Attitudes of Catholic and Protestant clergy on euthanasia and abortion

This study analyzes the attitudes of a random sample of Cleveland clergy toward: (1) acceptance of euthanasia; (2) the establishment of legal guidelines; and (3) the similarity between euthanasia and abortion. Although the clergymen find active euthanasia highly unacceptable, they expressed a definite ranking in priority of the different circumstances under which passive euthanasia would be acceptable. The clergy tend to oppose legalizing euthanasis, and indicate their fear of potential abuses. More than their Protestant counterpart, Catholic clergy significantly oppose any statement linking euthanasia and abortion. Clergymen who define their role as purely spiritual in nature tend to express greater disapproval of the three issues.Dr. Lazerine obtained his Ph.D. from the same department. The writers gratefully acknowledge the support of the Office of Research Development at Bowling Green State University and the College of Arts and Sciences. This paper was originally presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, New York, August 1980.     

A Study of Pastoral Care,Referral, and Consultation Practices Among Clergy in Four Settings in the New York City Area

Clergy (N = 179) in the catchment areas of four hospitals in New York and Connecticut were surveyed about their pastoral care activities. Factor analysis revealed two separate sets of problems presented in pastoral counseling, with respect to clergys ratings of their competence to address them. The first factor included grief, death and dying, anxiety, and marital problems, in descending order of frequency. The second factor consisted of depression, alcohol/drugs, domestic violence, severe mental illness, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. Clergy were significantly less confident of their ability to deal with Factor 2 problems, yet clergy rarely consulted with mental-health professionals about either type of problem. Less than half of the clergy had training in Clinical Pastoral Education, but those who did tended to feel they were more competent to deal with both types of problems. On average, clergy devoted 3.7 hours per week to visiting patients and nearly 55% said they were definitely more likely to refer a patient to a hospital with a pastoral care department.     

Religion, Plausibility Structures, and Education's Effect on Attitudes Toward Elective Abortion

This study tests three hypotheses derived from Berger's (1967) plausibility theory. The first hypothesis states that among people who attend church frequently, education's liberalizing effect on attitudes toward elective abortion is weakest among conservative Protestants and Catholics, intermediate among moderate Protestants, and strongest among liberal Protestants and Jews. Hypotheses 2 states that education's effect is weaker among frequent than infrequent attenders in all religious groups except liberal Protestants and Jews, and Hypothesis 3 states that education's effect does not vary by religious group among infrequent attenders. Using General Social Survey data, I found strong support for Hypotheses 1 and 2 and partial support for Hypothesis 3. I discuss the implications of the findings for plausibility theory.     

Intervention in the Library: The Effect of Increased Responsibility on Bystanders' Willingness To Prevent a Theft

Two field experiments tested the hypothesis that a bystander's increased responsibility to act increases the likelihood of his helping the victim of an emergency. In Experiment 1, an individual asked or did not ask the bystander to protect his property in his absence. In Experiment 2, the presence/absence of an unattentive confederate was varied orthogonally to the request/no request manipulation. The results of both experiments indicated that bystanders who received a prior request for protective assistance felt more personally responsible for protecting the individual's property and were more likely to prevent a theft of that property than were bystanders who received no request. The presence of a confederate in Experiment 2 decreased bystanders' felt responsibility and their willingness to intervene on the victim's behalf. The results were interpreted as support for the "felt responsibility" proposition of the Latané and Darley (1970) model of bystander intervention.     

From self‐disclosure to prosocial behaviour: Feedback as a moderator

Prosocial behaviours and their correlates have been extensively studied; however, few studies have examined the linkage between self‐disclosure and prosocial behaviours. Three studies were conducted aimed at examining the relationship between self‐disclosure and prosocial tendencies, as well as the moderating role of feedback from the help provider's perspective. We hypothesized that participants' self‐disclosure was positively associated with his/her prosocial tendencies and that this association would be moderated by feedback received. The results generally support our hypotheses, and reveal that participants with higher levels of self‐disclosure tend to exhibit more prosocial tendencies (Studies 1 and 2), but this association was only true for those participants that received self‐disclosure feedback (Study 3). The present study suggests that, other than self‐disclosure, reciprocal feedback also plays an important role in promoting prosocial behaviours.     

Taboo desires,creativity, and career choice

Two studies suggest that Protestants are more likely than Catholics or Jews to sublimate taboo desires into motives to pursue creative careers. The results are consistent with a synthesis of psychological and classic sociological theories. In Study 1, Protestants induced to have taboo sexual desires were likely to express a preference for creative careers (as opposed to prosocial ones). In Study 2, a national probability sample revealed that “conflicted” Protestants—who had taboo desires but tried to rule their sexual behavior according to their religious beliefs—worked in the most creative jobs. The effects in both studies did not hold for Catholics and Jews. Results suggest that intrapsychic conflict can partially motivate important real-world decisions, such as the choice to pursue a creative career.     

