XPost: sci.psychology, alt.psychology, sci.psychology.psychotherapy   
   XPost: alt.religion.scientology   
   From: dank@nugget.org   
      
   My opinion is that the pseudoscience known as psychology qualifies as a   
   a religion.  Like religious beliefs, psychology beliefs have no basis   
   in science and there is no way to measure its effectiveness because   
   the evidence is inside the participant's head.   
      
   Expensive psychotherapy does indeed make some people happy, but giving   
   money to teevee preechers makes other people happy, and still others   
   blow their paychecks on psychics and tarot card readers and buy lots   
   of magic crystals and that makes them happy.  Measuring an increase in   
   happiness does not prove the scientific validity of any of these   
   philosophies, and almost all "normal" people would view these "happy"   
   people as brainwashed.   
      
   The problem with psychology is that it uses scientific-sounding language   
   to elevate its status above that of common brainwashing cults like   
   xianity, newage, or izlam.  Bizarre religious cults like Scientology   
   even use similar pseudoscientific language to blur the lines between it   
   and "mainstream" psychology, and there really is no apparent difference   
   in that both psychology and scientology involve annoying people asking   
   you a lot of questions and taking all your money.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)