Is religion a mental disorder?

SisyphusRide
wow learning is fun... a religion is a philosophy.

Once more you have stuck your foot in your mouth which doesn't seem hard for you since you can't stop jabbering.
Religion is an ideology not a philosphy.
Sir, if you are going to engage in conversations such as this it would help to have information that's accurate instead of making mindless ascertions based on your preferences. Without it you are doomed to abject failure.

-Peace-

Having religion isn't a mental disorder.
Psychology and sociology tells us this is normal for humans.
What is a mental disorder is when the religion makes it impossible to function properly.
I"ve seen a few folks here who I'd give advice to go see a psychologist over their
religious beliefs ... if I were allowed to do so that is.
It's not that they have beliefs .. it's that they can't function normally with them.

wildtimes
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

Certainly no educated person today would claim that the Chinese or the Japanese had no aptitude for science, or that Islamic science depended entirely on borrowings from Greece. Every undergraduate who has taken an introductory course in the history of science knows that the centers of innovation in late-fourteenth-century mathematical astronomy were not Paris and Oxford but Seoul and Baghdad. That is not the result of comparative study, but of research by specialists on one civilization at a time.

Comparing Greek and Chinese Philosophy and Science

Univ of Penn

An interesting essay on the differences between Greek and Chinese "styles" of 'investigation and discourse'. I see that debate was valued in Greek culture more than in Chinese.

Thanks for the correction.

thanks for the link, I'll read thru it this evening...

one only has to look at the value of a human life in China and their culture of human rights violations to be able to know where their past philosophies have been.

I can't say there is much I adore about eastern philosophy... there was a time 5000 years ago or so but they took a different route which I have a hard time wrapping my brain around.

reply to post by SisyphusRide

one only has to look at the value of a human life in China and their culture of human rights violations to be able to know where their past philosophies have been.

I agree with you on China's human rights problems. I am no fan of Chinese culture, believe me....

But - I thought you had mentioned Zen Samurai as your go-to evidence? That is a Japanese tradition, not a Chinese one. The two cultures are different in many ways.

And, the Dalai Llama is a Tibetan Buddhist. The Chinese don't like him. Still the facts remain that Eastern medicine and philosophical approaches to science (not limited to ONLY reason and logic) made great strides, albeit from a different "angle".

I prefer to combine the best of both, and not toss out one in favor of the other.
I believe eventually the two (Western medicine and Eastern medicine) will merge into one "whole truth" of the workings of the universe. Both stances are necessary for well-rounded 'understanding' of the world.

reply to post by FlyersFan


More baseless ascertion which avoid the medical and psychological facts of religious indoctrination.
You can't just repeat the same silly rhetoric over and over without proof and expect to be taken seriously.
We've already done this dance and you bailed already for lack of evidence.
Are you so eager for a repeat performance?
Refute the medical and psychological facts of this or you must concede the arguement.
Simply saying: "Nuh-uh" and backing it up with empty emotional appeals is what children do when backed into a corner.
Pee or get off the pot, ma'am.

-Peace-

reply to post by Eryiedes


i think i can prove the first video in the op is wrong in the first minute. i didn't listen any further than that because if it was that far off course in the first minute, it was bound to get worse. should i listen to the whole thing?

reply to post by Eryiedes


Excuse me, but she knows what she's talking about.

You seem to be in a confrontive mood today, friend. She is well aware of the 'continuum' of religious experience, and whether or not certain "methods" of indoctrination are abusive or not.

It's all in the DELIVERY and the CONTENT. Still, I am of the firm belief that RELIGION IS NOT FOR CHILDREN.
It should be an elective course of investigation when one is AT LEAST a mid-adolescent - about 'driving age', to be precise.

Imposing a bunch of superstitious, antique dogma on a small child and instilling fear and self-loathing are abusive. You know that.

reply to post by undo


Fine.
Present the psychological and medical data which disproves it.
I'll wait.

-Peace-

reply to post by undo

i think i can prove the first video in the op is wrong in the first minute.

No, you cant.

As for watching the rest?
Yes, you should. You can skip the second one, as it deals with obesity, but the other three are absolute science, and they are true. The presenter is spot on. He calls himself an "amateur", but his presentation is VERY VALID. (And I, undo, am NOT an amateur, and have made a very similar presentation at a conference for the PCAA (Prevent Child Abuse America) based on my education and credentials. That stuff is as real as real can be.)


The points he makes are SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN. Distasteful to you as it may be, it is backed up by science and the study of human development, and to refute it shows only refusal to consider objective information in preference for pre-established BIAS.

I promise, you'll learn something.

