Risking to get a serious beating... but?

Question

Is having faith in [insert random religion] not just a very mild form of schizophreny?

Don't attack me straight away, just *think about it*!!!


(and yes, I told you I love using that word...)

Hey, Ray...

If they just as easily can find their way out, then why don't they do so?

Schizophrenia can be overcome just as well.

Opinionatedkitten; read some of the questions and answers in here and you'll know what I mean. I also said "very mild form of"

I also majored in psychology and have been around several schizophrenics during my lifetime, instead of just studying the theory. Their behaviour is very similar to people with blind faith in their religion.

... is having faith in yourself considered a religion? o.O

that's what I mean - didn't realise I typed it wrong up there... then again, lack of sleep and the dire need to call it a night might vote for my favour... or something like that.

Oldgirl - that experience is exactly why I started thinking it. If your children are autistic, or any other child that needs care - you just care for them, you don't leave them alone, whoever you are; you're not "chosen" for the job.

As for you saying your father died so he won't have to witness his granddaughter be diagnosed autistic, is just a way for yourself to accept his unexpected death.

It has nothing to do with God or praying.

Fair enough, praying gives people hope, but when people actually believe it makes a difference, that's where I start to worry about them.

Things happen, not because God had willed it so, but because they happen - and there is a saying that goes "God helps those who help themselves" - but those who help themselves don't need any outside help anymore - you did all that you did by yourself and you're still saying it was God's help...

For the record; I never meant the religion as a whole... I was thinking about the personal experience of faith in a certain religion.

Answer 1

No, I wouldn't say so but it [blind belief] lacks basic reasoning.
There are however strong indications that Jesus , was a delusional schizophrenic.

Answer 2

You mean schizophrenia. And it's not only that, whenever there's even a little bit of disagreement between you and yourself, you're schizophrenic. Like if part of you wants to call it a day and go home from work, but another part of you wants to get as much work as possible done, then you're schizophrenic. I think everyone in this world is schizophrenic. It's not an illness because everyone has it. Why do people call it an illness? It's like you drink a lot of water, and then you want to go to the bathroom. There's certainly no scientific word for that, and certainly nobody goes to the hospital for it, because it happens to everybody if they drink water. So why does a person with "schizophrenia" go to the hospital and think he's gonna get "cured"? Since everybody has it, the hospital won't be able to do anything, because everybody would end up in the hospital. Why don't people just make an effort to become one with themselves?

Answer 3

There is more than one risk you take here. Not only will anyone of faith take exception to it, but what about people who have mental illnesses, do you not think it's a bit damning of them to use an illness as a way to get a rise out of the people on the R&S board?
By the way, I am not attacking, I think your question is interesting, mainly because I disagree I admit, but I am not actually offended, just in full debate mode lol.
I'll start by saying that for a person who has faith to say there is anything "mild" about it isn't very accurate.
My second point would be that as most religions are older than the diagnoses of various mental illnesses, then surely the mentally ill would have been branded as religious, not the other way around?
Lastly (I'm sure I'm too honest for my own good but what the hell) I have been treated by a mental health team for 11 years, but have only been a Christian for 2 years. I have never ever had a diagnosis even vaguely close to schizophenia. (And if I had I would fess up, cos it's more "glamorous" than just being a Borderline with OCD and depression).

Answer 4

What is planted in a young mind stays sometimes dormant for years without even thinking back to it.
As a child of four years, I remember hearing on the radio the coronation of a certain king and, because there was a lot of cheering I asked my father what happened to the old king.
He replied: "He died."
"Why are they all cheering?" I asked. "It sounds like a football match."
My father gave a stupid answer - I know now - "The crowd are playing football with the old king`s head and they`ve just scored a goal."
I never thought about it again, but years later, seven years later when I was eleven years old, my teacher of the time was lecturing the class about crowning monarchs at a coronation and asked the question: "Does anyone know what happens to the old king?"
Without giving it any thought whatsoever, I immediately put up my hand and blurted out: "Yes! They play football with the old king`s head."
The class roared with laughter, so did the teacher, and, too late, I realised what I had said and how foolish it sounded. And suddenly realised where it had come from, the back of my mind.
The point of this story is: Whatever information is given to you at a young age, no matter how true or false or how outrageous, it lies there dormant until prompted from an outside source.
Meaning, BRAINWASHED, like religion.

