic
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:45pmThey’ve done a study of religious people in the Occupy movement? He is providing a…from what I see, and unbiased explanation of human history….and he’s right.
I thought this was a very constructive comment. :) l
Report Post »HappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:55pmWow, for a guy trying to come off as some kind of objectivist historian, you’ve sure got a lot of context completely wrong. I suggest you keep Rand’s powerfully explanatory economic theories and run with them, but leave her stubborn Atheism where it belongs–it requires both history-distortion and truth-wrangling in order to arrive at its philosophy. The Greeks were pugilistic pantheists who believed in Olympus and 4 elements, the Renaissance was the time of witch burnings and auto-da-fés, and the 19th C was a mixed bag at best (4 revolutions within a century in France, Karl Marx, and Colonialism just to name a few). VERY interesting that you AVOIDED the Enlightenment, by the way. The important thing YOU should at least try to understand is that faith is NOT anti-scientific. In fact it proceeds by hypothesis testing just as science claims to do. When you act as if doctrine is true, the objective AND subjective proof of its goodness, of the results it claims to produce, becomes apparent to you via your experimentation.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:58pmWhat an idiot, the strength to do it comes from there. The persistence to do it comes from there, The fact that you are here to pursue anything comes from there. Leave it to a liberal to come up with crap like this, see who he call for as his miserable live comes to an end.
Report Post »Witness1974
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:19pmStpppim–Like many of those ignorant of Christianity you seriously misread and misrepresent its nature. Furthermore to reduce human existence to what can be taken in by the senses and reasoned by our less than perfect capacity to reason is to eventually condemn yourself to relativism. Our senses are seriously limited by what we can take in and our reason either doesn’t work well or depends exclusively on what we suppose at the beginning. You also make the mistake of thinking you and Ms. Rand are the only smart people in the room. Why don’t you do some research and start compiling a list of believers throughout history. You’ll find that it will contain some of the most brilliant minds in history and a great many geniuses studied the scriptures exhaustively and scrupulously.
Unfortunately, you also lump revelation in with intuition and instinct. On the contrary, the revelation of God both in nature and in His written word generally run counter to our instincts and intuition. But to make a long well studied story short, there is an historical figure named Jesus who claimed to be God incarnate. I will give you the same challenge I was given over 35 years ago: “Read the Bible so you know what you are talking about,” the whole thing, cover to cover.
Perhaps if you‘re honest you will come to see how limited and weak is the naturalist’s point of view. The basic question is, what do you do with the man Christ Jesus?
Report Post »stpppim
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:28pm“Faith” designates blind acceptance of a certain ideational content, acceptance induced by feeling in the absence of evidence or proof.”
Report Post »“Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life. Redeem your mind from the hockshops of authority. Accept the fact that you are not omniscient, but playing a zombie will not give you omniscience—that your mind is fallible, but becoming mindless will not make you infallible—that an error made on your own is safer than ten truths accepted on faith, because the first leaves you the means to correct it, but the second destroys your capacity to distinguish truth from error.”
“The alleged short-cut to knowledge, which is faith, is only a short-circuit destroying the mind.”
AR
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/faith.html
Islesfordian
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:37pm“This is the first empirical evidence that simple reminders of God can diminish some types of self-regulation, such as pursuing one’s goals, yet can improve others, such as resisting temptation,”
Wow, so in effect, if resisting temptation is seen as one of one’s goals, then believing in God merely raises the importance of one set of gaols over another.
Astonishing study. Whatever would we do without such academic inquiry?
Report Post »getalong
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:40pmGod and success go together.
Report Post »Vixvenom
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:43pmYou’ve just shown us, through historical examples, exactly what the bible says….the world and God are not compatible. Forget God and worldly treasures abound. Think on Him, however, and watch how the devil reacts…..NOTW.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:45pmInteresting point. But still and individual.
Report Post »stpppim
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:47pmOriginal sin = eating from the tree of knowledge.
Report Post »Have faith, don’t try to understand. Surrender your mind, sacrifice yourself. Don’t think. Just believe, believe, believe, believe, and believe. Give up. Give in. Your life is not important. You are flawed. You are bad. Reason is you enemy. Your mind cannot be trusted. Only your spirit is important. Rewards are to be reaped after you are dead. Come follow me.
stpppim
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:56pmTreason = individualism
Report Post »You are nobody without us, do try to think on your own. Surrender your mind. Sacrifice yourself. Don’t think, just feel, feel, feel, feel, and feel. Give up your body. Your individual life is not important. You are nothing. Only the collective is important. Rewards are to be reaped by future generations. Come join the collective.
OKC08GT500
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:03pmDon’t take the Mark.