IF you don't shut your mind down and stick your blinders between you and the information.
Good luck.

reply to post by wildtimes

Imposing a bunch of superstitious, antique dogma on a small child and instilling fear and self-loathing are abusive. You know that.

It would be kinder to a child to lock them in a room of
hungry cockroaches than to teach them hate, fear and
self-loathing like is done.

wildtimes
reply to post by SisyphusRide

 

one only has to look at the value of a human life in China and their culture of human rights violations to be able to know where their past philosophies have been.

I agree with you on China's human rights problems. I am no fan of Chinese culture, believe me....

But - I thought you had mentioned Zen Samurai as your go-to evidence? That is a Japanese tradition, not a Chinese one. The two cultures are different in many ways.

And, the Dalai Llama is a Tibetan Buddhist. The Chinese don't like him. Still the facts remain that Eastern medicine and philosophical approaches to science (not limited to ONLY reason and logic) made great strides, albeit from a different "angle".

I prefer to combine the best of both, and not toss out one in favor of the other.
I believe eventually the two (Western medicine and Eastern medicine) will merge into one "whole truth" of the workings of the universe. Both stances are necessary for well-rounded 'understanding' of the world.

edit on 11/23/13 by wildtimes because: (no reason given)

I like the Dalai... FREE TIBET!

Zen Samurai I have never heard of... it may have been someone else who mentioned them?

anything East of India that's not of Greek origin doesn't score high on my list of committing to memory... you could say I am biased but I am only looking to know more of my own philosophical origins at the moment... it's takes a lifetime at that to become a professor of it.

I wish I could be, or have been... instead of the cog I am.

reply to post by wildtimes


I may be acting a bit harsh this morning but the "Demons murdered a family" thread just has my disdain for the ignorance of religion at an all-time high.
Everyone hiding behind religion so they don't have to accept responsibility for their actions or inaction.
It's nauseating and offensive.

-Peace-

Eryiedes
More baseless ascertion which avoid the medical and psychological facts of religious indoctrination.

Blah blah blah ..... Just more snotty uncalled for trolling from you.
Instead of spouting the usual trash, how about you actually read what was posted for a change.

FACT ... religion and spiritual beliefs are natural to humans. Its been there since we evolved in the caves. The proof of this is all through human history and found in ancient burial grounds. It's NORMAL to have religious beliefs. It's also NORMAL not to have religious beliefs. That's basic human psychology and basic sociology. Go to college and get a degree in psychology like I did ... you might learn something.

It becomes a problem when a person can't function in society because of their extreme beliefs. The Hale-Bopp cult for example. Or those who cling to 'alleged apparitions' of Mary that say the end of the world is coming so they hide in an end of the world bunker. etc

People have a right to believe or disbelieve whatever they want. But when those beliefs interfere with their functioning in society, it becomes a problem and they need to seek psychological help.

Telegraph UK - Belief in God is Part of Human Nature
Pagan Religious Beliefs of Cavemen.
... and Evolutionary Psychology (one of my favorite areas of Psychology)
Evolutionary Psychology of Religion

Eryiedes
reply to post by wildtimes

 

I may be acting a bit harsh this morning but the "Demons murdered a family" thread just has my disdain for the ignorance of religion at an all-time high.
Everyone hiding behind religion so they don't have to accept responsibility for their actions or inaction.
It's nauseating and offensive.

-Peace-

what religion is it?

maybe they are not adhering to the religion they claim to follow, do others of the same religion rebuke them? is it a majority that rebukes them?

SisyphusRide
what religion is it?

It's America we're talking about here so Christianity would be the answer you are looking for...now let's not derail the thread.

-Peace-

reply to post by Eryiedes


here is a list to help you determine which set of philosophical values you are reading about in the other thread.

--

Bábísm
Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith
Orthodox Bahá'í Faith
Islam
Kharijites
Nation of Islam
Shiite
Alawites
Ismailis
Jafari
Zaiddiyah
Ghulat including
Alevi / Bektashi
Ahl-e Haqq
Yazidi
Druze
Ahmadi
Sunni
Berailvi
Deobandi
Hanafi
Hanbali
Maliki
Mu'tazili
Shafi'i
Wahhabi
Sufism
Naqshbandi
Bektashi
Chishti
Mevlevi
Zikri
Judaism (see also: Jew; Hebrews)
Contemporary divisions
Karaite Judaism
Rabbinic Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Hassidic Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Reform Judaism
Conservative Judaism (Masorti)
Reconstructionist Judaism (arguably not a religion)
Humanistic Judaism (arguably not a religion)
Historical Sects
Hasmoneans
Essenes
Pharisees
Sadducees
Zealots
Sicarii
sects that believed Jesus was a prophet
Ebionites
Elkasites
Nazarenes
Crypto-Jews
Marranos
Conversos
Christianity (see List of Christian denominations)
Eastern Orthodoxy
Roman Catholicism
Oriental Orthodoxy (Monophysitism)
Nestorianism
Protestantism
Anabaptists
Anglicans
Baptists
Lutherans
Methodists
Pentecostals
Reformed
Calvinism
Presbyterian
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Unitarians
Waldensians
Latter-day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Community of Christ
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Seventh-day Adventist
Jehovah's Witnesses
Messianic Judaism (not actually Judaism but rather Jewish-rite Christianity)
Samaritans
Mandaeanists
Rastafarians
Black Hebrews
Hebrew Christians
[edit]
Dharmic religions
Religions with a concept of Dharma, also major religions of historical India

