The quest for the supernatural and the desire for Big Government both spring from the same source: A desire to be taken care of and controlled by others. Supernaturalism is one unhealthy manifestation of this desire; and Big Government is another. The supernaturalist yearns to be cared for by “God” or “Jesus” or “Allah.” The socialist yearns to be cared for by Barack, by Mr. Roosevelt or by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Hurd: "Forgive" in the Oxford dictionary is defined as  "verb: stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an offence, flaw, or mistake." Why would any therapist advise anyone to remain bitter and resentful towards anyone? Is that sound psychological advice?

Dr. Hurd replies: I love how people ask the question, "What kind of psychologist would advise ...." The question always finishes with something the person asking the question doesn't like. This is how most people utilize mental health professionals. When the mental health professional says something they want to hear, the response is, "Oh, this is the professional. He had years of schooling. Don't question him." But the moment something is said that you don't like, watch out. It seems like a better option would simply be to stand by your own conclusions with facts and reason -- assuming you have those things -- rather than hiding under the professional skirts of someone else.

A reporter from the Daily Iowan recently wrote Dr. Hurd the following: "I attended [Newt] Gingrich's event today and he talked about his plan to promote more research in brain science. He said that not only will advances in this area of science help millions affected by diseases, such as dementia, but also reduce a significant amount of cost. At one point he said that by 2050 this cost will amount to 1 and 1/2 federal deficits. One person in the crowd argued that this area was "small potatoes" and the country should focus on other areas which cause more problems, like obesity. From a health professional's standpoint, does focusing on advancement in brain science impact a lot and should we be focusing energy in other areas?"

Everybody assumes that forgiveness is good, whether the person is sorry or not, and regardless of what the person has done. "Turn the other cheek," they preach. What they fail to consider is that once you forgive away something bad, you're communicating that it's not really all that bad. You have no business expecting NOT to see the bad behavior again. Why should the person stop? He knows, deep down, that he'll be forgiven anyway.