Do you? Discuss.

What isn't a mental disorder?

It may be a symptom of some mental architecture that finds itself in a totally different environment from that in which it evolved, but I wouldn't call it a disorder. Even those of us who don't subscribe to 'religion' per se, are still susceptible to irrational beliefs and superstitious reasoning in certain circumstances.

Posted by Avius It may be a symptom of some mental architecture that finds itself in a totally different environment from that in which it evolved, but I wouldn't call it a disorder. Even those of us who don't subscribe to 'religion' per se, are still susceptible to irrational beliefs and superstitious reasoning in certain circumstances.

What he said. Religion isn't a mental disorder (though those with mental disorders are often very religious), but belief in the supernatural - which includes belief in a god/gods - is irrational.

I have to say there is a point in any belief system where if you buy into the story too much you have become delusional. Once you honestly start believing that stories which are clearly scientifically impossible (the carrying capacity of Noah's ark , water into wine as anything other than a magic trick, and the loaves and fish spring to mind) I would have to say you have lost touch with a sufficient amount of reality that you are most likely nuts. At least in a clinical sense.

Think about it. There are schizophrenics that believe in stuff alot more plausible than the events in lots of religions club handbooks. But who gets locked up?

It is if you follow the bible word for word rather than logically...

And alas, there are those that do. I have had someone look me dead in the eyes and tell me that they in all honesty believed that the bible was basically dictated by god. They believed the planet was all of 6000 years old. The platypus and the banana were proof that all things were designed as they are right now by god. All the things that make you scratch your head when people say them, this fella, his extended family, and their whole church think are real. Now how is that less crazy than "Elvis and Sonny Bono are alive and with the aliens. They talk to me through the hum I feel in my dental work"?

Also Live and Let Live should be a motto everyone follows, but this is far from true.

No. Not religion itself. However, when a person becomes obsessed with it to the point where it rules their life, then I believe that person has a mental disorder.

Posted by underdark And alas, there are those that do. I have had someone look me dead in the eyes and tell me that they in all honesty believed that the bible was basically dictated by god. They believed the planet was all of 6000 years old. The platypus and the banana were proof that all things were designed as they are right now by god. All the things that make you scratch your head when people say them, this fella, his extended family, and their whole church think are real. Now how is that less crazy than "Elvis and Sonny Bono are alive and with the aliens. They talk to me through the hum I feel in my dental work"?

I'd say the platypus is evidence that some things were definitely NOT designed. Didn't someone say that it was an animal designed by committee?

mental disorder : Any illness with a psychological origin, manifested either in symptoms of emotional distress or in abnormal behaviour. Most mental disorders can be broadly classified as either psychoses or neuroses.


Jus sayin...

http://books.googl...20disorder&f=false


teehee... there are sections on religion encouraging child abuse and bigotry. there are maybe 3 pages on the positive effects of religion and 20 or so on the negative effects of religion

Posted by jukebox fuckup http://books.googl...20disorder&f=false teehee... there are sections on religion encouraging child abuse and bigotry. there are maybe 3 pages on the positive effects of religion and 20 or so on the negative effects of religion

So there you go Religion IS a mental disorder.

It was a mental disorder that strengthened people at a time that people needed religion to bring them together.

Those that believed in it joined together and 'attacked' those un-believers.

So yes.


But it's something that needs to be weeded out.

As much as the privileged folks w/high-speed internet connections say stuff like "religion is a mental disorder" there are those outside their purview who have made their lives better due to faith in their chosen God. I was instilled w/the Catholic faith as a child and try as I may, I can't escape it. Does this make me happy? No. Is it comforting? Sometimes. I'm not active in Catholicism, but I haven't totally eschewed it either. Whoever said it was a story was probably most correct. It is a story and as language-using animals we need story. I don't think religious folks are crazy but they do believe in something I'm not sure about. So, it's probably no more a mental disorder than sub-atomic science or whatever would be an example of something we believe but really have no proof of.

Posted by G to the Race So, it's probably no more a mental disorder than sub-atomic science or whatever would be an example of something we believe but really have no proof of.

The difference is that we DO have evidence of sub-atomic particles and the like, and scientific knowledge marches ever onwards, occasionally discarding previously-held beliefs in favor of those with better evidentiary support, but always moving forward. Religion does not. It has been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era. The fact that in certain states an atheist may not practice law is evidence of that, though I wonder if that's enforced, or is one of those antiquated laws that was never taken off the books.

Posted by G to the Race As much as the privileged folks w/high-speed internet connections say stuff like "religion is a mental disorder" there are those outside their purview who have made their lives better due to faith in their chosen God.

holy presumptuous! I am sorry that your Catholic faith fails to address your feelings of deprivation and/or lack of privilege/high speed internet.

Posted by splumer scientific knowledge marches ever onwards, occasionally discarding previously-held beliefs in favor of those with better evidentiary support, but always moving forward.

You want a religion disguised as science? Subatomic particles and evolution aren't it. Global warming is a fine example. Anytime someone in science declares "the debate is over, we're right because we say so!" then they have stepped way from the science. The debate isn't over till it's it's here http://en.wikipedi...ki/Laws_of_science

And the great part about science is that even then it doesn't have to be over. Science, as you pointed out, changes. If the evidence supports a change then even Laws of Science can be toppled. Religions don't work like that. People that contradict doctrine sometimes have bad things happen to them because believers don't like it when you mock god by showing that the earth is millions of years old, man and animals evolve, the sun is (technically) the center, matter doesn't **poof** into existence because something you can't prove says it should.

Side note- Believers kill non-believers all the time for not believing or challenging belief, does anyone know of a case where an atheist killed a religious person for challenging their lack of belief?

Posted by underdark You want a religion disguised as science? Subatomic particles and evolution aren't it. Global warming is a fine example. Anytime someone in science declares "the debate is over, we're right because we say so!" then they have stepped way from the science. The debate isn't over till it's it's here http://en.wikipedi...ki/Laws_of_science ... Side note- Believers kill non-believers all the time for not believing or challenging belief, does anyone know of a case where an atheist killed a religious person for challenging their lack of belief?

I think the climate change point is that it has been researched and peer-reviewed rather thoroughly, and is generally held as true by the scientific community. For scientists, the debate is indeed over; it's only in the political arena that the debate continues. One could say the same about evolution.

I have never heard of such a case, but I imagine one exists. The difference is that people often kill in the name of religion, but usually not in the name of atheism. This, I think, is the distinction that should be made when one points out that Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot were atheists. They didn't commit their mass murders in the name of atheism, they committed them for political causes. Hitler is also often called an atheist, but he was not. He was raised a papist, and during his reign he held a variety of spiritualist beliefs.

Posted by jeepdave Do you? Discuss.

yes.
i don't have to discuss. you're all, in my professional opinion, nuts.