Is religion a form of mental illness?

Question

If someone is delusional because of faith to me they have a mental illness, what do you think

The irony of faith is I know more about the religions people claim to defend. Who thinks we should kill people for working on the Sunday its in the Bible

Answer 1

If you go to mental hospital a lot of them are quoting the bible and saying they are GOD

Answer 2

No, classically religion is not defined as a form of mental illness, at least in the United States where her forefathers were religious. Atheists sometimes treat religion with the same type of cynicism as a mathematician would treat philosophy, however each still plays a major role in society whether the opposing side is approving or not. How could an atheist philosopher give you the Gregorian Calendar date if it weren't for numbers representing years Anno Domino (after the birth of Christ). Likewise, how could a Christian mathematician evangelize atheists without philosophical means? Extreme obsession with one particular subject, including religion, can be classified as a mental illness as the society defines it. This doesn't mean that all religious people are to be classified as mentally ill inasmuch as anyone who cries is classified with depression. Schizophrenics have just as much ability to hear God speak as they do to hear voices of other beings such as people or aliens. The fact that more than 50% exhibit these delusions are of a religious nature is perhaps due to the fact that these schizophrenic form a subset of a culture in which more than 50% of the population has heard of those religious figures. As far as which came first... that is the same question as the chicken and the egg. Some believe they came a the same time while others believe one superseded the other.

Answer 3

Wow did you read James W. answer? Holy Smokes he wrote a freaking novel for you. No I can't agree with you I don't believe in organized religions myself or in God, but I do think that some people who are religious are some of the kindest people I know. They take comfort in the idea of God and in doing so do nice things for many less fortunate people. How could I possibly say they are mentally ill because they choose to do good in our evil little world. On the other end of the spectrum there are the fanatics and they are absolutely mentally ill delusional hearing voices right to the funny farm with the sirens on kind of people.

Answer 4

Everyone needs something to believe in to get them by, haven`t you ever wondered how & why you are hear ? that mabe there is a reason & a task you should or could do to make the planet a better place to live on or in, surely you have had an Idea or two that you think would work better than the way things are now. I don`t know or think It is a mental Illness, more of a mental awareness, a spiritual one, do you think that you are more Intelligent than most people ?==== dragon lady ==

Answer 5

i don't think its an illness, i think certain people are miss guided by faith because they take it too an extreme length at times. I mean there is some cases where they already have mental issues and using religion is kinda away of believing a way to express it in a way they think is for the greater good, when really they don't know anything.

Answer 6

I don't think that believing in a religion is a mental illness. It may be just some kind of freedom to believe in what you want. I mean, come on, some people think that clowns are evil although they know that it depends on that person wearing the clothes.
Believing in a religion isn't a mental illness. :)

Answer 7

I don't think being religious necessarily equates to being delusional. I think it's human nature to:
1. Lie to yourself
2. Deny the reality of death because it's scary as hell
3. Accept something at face value without checking the facts because you trust the person telling you the story
4. Want peace of mind at any cost
God is mankind's invention. That's a fact. It's comforting to those of us that are scared. And that's ok.

Answer 8

Since every culture has religion or faith in some sense, i think the only mental illness would to be have none.

Answer 9

dellusion isn't necessarily mental illness, or we'd all be ill. And the definition of an ill person is someone who isn't well...
so he'd all be ****** up then because we're in denial about something even if it is about being too pessimistic or optomistic. :D

There's the truth, and then there's reality and everyone has the choice of what they believe it whether it's that people are inherently good, there's a giant invisible man, or that we all are interconnected through our souls.

Answer 10

IMHO - it is mental delusion. Religions (except Buddhism which is rather a path promoting personal responsibility and enlightenment with NO prophets and virgin birth etc. ) are based on brainwashing, fear mongering and mental slavery. It is..... "If you don't believe in our scheme then you are permanently condemned to hell and suffering... " Both Islam and Christianity do so..... vying for supremacy and each accusing the other of being a false religion to not be followed. Religions are a sorry, macabre joke if you ask me.

Answer 11

By george I think you may be onto something. Good call, I like the theory I just think we'll need to disect some of their brains to find out for sure. They think some Bob Ross acting mother is up in the sky creating away the happy little trees and poeople while he watches them from the sky and that his son has and will again rise from the dead... I'd say they're mentally deficient in a short bus kinda way at the very least. The earth is just one big painting that sky douche created.