Addiction
Faith and America’s addiction crisis.
The tools of religion can help; but, like the tools of science, they can also harm.
Daily prayer breaks, the proper observance of Shabbat, and other practices focus minds against the lure of smartphones.
Where else than within the great traditions of our religions do we find the most cogent principles for helping individuals stuck in the psychic entropy of addiction?
The tools of reason, science, and common sense are not always accessible to an addict, and may harm him or her when they are.
Modern medicine, psychology, and behavioral science can help some addicts. But for the underlying spiritual condition, an older set of tools—like Judaism’s—has more to offer.
The religious component of the overdose and suicide epidemic.