美国与知情同意有关的一些问题

知情同意是医疗保健和医学研究的一个基本的伦理学要求。这两种情况中,当医学研究的知情同意标准比医疗保健要求更加严格时,知情同意包含了3种要素：（1）告知病人或受试者该研究的性质。包括益处,危险和其他有关内容;（2）确保病人受试者理解所提供的信息;（3）得到病人或受试者自愿的同意,没有能力参与知情同意的病人包括患痴呆和危重病等无决断 能力的病人,这些病人属弱势病人。如要获许对他们的疾病进行研究,我们必须制定保护弱势受试者有效的伦理政策,提出了关于对痴呆病人、危重病人,脑死亡病人研究的伦理学政策。     

50例晚期肿瘤患者对病情告知需求分析

研究在晚期肿瘤患者及其家属中影响病情告知的相关因素,及病情告知对晚期肿瘤患者的影响和患者及其家属的需求,探讨病情告知在宁养服务中的作用。对50例晚期肿瘤患者及50例晚期肿瘤患者家属分别进行问卷调查,内容包括被问卷者的一般资料、情绪状态及需求。得知病情的患者多数对于生命是积极的、乐观的,少数处于消极状态中,而多数不知道病情的患者因对自身情况的猜疑导致情绪障碍,患者的需求因自身情况的差异而不同,年龄、教育程度及宗教等因素对患者病情告知的需求有不同程度的影响。病情告知在宁养服务中起重要作用,有利于患者生活质量的提高,但仍要根据个体特点并掌握一定技巧。     

When Do I Disclose?

SUMMARY

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) heralded a new era of civil rights for the disabled, including the mentally ill. This article concerns Title I of the ADA, protections against discrimination in employment. It is a revised version of an article orginally published in a consumer publication, the MDSG/New York Newsletter (Mood Disorder Support Group) to provide guidance on the pro's and con's of making disclosure of mental illness in the job environment. As such it is a valuable reference for both therapists and service recipients who wish to learn more about how the ADA relates to the employment of people with mental illness and who may be faced with the difficult decision of whether or not they should disclose their condition and request reasonable accommodation. Occupational therapists should be well-informed on this topic, to assist consumers with questions on disclosure, reasonable accommodations and other aspects of Title T. Employers can benefit by providing them with information about appropriate accommodations. And occupational therapists can advise both consumers and employers on how a psychiatric illness may affect work performance.     

African American Clergy Share Perspectives on Addressing Sexual Health and HIV Prevention in Premarital Counseling: A Pilot Study

This exploratory qualitative pilot study examined the extent to which seven African American clergy discussed and promoted sexual health dialogue with couples preparing for marriage. We explored the following topics: (a) clergy perspectives on disclosure; (b) clergy awareness about HIV/AIDS and (c) the extent to which clergy awareness about HIV is translated into their premarital counseling programs. Our results suggest that greater awareness and comfort level with discussions about sexuality mediate the inclusion of sexual health and promotion of HIV testing in premarital counseling.     

The Politics of the Willow Creek Association Pastors

The Willow Creek Association (WCA), a loose association of some 8,000 churches with a common interest in evangelizing using the "seeker" model pioneered by the Willow Creek Community Church, is a good example of a postmodern religious association. A survey of clergy whose churches belong to WCA reveals the membership of the WCA to be diverse, with a large membership from mainline and evangelical denominations. However, the clergy are orthodox in theology, conservative in social theology and on political issues, and generally Republican in partisanship. These pastors are also very active in politics and their churches are deeply involved in the provision of social services. Differences among WCA pastors, especially between the mainline and evangelical Protestants, suggest that the WCA will not evolve into a denomination in the near future. However, the communalities among these clergy reveal the potential of postmodern associations to serve as a forum for cross-denominational coalition building on key issues.     

Working with potentially dangerous persons: What clergy need to know

This article addresses the increasing involvement of clergy in dangerous situations, particularly family violence. It provides a quick reference guide to assist clergy in assessing for the risk of potential violence with suggested interventions. In a society that is marked by unprecedented levels of violence and a shortage of mental health services, clergy are increasingly being confronted by dangerous situations that require expert crisis intervention skills. This article provides specific, concrete guidelines for clergy confronted by violence in ministry.The Earth is full of violence.Genesis 6:13This article is dedicated to the memory of The Reverend Harold M. Eads of Topeka, Kansas who was stabbed to death in his apartment on December 17, 1978 in East Harlem, New York where he served the poor and disinherited as a United Methodist minister.     

