Could religious belief be considered a sign of mental illness?

by nicolaou 63 Replies latest watchtower medical

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips

    These comments show such obvious warped logic that it is laughable. Religious belief is the opposite of atheism. It cannot be included as if it were a branch of religion.

    To equate survival of the fittest with religious belief is absurd. The process of survival on this planet has spanned millions of years and religion has played almost no part in terms of time.

    Animals, which due to no conscious belief in a God we must consider to be atheists, have survived far longer than humans and continue to do so, out numbering humans. The recent arrival of humans is damaging the planet.

    If by your reckoning 90% believe in a God, we must if we apply your logic, conclude that the world is safer in the hands, or paws, of athiests.

    Category error.

    Look at your right arm, I do believe it has been sheared.

    Falcatas tend to do that.

    Next time parry or thrust O.K.?

    Burn

  • Layla33
    Layla33

    Each man's creates his own reality.

    Someone tells us that this person is color-blind because they call red blue and blue red and we believe it. Maybe we are the ones that are color blind.

    Someone told us what is rational and real, we grab a hold of it and went with it.

    People that can think existentially, can understand that there are variations of beliefs, some based on tangible things, some things not.

    There are things that scientists study that are not seen to the mind's eye, but based on expressed associations, they can name it, and watch its behaviors.

    There are no black and whites here, there are opinons and variations of such.

    Being too of anything can be a sign of OCD, can be a sign of letting someone control your thoughts. I was just watching this great video of a guy that got out of Scientology, and he was talking about the Tom Cruise video and how to people inside Scientology it was perfectly normal, to people outside Scientology, it was bordering insane. Does that mean that Tom Cruise is isane or just a victim of an untrue and harmful cult mentality? There needs to be a very clear distinction here.

  • nicolaou
    nicolaou

    Would you go so far as to characterize religious beliefs as a mental illness or as a contagious disease?

    Curiously,
    AuldSoul

    Actually no, I don't. I think I said as much two posts back. My point is that to an impartial observer the beliefs of a religious person might appear very similar to those of someone who is truly suffering from a mental illness. Hearing voices, communicating with unseen entities, irrational perceptions of reality.

    In reading my own words back before clicking the submit button I can hear how insulting they might sound. It is not my intention to be rude or give offence and I apologise to you and anyone else if that's how they sound. But there it is, that's how I feel.

    Mike
    aka Nic'

  • Caedes
    Caedes

    DD

    I don't know that he doesn't exist. I just don't "believe" that he does.

    I'll quote you again since you appear to have forgotten your earlier post.

    You can't have a belief system about something in which you don't believe.

  • inrainbows
    inrainbows

    I love it how people don't stop more often to consider 'god' might be different to how 'religions' sell it, and have NOTHING to do with religions. Religions might just be playing on a natural part of our evolutionary development.

    To put it crudely, a dog might run and hide when there is thunder. But only a human will imagine a big bloke with a hammer and develop a religion using the unknown and human story-telling ability.

    We have imagination, the ability to conceive 'the divine' in whatever way we see it, without religion. And if it is an idea within our heads, then it is as natural as dreaming. And just as our imagination and dreams can move us to do great things, so too can our ideation of the divine enable us to do what we might otherwise not.

  • R.Crusoe
    R.Crusoe

    DD,

    10 billion (USA alone) will be born and die within the year to fuel human consumption.

    Similarly, many humans will be fed psychologies to preserve the lifestyles of the elite!

    It is a rather simple logic!

    To suggest god willed it is ...erm - draw your own conclusions!

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    Caedes

    DD

    I don't know that he doesn't exist. I just don't "believe" that he does.

    I'll quote you again since you appear to have forgotten your earlier post.

    You can't have a belief system about something in which you don't believe.

    That's fair I guess. But what you seem to be missing is we (me and the person that believes in Thor) both believe in God. It's the details about Him that we disagree on. The atheist knows about God as well. If he didn't know about God, he would not be on this forum.

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    Glad

    Animals, which due to no conscious belief in a God we must consider to be atheists, have survived far longer than humans and continue to do so, out numbering humans.

    We're only talking about human survival. They are the top of the food chain aren't they?

    The recent arrival of humans is damaging the planet.

    You must mean only the 90% that believe in God. They seem to be surviving to well.

    This planet has been in worse shape many times in the past. It has been much warmer at times and much colder at other times. It has also been polluted by volcanic and othe natural activity.

  • startingover
    startingover

    DD

    If you lived someplace where the majority of people around you believed in Thor, you might find yourself being an athorist.

  • logic&reason
    logic&reason

    Who dares to deny the existence of Mighty Thor?

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