Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

17. Delusions are generally a sign of mental illness.

Sat Nov 23, 2013, 01:09 PM

Nov 2013

While they might solve a delimma of some sorry, they rarely make people happy. Fantasies do tend to make people happy.

Is religious belief delusional? I would argue that it is not, as would pretty much everyone with legitimate training in psychiatry/psychology.

Is religious belief a fantasy? Who knows. Certainly not you or I.

Opium is sometimes a very good thing. If you have ever had surgery or a serious pain inducing condition, I would venture that you found opiate based pain meds to be a very good thing indeed.

If I recall correctly, the lotus eaters slept blissfully, didn't really care about anything and hurt no one. Not sure where the idea that they were lazy and impoverished comes from. I suspect that those living in unspeakable conditions would much prefer to live in Lotus Land, were they giving the choice.

Which is why they may believe that there has got to be something better after this life.

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What's an objective assessment of the benefits and harms of religion overall, in your view? [View all] pinto Nov 2013 OP

I like the idea of a common community libodem Nov 2013 #1

Yeah. I think community, in one form or another, can be a benefit. pinto Nov 2013 #2

That's a big question, and lots of research have gone toward answering it. To be objective, dimbear Nov 2013 #3

See some of your your points, yet does religion go hand in hand with poverty? Economic policy, pinto Nov 2013 #4

It's not a simple question. That's why there's so much research in the area. One could look to dimbear Nov 2013 #5

While I agree with you in general Promethean Nov 2013 #7

Another explanation is that those who are impoverished are often without hope cbayer Nov 2013 #8

I disagree that religion necessarily represents a "dumbing down" of adherents. pinto Nov 2013 #18

Lots of "harm done" by belief in miracles, spirits: magical thinking cripples people Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #9

Religion produces poverty? cbayer Nov 2013 #10

Monks often explicitly spoke against material "riches"; took vows of "Poverty, Chastity, Obedience" Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #11

Well monks and priests make that as a choice. cbayer Nov 2013 #12

Goodman's hypothesis Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #13

Who is he and what kind of research does he propose? cbayer Nov 2013 #14

Good observations, caveats. Aside from Prosperity Gospel though? Consider Asceticism, Spirituality Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #15

Delusions are generally a sign of mental illness. cbayer Nov 2013 #17

Assertions that "whosoever asks" can literally walk on water, are delusional/fantasy; easily shown Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #22

If one is a literalist, that might be true. cbayer Nov 2013 #23

If the Bible is not literally true, but only metaphorically, it loses much claim to truth Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #25

I don't think it is necessarily an all or none thing, and cbayer Nov 2013 #26

Would you and Psych. say a person who thinks he can literally walk on water, is not delusional? Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #27

I have said multiple times that that person would most likely be deemed delusional, cbayer Nov 2013 #29

Many believe this delusion of miraculous powers. As for the rest? "Spiritual" persons...? Brettongarcia Nov 2013 #30

Some do believe that, but they don't encompass all religious believers. cbayer Nov 2013 #31

In some ways, earth has often been a fairly grim place for most of humanity, struggle4progress Nov 2013 #6

There is no question that religion has both benefits and harms, imo. cbayer Nov 2013 #16

Broad brush statements about anything are generally pointless, imho. pinto Nov 2013 #19

What good has religion done skepticscott Nov 2013 #20

I'll offer my post below as one example. MLK often spoke from a faith based perspective. pinto Nov 2013 #24

Oh, YOU doubt it? skepticscott Nov 2013 #34

No, as I said, MLK's position played a part in his advocacy for civil rights and it echoed with many pinto Nov 2013 #35

Religion's role in secular politics shows both sides of benefit and harm. In different ways. pinto Nov 2013 #21

I see few benefits of religion. longship Nov 2013 #28

Christians should stay in the closet to do their praying just as Jesus advised. lumpy Nov 2013 #32

Staying "in the closet" has such a negative connotation. cbayer Nov 2013 #33