In Reply to: Re: Deadly Doctrine posted by Yvonne on May 11, 2005 at 10:39:58:
Bravo! Really nice analysis!
Some people think that religion is by definition extrinsically motivated. By contrast, spirituality by it's nature is intrinsically motivated. A particular form of "faith" that is shared with others spans the boundary between religion and spirituality. Faith is also differentiated from belief, inasmuch as faith can be defined by a spiritual relationship while belief is primarily about ideas, propositions, and concepts.
The "intrinsic/extrinsic" model of faith & belief also is linked to the concept of "psychological locus of control". People who have an internal (intrinsic) locus of control are generally healthier than those with an external (extrinsic) locus of control.
One could argue that people with an extrinsically motivated belief system never take ownership of their inner life and sense of self-efficacy and that this disempowered stance with regard to the mind/body is a basis for poor health.