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:28pmHistory is broken into 2 basic camps, spiritual and mysticism. The 2 are not co-equal. One is of God, the other is of the devil. Better expressed as man created in Gods image, and man trying to create himself to be God. Life came down from Heaven by the Grace of God, or, man is trying to toss God from His throne to BE God.
People should take the time to learn the Torah (generally the Mosaic books/creation) and the Tanakh (often used lazily to include the Torah). The Torah preceded the captivity of Babylon and Egypt (second captivity). After the captivity there is a major shift in visionary writings because of the influence of the mystery religions that had pervaded both Babylon and Egypt. Some claim that the Kabbalah is included back to the time of Abraham but I personally doubt it and question the loose adaptations placed on it. Alchemy finds its roots in the mysticism of Kabbalah which gave rise to secular humanist ideals, and even agnosticism/atheism.
The people infesting places known as occupiers are at best mystic followers who wouldn’t know God through Jesus Christ if He walked up and announced Himself to them.
Anyone ever wonder about the lyrics from Joni Mitchell famed Woodstock song, We Are Stardust, We Are Golden? It’s Kabbalah mysticism, and the theme of what the entire movement then, and this one represents. These people are trying to create themselves to be God, rather then the created thing.
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:37pm@STP
Report Post »Knowledge without wisdom and true insight into one’s own action is why the world is in the place it is. Knowledge alone is equal to someone being book smart, but has no common sense. You know like you and BHO
HappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:51pm@ STP. No believer defines faith that way. Rand is right about the concept she’s discussing, but she misnames the concept. Her argument is flawed because she begins with the false premise of what she believes faith to be. The concept of faith does NOT denote what she claims. there’s no mindlessness in faith, no surrender of reason. It denotes a process of willful testing of verifiable and repeatable results. Think past your own dogma, friend. But I count it a win that at least you’ve stopped trying to be a historian…;-)
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:02pmAyn Rand, Dorothy Day, Margaret Sanger. Three peas in a far out perverted pod.
Sorry Glenn, and others, but the infatuation with Rand is misplaced. Forget that she wrote a book, and look at her life. She lived for Entitlement Socialism until the day she died. Good old Alisa Zinovievna Rosenbaum, was a fraud (Rand was the brand name of her typewriter). Just like Margaret Sanger, and almost as pathetically despot as Dorothy Day.
Report Post »tjorhom
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:39pmHow come all the great men in those periodes that caused a lot of the progress were CHRISTIANS or religious in some way?
Report Post »garyM
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:09pmJesus Christ and the New Testament presents much more than just an interesting point of view, God (Jesus) presents a Testament of how He created everything, the world, man, women and how the devil was once and angel in Heaven named Lucifer but was cast out of heaven because Lucifer wanted to be greater than God. Lucifer refused to submit to God’s control, His supremacy and His Love. Lucifer is aware of his destiny and he is a believer in God, even smarter than the atheist whom Lucifer controls. The devil is aware of his future and he is also aware that whoever refusing to accept God’s grace and mercy by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, His virgin birth, His death on the cross, His miraculous resurrection will bust hell wide open along with the devil and 1/3 of the rebellious angels while those who accept God’s free gift of salvation will dwell in Paradise (Heaven) with Jesus forever after their life on this earth or when Jesus returns whichever comes first for each individual!
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:22pmFools eat leavened bread washed down by bitter wine all their days, and to their own shame. In their gluttony they deprive themselves of an abundant life. I worked hard early in my life with the desire to become successful and attain a place. No matter how much I earned, no matter how much I had, there was never a feeling of satisfaction. Constantly chasing an impossible pipe dream. The hunger was never satisfied no matter how much was accrued. But when I became a man I put away childish things. The Lords Word was to eat unleavened bread, and to drink the pure and sweet wine everyday, and then on the 7th to feast. Now I never know a day that’s not full and more than I can consume on my own. I am satisfied, and where I closed my hand around “stuff” I am only to happy now to open my hand to give to others
Unleavened bread is the false doctrines of the world, and the worlds way to success and happiness. The bitter wine are the false spirits that cause us to fall away from God. They are Wormwood, and death.
The Word (Christ Jesus) is the unleavened bread, and His blood is the wine of salvation and sanctification. They are the Holy Spirit, and life everlasting.
Report Post »Pontiac
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 1:59amI’ll just leave this here
Report Post »http://i40.tinypic.com/2a810dg.png
Similarly you can replace religion with ‘voting for democrats’ on that chart.
They too are very much like a religion as they base everything on faith, feelings, and emotions.
The10thAmendment
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 8:33amUnleavened bread is the false doctrines of the world, and the worlds way to success and happiness. The bitter wine are the false spirits that cause us to fall away from God. They are Wormwood, and death.
