daviddesteno.bsky.social
Psychological Scientist, Author, and host of PRX podcast "How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality." Studying the Science of Emotion, Morality, & Religion. Words frequently in NYT, WSJ, etc. https://davedesteno.com https://www.howgodworks.org
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Full episode here podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h... 2/2
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I wrote this to explain the science behind how faiths based on compassion and mercy can be twisted in ways that make people believe the message is authentically one of selfishness, with a nod to the ordo amoris debate. arcmag.org/is-empathy-f... @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social 2/2
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Episode preview here. We take a deep dive into why many men are feeling lost, why some are turning to Christianity for answers, and the benefits & dangers that can follow depending on the messages they receive. Great insights from Richard Reeves, @drmoore.bsky.social & Rasool Berry @aibm.bsky.social
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Preview here with @drmoore.bsky.social & pastor Rasool Berry. We take a deep dive into why many men are feeling angry & hopeless, why a growing number of young men are turning to Christianity, and the benefits & potential dangers that can follow depending on the guidance they get. @aibm.bsky.social
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We talk about this general idea in the episode, and how the idea of male dominance, as opposed to service, is a problem. And how religion done right & wrong fits into both.
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It’s kind of like the keva vs kavanah in Judaism. The prayers, the rituals, etc have a structure that is informative (and sometimes even onerous). The kavanah is the intention — feeling moved by the spirit. You need both to grow. One without the other can leave you flailing or disengaged.
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I think balance is the key. Spiritual experiences can give the spark/fire to be moved toward goodness, but they’re most effective when that spark is then channeled through teachings of virtue. But teachings alone can be dry and, as a result, fail to motivate people. 1/n
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But it’s also a view science has long avoided.
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Full panel discussion here m.youtube.com/watch?v=vlg_...
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None of this is meant as a criticism of @jayvanbavel.bsky.social and team’s work, which is a great service to this debate. Just a philosophy of science point that I feel applies to many situations similar to this one. 4/4
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But the consensus has to be calibrated to those who are very familiar with and have expertise in the relevant question/methods. And have humility about Truth (with a capital T) and realize what data show are what we know at the moment….3/n
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That’s because most hadn’t fully thought about and understood the nuances in new findings that contradicted him — findings which proved to be correct. It’s why I refused to accept consensus data as proof of validity. That doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful… 2/n
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This is an important point. When I was editor of Emotion, a very famous emotion researcher who was involved in a debate wanted me to publish a paper to prove his view was right. The support came from a survey of researchers in the field, and a clear majority agreed with him. But… 1/n
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Plus, diamond set ones seem to miss the point a bit. That extra money would be better spent doing God’s work in helping the poor.
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This doesn’t surprise me. It’s when Catholicism is treated as a thin label as opposed to a thick practice that it can most easily be co-opted by someone who acts against many of its teachings. It becomes an ideological label.
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We accept no tyranny or kleptocracy here in Boston!