Are atheists mentally ill? The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
'God-spot' research finds faith hard-wired in the brain

If this is true are they a screw or wire loose?

No, not at all. This is backwards logic. It would more likely imply that humans evolved the thought processes of having faith in a 'greater power' because it made us happier, and happier people were more likely to survive because they formed cohesive groups with like-minded people and had more drive to continue existing due to the belief that there was a purpose for their existence.

Evolutionary psychology: 1
Religion cherry picking scientific facts to suit their belief system: 0



I have also taken into consideration that there is a good chance you're just trolling, as most people with logic like this would probably need to be screened for autism. If you are trolling, I give you a 10/10 for making me respond.

you don't get to choose. You're choosen. If you're not choosen you'll always be in a locked pattern of thinking of anything spiritual. the enlightenment just wont' easily happen for you. So basically you're screwed.

If anybody's mentally ill it's people that go around talking to an invisible being that is nothing more then a figment of their imagination. Religious people have a problem with logic they have none. You have to be delusional to some extent to think there's an invisible being in the sky that watches everything you do and say. Sounds pretty nuts to me.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


This isn't hard to Understand.

1. People realize that religion. How a normal couch potato views it. Is going to church or encountering the enforceful preaching Religious fanatic.

Its not Isolated to just Christians. That would be ignorant. Nothing is ever Bottom line all one side.

But i can Create a chart that is moderately like that. lol.
It might bother some peoples OCD. But don't worry. Stress resistance training.



So chill people.

Originally posted by AngryCymraeg

I've yet to meet a militant atheist, as in my opinion they're not out to convert anyone. And Dawkins would be the last person to describe himself as a 'preacher'. Oh and Hitchens is dead.

Yeah I don't believe that there are number on this board. And they post with one purpose to convert those with faith. It gets very disheartening to see. Frequently the atheist posters come in here and are just insulting condescending and rude, yet claim to be the most enlightened.

Does it go the other way as well? Of course it does. And it is just as disheartening to see. All that being said in my own personal life I have seen more atheists live life far closer to what Christ called us to, than most practicing Christians. I don't have a need to convert anyone to my personal beliefs. I have little to no use for churches and organized religion. Yet I have my belief and faith. I don't have a need to talk to others about God and his impact on my life, until I am talking about my own hardships and how i dealt with them. I prefer to let how I live my life speak for my faith.

I don't think you need religion to hold a society together. people by nature find just as many ways to connect as they do divide themselves. Just another make one side or the other feel better study.

You dont have to be a believer to be pro family and anti-hedonist.

The problem is with religion today. It used to be, that many of the "believes" were founded in reason. Jews werent told to not eat pig because they are jews, there was a good reason for it at the time in the world they lived in.

Today religion has become static and basically things within a religious system are the way they are because they have been that way for a long time and for the same reason there is objection to change. If you do not embrace religion it does not mean you are bound to become a hedonist, that will spend his life partying until he is too old and poor for it.

Also many religious people pick and choose. Most religious people probably embrace anything that revolves around building a family and the closeness it brings and encourages a healthy work ethic and hones way of living, but the same people are oftentimes evolutionists, not creationists and do not hate on gays either.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Great thread. I was wondering if someone would mirror the other thread. My post below is long. It is the reason we see the trend you mention in the OP. I have written a book on this subject as connected to education and have studied the issue. Although my book is not on the subject of Christian vs. non-christian values, it does reveal the reasoning behind the trends we see in education. These trends then affect the lives of the successive generations as they follow the vicissitudes of society. If you are willing to read to the end, it is clear why we see these trends in society and the clear foundation keeping society together at the present time.

To me, it boils down to one thing: either we take or give. When words, thoughts and deeds are grounded in faith, a person naturally seeks the good of others. Why? They are already filled themselves and the expression of this overflowing nature spills out to others. When words, thoughts and deeds are held close to self, a person naturally seeks after those things that preserve self. This is comparable to a baby who has not yet grown outside of it's mother's circle of awareness. The awareness is kept close to self. For the believer, the circle of awareness is broad, because their needs are already met. Not only are they met by their own actions grounded in Truth, but their needs were met at an early age by the family.

Of course, many Atheist homes are well adjusted as well. There are many who grow up in homes where parents are not self-seeking at all, but highly giving and nurturing. It can also be said that there are many homes where Christians grow up in environments where needs are not met. When a Christian takes the name in vain, they take it apart from the character. In a proper home, where the name is taken by the character, you see well adjusted kids. There are exceptions to this as well and we can all cite exceptions. I know one friend that has a daughter that is hell on wheels, despite his best efforts as a Christian father. We cannot do anything in these threads but make generalizations with exceptions, but the rule can be seen easily.

For the most part, a Christian home will be far superior to a non-christian home by default of how needs are met. Even with exceptions, the influence the Christian has in the world is the exception on the non-believer who lives the exceptional life. We are the reason for their exception by influence on society. There is no way around the fact that we live in a society shaped by Christian values, even in homes where non-christians live by these same faith-based values.

