Is theology a mind disease?

Question

Soo... I think that's what the RRS believes it is. Dawkins discribes it more as a virus of the mind. What do you think??
Now keep in mind that I'm not saying that I necessarily believe that, so don't attack me with your answers.

I'm editing this now. I meant theism! And if you don't know who Dawkins is, I think I will cry for you. He wrote The God Delusion. A very outspoken atheist.

Answer 1

I think of it as INDOCTRINATION-INDUCED *DELUSION*.

“Religion is comparable to a childhood neurosis." – Unkn
( Send me an email and I'll send a "blocked" link to you... )

Answer 2

Dawkins was speaking of a MEMETIC virus. Memes are a word he's coined for units of cultural information - comparable to genes with genetic information.

Memes are exchanged by social intercourse. If a set of memes includes an effective instruction to make a copy of it - which the religious memeset does - then it behaves like a virus.

This was actually a purely descriptive observation, but of course Dawkins, like me, is pleased with the image it conjures up of religion as an infectious brain disease.

CD

Answer 3

adom made a mistake and eve helped him make it,, thinking is the result of that mistake,, too bad for them.. that had to be a sad day ,, OH the horror !! we are pretty use-to the thinking thing,, having grown up with it and all,, but for them it probably nearly killed them ,,, I'm glad it wasn't me !!! Dawkins is probably not altogether wrong ,, horrable would be the best way to describe any thought that someone is watching your every thought ,, God wouldn't be a part of that ... and so if it is a disease Dawkins probably mistakenly thought he wasn't infected ,, birth is the infection,, I think......

Answer 4

No,but Dawkins - whoever that is,and you don't say - is presumably a materialist and from that perspective anything metaphysical would be viewed as empty of meaning. Theology is simpy metaphysics in a more organised or (supposedly) pragmatic form. Applied metaphysics,if you will.

Answer 5

I would not say theology is a mind disease. All theology is is the study of god. You can be an atheist and study theology.

Answer 6

We have all heard it, maybe even fallen into espousing it ourselves; the notion that “doctrine & dogma” doesn’t matter but that instead we should focus on “relationships” as if being Christian is a popularity contest.

Pitting doctrine & dogma against relationship is already a false comparison. The unity & relationship that Christians are supposed to have is the unity & relationship around the Jesus Christ of the Bible & how can we know that Jesus Christ but through the Bible?

Jesus Christ doesn’t “come into your heart” anymore than the animal sacrifices of the old covenant “came into the hearts” of people. Indeed, Christ CHANGES a person’s heart but that is an act initiated by Christ not by us.

The point is how do you KNOW & have a relationship with anyone without knowing more about them? Our relationship with Christ & fellow Christians is the same. The more we KNOW about Christ & have a common knowledge of Christ with fellow Christians, the more we have unity & a relationship. People who think you can KNOW Christ almost through osmosis or by simply “feeling His presence” are typically the same people who disdain doctrine & dogma & instead spend most of their time talking to people about their life experiences instead of what the Bible actually says.

A Christian’s “relationship” with other Christians ISN’T based on if they both like the same sports team, or if they both wear the same type of shoes, or if they both like the same types of movies – it isn’t even based on the fact they are both calling themselves “Christian”, but true Christian relationship is based on the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Before people professing to be Christians can actually have a Christian relationship they have to KNOW the Jesus Christ of the Bible. As a matter of fact, Jesus made this point very clear when He said:



If you love Me, keep My commandments – John 14:15



Right here we see that to “love Jesus Christ” we must keep His commandments. So, anyone claiming to “love Jesus” yet hate doctrine & dogma (which means teaching or commandments) are in conflict with what Jesus says it means to love Him. And if a person tries to claim they are having a relationship with the Jesus Christ of the Bible & with fellow Christians yet this person also disdains doctrine & dogma, I would seriously consider avoiding a relationship with that person except to point them to John 14:15.

In conclusion, to have a true relationship with the Jesus Christ of the Bible & fellow Christians means we must KNOW Jesus Christ & to know & love Him is to know & keep His commandments – doctrine & dogma – anything less is not really a relationship but is some sort of self-centered gratification built on shifting sand...or maybe it is just a human popularity contest.

Answer 7

Man I wondered why all the theology classes end up making me sick....

Answer 8

I have wondered how one gets a degree in theology but apparently they do. How could one study something that does not exist, cannot be proven or sensed. Silly really.

Answer 9

You have it wrong its a mind disorder. Disease implies in needs medication to fix. Disorder means its a psychological condition that can be fixed without meds.

Answer 10

Organized religion is a cancer, you are a cell, if you choose to live based upon your own beliefs and not those of others, you might not kill the rest of us.

Answer 11

theology is mans study of religion. it's asking questions and seeking answers. most religions ,particularly christian religions, have theologians.