Is religion a mental disorder?

SisyphusRide
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now what is abnormal is when someone hears a voice telling them do do something that harmful to others... God usually work in "signs" and emotions for people to do good, that's why you hear "God showed e the way" or "somehow I knew this is what God meant for me" from the ones who work for the betterment and good of mankind... The ones who have done damage and said they heard god's voice is actually the opposite... they heard satan voice.
-- snip --

The absolute BEST revival I ever attended had a guy that went by "Brother Bob".

On Monday night he told us that he'd be there every evening that week and his job was to make sure he made at least one "comfortable" Christian mad each night. Of course, I didn't miss a night!!

He kept his word...

The highlight of the week, though, was Monday night. He took a long pause and several looks out over the congregation and then said, "We need to cover this first... I have NEVER been to a church without some gossip coming up to me and saying, 'The Lord has laid it heavy on my heart to talk to you about this...' Before you try that with Brother Bob, you need to understand that the Lord knows good and well where I am at all times. He doesn't need a middle-man/woman. Be careful who you are listening to!"

He was an absolute hoot! Kept his word, too. Somebody got mad every night...

reply to post by beatbox


No all humans, well at least those with what we call a healthy psyche have some sort of faith. Even Atheists exhibit faith in their beliefs. The disorder comes in when people believe their faith is better than another's etc.. That is narcissism a disorder we are starting to understand a little. Those who over do it often times are compensation for something as well. Lots of monsters have been preachers, just look up the BTK killer if you have any doubts.

The inquisition in south America went well into the 20th century.
According to Henry Charles Lea,[27] between 1540 and 1826, tribunals in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Évora resulted in the burning of 1,175 persons, the burning of another 633 in effigy, and the penancing of 29,590. But documentation of 15 out of 689[28] autos-da-fé has disappeared, so these numbers may slightly understate the activity.

The last execution of the Inquisition was finally carried out in Spain on July 26, 1826.

Faith is not a mental disorder, but the narcissism most certainly is!

I would be willing to bet that anytime you cross Israel you will see their weather modification technology employed even against allied nations. Religion as a rule of law is bad news always! A separation of state and religion is a really good idea!

Some will always use it as a form of control as well. Imagine that those in charge of the media and the everyday shows you watch were to start bashing on Christianity or saying religion was on its way out etc... You would see mass portions of the populous ready to jump on anything portrayed as the moral right!

Eryiedes
reply to post by SisyphusRide

 

Since he lives in Toronto it's a safe assumption he already has.
Not many people in Toronto haven't been to Detroit...it's the closest largest American city.

-Peace-

you know what man...? I believe you.

reply to post by CornShucker


I advise people to understand the basics of different religions and then make a choice. Only an adult (25 or older) should be allowed to choose a religion.

The problem with current religions is that it is forced on a human from birth. This is the reason for disillusion.

There is no doubt that religions have been used and are distorted for political purposes. But religion is necessary, just as food and water. As we must guard against spoiled food (not eat spoiled food), we must make an effort to remove malpractices from religion.

Donkey_Dean
reply to post by beatbox

 

No all humans, well at least those with what we call a healthy psyche have some sort of faith. Even Atheists exhibit faith in their beliefs. The disorder comes in when people believe their faith is better than another's etc.. That is narcissism a disorder we are starting to understand a little.

this is exactly the word I was looking for "narcissist" to describe the atheist, and it falls in well with my antisocial disorder theory.

Donkey_Dean
No all humans, well at least those with what we call a healthy psyche have some sort of faith. Even Atheists exhibit faith in their beliefs.

A typical theist obfuscation.
Since faith is defined as a belief in something without facts, your statement is a false dichotomy.
Atheists exhibit belief in facts...not faith in beliefs.
All you've done is rehash the same old flawed arguement.
Believing in facts is not faith...it's called common sence.

-Peace-

GargIndia
reply to post by CornShucker

 

I advise people to understand the basics of different religions and then make a choice. Only an adult (25 or older) should be allowed to choose a religion.

you do realize there are probably more spiritual people in the world than just who attend a church or whatever gathering their belief calls for correct?

spirituality and religion are two separate things...

Eryiedes

Donkey_Dean
No all humans, well at least those with what we call a healthy psyche have some sort of faith. Even Atheists exhibit faith in their beliefs.

A typical theist obfuscation.
Since faith is defined as a belief in something without facts, your statement is a false dichotomy.
Atheists exhibit belief in facts...not faith in beliefs.
All you've done is rehash the same old flawed arguement.
Believing in facts is not faith...it's called common sence.

-Peace-

Our understanding is always changing suggesting we have no real understanding. It is all faith! I can tell you why the sunset is red but I still cannot tell you why there is a sunset. All we understand says over unity is not possible, but then how does anything exist at all. Then you move to the quantum and we see things like the dual slit experiment that suggest all of reality is just potential forced to a measurable outcome by an observer!

You sir have no more understanding of creation than anyone else.

You may reject something you see as foolish or not founded in fact, but it is still just faith you have there friend!

I have faith in the fact that I have no idea if it was the chicken or the egg that came first. What religion does that place me in?

Eryiedes

Believing in facts is not faith...it's called common sence.

-Peace-

no actually, believing that 98%+ of the rest of the planet is wrong and actively pursuing this belief to a destructive ends is a "belief" in its own right, therefore can be considered a religion... so it is by my Government anyway.

