At what stage does being a religious person end and being mentally disturbed begin? because a few of the?

Question

people I know should be locked up in a mental institution for what they say but hide behind the veil of religion. Take Dena Schlosser in the United States who, without a second thought sliced both her babys arms off because god told her to do it. At least one quarter of Christians I talk to should be in a psychiatric ward, not in Church every Sunday.

Answer 1

Those people are disturbed. I am very religious but I don't go to church for those reasons. I go in to church when I need to during the week when it's quiet. A religious person who is prepared to commit an evil act unquestioningly under the supposition that God told them to do it is completely insane.

Sadly, so many so called Christians have never listened to any of Christ's teachings and some Atheists can be more Christan than the Christians.

Unfortunately religion can be an apparent magnet for the unhinged.

If you get the chance read Scepticism Inc. by Bo Fowler. You'll like it from the start.

Answer 2

This question is a bit like saying all football fans are hooligans because of the fights at some games and the media coverage that follows such incidents. You could ask the same question about whether if you are a Muslim, you are a terrorist or whether if you live in a country different to that you were born in you must be an illegal, because the media says so. All communities tend to attract a proportion of people who are mentally disturbed. What are you trying to activate (you call yourself Activist)? That Christians are somehow more mentally deranged than those who worship a team of footballers? I think perhaps looking at the whole picture might be helpful before discounting everyone who happens to believe in God. But thats only my humble opinion.

Answer 3

So your knowledge, that is the survey of Christians you know is a suitable representative of the Christians worldwide?
And actually the news articles don't really say that without a second thought. She did ask someone to take her child. She was not a woman in her right mind, and it was not God who told her to do this but her own poor brain which was out of whack. Apparently post partum depression and manic depression, and likely schizophrenia.
Did she think it was God? Having dealt with people who are bi-polar/ schizophrenia she could have just as easily thought she was hearing from her computer. This is a seriously mentally ill woman who went off her medication.

Answer 4

There is always dangers. But then how many non believers kill - because they hear voices? No murder is to be excused....But they also say those who grow closer to the Divine are tempted by the greater evil. I don't do church. I'm not perfect. But the world isn't ready to do away with religion not just now. So chill a bit and look around. Many people who kill do so because they have never understood 'God'.

Answer 5

Religion appeals to some sorts of these people because the world would simply discard them as useless rejects.

Mental illness in religions is attributable to the trash the world throws at people, driving them insane, then blaming the religion they run to for safety.

Smooth... real smooth... keep the blame where it belongs - God doesn't ask people to cut off babies arms.

Answer 6

Religion is a form of mental extreme.
Our brains have been hard wired to consider the possibility of a predator larger than us. This is one of the reasons we have survived and done so well; we could account for something larger than us wanting to eat us and try to escape from it. This is an aspect of our brains that now considers the possibility of God - the Ultimate thing bigger than we are. In cases of mental illness, this can get completely exaggerated and become God. If our rational mind knows that we, as the 'dominant' creature on the planet have no need to consider anything greater than us why does this feeling remain? It must be something beyond this planet - something beyond us all - before astronomy - beyond all material things - in heaven. So, in my opinion, and this was the basis of my Thesis, like the appendix, we no longer need this part of our brain and, indeed, it may be that it leads to many problems in society from football violence to wars, but since religion is a very controlling force in society it persists. It may be we would be better lobotomised or deomised as I also have suggested. The part of the brain responsible for this God feeling can be activated using magnets. You've really got me going again now, I'm going to read my Thesis again and I may climb back into the saddle of my High Horse!

Answer 7

One quarter is not a bad average,about 90% of the people i talk to should be locked up and they have nothing to do with religion.

Answer 8

Group therapy that's why they go to church. God telling someone to cut a baby's arms off. Well that's just a nutter that needs shot. America seems to be full of mental bible bashers, who in my opinion are not all there in the head. But each to there own .

Answer 9

When religious faith provides a positive influence in your life and increases you coping skills you can consider yourself sane.
When religious beliefs provide a negative influence and make it harder to cope with everyday life then you need medication.
Delusions are often expressed in religious terms as this is a way for sufferers to make sense of them. It doesn't mean that all religious people are mentally ill.

Answer 10

Am inclined to agree with you. Those who claim to be devout in any religion are often hiding....mostly from themselves and can justify any action in religios terms. They seek forgiveness and believe they have it.......often self obsessed and hanging onto something to make their ego feel good like they are somehow superior becasue they believe.
At what point .......not at all sure at what point it starts to become dangerous. But is certainly does....not just for them but for victims too.