Should religion be treated as a psychological disorder?

Question

I know this doesn't apply to every religion, but in this modern age of Science, should people who believe in an invisable being (God) not be treated for a psychological disorder? I mean if an adult had an imaginary friend you would tell them to seek help, but not for believing in an invisable being?

Answer 1

Usually with these questions you get some pathetic answers like you don’t have to see him to know he’s there, but there were some good points: Interested in LA's, said that the complexities of life would have had to have been made from intelligent life and that makes sense and some people said how science says if we don’t know about it then its not there and this is and interesting point because there are new discoveries every day that disprove a previous scientists theories, neither atheists or religions should be completely believed by any one, we should all just admit the we really don’t know, and even if god shows up and says it was me we still wont know because we would just ask him who put you here and god would probably not know even if he did he wouldn’t know the who put the guy that put the guy that put him there!!
I truly believe this is a question with no answer and you can spend your whole life going mad or you can just take up my way of thinking that I told the Jehovah witness’, I don’t know if there is a god I don’t know if there isn’t I don’t dare think that I am right and the whole other human race is wrong, I cant, no 1 can I am not going to waste my life praying or disproving of people who are religious, I am leaving it until I die and if there is God, Buddha and Allah up there playing a game of cards then bloody great! It will be fun, and if there isn’t a god and dead is dead then great! I wont care I will be dead and the stress of life gone, and you know what she never came back after that maybe I converted her LOL!
The only thing I disapprove about religious people is when they try to dictate how others should live their live I say live and let live but since most religious groups say tolerance is one of the most important things it should be fine, I would love a God that explained a child death, or a natural disaster but I don’t and I have to live with that I am kind of jealous that I cant have that, but relived that I can be free of prejudice, so do the same tolerate religious people as they tolerate you and were all find out one day!
p.s. this is the shortened version! LOL

Answer 2

One thing that is tricky in psychology is to define "normal" and "abnormal". Where exactly is the line? If you look at psychology in terms of it being only a science that can only analyse quantifiable data, you'll find that Freud should have been the first one to be treated for a "disorder", for believing in something as unprovable as "the unconscious", or the "id", "ego" and "superego".

In which way is that worse than believing in "a" God?

Something is only a disorder when it causes distress to the person that experiences it OR to the people around them. So it's fine to be religious, it's NOT fine to be a suicidal extremist. But criminals are found everywhere and religion should not be blamed, for those severely disturbed people it's merely an excuse to carry through horrible acts.

Religion has actually proven to be good for people's mental health, when kept within reason. Any kind of prayer or meditation is scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and to slow down the heart rate. It also stabilises brain waves, calming down and centering a person often in a better way than therapy can.

So as a student psychologist I don't find anything wrong with it and actually recommend it. Religion is good for you, you should try it.

Answer 3

Atheism should be treated as a psychological disorder, not religion. I mean, c'mon, even an agnostic can look around and tell that something (or more than one thing) with intelligence was likely involved in creating intelligent life and all of the order in the universe including things like the workings of the human body with all of its interconnected systems, and the way bees work together. Science itself points to something greater at work.

A psychologically healthy person asks questions like: What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? How did I get here? What happens to me after my body dies? Do I have a soul? All religions have a healthy quality about them to the degree that they try to help answer those questions based on what can be perceived. An atheistic response to nature and science is either lazy, complacent, or insane. It isn't reasonable based on the proof in front of their faces.

As for Christianity (among the religions), at least their Invisible Friend/Being sometimes answers prayers, heals people (re-grown organs, sight restored, hearing restored, depression and sorrow lessened and/or lifted, etc.) If my adult friend had a "Friend" like that I wouldn't tell him to seek help, I'd ask him to introduce me.

