Religious Analysis Paper—Psychology of Religion.

 

 

Demographics:

 

1.Age?

A) 25

B) 21

C) 62

D) 20

E) 24

2.Gender?

A)     female

B)      female

C)      female

D)      female

E)       female

 

3. Occupation

A)     I work in a drug store/full time student

B)      Day care worker/full time student

C)      College professor

D)      Child care worker/full-time student

E)       Full time psychology student, hoping to graduate in December.

 

4. Parental education?

A)     Both parents college educated

B)      Mom- finished high school, some trade school….dad—high school, some college.

C)      Dad- masters work in education…mom—college, she was a teacher

D)      Mom—A.A….Dad—high school, some college.

E)       Both were high school

5.Raised in church?

A)     yes.

B)      Yes.

C)      Yes

D)      Yes

E)       Yes, after 5 years old

6. Denomination?

A)     United Methodist

B)      Baptist

C)      Baptist

D)      Baptist, then switched to Presbyterian

E)       Baptist

 

 

 

 

I.    Religiousness and Orientation

      

 

 1. Do you believe in God?  [establishing belief or lack of belief in a deity]

             b. What is the nature of God, in your opinion? [Verbit’s doctrine and content of their doctrine.]

A)    No…actually, let me revise that. I don’t deny that there is a God, I just don’t believe in him, like as my personal savior and all that. Nature of God? Somebody had to make all this nature stuff, I guess…God made the world and then…dunno. Pretty much left us to fend for ourselves.

B)     Yes. [nature of God] God is an all  powerful being and he’s involved in every aspect of our lives.

C)    Yes. [nature of God] God is the spiritual creator of the universe…he, it, she…I don’t think God is anthropomorphic but I do believe that God is the creative urge in the universe and we are created in his image, her image, and that we are part of the mind of God and we have possibilities to create, discover, think…just because we’re part of that image.

D)    Yes [nature of] I try to think of God as our friend. I know we’re supposed to be in fear of him, be in awe of God, but I see him as somebody who’s really loving and is looking out for us instead of being up in heaven with a lightening bolt waiting to strike us dead when we do something bad.

E)     I do believe in God, yes I do believe in a higher power. [what do you think God is?] well, growing up I was taught the basic, fundamentalist Christian belief, trinity, Jesus was God in the flesh, you know. I was saved when I was 8, but it was limited, everyone else was getting saved. I do believe in a higher power, and I still believe in Jesus and the questions on the CF scale, but I can’t discount other religions as false. If someone of another faith practices that faith wholeheartedly, God will honor that.

 2.  Who are you in relation to God? (child, servant, part of…) [Verbit’s doctrine and centrality of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       doctrine]                                      

A)    hiding in a corner.

B)     I’m a child of God.

C)    Child, it’s a fatherly, motherly guide and I’m the child.

D)    I’m his child

E)     A child of  God

  

  3. Are we allowed to question God?  [freedom of choice]

A)    I think so

B)     I think you have to, in retrospect, you know, in order to affirm your beliefs or re-examine them, you know in case you change your beliefs.

C)    Oh I think so, sure!

D)    I think so, I’ve just decided to realize that, especially last week when Cedric died, we went to the memorial and Dr. Pratt said it’s ok to question God right now, and why this happened, and I think that’s ok, God understands that we’re human and we have questions about hard issues in life.

E)     I would say…I’ve been taught that you don’t question God, everything has a purpose and you don’t question God. I guess I’d say you do because that’s human nature, to question why and what. It’s a natural human condition, especially in tragedies, or why do people harm others. Sometimes I feel like, because the way I was brought up, I feel guilt when I do.

  4. Do you think questioning is beneficial or harmful to your religious experience?  [their view of God, doubt, to see if they have an “absolute” opinion (“you must not question!”) or a more quest-type view (“it may be both…”) ]

A)    it should help it because you have to examine and get to a deeper level. [have you questioned God?] Oh hell yeah.

B)     I think it can be beneficial because in the end you end up learning something about yourself and your beliefs. [do you think it could be harmful too?] well, it might be harmful to your overall beliefs…harmful as in you may not believe what you used to, you know, or you might be led to believe something that might not be beneficial to you, could be harmful to you. Just like any decision you make can be harmful {laughs} as well as beneficial.

C)    I think it makes you think through some things that you believe, or doing. And if you don’t question I think you’re a robot. A parrot. Something of that nature.

D)    I think it’s beneficial, I do believe that God has a plan. I believe in predestination, I believe that he knows everything that’s going to happen in everybody’s lives, and so I know that he has a plan, but still you’re human and you have questions and you want answers, but you  know, I know he’s going to answer it in time, so I think it’s beneficial.

