Time to face up to the truth of religion?

[Robin-H]

The bible covers the period when Babylon was first built ( Babel) the incarceration of the Jews in Babylon and even foretold how Babylon would be toppled from power , and then how it would become ruins and never be rebuilt all came true

 

My history books mention dinosaurs. That doesn't mean they were written at the time of dinosaurs.

 

The bible was not written before the Code of Hammurabi.

[Obelix]

The bible covers the period when Babylon was first built ( Babel) the incarceration of the Jews in Babylon and even foretold how Babylon would be toppled from power , and then how it would become ruins and never be rebuilt all came true

 

Who cares what it covers? I could write about the early formation of the Solar system but it doesn't mean I was there and it means I can easily insert anything I like that occurred after that fact.

 

Genesis was scripted a thousand years later than the earliest legal codes. The code that was therefore in Genesis is not demonstrably earlier than those legal codes from Hammurabi et al.

[RootsBooster]

The bible covers the period when Babylon was first built ( Babel) the incarceration of the Jews in Babylon and even foretold how Babylon would be toppled from power , and then how it would become ruins and never be rebuilt all came true

 

You appear to be embarrassing yourself here.

[Waldo]

I think, for most people, it isn't a form of mental illness. If you believed something that your parents had been telling you since you were a small child, even though it wasn't true, would that make you mentally ill?

 

Yeah, maybe it's not a fair comparison.

 

Also, I'm no expert, but perhaps a mental condition requires a physical cause (e.g. chemical imbalance in brain), in order to be classified as 'mental illness'?

 

Anyhow, looking online (wikipedia of all places), I found this...

 

A mental disorder, also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a diagnosis by a mental health professional of a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause suffering or a poor ability to function in life. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as a single episode.

 

The bit in bold, I think relates to religious belief.

 

I see something of a repetitive nature with religious belief. Indeed, in one sense of the word, to do something 'religiously' means to do repeatedly, over and over. Fundamentally, isn't religious belief, simply unfounded repetitive thought patterns? As such, I'd think these patterns of thought, certainly have capacity to incapacitate a person.

[Anna B]

Yeah, maybe it's not a fair comparison.

 

Also, I'm no expert, but perhaps a mental condition requires a physical cause (e.g. chemical imbalance in brain), in order to be classified as 'mental illness'?

 

Anyhow, looking online (wikipedia of all places), I found this...

 

 

 

The bit in bold, I think relates to religious belief.

 

I see something of a repetitive nature with religious belief. Indeed, in one sense of the word, to do something 'religiously' means to do repeatedly, over and over. Fundamentally, isn't religious belief, simply unfounded repetitive thought patterns? As such, I'd think these patterns of thought, certainly have capacity to incapacitate a person.

 

I have to question the piece you highlighted in your quote.

 

I think you'll find that religious or spiritual belief brings a lot of people comfort and joy, and greatly enhances their life, rather than diminishing it. In what way does it 'cause suffering or poor ability to function in life' for the majority of people who practice it? If that was the case they would give it up surely?

[unbeliever]

I have to question the piece you highlighted in your quote.

 

I think you'll find that religious or spiritual belief brings a lot of people comfort and joy, and greatly enhances their life, rather than diminishing it. In what way does it 'cause suffering or poor ability to function in life' for the majority of people who practice it? If that was the case they would give it up surely?

 

Superstition of any kind is a false reality. False reality impairs good decision making.

It's a form (not the only form) of wilful ignorance. As such it runs counter to wisdom and good judgement.

 

There are psychological tools available that help those who struggle with the hardship reality brings sometimes, which do not depend on destructive deception the way that superstition does.

Edited December 11, 2016 by unbeliever

[Anna B]

Superstition of any kind is a false reality. False reality impairs good decision making.

It's a form (not the only form) of wilful ignorance. As such it runs counter to wisdom and good judgement.

 

There are psychological tools available that help those who struggle with the hardship reality brings sometimes, which do not depend on destructive deception the way that superstition does.

 

What rubbish.

 

You assume to 'know' something that no one knows.

 

Anyway everyone has their own way of reaching a state of bliss, be it drink or drugs or meditation etc. Some people never reach it at all.

[Cyclone]

I think you'll find that religious or spiritual belief brings a lot of people comfort and joy, and greatly enhances their life, rather than diminishing it. In what way does it 'cause suffering or poor ability to function in life' for the majority of people who practice it? If that was the case they would give it up surely?

You could make the same argument about believing in father christmas, but you would think that an adult that still believed that myth needed some help.

[unbeliever]

What rubbish.

 

You assume to 'know' something that no one knows.

 

Anyway everyone has their own way of reaching a state of bliss, be it drink or drugs or meditation etc. Some people never reach it at all.

 

I don't know abaoit a state of bliss but I know that destructive lies help nobody in the long term.

I was talking more about happiness or event contentment. Which once again should not be built on fragile lies.

 

I know that there is no man in the sky controlling everything. I know that the essence of the person is not detached from the biochemical engine of the brain.

Edited December 11, 2016 by unbeliever

[petemcewan]

Unbeliever,

 

 

 

What you’ve put is the worse kind of cod psychologising I’ve read in a long time.

Now that we are getting down to it. Implying that religious belief is a form of mental illness is an insult in the first place. There are millions of devout believers in religion -scientists included- who lead ordinary lives: raise families and hold down jobs-they are not deluded.

Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices related to sacred things.

The set of beliefs by which a religious community is defined -be it Christian or Buddhist -is likely to have an ethical code that determines the behaviour and the conduct of the group -providing a perfectly mentally evolved way of living.

Belief in a religion is not a sign of mental illness.Religion satisfies certain basic human needs:

acceptance (need for approval ),curiosity (the need to learn), social contact (the need for friends ),status (the need for social standing ) and order (the need for organised, stable,

predictable environment), and a cup of tea and a bun down the Sally Army. Don’i forget to make a donation for Christmas and you won’t get a visit by old Marley’s ghost. LOL.

 

 

 

 

 

Religion in England and Wales 2011 - Office for National Statistics

https://www.ons.gov.uk/.../census/2011-census/...statistics.../rpt-religion.h...

 

11 Dec 2012 - In the 2011 Census, Christianity was the largest religion, with 33.2 million ... The second largest religious group were Muslims with 2.7 million people (4.8 ... 14.1 million people in England and Wales said they had no religion, .

 

 

So we are a multi-faith -and largely mentally stable country- and should be proud of it.

 

 

“Merry Christmas one and all “.

Edited December 11, 2016 by petemcewan