—————————————————————————————————————————
My Oct. 28 11:22 post above.
That should have read LEAVENED bread is the false doctrines of the world, and the worlds way to success and happiness. The bitter wine are the false spirits that cause us to fall away from God. They are wormwood, and death.
Report Post »derp
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 8:02pmhttp://9gag.com/gag/403055?ref=fb-share
Report Post »MichaelP633
Posted on October 31, 2011 at 12:18pmBy filtering history one can invent support for any stupid idea.
Report Post »mountainmover101
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:07pmThe thing that fascinates me is the these researchers think their study has any validity at all. Psychology is a soft science. There are no absolutes in psychology because there cannot be. Psychological diagnosis and treatment is based solely on averages, statistics and guesswork. I personally know of many psychological misdiagnoses and incorrect treatments. I would think an educated person would view these results as mostly guesswork.
Report Post »circleDwagons
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:40pmi view it as a waste of time and money.. flawed experiments run by flawed people.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:54pmThe other issue is that they are forced to make a ton of assumptions. For one, it is not only possible but highly probable that because some words are more vaguely defined than others that using the words, divine, spirit, God, etc, could bring up a more complex time consuming thought process amongst the participants of trying to figure out not only what the tester means by those words but what those words might mean to the participant at any given moment. The bottom line is that these words can and do invoke some fairly vague perceptions and or conclusions in the average person’s mind.
For example is spirit a physical description or a spiritual description or a little of both? Easy answer you say? Or is it.
When a person says God is a spirit, are they talking about his physical makeup? Some say yes, some say no. Perhaps it means God is a spiritual being, and must be understood spiritually. And what does it mean to be understood spiritually?
Communications courses teach us that no two people understand things exactly the same way, because their experiences will always differ slightly.
The study is bunk and a general waste of time.
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 8:06pmPsychology and psychiatry fall in the world of metaethics and are remnants of Sophi remonstrations also associated with the likes of Plato and Socrates. The “supposed” critical thinking isn’t critical thinking at all. It‘s abject deference to anything that doesn’t contain moral absolutes. In other words, a cop out that’s known as moral equivalence. Truth is a “to be decided” on a whim daily according to the trend in sentiment.
Report Post »Tim Law
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 12:03amThe study is flawed in so many ways to begin with, it can not be valid on any level. Three hundred and fifty three 19 year old college students? How can you even think that many kid’s can give you an idea of how billions of people in the world might think? And then to say that 90% of the people in the world believe in GOD or a higher power. If that was the case the world would not be the cruel, immoral hell hole that has become. The world and this Nation are in decline because most people have become selfish and Godless. It is a sad truth. Faith in GOD Our FATHER and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST is the only way we can be saved. Pray for the world, Pray for our Nation, and Pray the the Good LORD has mercy on us all!
Report Post »Curious - Really
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:03pmJust read C.S.Lewis, “Abolition of Man.“ It generally speaks to this study and others like it and what he thinks the outcome of determining the ”nature” of man is leading to. He is dead on! We can still be forewarned. At the end of the book he is hopeful we can turn this around!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 9:07pmamen!
Report Post »gwssacredcause
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:02pmI wonder what the rsults of a study done by Dr. Laurin would show about the impact of big government on the motivation to achieve personal goals.
Report Post »klbrooks123
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:01pmChristians will soon standup, but it may be too late.
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:34pmthere is an old saying…
Report Post »“It’s never too late.”
kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:58pm[jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:34pm
there is an old saying…
“It’s never too late.”]
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins teaches that yes, it can become too late for some.
Report Post »Arcangel Michael
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:00pmJesus, I trust in You
http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/chaplethistory.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AySdEJx50Z0&feature=related
Report Post »PATTY HENRY
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:12pmIT depends upon how one group sees GOD. IF they see him as a mean dictator they will respond one way. IF they KNOW HE is a loving father, an amazing creator and the BIBLE is the “instruction Manual” then their shot at a happy, decent, successful life is about 1trillion times better than the first group.
Report Post »OF COURSE Satan is running around the world, trying to destroy GOD. Learning about GOD is probably the most significant thing any human being can do. GOD first and the rest comes. THIS life is a learning period. It’s only 1 miniscule part of Eternal Life. When you take the time to KNOW GOD, your life improves and the fear that Satan brings (all fear comes from Satan) won’t bring you down. Satan hates GOD, hates GOD’S CHILDREN (us), hates this world. Whereas GOD Loves us, loves this world, loves all creation. NOW can you figure out that Islam is from Satan? Look at their fruit.
garyM
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:58pmjb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:45pm
God gave us Free Will. that means something. it means this.
You OWN yourself. You are 100% in control of YOUR life.