E)     I guess it’s both…it’s both, and then it’s neither. We have to go thru questioning in order to discover new ways of thinking and maybe possibly have more religious experience by questioning. I don’t think questioning is a bad thing, it’s a part of growing, you know, cognitively and spiritually. It’s more positive than not.

  5. Do you go to church or attend a religious ceremony on a regular basis? Why or why not? [to establish intrinsic vs. extrinsic, Verbit’s: ritual, community (frequency and intensity of those components as well) ]

A)    Not if I can help it. [why not?] I despise religion. [is there anything specific about religion that you don’t like?] the hypocrisy is a big thing, it’s not all of it, but it’s a major thing.

B)    Not as much, I was more regular when I was younger. Ever since I got to college it’s been off and on. [any reason you stopped going as much?] oh, because I work on Sunday mornings at another church.

C)    Yep. [why?] well, I think it’s part of my spiritual development as well as my own expression of faith. I like the group relationship with other persons of faith who encourage me or teach me, or give me something to bounce off of sometimes {laughs}. When I can see that I don’t really like what they do, then I can have some options. And when I like what they do, feel comfortable with it, then I have another option.

D)    Yeah. When I’m at school I go here, when I’m at home I go to my home church. [do you go to the same denomination here as at home?]  yeah, yeah. Same denomination.

E)     I would not say a regular basis, right now. I’m still a member of the church, and I go on and off, but since the last several years I’ve had a lot of questioning and my church going is sporadic. I’m trying to figure out what I believe, not my mother, or Joe blow down the street.

 6. Do you read any kind of sacred text like the bible or Koran on a regular basis? [Verbit’s Doctrine, Knowledge…]

A)    No

B)     {laughs} not as much as I used to

C)    well…more on studies, than daily bible reading sort of thing. If I’m going to present a speech, or some kind of message, and biblical record, the bible, has something to enlighten…certainly…I voraciously read it. but there are also some other persons I’ve read. I really appreciate people like  Simone Wiles, who was kind of a Jewish mystic, back earlier in this century. I appreciated  her writing, it’s given me a lot of insight. People like Hildegarde of Bingen, and others. I think these have given me some real insight into spiritual relationships and beliefs and all that, that I just can’t get anyplace else.

D)    No, not as much as I should {blushes and giggles} I used to, but I don’t anymore.

E)     No, I own several bibles, but they collect more dust than anything else {laughs} and I guess because of my upbringing I would say I’m not too proud of that, but no I don’t read my bible, and I really don’t know anything about other sacred texts.

 7. What is the purpose of reading sacred texts? Is one more valuable than another?  [Intrinsic vs. extrinsic, Verbit’s doctrine, emotion, ethics and how central/intense/frequent these components.]

A)    when you need help from praying, he might refer you to a passage in some way, and he might expect you to gather from that passage what you should do.

B)     I believe that when you read the bible you learn things and you can take examples from the bible and apply them to real life situations. [do you think the bible is more important, than say, the Koran, or any other sacred book?] well for me it is, but in respect to other religions it’s important to them.

C)      Well, I think the biblical record probably is more, to me personally.

D)      I think it’s just to get closer to God and to understand his will for us, like what he wants us to do, and that kind of thing. [bible more valuable?] well, I think it’s more valuable to Christians, but that’s just because it’s what we’re supposed to go by, I guess if I was a Muslim I wouldn’t think that, but I think it’s more valuable than most because I’m a Christian.

E)       Well, uh, the purpose…I guess for one to find meaning. The meaning of life, to find a purpose. A lot of the passages in the bible, like in psalms and proverbs…to everything there is a season, you know. There’s a lot of comfort and wisdom in the parables and teachings of Jesus. Trying to love others, forgive, make peace with yourself and others and not have a chip on your shoulder. There’s a lot in the bible I don’t understand, I think a lot of it is symbolic.

 8. Is going to church or reading texts important to you?  How so ~*or*~ Why not ~*or*~ Why is it important to go, read, pray? [belief, practice…are they critically determined and accepted, or done as “duty”?]  

A)    no.

B)     {was answered in the previous questions}

C)    yes

D)    yeah, I think so because…for sure, like going to church, because being with other believers, I think, is an important part of being a Christian.

 9. Do you believe in an afterlife? What is the nature of the afterlife, what is it in your opinion? [intrinsic vs. extrinsic; Verbit’s doctrine, emotion, knowledge, ethics; peace of mind—psychological wish fulfillment?]