Here is what I mean:

Abraham Maslow noted this reality in his paper, A Theory of Human Motivation. Maslow noted a hierarchy of needs that include Psychological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization. These needs must be met in order. To reach self-esteem, the foundation needed is most closely related to Christian values. Our society is shaped by these values and freedoms of self-managed liberty. Unmanaged liberty comes from lacking the foundation. What is the foundation?



Maslow said that when needs are left unmet, a person seeks these needs over a lifetime. When needs are met with regularity at an early age, even if they are unmet later, a person will experience no anxiety over these needs later in life. Why does this apply to a Christian home?

When a person grows up in a true Christian home environment, Psychological needs are first met by a mother and father who are themselves well adjusted. Christian parents are not typically addicted to self-gratifying behaviors that would otherwise take away resources and time from the family. The focus is not on taking for self, but on giving to others. In a Christian home, a person not only feels love and belonging from parents, but the entire community they belong to engages this sense of safety and belonging. Safety is not a concern in the Christian home if the name of Christ is taken properly by character. When a child is not concerned with these first three needs, they have a high degree of self-esteem. The only way a person will seek knowledge is to have self-esteem as a foundation of met needs from the home. This can only come when parents seek FOR others needs. Exceptions can go both ways, but as I said before, these exceptions are founded on the examples of Christian ideals.

In a Christian environment, we see kids at school who are well adjusted and seeking the betterment of themselves rather than taking away from others. I have taught school for 23 years, and the best and brightest are most often from homes of parents who attend church. These are the kids that are happy and the kids that do not pick on others. They are most often the ones being picked on. Why do bullies pick on others? They are empty and seeking the first three needs. When you see defect in kids behavior, you can always trace it home to the parents. Of course, there are exceptions. I am speaking of the rule and not the exceptions. In economics, we always look at the trends and curve of statistical trend. In this case, that trend can be seen clearly.

As you read the responses in this thread from Atheists, realize why they seek to disregard your foundation of happiness. It's the bully in the hallway that is seeking to fill the emptiness. When you are full, there is no need. The key is to recognize what fills the five areas of our lives: Psychological, Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem and Self-Actualization. Only God can leads us to self-actualization and this path is only found by serving others and denying the need to be a thief.

As our society decays and descends into tyranny, it is for one reason: we have strayed from the values that meet needs. In this case, the government uses law to regulate those who do not regulate their own liberty. Liberty is lost. In the environment where the people regulate their own actions, and needs are met in the home, we have true freedom from the laws that are unneeded. There is no way around this. Look at the evidence in society and you can see that learning to give (Altruism) brings freedom. Taking for self (Objectivism / Atheism) is founded on tyranny and thievery.

Boil it down and you see that Christ showed Altruism. No other system of societal regulation is better than this ideal. Again, the headlines show I am correct. Follow the fruit of those who give over those who take. This thread will show this pattern by words, thoughts and deeds.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Christianity is fine, but the Christian Minority are mentally F#####

In the meantime, Enjoy

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by Stormdancer777

 

I repeat: my jimmies are unrustled, n00b. Greatest insult in all of the interwebs. You have failed as a troll.

Darn, one of my many failures.


Hey
Christians get a lot of abuse on this forum, you can handle a little.

edit on 103131p://bSaturday2013 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

Try being an ancient astronaut follower if you think christians get beat up.

I am one who puts down religion often because I dont like worshipping satan at the church, and funny thing is nearly no one knows it.

www.sacred-texts.com...
www.crystalinks.com...

A plethora of cosmology, metaphysics, altenative history, etc.

Why focus on jesus when you can broaden your horizons??

The human race as a whole is mentally ill.

If you want to have faith, thats cool.

I don't, that should be cool too.

Is it cool.

Or are religous folks better than atheists? Are atheists better than religous folks.

Obviously someone got offended somewhere

reply to post by Stormdancer777


I feel disappointed that I can not give your post more stars then one. Thank you !

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Originally posted by LionOfGOD

Christians get a lot of abuse on this forum

The difference being that they ACTUALLY deserve it.

I imagine you think all the Christians being killed and persecuted throughout the middle east and now specifically in Egypt, with historic churches being burnt a good thing also.
www.persecution.com...

Churches Burned in Egypt as Muslim Brotherhood Targets Coptic Christians Amid Widespread Unrest
www.christianpost.com...

But let us go on with the Christan bashing day after day on ATS, don't cut them any slack, even though they have gone through numerous transformation and reformation.

Please ignore all the good they do and focus on the past.

I know my words wont/can't change things.

edit on 073131p://bSaturday2013 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

I hope the muslim brotherhood gets crushed throughout the middle east. I have no tolerance for any religious fanatics. The middle east cant and will never it seems get a center or left wing government. Given the choice between a military dictatorship and a theocratic one I will choose the former all day long.

I can say the same for a jewish israel, a puritan america, etc. The left tends to be agnostic or atheist.

I am suprised a bit that liberals like muslims more than christians.