Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id FAA16776 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 21 Feb 2002 05:53:28 GMT Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 00:48:19 -0500 Subject: Re: Words and memes Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In-Reply-To: <p0432041ab8978c914379@[192.168.2.3]> Message-Id: <9BD317A6-268E-11D6-8ECB-003065B9A95A@harvard.edu> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.481) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Wednesday, February 20, 2002, at 11:44 , Francesca S. Alcorn wrote:
> Would it be ethical to identify a population which has a high level of
> conversion (prison for example?) and measure the D2 receptors levels to
> establish a baseline and then do a followup a year or two later with a
> matched group of convert/nonconverts?
Gack, it's bad enough these guys were forced by circumstances to turn to
the salvation of some religion in the first place rather than be offered
the solace of science and skepticism....
Anyway, it's _mostly_ the social cohesion benefit of religious
organizations that is the benefit making any inroads to improving health
(regardless of the poorly designed and instituted studies proclaiming
these benefits), not the tangential fact that one might be trying to
find some way to believe in a supernatural being of indeterminate form
or substance because otherwise some fellow inmate would be poking things
up places the sun don't shine.
The community itself is the key, not the transcripts of the meetings.
And _any_ community would serve.
We've just happened to formalize upon religious communities for this
service, since charity is close to them.
What's more interesting in prisons is why so many turn to religion. Why
is it perhaps one of the only roads available?
- Wade
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