Just curious jb, while God does give a person a free will to chose life or death, I would ask, “is there an eternal punishment for rejecting the grace and mercy that Jesus offers and is there any type reward in heaven for serving him? If we are in control, does anyone choose cancer, heart attack, car wreck, I don’t think so. Does all these things happen by fate? I don’t think so. While we don’t know why anything happens, to think that God is not in control of everything, is to not really believe in a Holy God and Him being who He says He is!
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:30pmi dont’ think you understand what Free Will means.
“If we are in control, does anyone choose cancer, heart attack, car wreck, I don’t think so. Does all these things happen by fate? I don’t think so. While we don’t know why anything happens, to think that God is not in control of everything, is to not really believe in a Holy God and Him being who He says He is!” – GaryM
besides the fact that Satan exists and has control over some…
to call God a control freak is just wrong. It is opposite of Free Will. Nature is nature… things DO happen because of Nature and not God or Satan. God created Nature but he does not “control” it on a day to day basis…
Report Post »To me, You are saying this,
It is like creating a programming language (.NET or something) and being responsible for all the viruses that were written using said language. Nature is Gods programming language and God is not “responsible” for all the “programs” which derive from said language. want proof? Monsanto. Genetic Engineering, etc… Monsanto creates new organic life daily using the laws of Nature. You are saying God is doing that? i say it could be Satan trying to corrupt a natural environment through these people, that is not God, it’s Satan… so Satan is in control of everything? No. you have FREE WILL to decide your paths.
jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:39pmbesides the fact that Satan exists and has control over some
i meant influence… not control…
Report Post »nonwinger
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 9:52pmJust curious why you and JB think that you have a Free Will. Do either of you have any evidence of this or is this just something you “believe” in? You both speak of it with such certainty that there must be something you can point to that proves your will is free from any outside influence?
Report Post »garyM
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 10:18pmWe have free will when if God allows it, The only time we have control is when God allows it. The only time the Devil has control is when God allows it. Having said that, God does allow us and the devil sometimes to do things as we have planned for a season. However all things work together for good for those who LOVE GOD and are called according to His purpose!
Report Post »Moozmom
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:55pmAre you kidding me? A “belief” in God is one way of saying it, but I prefer “knowing” God. Knowing God to me means that he is not separate from me, but lives through me-in my thoughts and actions. He has allowed me to raise two nice kids, to be a faithful employee for 45 years, to be an “A” student throughout my lifetime in all school situations, enjoy his garden of trees and grass and flowers, appreciate his animals, both human and other. He has advised me, literally, in times of distress. Yes, God will speak to you and does many times-please listen. Not only have I enjoyed His world here on earth, but look forward to His world in heaven and then in heaven on earth after Jesus returns. Knowing God allows me to know that I can give myself fully to all that is good-including loving this nation “under God” enough to give my life for Her. I delight in God and he delights in me and when you can say that, it is automatic to strive for the highest you can be here on earth.
Report Post »Tim Law
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 11:20pmAmen.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:52pmIt depends upon the Person! If you believe that God controls every result, you deny Responsibility. If you accept Responsiblity, you are Motivated to Achieve!
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:50pmIf you believe in the true and living God; you know, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit–then, yes; you are nothing but motivated to do your best so that one day, you are told “well-done, thou good and faithful servant.” Once you are in Christ, it’s pure motivation in every aspect of this life.
Report Post »Tradition Dies Here
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:50pmWell, its a fact that the wealthiest nations, with the highest rates of over all happiness, highest standard of living, etc, are the least religious nations in the world. US excluded.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:02pm[Tradition Dies Here
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:50pm
Well, its a fact that the wealthiest nations, with the highest rates of over all happiness, highest standard of living, etc, are the least religious nations in the world. US excluded.]
Thank you for the arse facts view of reality. Whenver we need a conclusion pulled right from somebody’s behind, we will think of you. You do it with such little effort.
Report Post »nealb4zodd
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:48pmThe opposite. – -It’s BECAUSE OF my belief in God, do i feel a sense to set goals and avoid idleness.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:25pmAmerica has a calvinist strain-material succes is a sign of being in God’s graces. Hence americans have always been concerned with material progress. The Puritan ethic of hard work and idleness as a sin to be avoided is engrained in our puritanical culture. Catholic countries and non puritanical countries are therefore more laid back.This explains in part our rapid climb in wealth and technology.Capitalism is an extension of this calvinist value system and the rest of the world is more naturally inclined to reject it for a more {catholic] socialism.Catholics are taught that our goal and reward is heaven and that the world is the devil’s workshop and a veil of tears and that material success does not count before God but rather a contrite humble soul and that life is a journey that Jesus calls us to make with Him till he calls us home.We are called to tread more lightly on the world.
