The Spirit-Life-Principle we’ve been discussing for 40 years: “ADDITIVE is far better than Subtractive!” Building a life – can do what rules can never accomplish. We readily give up what we no longer need.
“Help the child to grow out of clothing so it no longer fits, rather than cursing the childish clothing.”
“When you worship the rulebook, you forget the reason it was written.”
“Legalism builds prisons and calls them temples.”
“The letter kills; the Spirit gives life.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:6, Romans 7- Romans 8
“Obedience without understanding is just a more polite kind of slavery.”
“You can polish the chains of legalism, but they’re still chains.”
For the 3-5% who just want what they want, and their pride and vice are “a feature, not a bug,” so be it.
From the Icelandic teen study, “The results are impressive: The proportion of young people who regularly drink decreased from 48% to 5% within 20 years. The share of smokers fell from 23% to 3%.”
Thanks Xerxes Wennerstierna
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Xerxes Wennerstierna”In the mid-1990s, Icelandic teenagers were among the biggest drinkers and smokers in Europe.
Today Iceland is at the top of the European countries where young people (13 to 19 years old) maintain the healthiest lifestyle.
How did this development come about?
At that time, Icelandic scientists began to study the biochemical processes that cause addiction.
American psychology professor Harvey Milkman, who teaches at Reykjavik University today, concluded that the choice of alcohol or drugs is closely related to how the human body deals with stress.
It turned out: Many different substances trigger biochemical processes in the brain, on which the body can become dependent. The researchers were therefore looking for activities that stimulate the same processes in a healthy way.
Milkman explained:
“You can be addicted to tobacco, alcohol, coke, energy drinks or certain foods. We wanted to offer something better to youth. We found that dancing, music, painting, or sports can trigger similar biochemical reactions in the brain – just without the harmful effects. These activities should therefore have the same emotional effect as drugs or alcohol, but offer a healthy and sustainable solution. “
Following that Iceland started a nationwide program:
Teenagers were offered free courses in sports or artistic disciplines – financed by the state.
Each youth has been asked to participate for at least three months. However, many stayed with them for years.
At the same time, the government adjusted the legislation: advertisements for cigarettes and alcohol were banned, parents’ organizations were created and worked closely with schools to support young people with mental health problems.
The results are impressive:
The proportion of young people who regularly drink decreased from 48% to 5% within 20 years.
The share of smokers fell from 23% to 3%.
Icelandic scientists recommend implementing similar strategies in other countries. But the question remains: who is going to allow this?
For multinational corporations, this would be a bitter loss – they have no interest in young people developing a healthy consciousness and avoiding addictions to alcohol, nicotine or other stimulants. Their goal remains to create consumers for life.”
