Religious believers clearly have tendencies to make-up "facts" and "evidence" rather than accept true research and admit even the simplest of belief failures. They have strange ceremonies that are virtually pointless but are said to have special significance or power.

We all know certain 'Christians' alive today who are fully prepared to argue that they might never die!  Couldn't it be argued that such a reversion into childlike fantasy is a telltale sign of mental illness?  Isn't it a self-replicating insanity when part of the illness drives the sufferer to convince others to regress to their level and contract the same illness?   Sounds severe, almost like a pandemic.

Some might go as far as to call religious belief a contagious disease.

Mental illness is a health problem that can change the way a person thinks, feels, makes decisions, deals with others, or copes with everyday life. Someone with a mental illness may experience a number of problems that may make it difficult for them to lead a normal life. Mental illness is NOT contagious. It is not like a cold or the flu. Just like you can't catch bad eyesight or asthma from someone, you can't catch mental illness.

Perhaps you are mentally ill.

I don't think this kind of discussions promote a better understanding of each other's views. Mental illness is just a label often used in authoritarian regimes to suppress divergent opinions. When it comes to believing / non-believing, both views can equally be defended, for instance:

Is Atheism a Sign of Mental Illness? 

Where do I start?

I agree that someone is less likely to see a psychiatrist if they sincerely believe that any "voices" they hear are simply angels (or spirits). 

I do however take exception to the inference that anyone who believes they have communication from the "other side" is mentally ill.  

In the DSM and other official manuals we see set criteria for diagnosis of mental illness.  In times past, mental illness has been diagnosed and a person labelled without proper evidence - resulting in inappropriate treatments being given and a general deterioration in the patient due to the misdiagnosis.  It is important to state what we really mean by "mental illness".

I will probably regret this, given the environment I'm in, but let me use myself as an example.  I function in life very well.  I am not plagued by destructive thoughts or "voices" and my life is totally normal.  However there are times when I choose to participate in a spiritual service, during which I often experience phenomena which could be labelled "supernatural". 

I am totally aware of arguments which indicate that someone is using self hypnosis in this scenario.  Whether that be the case or not isn't really under debate.  What is under debate is whether I'm mentally ill or not.  The answer is that I am not, yet I experience (at my will) things which could be labelled as spiritual experiences.

I have seen spirit beings and I have had communication from spirit beings.  Again, these are controlled (by me) and are never disturbing to me.  Interestingly, many of these communications reveal information which I couldn't have known and which can be verified - either by someone present or later as things transpire.

I would love science to eventually find a way to measure and prove spirit communication.  Experiments have been conducted which show a significant result with regards to extra-sensory communication.  These experiments are currently being replicated by those with funding.  Many experiments have already shown a significant result beyond chance on things which you appear to be labelling "evidence of mental illness".

Mental illnesses where the individual hears voices and sees visions exist of course - I have studied various mental illnesses and their causes.  This does not mean, however, that every individual who experiences extrasensory perception is mentally ill.

Sirona

real one

Now I am confused. You have Jesus and The Mighty Jehovah. I am impressed. Two Gods are better than one.

Still - Its not about size, it is a numbers game. Your Gods may be bigger but I have more. It would be ideal if we could get them all in the arena and let them fight it out God to God.

Please keep praying for me to your big God. He may stop me from becoming deluded or mentally ill. 

May your Gods go with you

Real One,

You need to broaden your view a bit. Note that the topic of this discussion is "religious belief" and not "belief in the Christian God". Two-thirds of the world's population does not believe in the Christian God. Their view of God is quite different than yours. The topic of belief (or non-belief) applies equally to those outside the world's Christian population too, and it also would apply to the Romans and their gods in their day.

You're so sure that yours is the only possible god (or trinity of gods) that it's really off-putting.

Why must he know this? Is the god of christianity any less ground in fantasy and superstition than gods of other faiths? Other gods are just as real to those who believe in them as yours is to you. If your god is so supreme and omnipotent, why is there a large portion of the world that has never heard of him? If he is so loving and just, why does he not afford them the same opportunity to be saved?