Report Post »The Jewish Avenger
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:44pmI can think of a country full of Irish Catholics and Roman Catholics who’d like to correct you on that assumption. And considering that the liberal excuses (roll eyes) and some corrupt business owners (Not a lot of them, dont get excited LOL), they feel Mexican Catholics work hard but also will work for a lesser wage in order to make money to send to their families… this also includes South American countries that have a Catholic folowing. You may not agree with their belief or way of worship, But they beieve in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. and in this day and age, we need every “soldier” we can. So segregating Catholics as many Protestants and other relgions have lately I say SHAME ON YOU! We are all in this together. Its a shame that we allow the way of worship and how we believe get in the way of unifying our front against a unified meager 10%.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:59pmROSE- “ Hence americans have always been concerned with material progress”
Your socialist mind cannot comprehend the thought of individualism, can it?
Report Post »Each American is an individual, just as you are an individual who chooses to believe that he is part of a collective.I don‘t know if you’ve noticed, but the occupy folks around the world are screaming for material progress. As that is the inate paradigm of the socialists’ infected mind.
kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:05pm[rose-ellen (known troll and puller of facts from her arse has this to say)
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:25pm
America has a calvinist strain-material succes is a sign of being in God’s graces. Hence americans have always been concerned with material progress. The Puritan ethic of hard work and idleness as a sin to be avoided is engrained in our puritanical culture. Catholic countries and non puritanical countries are therefore more laid back.This explains in part our rapid climb in wealth and technology.Capitalism is an extension of this calvinist value system and the rest of the world is more naturally inclined to reject it for a more {catholic] socialism.]
My response, what complete and utter non-founded fresh and stinky horse craap.
Rose-Ellen is a laughable little twit. She makes me think of Tokyo Rose. She sounded so arrogant and all knowing, yet she was nothing more than a “useful idiot.”
Report Post »GeoffTN
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:47pmInteresting study, but the title question is really one of self-determination. I can determine to do what I want and work extremely hard to get there (been there, done that), but it is all eventual emptiness and never fully satisfying. To be directed by a personal relationship with a God who loves me and knows me intimately means that I can deal with anything that I believe He is leading me toward, using His Word as a defense against falsehood, blind ambition, or vain conceit. That said, no Christian should be of the mind that the government is his/her salvation or provider; that role belongs to God alone. And no Christian should settle for mediocrity, but excellence, if it is in his/her ability to do so. Find your destiny, and pursue it wholeheartedly under the realization that God is the one who enables us to accomplish anything. Aligning your will with His will may not produce worldly success, but it will allow you to stand in confidence at your choices,knowing that He is both the arbiter of all things and able to accomplish not a little, not some, but ALL that He desires. Like the song says ‘He is a good, good daddy and He’s watching over me…’
Report Post »wordweaver
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:41pmWell said.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:06pmOf course irish and itlalian and mexican american catholics-once assimilated adapt the dominant puritan ethos.[or even before they assimilate as they arrive here and realize quickly that moving up the economic ladder through work is part of the all american dream.I'm not denigrateing either protestants or catholics merely attempting a discriptive analysis that overlaps with this study of where belief in God correlates with material success
Report Post ».And I don't segregate catholics,protestants, jews atheists, muslims, hindus or anyone else. We're all in this together as brothers and sisters on earth. I treasure my gift of being part of the catholic Church. but every man is my brother and my solidarity is with all and everyone who is in need and with the least of my brother. We will be judged as individuals not as members of a group. Christianity when used as a foil against"others" is just another tribe -and we've had too much tribal conflicts. Christ calls us to be spiritual people -not to use Him as a slegehammer against others.That is a perversion of the gift of faith and a misuse of being part of the one ,holy catholic and apostolic church.Triumphalism does not become the followers of Jesus or His Church.My Christian faith is not merely a culture-though for too many people who use it as a foil against non christians unfortunately it is becoming that [just another us vs. them- tribe]
kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:11pmWhen I hear useful idiot Rose-Ellen speak, I don’t know whether telling her zeig heil will get her warm fuzzies going the best or calling her a faithful comrade. I do not that she is utterly and totally insane, in the sense that liberalism is a mental disorder and such. But man, she makes me laugh. As in that uncomfortable type laugh you get within yourself when you don’t quite know how to handle a person as insane as she is. Heh heh heh, sure Rose, whatever you say. Maybe Rose is her nazi self and Ellen is her communist self. Zeig Heil Rose, well done comrade Ellen.
