Religious devotion is a form of psychiatric disorder?

Question

If I told my doctor I saw visions of the Virgin Mary, spoke with God and could 'heal' people with the power of my mind, I'd be commited to a psychiatric clinic and be given anti-depressant and psycho-tropic drugs , shock treatment, hypnosis, aversion therapy and be shunned by society.

Christians believe Jesus walked on water, brought Lazarus back from the dead, the Immaculate Conception. Crazy.

Answer 1

yes, for some it is, it would depend on the person..and the motive
for some it is the easy satisfaction, for the burning question we all have,,,Why? are we here?

but we are not alone...here are some others thoughts i thought you might like.

{my fav}
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.
—Thomas Jefferson, 1787

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
—Galileo Galilei

My mind is my own church.
—Thomas Paine

...this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.
—John Adams
Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1816


Religion is the perfect justification for tyranny, because it doesn't require an ounce of reason or a shred of proof.
—Anonymous

Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish.
—Timothy Jones

Religion is all bunk.
—Thomas A. Edison

Answer 2

Having worked in the mental health field, I do not recall a billing code for Religious Devotion - however, it is quite difficult to find a psychiatrist or psychologist who does believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the Bible - my son went through a normal stage of anger after his father and I divorced. I thought counseling would be good for him. The counselor said it was obvious he was from a "Christian" background because he was a little immature for his age and not very street savvy. I looked him straight in the eyes and said that is the best news you could have given me - at least at 13 I know he's not already having sex, smoking anything, doing drugs, drinking, stealing, into body art, or having sexual identity crisis - do you get many 13 year old boys who don't have those problems? He looked at me and smiled that "I'm the Dr. here" look and said, no, most of our children are quite street savvy which puts them well ahead of your son. Well, he may be right, but I'd rather have my son a little immature than real street savvy and experiencing the difficulties of life, other than our divorce, and getting to have a childhood instead of facing adult responsibilities already. So, if Religious Devotion is a psychiatric disorder, I don't mind having the disorder, or perpetuating the fact that many people should consider it as an option to many of the other available disorders our society offers.

Answer 3

Here's one for you - if I told my dad's very Christian family that my dad's spirit has visited me they would think I was crazy and yet, they believe Jesus walked on water, brought Lazarus back from the dead and the Immaculate Conception. They believe in heaven and hell, but I'm crazy cause I believe the spirit of my father has visited me. And he's not the only one who as visited me either, but for the sake of not appearing too out of my mind I will keep the rest a secret!!!

Answer 4

Probably:

"Once we can look at religion objectively and impartially, it becomes entirely obvious that religion has all the characteristics of a form of insanity. To one degree or another the religious mind must accept, and believe in, another world; a supernatural or unnatural world, a world filled with all sorts of imaginary beings called gods, devils, angels, saints, demons, etc. These imaginary creatures are talked to, asked for favors, guidance, "signs", or miracles, and then blamed or thanked for natural events that follow. Except for the cloak of religion, such beliefs and actions would otherwise cause an individual to be judged insane, and committed to an institution for treatment."

- Emmet F. Fields

Answer 5

Yes, religion is a form of self induced insanity.

Several times a day people here ask why atheists hang around in this section. On occasion, I respond "if adults took Santa seriously, and attempted to introduce alternate theories of aerodynmaics that allow for the flight of sleighs, and if they kept trying to post "The Night Before Christmas" on monuments in state courthouses, and if they had power in the legislature and passed numerous laws regarding Christmas trees, and elves, and they hung around in this forum making asinine arguments that amount to "if you believe and you're right, Santa will bring you gifts, but if you believe and your wrong, nothing bad happens",


...takes a breath...

...wouldn't everyone who is not insane dogpile on to tell them to STFU?

Answer 6

No it's faith and studying the Word of God with a sound mind. There a verse that says God has not given us a spirit of fear but of strength, and a sound mind. A sound mind is a healthy mind.

Answer 7

Jules g is right,it is like a mass brain wash ,bit not just for controlling people [that was in old times] today is a very good economical business too ,and political too,where any criminal can find shelter

Answer 8

That is because most of today's society bases their beliefs on not really believing at all. If they can't touch,taste,smell,see, or hear it, then to them it simply doesn't exist. God is so much more than the human mind can comprehend. He is more than the senses of the human body. Not everyone has faith strong enough to feel him.

Answer 9

I totally agree and not to mention mass hypnosis and mass hysteria. Religions are belief systems that are created to control large bodies of people and culture through fear, nothing more and nothing less.

Jules, lecturer. Australia.

Answer 10

Just answer this question. If there is a God, wouldn't He be able to easily accomplish these things? You must answer the question of whether there is a God for yourself. It is a question worth considering.