Hinduism (see also Contemporary Hindu movements)
Agama Hindu Dharma (Javanese Hinduism)
Shaivism
Shaktism
Smartism
Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
ISKCON (Hare Krishna)
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission
Six major schools and movements of Hindu philosophy
Samkhya
Nyaya
Vaisheshika
Purva mimamsa
Vedanta (Uttar Mimamsa)
Advaita Vedanta
Integral Yoga
Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga
Hatha yoga
Siddha Yoga
Tantric Yoga
Ayyavazhi
Shramana Religions
Buddhism (see Schools of Buddhism)
Mahayana
Nikaya schools (which have historically been called Hinayana in the West)
Theravada
Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism)
Jainism
Digambara
Shvetambara
Panth Religions
Sikhism
Kabir Panth
Dadu Panth
[edit]
Other revealed religions
Believers in one God, also called classical monotheism, who follow an Indo-European culture of belief, philosophy and angelology.

Zoroastrianism
Magus (see Three Wise Men)
Gnosticism
Basilidians
Bogomils
Borborites
Cainites
Carpocratians
Cathars
Marcionism (not entirely Gnostic)
Ophites
Valentinians (see Valentinius)
Hinduism (Vaishnavism)
[edit]
Indigenous religions
The orally transmitted canon of indigenous peoples, many involving some variant of animism and many defunct

African religions
Akamba mythology
Akan mythology
Ashanti mythology
Bushongo mythology
Bwiti
Dahomey mythology
Dinka mythology
Efik mythology
Egyptian mythology
Ibo mythology
Isoko mythology
Khoikhoi mythology
Lotuko mythology
Lugbara mythology
Pygmy mythology
Tumbuka mythology
Yoruba mythology
Zulu mythology
African religions in the New World
Kumina
Obeah
Santería (Lukumi)
Vodou
Candomblé
Macumba
Umbanda and Quimbanda
Xango
European religions
Anglo-Saxon mythology
Basque mythology
Druidry (Celtic Religion)
Finnish mythology
Germanic paganism
Norse mythology
Greek religion
Greek mythology
Mystery religions
Eleusinian Mysteries
Mithraism
Pythagoreanism
Roman religion
Roman mythology
Slavic mythology
Asian religions
Babylonian and Assyrian religion
Babylonian mythology
Chaldean mythology
Sumerian mythology
Bön (Indigenous Tibetan belief)
Chinese mythology
Shinto
Oomoto
Tengrism (Indigenous Mongol, Tartar & Kazakh belief)
Yezidis (Modified indigenous Kurdish belief)
Native American religions
Abenaki mythology
Aztec mythology
Blackfoot mythology
Chippewa mythology
Creek mythology
Crow mythology
Guarani mythology
Haida mythology
Ho-Chunk mythology
Huron mythology
Inuit mythology
Iroquois mythology
Kwakiutl mythology
Lakota mythology
Lenape mythology
Navaho mythology
Nootka mythology
Pawnee mythology
Salish mythology
Selk'nam religion
Seneca mythology
Tsimshian mythology
Ute mythology
Zuni mythology
Oceanic religions
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Balinese mythology
Maori mythology
Modekngei (Republic of Palau)
Nauruan indigenous religion
Polynesian mythology
[edit]
Neopagan or revival religions
Modern religions seeking to recreate indigenous, usually pre-Christian, beliefs and practices

Church of All Worlds
Dievturiba
Germanic Neopaganism also called Ásatrú or Odinism
Hellenic polytheism (modern revivalist forms)
Judeo-Paganism
Maausk
Neo-druidism
Summum
Taarausk
Wicca
Alexandrian Wicca
Dianic Wicca (Feminist Wicca)
Gardnerian Wicca
Faery Wicca
Feri Tradition
[edit]
Non-revealed religions
Philosophies not transmitted by a divine prophet