Report Post »stockpicker
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:43pmFirst, 19 year olds don’t have enough life experience to make these definitive decisions. Secondly, try reading and understanding what Romans 1:18-23 is saying.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:05pmYou can do anything in this world that you want…but in the end…the only thing that will matter is if you served God, believed that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and that He was crucified for your sins, died and rose the third day and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, and have walked in a personal relationship with Him..
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 10:20pmDorothey Dey will be a canonized catholic saint one day[and my father knew her well by the way]
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 7:49amYour father knew Dorothey Dey well did he? Did he also teach you to spell the worthless POS’s name?
It’s Dorothy Day.
She may well be canonized but that doesn‘t change the fact that she was a worthless communist who doesn’t even make decent fertilizer. If the Vatican does canonize her, I will repent of my Catholic religion for the simple reason that it will prove the evil of the Church leadership and the progressive worship of Lucifer.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 6:20pmTokyo rose-that hackneyed phrase is all you got-as the OWS-fill up with tokyo roses bringing you to the kowledge that your puritanical- if your rich you must be good-work till you drop -inversion of christianity married to the greedy wallstreet money makers getting rich off of other peoples labor-needs to give way to the european enlighenment.Your provincial americanism needs to catch up woth socialist democracies where universal health care ,free education, a shorter work span and a guaranteed living wage or income correspond to authentic christianity and an enlightened ethos.
Report Post »And the seig heils hurled at those who don’t go along with your antisemitic media campaign[against muslims this time] just shows how angry you are that your media campaign is failing. The wars are winding down-kadaffi was killed by his own,and those arabs are rising up inspite of us. You don’t hurl seig heils to the OWL cause you know they would be in your face telling you that as AMERICANS they side with the Occupied Palestinians too. You don’t want THAT on your anti muslim genocidal media outlets hence you go soft on them .You don’t want them exposing YOU as the 21stc nazis that you are[aginst muslims this time].In spite of the anti jewish outbursts you cower before that movement as they are AMERICANS who have not bought into your propaganda. You‘re angry that your campagn against muslims is failing but you’re cowards before the OWLwho have come to bring socialsim, and parliametary democracy
jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:43pmI did a study, for 30+ years, called observation.
Report Post »this is what i found, people who believe in a higher power, survive longer, are self reliant and overcome anything.
those that don’t, tend to give up and release all self responsibility to the government.
i’ve had people tell me that their rights come from the US Government…. which means they believe that they are slaves. no mortal can give or take away rights of another mortal, that is slavery.
kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:15pmI am mostly with you but with one provision. It applies to those that believe in a basically good higher power.
For example, if you were the sort that believed in a God with all your might, but you concluded that your God was a vindicitve SOB and you were ok with that, then those sort end up owning mobile homes in a trailer park.
If however your sense of higher being is fair, honest, trustworthy, just, loving, etc, and you believe that is the way a God should be, then indeed, you will go far in life and even farther in the eternities.
Report Post »The Jewish Avenger
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:41pmReally? really… we have OWS and were asking if following God makes us lazy? Wow…
So the only potential successful people in world are atheists and homosexuals? Wow…
Well ok ya if I wanted to be on the cast of Glee or any leftist liberal campaign and suck the life out of the countries coffers ya I can see that…
But I was thinking more of an honest days work for an honest days pay…
“Considering that faith often inspires personal restraint, this is an intriguing finding…”
Wow, first time knowing this huh? Thank the government on restricting spiritual enlightenment as a public knowledge.
And my favorite part:
“They were told that a good performance could help predict if they would succeed in an engineering career.”
So that would be like… “if you are really good to me sweetheart, someday I‘ll make sure you’re a star…“ maybe the engineering students that had spiritual faith said ”uh huh” to themselves after they heard that crap and just did it with discouragement because you were caught on a lie. Really? Better chance of getting the job? Were you hiring? Are you a placement group? No. They must’ve WTF at that point. While the others zombied up and panicked and concentrated harder on a useless test.
But I digressed
Lets get to the point of this test:
90% of the world who believes in God or a higher power, therefore, only 10% employable.
So that means to rest of us, 10% of world should be thoroughly considered before we send
Report Post »PPMStudios
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:51pmWell played! Can’t disagree with what you said.
Report Post »G.E.R
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:39pmIt’s great to able to blame something else rather than accept responsibility.
Report Post »AnAppealToGod
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:43pmLet’s face it. Without God we would have no morals. So yes, it would be a lot harder to pursue your goals. Unless your goals were to make as much money as possible and sleep with as many women as you possibly can.
Report Post »Obama_Sham
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:06pm“and sleep with as many women as you possibly can”
I am far from sleeping…
Report Post »G.E.R
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:22pmSince only faithful followers have those called morals you mentioned. How do explain the scandals that rocked the megaschurches and the catholic church. You know the ones! They involve sex with their brother’s wives, homosexual meth dealers, and having sex with underage children.