A)    oddly, yes. There is definitely a hell {laughs}and a heaven I guess. {what is the afterlife in your opinion? What’s the purpose of heaven and hell?] I guess it’s to separate those who believe and serve God from those who don’t.

B)     uhm hmm. [what is the nature of the afterlife?] to me I think that it’s becoming reunited to God, you know, a heaven kind of a thing.

C)    I think it’s going to be a spiritual relationship with the creator, total. Part of that creative urge of the universe, if you want to call it that.

D)    Yeah. [nature of afterlife?] well, I’ve always been taught that either you go to heaven or you go to hell, but I kinda have a hard time believing in hell, it’s like I think a lot of people that aren’t Christians or whatever live their hell on earth. the way that I see God, is I see him as a very loving God and everything I’ve read and everything I’ve learned my entire life is that he is a very loving God who is looking out for his children, and I just don’t see how he could send someone to hell. And then there are people who have never heard of God, and that’s not their fault, like people living in far away countries, live out in the wilderness, I mean is he gonna send them to hell just because they don’t know him and stuff? I definitely believe in heaven, but I’m not real sure about hell.

E)     That’s one thing that I really don’t know for sure, and again belief is something that you believe it or you don’t. if I believe it I believe it, it’s not something that I question. I’d want to believe in it, but I’m not…I dunno, I have mixed feelings, it’s like how do we know? It may be like eternal sleep…I don’t know. Ideally, I would hope there would be. Hopefully it would be individualized.

10. Does your relationship with God change your potentials in the afterlife, such as heaven vs. hell, karmic retribution, re-incarnation, etc.? [doctrine, Psychological appeasement vs. mature religious sentiment, adult thinking vs. concrete-op fairy tale]

A)    certainly. [it’s rather interesting that you say you don’t really believe in God or religion, yet you believe in hell and self-identify with those who are supposed to go there.] I’m weird, I’m sick. {laughs}.

B)     Yes.

C)    Like buttering God up? {laughs} I think we create our own hell…to tell you the truth. Or it’s imposed upon us, but uhm…I don’t try to be good, I’m not way down there in Lawrence Kholberg’s levels of whatever, development {laughs}I don’t be good just so I can go to heaven, that’s not the motive, I don’t think.

D)    I think that once you’re saved you’re always saved, but I also think that you should try to better yourself every day the best possible way that you know how, the way that God would want you to live. [so you wouldn’t see “eternal security” as a loophole to be exploited, that you can do what you want and have a get out of hell free card?] {laughs} no, I don’t think so, nuh-uh.

E)     Uhm , I’d say no because I’m confused. As far as my Christian upbringing, you have to believe it, but I’d say no…I don’t know.

11. Do you ever doubt the existence of God?  How does that make you feel? [freedom to question? (mature religiousness—Allport); feelings—fearful? At ease? Critically determined? ]

A)    I don’t really care enough to be certain certain that there is one or there isn’t, it’s just kinda who cares? {laughs} [how does that make you feel?]  I should feel empty and all that, but I don’t. I’ve been made to feel a certain way by church people and all of that.

B)     Yes I have at times. [feelings?] it makes me feel hopeless. A lot of that was dealing with death [a fear of dying, or…] fear of dying, worrying about dying.

C)    Nope. Even when my parents died, I just thought it was part of on going, it’s not the end.

D)    No. [and you feel comfortable with that, that makes you happy?] it makes me happy to know that there’s somebody that’s bigger than all of us looking out for us. It comforts me to know that. I hope that, definitely, I mean I believe that, but you know people that don’t believe in God, I’m like “don’t you want to believe that there’s something greater out there than you and me, that’ll be looking out for us?” you know?

E)     [you’ve mentioned having doubts about God, and what is true. How does that make you feel?] frustrated. So many people have a strong religious belief, and I think that they’re more grounded, maybe they have figured it out or maybe what they think just works for them…I guess I feel frustration because I haven’t come to the point of one religious viewpoint and say “this is it, I’ve figured it out” and I don’t think I’ll ever come to that conclusion, I’m more inclusive to all of humanity…

12. Who has the final say as to what’s right or wrong if you run into a tempting situation: do you consult a minister? Read the bible, Koran, etc.? Use your own judgment? [Intrinsic vs. extrinsic vs. quest; Mature? Dogmatic? Critically determined?]

A)    my own judgment is pretty good. I have a terribly guilty conscience so I haven’t done a lot of stuff just from the feeling that I’d feel guilty forever and ever. My guilty conscience is my God, in a way. Not really my God, but you know.