Preparation for Counseling Adults With Terminal Illness: Personal and Professional Parallels

This article presents a review of the literature on counseling adults with terminal illness, particularly the literature on the nature of preparation that counselors and other professionals who attend to the needs of adults with a terminal illness require. The authors review information and findings from philosophical, psychological, practical, and spiritual works. It is evident from these readings that a personal and professional examination of making meaning of life and death is integral to the performance and personal well‐being of professionals who take this caregiving role.     

Youth Suicide: The Knowledge and Attitudes of Australian Teachers and Clergy

This is the first study of the suicide-related knowledge and attitudes of teachers and clergy in Australia. These professional groups have been identified as “gatekeepers” who might serve as a first line of assistance for distressed young people. Such gatekeepers, along with medical and mental health professionals, have a vital role to play in the prevention of youth suicide, of which Australia has the highest rates in the world. This research confirmed that high numbers of teachers and clergy have been approached by suicidal young persons. However, their gatekeeping role may be compromised by a low level of knowledge about signs of suicide risk, which was found even among those who had taken courses in suicide or death and dying or who had personally known someone who suicided. Suicidal behavior was found to be generally regarded as unacceptable, especially by those with a high religious commitment. Further educational efforts about suicide risk identification and prevention seem to be needed for both teachers and clergy; it will be important for such education to take into account attitudinal issues and how these might affect communication with young suicidal people.     

Ministry and Stress: Listening to Anglican Clergy in Wales

This study set out to examine the experiences of stress in ministry among a sample of Anglican clergy serving in Wales. Building on recent quantitative studies of work-related psychological health among Anglican clergy in England, the study employed mainly qualitative methods to illustrate eight issues: the clergy’s overall assessment of their present health, their understanding of the characteristics of stress, their assessment of the levels of symptoms of stress within their own lives, their identification of the causes of stress within their experience of ministry, the people on whom they call for support in times of stress, their strategy for and styles of recreation, their assessment of the pastoral care provision available to clergy, and their views on enhancing initial clergy training to equip clergy to cope with stress. Data provided by 73 clergy (10 female and 63 male) portray a group of professionally engaged men and women who are well aware of the stress-related dynamics of their vocation, who are displaying classic signs of work-overload, and who are critical of and resistant to strategies that may confuse the pastoral care of stressed clergy with the accepted management role of the Church’s hierarchy of bishops and archdeacons.     

The Political Activities of Reformed Clergy in the UnitedStates and Scotland

This paper examines Reformed clergy across two different settings—the United States and Scotland in an effort to determine how theological orthodoxy is related to political participation. The paper demonstrates that (1) clergy in both settings tend to be politically active (2) the level of clergy political activity tends to be greater in the United States than in Scotland (3) the relationship between orthodoxy and political activity is complex, varying by the specific type of activity examined and (4) while theologically orthodox and modernist clergy tend to differ in the nature of their political activities, there is no longer a major "gap"in level of political activity between the two groups of ministers.     

Expressive disclosure to improve well-being in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A randomised,controlled trial

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurological disease associated with progressive paralysis, loss of communicative ability and functional decline. Expressive disclosure may help people with ALS, particularly those who are emotionally or socially inhibited, meet psychological challenges associated with the disease. People with ALS (N?=?48) were randomised to expressive disclosure about their disease or no disclosure. Psychological well-being (affect, depression and quality of life) was assessed pre-intervention and also three and six months later. Results of multi-level models indicated that the group that disclosed thoughts and feelings about ALS had higher well-being than the control group at three months post-intervention, but not six months. Ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) moderated three-month post-intervention well-being. Those low in AEE had higher well-being than those high in AEE regardless of condition. Those high in AEE, who disclosed, had increased well-being from pre-intervention, whereas controls had decreased well-being from pre-intervention. Expressive disclosure may be helpful for people with ALS, but only those who have difficulty expressing emotions. In addition, the intervention had only temporary effects; the dynamic challenges of ALS progression may mean that the effect of processing thoughts and feelings about the disease in one stage may not generalise to later stages.     

The Price of the Calling: Exploring Clergy Compensation Using Current Population Survey Data

Previous research shows that clergy make less money than others with similar levels of education. We use Current Population Survey data to offer five contributions to knowledge about clergy compensation. First, we document and take into account the shift in clergy compensation from the provision of free housing to the payment of housing allowances. Second, although the clergy earnings disadvantage appears to have increased over the last 40 years relative to their educational peers, the picture changes when we exclude the highest income occupations. Clergy have lost ground to doctors, lawyers, and investment bankers, but they have gained ground relative to everyone else. Third, these gains are largely because of decline in the number of hours clergy report working. Fourth, we show that clergy working in churches earn less than clergy working elsewhere. Fifth, we document immediate wage penalties for those who become clergy and, among clergy, for those who begin to work in congregations. Overall, although clergy still earn less than comparable workers, their position has improved in recent decades relative to all but the highest earning occupations.