Report Post »AnAppealToGod
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:04pmThat doesn’t say anything about belief in God. That says evil can exist anywhere and in anyone.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:21pm[AnAppealToGod
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:43pm
Let’s face it. Without God we would have no morals.]
Yours seems to be a simplistic approach. I believe in God but I also believe that as long as an intelligent person exists they can be wise enough to develope at least a weak moral system.
The higher the individual intelligence, the better moral system they would be able to come up with.
Of course some woudl say that God created the intelligent person in the first place. However, since this is a mental excercise, I would have to conclude that morals and the degree to which an intelligent person hits upon the correct one stems from the degree of intelligence that that person has.
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:27pm[G.E.R
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:22pm
Since only faithful followers have those called morals you mentioned. How do explain the scandals that rocked the megaschurches and the catholic church. You know the ones! They involve sex with their brother’s wives, homosexual meth dealers, and having sex with underage children.]
“Faithful followers” don’t do the things you said. And atheists are known to do just as many evil deeds that you listed, if not more, than do members of various churches. Especially when it comes to mass murders. Atheists are the very worst.
BTW, numbers wise, the number of child molestation cases are no higher in the catholic church than any other group of people. If you had brains you would understand that.
And since Christ stated that he came to call the sinners to repentance, that means that those that convert obviously come with the baggage of various sins. Those that successfully repent of their sins will always be better off for doing so.
Report Post »GETLIFE
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:35pmHow about asking successful people about their religious beliefs?
Report Post »rfycom
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:43pmBeing the most successful person, and I might add, the most handsome stud muffin on this thing I am happy to tell you. I am a non believer.
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:04pmI’m not going to disclose how much i paid in taxes last year…
i believe in the Almighty God.
i didn’t graduate high school, i got my GED in 1 day.
i dropped out of college in the middle of my courses because i wrote a piece of software in my free time and it sold…
you can go out to bars, you can sit around with your friends, you can do nothing… or… you can choose to sacrifice “fun” and better yourself… make your choice.
if your parents didn’t teach you to teach yourself and question everything, then they have failed as parents.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:59pmThumbs up to JB.KIBS
Post of the day !!!!!
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:33pm“Does Belief in God Decrease the Motivation to Pursue Personal Goals?”
No, but it sure defines the morality of how you pursue those personal goals!!
Report Post »Canyonman5555
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:30pmBull hockey ..Christians persecution is everywhere, every aspect of life and every direction.
2 Timothy 3:1-5, 10-14
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…. And from such people turn away!
“…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned …”
Revelation 2:10-11
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Report Post »HappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:39pmHoly gaping design flaws, Batman! You’re SERIOUSLY going to gauge the motivation level of believers by WORD GAMES? How about testing how motivated they are to attend Sabbath services? Spend time on scripture study? Service? And what the NATURE of God they believe in is hard to average as well. Some theologies are more deterministic than others. Kind of a big part of your question, no?
Report Post »Social sciences have a long way to go toward actual honesty in investigating serious questions.
zorro
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:49pmHappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:39pm
“Holy gaping design flaws, Batman!”
Awesome.
Report Post »goatrope67
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:52pmYou sir are blinded by the news. Christians are not persecuted. Christian organizations are free and unfettered to do as they please even being granted immunity from paying taxes. Every corner of nearly every city in this country has some form of worship center dedicated to Christianity. You think because some Atheists ask a cross to be taken down that you are persecuted? When was the last time you were whipped in public either physically or verbally for your beliefs? When was the last time you walked into a store wearing a shirt with a saying from your religion on it and were chastised? You sir are not of a persecuted religion. You are of a ideological belief system that has led you to believe that Christians are being persecuted.
Report Post »Canyonman5555
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:30pmPersecution comes in many forms my dear goatrope67. Since you know nothing about me and make a generalize statement. Yes, I have been attached because I am a Christian in this country and I have been laughed at , scorn, chatised and spit upon by anarchist that exist locally.
per·se·cu·tion /ˌpɜrsɪˈkyuʃən/ Show Spelled[pur-si-kyoo-shuhn] Show IPAnoun 1.the act of persecuting. 2.the state of being persecuted. 3.a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs: the persecutions of Christians by the Romans.
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:58pm@Canyonman5555
Report Post »Posted on October 28, 2011 at 3:30pm
‘…because I am a Christian in this country and I have been laughed at , scorn, chatised and spit upon by anarchist that exist locally.’
***********************
That’s funny. I would have paid to see that.
kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:38pm[goatrope67
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:52pm
You sir are blinded by the news. Christians are not persecuted. Christian organizations are free and unfettered to do as they please even being granted immunity from paying taxes]
Leave it to an idiot liberal to count how persecuted a person is based on how they are taxed. Liberals truly are morons at heart.