B)     {laughs} usually I use my own judgment, sometimes I do ask friends. Usually when I get into a situation, I hear what a minister has said, in my head, that I’ve remembered. [so your judgment is made up of your past experiences with religious beliefs?] uhm hmm.

C)    Probably all three. Starting with myself, because I’m old. {laughs}I trust me, I’m a lot of things.

D)    Usually my own judgment, which comes from what I believe, and what I’ve read in the bible, and what I’ve learned and stuff, you know, I know right from wrong. So it usually just comes from my own judgment.

E)     It would be ultimately me. I suppose in the past I might would have had more conviction to say “this isn’t what God would want” but I don’t know…with the way I conduct my life, it’s more what I want, my own values even if it isn’t Christian oriented.

III.             Religious Experience

 

1.      Have you ever had a religious experience? If so, “draw me a picture” with words, what would it look like? [To find subjects view of the numinous…what are the words they choose to describe religious experience? Are their elements conventional or post-conventional? What symbols, if any, were used?

A)    No [what do you think religious experience means to other people?] probably like a time they knew God existed, they felt God was with them to get them through something major, I guess. I don’t really understand it, it’s too abstract I guess. I guess that’s my problem with it.

B)     I think it’s more of a feeling you have, getting closer to God. I’ve felt that when thinking about what God means to me and what I’ve been taught. When it all came together.

C)    I think it’s everyday, there’s a kind of revelation, a progressive revelation. I’ve never had anything like the road to Damascus slap me in the face and said Whoa, hold on! Not at all, but I have felt the presence of God, encounters with spirit God. [if you had to draw a picture with words…?] satisfaction, peace, a peaceful feeling that God is in his heaven and all is right with the world, you know? Robert Browning.

D)    Like? [something that just felt different to you, like…] yeah, I have. [ok, draw me a picture, with words,  what that experience was like] I was about 7 or 8 years old and one night I just woke up in the middle of the night and was really scared and thinking what if I died tomorrow, would I go to heaven or go to hell…because that was when hell was a real place to me. So I was like crying and you know, I just felt something was pulling on my heart, you know, and so I talked to my mom about it, I woke her up in the middle of the night and she said well, maybe you should get saved or whatever…that’s when we were Baptists, so we brought the preacher to my house and I got saved and baptized and I just knew that was the right thing to do, like I just felt different, you know I’d never woke up in the middle of the night like that before. [so the preacher came over in the middle of the night and baptized you?] {laughs} no, no he came over the next night, and then they baptized me like two weeks later.

E)     There have been times in my life…I was in church, it wasn’t very positive. I was in a Baptist church and there was a person playing an electric guitar down the street and it came through the P.A system with the preachers speaking in church. I thought it was like Satan incarnate or something. {laughs} the sound came through the speakers of the church, and everyone was taken aback. I started having a panic attack, and felt warm, and I can’t say that it was a peak experience or whatever, by in the context of it…I burst out like a Pentecostal or something, and I was afraid people were going to say “She’s a witch! She’s a witch!” you know. It was embarrassing, but it was like something came over me or something, it was like I felt something on me, some evil presence or something. In the context of church it seemed religious, anywhere else it would’ve been a panic attack I guess.

2.      What circumstances prompted religious experience?

A){No answer}

B) to me it could be by yourself, you could have an epiphany or it could be in a certain setting. It all depends on different things that interplay, you know, but mostly it’s coming to your own understanding…that’s what I believe.

C) when I realized that my children were growing in their understanding and began to question and then decided, each one of them, and then my grandchildren, two of them, were seeking a relationship with God. What I would see, now you wanted a picture, was people reaching out with their hands saying “help me, lead me, I’m coming. And I need you.” In all of those situations I felt like there was a connection between the spirit world and this one, in all those relationships.

D) [do you still have religious experiences now?] I do, like, I’ve never spoke in tongues or anything like that, I don’t really believe in that, but like I’ve had experiences where I know God is telling me something, like I’ve heard this little voice in my head and know it comes from God, but never freaking out in the middle of the night. [what circumstances do you think prompt religious experiences now?] well, a lot of I think, back then I was really scared ‘cause we went to this Baptist church and they were all talking about hell, and you were supposed to burn, and you know, I was really scared. I think that’s what prompted me like that then, and I still think a lot of religious denominations scared people into getting saved.

E) (mentioned the panic attack as a type of circumstance leading to religious experience.)

3.      Explain what you think the significance of religious experience is, if anything? [Again, to see thinking patterns…will they speak of rules or concepts if they equate it to their religion? Conventional or post-conventional?]

A)    {no answer}

B)     I think, from my perspective, that you have to have those experiences to more or less affirm what you believe. Also, to give you some type of understanding. You always have to gain from situations.

