Does Psychology Find Anything New Under the Skull?

Two recent psychological reports seem to either state the obvious or underscore teachings of old-time religion. 

1. Coping:  EurekAlert tells about a University of Washington study that concluded, “Americans had strong need for spiritual support following 9/11 attacks.”  Strangely, Christians and Jews, who believed in forgiveness, seemed to do better than Muslims who believed in retaliation.  Bosnian refugees prayed, but asked that their enemies “pay for what they’ve done.”  The report concludes, “Those who relied on positive religious coping prayer had higher levels of optimism while those who used negative religious coping had reduced levels of hope.”
2. Happiness:  Another story on EurekAlert was entitled, “Wealth does not create individual happiness and it doesn’t build a strong country, either.”  The study by the American Psychological Society found that Maasai tribespeople in Africa, living in mud huts, seemed happier than many affluent Americans.  The article quotes the authors: “While wealth has trebled over the past 50 years… well-being has been flat, mental illness has increased at an even more rapid rate, and data, not just nostalgic reminiscences, indicate that the social fabric is more frayed than it was in leaner times.”  It continues, “Prosperity is neither the answer nor the cause of satisfaction.”

The only value in the “science” of psychology seems to be the gathering of statistics, but even those can be biased.  These researchers could have saved a lot of time by just reading the Bible.  The good book teaches us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek, and warns against vindictiveness.  It stresses the need for forgiveness and looking to the Lord for hope.  Jesus said that our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions.  None of these things requires a scientific research program, but it is unlikely they would have received grant money for looking up Scripture passages.  Anyone who thinks a psychologist will provide better therapy than time spent with the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace should get his head examined.