Atheism is a "Religion" in the United States... and defined.


it's a bit like what's her name? Jody Foster in Contact the movie by Carl Sagan... she has a tough time explaining when she gets home

Donkey_Dean
Rejecting something you see as foolish or not founded in fact is still just faith, friend![

Science is facts...not faith.
No one takes it on faith that there is gravity.
No one takes it on faith that fire is hot.
No one takes it on faith that water is wet.
This is because they are facts.
What's foolish is trying to compare apples and oranges and concluding they're the same with an appeal to emotion.
Simply saying something does not make it true even if it sounds good.
Facts do that.

-Peace-

SisyphusRide
Atheism is a "Religion" in the United States... and defined.

Only in a religious dictionary.

-Peace-

Eryiedes

Donkey_Dean
Rejecting something you see as foolish or not founded in fact is still just faith, friend![

Science is facts...not faith.
No one takes it on faith that there is gravity.
No one takes it on faith that fire is hot.
No one takes it on faith that water is wet.
This is because they are facts.
What's foolish is trying to compare apples and oranges and concluding they're the same with an appeal to emotion.
Simply saying something does not make it true even if it sounds good.
Facts do that.

-Peace-

Who the hell is talking about gravity. You cant see the ocean because of the water. Try reading whole posts!

Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

Have a nice day.

Eryiedes

Donkey_Dean
Rejecting something you see as foolish or not founded in fact is still just faith, friend![

Science is facts...not faith.
No one takes it on faith that there is gravity.
No one takes it on faith that fire is hot.
No one takes it on faith that water is wet.
This is because they are facts.
What's foolish is trying to compare apples and oranges and concluding they're the same with an appeal to emotion.
Simply saying something does not make it true even if it sounds good.
Facts do that.

-Peace-

this is a discussion about "religion"

not if science is fact...

it is a discussion whether your beliefs (religion) is a mental disorder along with the myriad of other religions out there.

reply to post by Donkey_Dean


It's unfortunate we are seeing more and more as religion is losing it's stranglehold on the planet that theists hate facts almost as much as they hate atheists.
Your replies hold as much animosity for the information as much as the one delivering it.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't willful ignorance of established facts a sign of mental dysfunction?

-Peace-

(P.S.: If science is fact? Did I just step into the Twilight Zone?)

GargIndia
reply to post by CornShucker

 

I advise people to understand the basics of different religions and then make a choice. Only an adult (25 or older) should be allowed to choose a religion.

The problem with current religions is that it is forced on a human from birth. This is the reason for disillusion.

There is no doubt that religions have been used and are distorted for political purposes. But religion is necessary, just as food and water. As we must guard against spoiled food (not eat spoiled food), we must make an effort to remove malpractices from religion.

I've kept the full reply for context.

This isn't the first time I've told this story, but it is apropos.

My boss at the little computer company I used to work for was on my case about the fact we'd never had our kids baptized. I told him it was a conscious decision my wife and I had made as we believed they should have the right to make up their own minds when they were old enough to understand.

He told me, "You are doing your children a terrible disservice. If you want a tree to grow straight, strong and tall you don't wait until it is twelve feet tall to put a stake in the ground and tie it off."

Sure didn't earn me any brownie points, but I didn't hesitate to say, "While a bonsai may be pleasing to the eye of the gardener, I doubt even you would claim that it is the tree the Lord intended it to be."

lets break down the linguistics and etymology of the word "truth" shall we?

should I start? or save it for another thread...?

reply to post by Eryiedes


I deny nothing that we clearly see in nature. I am not a Christian or a believer in any established religion. I am an educated man and I can tell you your faith and ignorance is the exact same thing. Humankind has no idea other than fairy tale to explain creation my friend!

You have faith in your beliefs all the same. If you do not know how something happened and yet you choose to accept only one possibility then that's the exact same thing. Atheism is a religion!

I think the Universe is perpetually old meaning it never need a beginning or an end, but then we see things like this that suggest all things exist only as potential until forced to a measurable outcome.

reply to post by beatbox


Yes but then again so is competition and the current monetary system.

Donkey_Dean
reply to post by Eryiedes

 

I deny nothing that we clearly see in nature. I am not a Christian or a believer in any established religion. I am an educated man and I can tell you your faith and ignorance is the exact same thing. Humankind has no idea other than fairy tale to explain creation my friend!

edit on 17-11-2013 by Donkey_Dean because: (no reason given)

you are a man limited by expression of words derived and intermingled with Christianity and the truth of Jesus Christ, to the extent that you would have to speak solely in mathematics and teach everyone else on the planet to speak your language for them to understand what you are saying.

there is no escape

EnemyOfTheSane

..... *sigh*

Yes .

Rather bold but true .

We treat people when they "see things" or hear voices in there head , so i honestly think that religious people need to be given medication and brought back into society step-by-step like somebody who has had a traumatic experience .

If i was claiming to have an imaginary friend who lives in the sky and watches every single person alive , every second of the day , and when they die chooses to either reward or punish them based on the things they said and done in their life ....... you`d want me sectioned immediatley .... what is different here ?

It will come about soon enough .... i honestly see religious folk as a cancer on makind - not to be killed - but atleast helped ..... those you can`t help - let them live out their life - they aren`t hurting anyone ...... unless they`re *cough* men of "the cloth"

yeah, it looks like that on the outside, doesn't it? simplistic and trite, btw.

are people going for the Vulcan thang, now?

if one can't tell the difference between the Holy Spirit and there own delusions, then they should get help.

i converse with myself all the time, sometimes out loud, about things, but i don't mistake it for the Holy Spirit.

kinda foolish to think that 9/10's of the earths population, are mentally ill.