Answer 4

If you had an open mind, were able to do critical thinking and critical reading, and knew enough science; you would not be asking this question. "Science" has become the state religion of not only America but also of the Western world. What do I mean by a religion; "Science" has dogmas, things that we are supposed to believe but that there is no proof of. One of their dogmas is that if something can't be sensed by the 5 senses or by some machine,( like something invisable) that it doesn't exist. What arrogance! You won't like this, but there is no scientific proof for the theory ( it is an hypothysis, actually) of evolution. It is a dogma that we are supposed to believe. Oh yes, there are fossils of animals and plants that we can't find today; and there are animals and plants today that we can't find fossils of, but what does that prove? That raw data can be explained in a number of ways. There are 2 species of birds that have become extinct in my lifetime and 1 shortly before I was born. They didn't "evolve" into some other species! There is also scientific proof that evolution did not happen. There are many but I will only write one. Mathematics is a hard science. Part of the science of mathematics is the science of permutations and probabilities. The probability that every living thing on earth with all it's wonderful complexity and interdependence came about by billions of accidents over billions of years is zero. Do you have that, zero, zip, impossible according to mathematical analysis! Yet the secular scientists still want you to believe it. Not all scientists, only the secular ones. There are scientists, yes, Ph.D. chemists, physicists, biologists, zoologists, mathematicians who will tell you that evolution is a scam, and will cite scientific evidence to support that. How do the secular scientists respond, they say the other scientists are "nuts" because they can't refute the scientific evidence that evolution didn't happen. One of the prime tactics of people who are debating is this:" If you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. If you don't have the facts on your side, attack the opponant.". Please open your eyes and your ears and start thinking with your mind, not whatever you are using at the present time:).Now remember, scientsts want you to believe that the first life came into being when a lightening bolt hit the ocean. Now proteins, amino acids and other things like that are produced by animals and plants. Before there was any life, the only thing in the ocean was water! That's it, pure H2O. They want you to believe that lightening struck pure water and formed a living cell. The cell is the smallest and most basic form of life that there is. Now for a cell to not only survive but to reproduce, it must it must have: an outer cell membrane that is semi-permeable, a nucleus that has an additional nuclear membrane plus a fully formed string of DNA and genes that tell every part of the cell what do do. Part of what it has to do is this. At the right time the DNA strand has to reproduce itself perfectly and float to the other side of the nucleus. Then both the outer cell membrane and the nuclear membrane have to fold in on themselves at exactly the same time to form two cells that are exactly the same. Now, these abilities of the first cell cannot have come about by "evolution" becaust the cell must have all of these abilities at the beginning to survive. So here is what the secular scientists want you to believe. That at some time in the distant past, lightening struck the pure water in the ocean and produced a fully functioning, living cell. Not possible baby!

Answer 5

Actually, strong religious beliefs and religious experiences have recently been associated with both Schizophrenia and Epilepsy. It has been suggested that religious experiences are hallucinations and the associated feelings generated by abnormal activity in the part of the brain responsible for religious knowledge and imagery.

So you're right in wondering...

As for the blind followers... Less a mental illness and more a naivity, unquestioning trust, and in some cases a desperate hope. I believe religious leaders and those who claim to have had religious experiences have some kind of neurological or psychological problem, but run of the mill average followers are merely sheep.

Answer 6

I think first all people who tell their children about Santa Claus should be treated. Then all the people who think that science is the answer to all problems.

God is only invisible so long as people want to ignore him - he is instantly visible to anyone who chooses to acknowledge him and follow his instructions.

Do you believe in the president of the USA or the prime minister of United Kingdom or any other country? Have you ever met them - do you trust them to run your country? Why do people readily put their faith in things over which they have no control over whatsoever, but deny God who doesn't ask for anything in return but instead promises you a better life here and after death?

Go for a reality check at:

Answer 7

Why should I believe in science as truth? The comparison between believing in an unseen God and as imaginary friend is very good. But, an imaginary friend did not create the universe and science has not proven God did not.

Answer 8

hmm well imaginary friends, invisible people speaking to you, flowing the will of some guy in the clouds, ya kinda sounds like a psychological disorder to me!

Answer 9

not so much a disorder but certainly a intellectual shortcoming.

as human intelligence develops, more and more people reject religion. as a child, the world seems full of magic - compensating for a lack of understanding. people who resort to religion are either incapable or unwilling to develop their intellect beyond childish and fanciful notions.

enlightenment is wisdom born of knowledge and can be passed on directly to others. god is childish magic for the ignorant and cannot be propagated, only exploited.

Answer 10

I think the real question is whether the person can think rationally and act accordingly w/out religion. If justification by some being is always needed then I think that this person is not autonomous and therefore is not thinking logically on his own behalf. Therefore, some psychiatric evaluation needs to be conducted.