Carvaka
Confucianism
Deism
Fellowship of Reason
Spiritual Humanism
Mohism
Taoism
[edit]
Left-Hand Path religions
Faiths teaching that the ultimate goal is separating consciousness from the universe, rather than being absorbed by it

Dragon Rouge
Satanism
LaVeyan Satanism
Church of Satan
Order of Nine Angles
Setianism also spelled Sethianism
Temple of Set
The Storm
Quimbanda
[edit]
Syncretic religions
Faiths created from blending earlier religions or that consider all or some religions to be essentially the same

Arès Pilgrim Movement
Cao Dai
Falun Dafa (Falun Gong)
Huna
Konkokyo
Law of One
Manichaeism
Unitarian Universalism
Universal Life Church
Tenrikyo
Theosophy
Seicho-No-Ie
[edit]
Entheogen religions
Religions based around divinely inspiring substances

Ayahuasca-based beliefs
Church of the Universe (marijuana sacrament)
Peyotism
THC Ministry
[edit]
New religious movements
See List of new religious movements for a list based on other sources

See hereunder for religions founded since 1850 with small followings

Monotheistic NRMs

Direct Worship of the Actual God
Indigenous NRM's

Burkhanism
Cargo cults
Ghost Dance
Native American Church
African Diaspora / Latin American NRM's

Rastafari movement
Umbanda
Candomble
Kardecist Spiritism
Hindu-oriented NRM's

Sai Baba/Sathya Sai Organisation
Hare Krishna
Transcendental Meditation
Sant Mat
Swaminarayan
Vedanta Society
Osho/Rajneeshism
Meher Baba (actually a Zoroastrian)
Oneness University
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)
Eckankar
NRM's with Islamic Roots

Subud
Ahmadi
Dances of Universal Peace
Nation of Islam (Black Muslims)
Christian-oriented NRM's

Unification Church
Jesus People
Children of God
People's Temple
Pentecostalism
Holiness movement
Iglesia ni Cristo
Buddhist-oriented NRM's

Soka Gakkai
Won Buddhism
Hoa Hao
Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
Chinese-oriented NRM's

Way of Former Heaven sects, including
I-Kuan Tao ("Way of Unity"),
T'ung-shan She ("Society of Goodness"),
Tien-te Sheng-chiao ("Sacred Religion of Celestial Virtue"),
Daoyuan ("Sanctuary of the Tao"),
Tz'u-hui Tang ("Compassion Society").
Falun Gong ("Dharma Wheel Work," a qigong meditation group)
Japanese-oriented NRM's

Tenrikyo
Seicho no Ie
Johrei (Johrei Movement - Sekai Kyusei Kyo Izunome Kyodan)
Reiki
Oomoto
Soka Gakkai
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)
Korean-oriented NRM's

Chondogyo
Jeung San Do
Juche (The personality cult of North Korean leaders)
Unification Church
Vietnamese-oriented NRM's

Caodaism
Hoa Hao
Malaysian-Oriented NRM's

reply to post by FlyersFan


For you, the line seems to be drawn at functioning in society. That strikes me as an odd line for a non-conformist to draw.

Maybe its not about people and their ability to function in society. Maybe its about a society that does not provide fertile ground for a fully-functional mythology with a supportive mystical function.

Eryiedes
my disdain for the ignorance of religion at an all-time high.

That's fine but it's not an excuse to act like an insulting ass as well as ignore the basic psychological and sociological facts.

Like it or not, and obviously you don't, being part of a religion is NOT a psychological disorder.
The 'disorder' part comes when that religion has you not able to function normally.

Hey, I hate a lot of the organized religions and their stupid laws as well.
But I can't say it's a 'psychological disorder' for someone to believe.
The 'disorder' comes when the functioning is 'disordered'.

Eryiedes

SisyphusRide
what religion is it?

It's America we're talking about here so Christianity would be the answer you are looking for...now let's not derail the thread.

-Peace-

edit on 23-11-2013 by Eryiedes because: Correction

if you want to have scientific evidence or fact to justification of your disgust then you will have to make a poll.

you will have to be scientific in the western way if that is the origin of your philosophical beliefs.

if your are eastern philosophical then use that method.

FlyersFan
FACT ... religion and spiritual beliefs are natural to humans.

Your statement is erroneous. What you should have said was: "FACT ... religion and spiritual beliefs are natural to primative humans.
(So stop crying now)

It becomes a problem when a person can't function in society because of their extreme beliefs.

But that's exactly what has happened when "normal" people begin to believe demons are murdering families and not man. It's put the population into an intellectual coma. How is that not a problem?

(Before you try to answer that one...it's rhetorical)

People have a right to believe or disbelieve whatever they want.

Which might be fine but that's not the OP here is it?

-Peace-