Is christianity an addiction?

Question

Have you ever known a former alcoholic/drug addict who becomes obsessed with religion after converting to christianity? Are these people merely substituting one obsessive behavior for another?

Answer 1

I see it when my parents drag me to church. It's scary. They start singing a chorus of four lines over and over and over and OVER again. They sway back and forth and I can just _feel_ everyone trying to whip themselves into the proper pitch of religious fervor. It's like self-hypnotis and it scares the sh!t out of me. o_O

Answer 2

I'm a recovering Christian and yes I have 2 good friends and know of others in my former church who were former drug addicts and alcoholics. My 2 good friends are also recovering Christians, now. It'd take too long to try and explain that so I'll just let you think what you want about that phrase.

Anyway to go deeper into the question, religion (i'm not talking about "beliefs" here) itself is a system set up to give people what they "need" so I do believe someone can replace a feeling with need with religion. I'm sobered up from all of that now, though... and I'm free!

BTW: I was never an addict but I did go crazily "head-strong" into Christianity and 'addiction' isn't that bad of a word to call it, though symantically it does denote some aspects not included in what I experienced. I do believe strongly that religion (the ceremony, not the belief) is a from of CONTROL... so if you look at addiction in that same way... its a perfect word to describe it.

Answer 3

I am an alcoholic and a drug addict. I am clean and sober because of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I could not stop drinking and doing drugs on my own. God did it for me. He removed the obsession and compulsion for me to want to drink or do drugs. I want to worship him and learn everything about the one I kept out of my life for so long. I always believed in God but I never got to know him and I didn't rely on him. I did things my way. Now I strive to do Gods will for me. I am not perfect and I still struggle but I have God to lean on for help and guidance instead of the poison I was corrupting myself with before. If people think I am substituting one compulsive behaviour for another thats o.k. I'd rather be high on Jesus then where I was before.

Answer 4

No, but i can see where it can be thought to be.
Faith is a way of life, and for one like me to be raised by an athiest mother to all of a sudden seeing an angel appear in my room after saying my first prayers, it was not obsession but being OBEDIENT to the will of God according to the scriptures, but not limited to that either, more like someone tastiing Ice Cream for the first and Wanting everyone else to taste it too, that he has to advertise everywhere.
BTW I had many things happen in my life, and i believed I was chosen and set apart to be a missionary, even from the time I was 19 i was ordained to be a priest and was already a witness, part of the priesthood duties I received is to preach teach and expound scriptures and invite to be baptized. come join my church and believe what i have to teach i would say.
but at the same time as i grew older I also received several visions and many spiritual experiences of jesus christ, in One of the visions OUT of his Own lips my priesthood calling was confirmed, With Such a greater witness of my calling, I could go nowhere, or do nothing except i testified and taught belief in christ because of the Visions and the NEW ICE CREAM flavors.
Lol
God bless, and dont be so hard on someone who has the spirit of god in him.

Answer 5

There are three types of religous people out there in my opinion.
Those who observe the faith to honor their parents and ancestors. They belive in tradition and family and that to turn their backs on religion would be an insult to their families.
That's understandable enough.

Then comes the gambler. He knows if he believes and it's all true he will go heaven, if its all baloney - nothing lost! So he has no personal risk in believing with a margin of risk in not.

Then finally the devout religous zealot who is consumed by the mystery and magic of it all. This final group is clinically insane to varying levels. Their are god's fanclub. Look at the way people behaved about Elvis, or even Motley Crew for that matter!

It's only an addiction for people with obsessive compulsive tendencies to begin with.



The BIBLE the greatest PR campaign ever.
Marketing students could learn a lot from it's success....!

Answer 6

I don't think that Christianity as a religion is an addiction. I think that when people convert they realize how far from perfect we are and are possibly trying to learn as much about the religion as they can and there is nothing wrong with that.

Answer 7

I have known people who, in their darkest hours "found God." It's not something I can relate to, but we can agree that drug and alcohol addiction is self destructive behavior. Being a religious fanatic is not. If that's what it took to keep them from destroying themselves, I'd call it a good thing.

Answer 8

Well, it would be a mighty positive one. As an addiction therapist with over twenty years of experience, I will tell you with strong certainty that all who have a lasting recovery accredit it to their allowing God into their lives. Most do adopt Christianity, some Judaism, a few other. Talk with a person who has a long term, good recovery. He/she will tell you they have never had it better. YBIC

Answer 9

If one experiences the love that makes your life complete and fulfilling, why wouldn't it be addicting. Addiction comes from the lack of Christ in ones life. So we venture out to find something to fill the void. Never being able to fill that void one keeps returning looking for satisfaction.

Answer 10

Technically speaking, anything (and lots of good things do) can become an addiction to those that abuse it.