Could religion be considered a mass case of Stockholm syndrome?

Question

I realize some people may be offended by this but it's an honest question with no ill intent behind it. Now think about it, really I mean.. Religion threatens that if you don't obey you will be punished, in fact the threats in the old testament are frequent and quite emphatic, but then it promises rewards and leniency for cooperation etc... Throughout the old testament god does horrendous things to "his chosen people" and yet they still follow and worship him.. Isn't this exactly like god is a captor holding hostages who eventually become sympathetic to thier captor?? Could such a relationship be considered an example of Stockholm syndrome on a massive scale?? From a psychological viewpoint is religion comparable to this syndrome?

I am disinclined to place any merit on the answers of people who have been indoctrinated by religion. If my supposition is correct of course you would defend your God, no matter what atrocities are said to have been done in his name and no matter how hypocritical your religious doctrine is. If what I say is true its even more disturbing when you suppose god does not exist, because then you have people holding themselves hostage...

Answer 1

i posted a similar question a while back about religion being likened to beaten woman syndrome, which, come to think of it, is basically the same thing.

yes, i agree completely. you are torn down to nothing. told you're worthless, told you're a sinner, told your god is having mercy on you in which you don't deserve. when this is drilled into your head long enough, you start to believe it, and eventually become thankful for it.

this sick part about this, is that it happens so quickly because as a child, your parents and preacher (the people you trust the most) are the ones actually telling you this crap!

this is why there are far more people who turn away from christianity as an adult than towards it.

Answer 2

Stockholm Syndrome Religion

Answer 3

In the days of the Spanish Inquistion, yes. There would have been cases like Stockholm Syndrome. Now, no. Unless, you get captured by Muslim radicals. So, no religion is not a mass case of Stockholm Syndrome. Question why are you alive? Why are you on this earth? Why do you eat breath and sleep? That is religion.

Answer 4

Religions (that include the threat of killing or torture at any time or for any length of time including after death or for eternity for non-adherents) all rely on Stockholm syndrome and they KNOW it. The use the Bible as their weapon to threaten everyone with eternal torture for non-conformance. They don't care about their followers because that is how they make money. They put on acts that look like they care, visiting people in hospital, feeding hungry etc from the abundance that they receive to make themselves look good, because they have to to make it look like they "love" people. Priests, preachers all curse people to eternal torture of hell simply by promoting the Bible which includes this curse multiple times. Paschal's Wager is also used and is similar to Stockholm syndrome.

Answer 5

I follow God and Jesus. I have absolutely no use for religion as it is corrupt. Your question sounds intelligent...food for thought. There are religions that victimize people using mind control and threat. People surrender their power to religious icons and leaders - Judas Goats elevated to the level of God by weak people. Let me say this. God gave free will. There is cause and effect. If I do something stupid, make a bad decision it's on me, God didn't do it. I suffer the consequence of my action but, then I can find a way to rectify it without using the mind control prevalent in the world today. God has never been my Captor. He created me to make my own decisions...that's because he loves me. I learn from my mistakes...I create my own misery, not God. The mental condition of mankind has become pure schizophrenia. We are all raised differently, programmed to follow rules that pass from one generation to another. Often we have no idea the purpose of those rules, we can follow them out of loyalty instead of questioning them. Those shoulds and musts can cause us to project them onto others and conflict is the result. God ALWAYS creates a 'way out' of problems...He most certainly does not control us as our families try to do. Religion is a far cry from Spirituality. Religions, created by people, are always in conflict, always splitting off, always attempting to control others or condemn them. That is not God's doing at all. Religion can be the mass case of Stockholm syndrome. Spirituality and God is not corrupt and will not disempower anyone.

Answer 6

This is interesting
Your captor told u 'do as i say, because u will be punish if u didn't'
Believers don't embrace whatever religions there are for the goodness of it, but because they are afraid of the punishment from their God.
They being hold captive by their God, even if there is God, and even if He'd never intended to do so.

Answer 7

I see what you are saying, but you have a few things twisted around.

God made a covenant with those people:
Covenant
5.Bible.
a.the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture.
b.the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised to protect them if they kept His law and were faithful to Him.
6.Law.
a.a formal agreement of legal validity, esp. one under seal.
b.an early English form of action in suits involving sealed contracts.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/covenant

To which they agreed to:
Exodus 19:8
The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=19&verse=7&end_verse=9&version=31&context=context

And they broke it time and time again.
So guilt is place upon whom it is deserved. Not on God, who keeps His part of the bargain. It's the people who failed to keep the contract.

It's human nature to go against God. Which I think is one of the major points of all this. There is only a remnant of any people who are going to be saved. The Israelites were lucky! They had God to fall back on even after they screwed up. None of those other nations had a chance! So it was up to a few, and sometimes one faithful man or woman to set things back in order.

After all, it's between death and life. The stakes are not a lottery, where you can come back and play again for another week. It's more valuable than that. This is big time eternity at stake.

So if they were suffering from fear and then loving because that's what hostages do, then good for them. Eventually they might know that it's their stupid brain that has a problem with God. And that they are looking at things all wrong. God loves, and so He will make it so there is no second death.

But if that's not good enough, okay then don't do what God said to do, and He will fulfill His word on you in the negative sense of the word.

He has promises for both the blessed and the cursed. He will keep His word either way!

Answer 8

Very interesting theory dear.
I think it's more a mass case of schizoid delusional mental disorder encouraged mostly in places where there is no efficient public school system. In every modern civilized countries with a good education system, religious superstitions and delusions are quietly fading away.

Answer 9

Laptop, this is the most brilliant thing you've ever written;
"Prayer = the rat pressing the food bar, seeing "THIS time will it pay out? How about NOW? Now?"

EXACTLY right. And they even know it too, but are either too stubborn to admit the truth, or too thoroughly brainwashed to be able to see it.
Kudos to you.

Answer 10

This is brilliant. One of my favorite questions ever.

And yes, this makes sense on many levels. Also the intermittent reward system. Prayer = the rat pressing the food bar, seeing "THIS time will it pay out? How about NOW? Now?"