Answer 5

I am not sure on that one, but having worked in psychiatric wards, many deluded folk have ideas of grandiose (love that term) that often relate to God getting them pregnant or something. Psychotic but not necessarily schizophrenics sometimes do all that filled with the Holy Spirit mlarke, but it's sincerity is always questionable as when well, these folk do not have these religious beliefs. My thought is that previous beliefs come to the front during illness.
As for faith, Catholisism definatley seemed to be the most damaging as some poor folk were wracked with guilt yet denied religion when well.
I hear God but not as a voice as such, more the acknowledgement that I have honoured the name through shivers. No, it's not loony I hope or I will have to park myself in with the patients.

Answer 6

No it isn't schizophrenia. It is about people believing that there is something that can take care of them! It's HOPE! Some are a little more fanatical about it but that is what makes humans great they have the ability to think for themselves. No 2 people are alike! I don't like religion personally I think people put to much belief into it and that can cause sever consequences as show by wars based on beliefs! This is where fanatical comes in when people try to force their beliefs on another! Thank you for free will!

Answer 7

I think the root of religion is the psychological need most people have for some one to protect them. We are alone in in infinite Universe, at the mercy of capricious forces of nature, unseen enemies( illnesses, germs) and the prospect of a final journey into the unknown. It is wonderfully reassuring to believe a hugely powerful father figure is looking after them. And the more you try to take that hope away from them by force or by argument the more they resist you and even hate you. Religion is not a matter of logic. It is a matter of psychological need. But an insecure, needful personality is the norm in Homo Sapiens, it is not schizophrenia.

Answer 8

I have faith in God through Jesus because I had a powerful experience of meeting with him (and I wasn't brainwashed, nobody prayed over me and I had rejected christianity several times previously). The feelings that washed over me at that instant were of peace, love and that God would look after everything. This doesnt' mean I don't have to do anything, christianity is not much of a crutch if you are open minded enough to read what is truly involved, it's hard work. I wouldn't have thought it makes anyone feel stable to be continually thought of as intellectually inferior, or weak minded, or dumb enough to believe anything their parents tell them. The only reason I have remained a christian is because God has proved himself trustworthy. He talks to people, through prophecy, and these prophecies come true. He asks people to pray for the sick, and the sick get healed. I have felt God ask me to pray for people and I have, and he has healed them. Sometimes I pray without hearing from God first and nothing happens. I think it's unecessary to say that God doesn't exist simply because his presence is outside of your experience.

Answer 9

No. Schizophrenia is a mental illness with very clear characteristic ad a consistent diagnosis. It also tends to get worst with time if left untreated. Religious people typically don't hear voices, see faces distorted, experience hallucinations or lose all sense of their surroundings.
O.K., you could make the case that some prophets and mystics seem to have exhibited some or all of those symptoms. But the difference between mental illness and mystic episodes is that schizophrenia is a chronic disease, one that gets worse with time. In between visions (or revelations, however you want to term it), the mystic tends to act like a normal person and to share people's common reality.

Answer 10

Do you mean like: having faith in oneself count? and if so, would that be called schizophrenia? Do you have faith in yourself? if you do, then you have hope. Hope leads to faith, that is reflected in a sound mind. Don't look at religions, look up instead, have faith in knowing you have hope. know that you know, guard your heart from the designs of mans regulatory, ritualistic judgements some are based in schizophrenic paranoia.

Answer 11

Religious faith is a form of delusion. However, no comparison whatsoever can be drawn between faith and schizophrenia. Religious belief is a group enterprise i.e. the delusion is shared, thereby normatizing the behaviour. Schizophrenia is a solo enterprise, whereby none others share that person's reality.