C)    Connecting with God.

D)    I think God speaks to people in different ways and I think it’s just Gods way of talking to us and getting us to wake up, but I also think little things can happen in life and their Gods way of speaking too. You know, like somebody dying, or you know, something like that that gets you to think this is God trying to tell me something.

         E) [do you think there’s any significance to that religious experience,  or the fact that you chose that example as a religious experience, one you’d labeled negative?] I would say yeah, it ties into my confusion I guess. After that experience it was difficult to go to that church because they would be a lot said. It kind of made me not want to go back to church, I had been classically conditioned not to go to church. I would consider it a peak experience on a negative extreme. I see God in a more naturalistic way…the universe, the trees, the flowers…we’re all connected.

 

IV.           Mental Health

 

 

1.      In times of crisis, what role if any, does your religious belief play?

A)    not really any. My upbringing, my parents…I was raised in a church and so at the root, that kind of stuff is the basis of how I make decisions.

B)     Well {laughs} when I haven’t doubted God’s existence, it’s definitely been  a comfort to me and knowing I believe more firmly in things I was once taught. Having that faith and taking that hope and getting thru these situations. Knowing if someone dies that they are a Christian and their in a better place. One death that I went through, I just had a hard time for a long time accepting that it happened and you know where would they be and stuff. It gave me hope that I would see that person again.

C)    Oh God, how did I get here? It starts with that, or Why me! And then I think it goes into a kind of trusting, hoping, asking for peace and understanding. Kind of a process.

D)    My religious belief plays a big role when there’s a crisis, you know I start asking “I know that there’s a plan, but why did this happen?” I just have to look to God for peace in crises like that.

E)     I guess the old cliché this too shall pass, or to everything there is a time for everything and every purpose under heaven.

2.      Is God obligated to help, or is it just extra grace when he helps?

A)    I don’t think he should help me, because I don’t acknowledge him, but other people who pray and all of that, I think he is kinda obligated to help them. They serve him and all, and believe in him and all. He should in some way, help them back in return. {laughs} it’s the least he can do.

B)     I think he has his hand in things, so he does help, that’s part of his plan for our lives. But, in a way it is grace, you know.

C)    Yeah! Yeah…Created me, certainly ought to take care of me. I hope so, it’s part of the faith.

D)    I don’t think he’s obligated to do anything. I just think he has this amazing grace and he chooses to give us grace and things like that.

E)     I suppose when we’re in a rut, it’s natural to call out to him. [do you think he has to answer you?] no. [when do you think he chooses to step in?] I don’t really know that. I guess I’d say, if I believed he would intervene, he would, because that’s my belief. It’s like prayer, it can’t be tested, but if you believe it’ll happen…, for them it’s real. It’s all according to perspective, but I’d say no, God isn’t obligated to do anything. I think we’re responsible a lot of times, like drinking and getting sick, then you want to ask for help. If you believe, it snowballs and manifests itself.

3.      Is therapy ok, or should one rely totally on God?

A)    they’re both good. Sometimes you actually need medicine, like for depression…God ain’t gonna give you Prozac. {laughs} do what you can with God, then you need to go to a doctor, doctor. Go to therapy.

B)     It might be for somebody who questions his existence. I don’t think you can move to a religious area of therapy unless the person has some kind of idea what the religion is. There’s all kinds of therapy, and unless a person knows who they are, you know, you might not want to share religion.

C)    Therapy…yes.yes yes. But God too.

D)    No, I think therapy is good, ‘cause some…you know people need another human to talk to in a lot of cases. You can talk to God and that kinda thing, but not everybody can find peace like that. Perhaps you need another human to talk to and get therapy from.

E)     I definitely believe in therapy, definitely yes. People need people…I think Dr. Massey sang that in class one day. I think God is important, but God isn’t tangent, you need to see another person in the flesh. It’s difficult when we’re isolated from other people.

 

 

 

 

Any comments or anything you’d like to add?

 

A)    I want to make a disclaimer and say that I’m sorry if I offended anyone by my flippancy about this entire interview. [I explained no one would know who said what, except me, and I wasn’t offended.]

B)     None.

C)    Nope.

D)    No.

E)     I don’t particularly like labels, but if people asked me if I considered my self a Christian I’d say no, not in the traditional sense, but maybe in the most liberal sense. I haven’t thrown out all I grew up with, but again, I can’t say I am either because there’s too much discrepancy. I don’t really have any knowledge of other faiths to glean from, so I don’t know. Like Paloutzian said, whatever you believe, stay true to that because it’s unique to you, regardless of what others think. That’s my view.