Obviously persecution comes in varying degrees. And that over time the amount of persecution varies.
Jews were persecuted for a time, then not, then again. Same with Christians.
Liberals certainly have a stick up their behinds about Christians in America. Obviously liberals are willing to take away your freedom of speech using such lame rationale as their very poor understanding of the US constitution for example.
Time will tell to what degree Christians will end up being persecuted. And obviously one needs a proper historic perspective. And we still have the future, which eventually will become history.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 12:01am@Baiknour
Here’s something we can all laugh at, and for free. One of your previous posts.
Baikonur
Posted on August 30, 2011 at 12:29pm
“Blazers, especially the female contingent, wake up and smell the roses–Nancy Pelosi is an accomplished, wonderful, intelligent woman. She was the highest ranking woman in politics ever. She is a sucessfull businesswoman and a champion of women’s rights. She is Italian-American, a mother of five children and a grandmother of eight.
Glenn Beck is a washed up ex-alcie shock jock who had a flash in the pan career on Fox, which is over.
Who would you prefer as a role model for your daughters and granddaughters?”
That’s funny stuff right there.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:28pm.
Does Belief in God Decrease the Motivation to Pursue Personal Goals?
No it encourages and enables one to excel in life…………..
Report Post »Katydidnt
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:27pmFor me, knowing God has motivated me to do things I never would have done. “I can do all things through Christ” was extremely helpful, when I had no faith in myself.
Report Post »Bullfrog85
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:27pmPeople of faith put just as much effort into goals. Their just happen to differ from earthly success.
Report Post »Bill Wallace
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:22pmI will say…chicken and egg.
Religion does seem to appeal to more of those without things.
And those without are usually without because they don’t put in enough effort.
And once they have religion, they then put focus on other things…instead of successful living of this life.
And they can rely on the State and the welfare of the church.
So it is kind of a cycle.
Report Post »VTDave
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:42pmI will say…… what you just posted is a load of crap…..
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:45pmGod gave us Free Will. that means something. it means this.
Report Post »You OWN yourself. You are 100% in control of YOUR life.
garyM
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:47pmReligion is a term that is used to describe a person’s thought system in who and what they think is their God. Christianity is a person‘s belief and communion with a Holy God and although sometimes it’s consider one of many religions, it is not. True Christianity and honor and devotion to God and study of His Word as a good steward will put a person’s short journey on this earth into prospective. Knowledge of truth in God gives freedom to a person up to love, have peace, knowing a Holy God is in control of everything. Belief in God will result in a person following laws of the land not because there is an earthly penalty but because it is pleasing to God. If the law of the land conflicts with God’s moral law the Christian is not required by God to follow that law. Belief in the one and only true God will inspire a person to help others and not be a liability on society. Christianity is the substance that built a great nation like America and without God we will fail! As one of our past presidents said, ” unless the Lord builds it, they labor in vain”!
Report Post »HappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:11pmYou’re right about Pagan religions. Their philosophy is that things are out of their hands, they are not responsible for their own actions, and the capriciousness of the gods, or spirits, or what have you is the cause for whatever effect they desire, so the only work necessary is pleasing the right deity. Christianity, on the other hand, teaches there is a final judgment, that what you do here MATTERS, which is why Zorro is 100% on target: when you are accountable for whatever test God sees fit to fill you life with, you can rise to the occasion and become as He would have you be, or fail by your own choices. p.s. It’s a completely predictable phenomenon that rich people would feel more self-sufficient and less reliant on God. Doesn’t make it any less of an illusion that the final judgment day will dispel. What’s that passage about it being harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than a camel to pass through the eye of a needle?…
Report Post »kmichaels
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 6:42pmWhat you are describing is democrats in general. Yes, they really are losers generally speaking. And generally speaking, their God tends to be government.
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on October 29, 2011 at 8:26am@ HappyStretchedThin
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 4:11pm
———————————————————————————————————————————
You completely butchered the camel idea. The Hebrew lexicon, and the representation of pictographs are often needed to discern parables. Camel/gamol/gimmel/gam represents an unwashed (awakening newborn Spirit) but growing child (shown by kneeling beside a pool). A person becoming “gamar” (perfected) thru barakhah (washing with soap) by the Word of salvation.
The camel becomes the person seeking repentance kneeling beside the “eye of the needle” (one of the Gates of Gods Holy City), but not yet perfected. Refining gold.
Rich man described in that passage describes a man who’s god was mammon (money). Gold that will never be refined, or fools gold.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on October 28, 2011 at 2:21pmNO!!!! no
Report Post »