Difference between religion and psychosis?

Question

Some would call the book of revelation the ravings of a madman. So would it be right to say that xtians suffer from 'shared psychosis'?

Also, some atheists say that religion is like believing in fairies or flying pigs. If one were to believe in such (uncommon) things then the men in white coats would not be far away. So, atheists do you believe that religion is (like?) an illness, and if so should it be treated?

Answer 1

It has been proposed that belief in religion is akin to psychosis. I'd say that the major difference it that religion is a conscious choice where psychosis is an unreasoning, unconscious state. Given the blatant denial of facts and the inability to see the blatant flaws (circular reasoning, etc) in their arguments, I would say that it is very nearly a psychosis.

It would be one thing to understand that a holy book is not proof of itself, and that it contradicted facts, but believed anyway. But it is a totally different thing to say that you don't believe in facts because they contradict your belief and that you accept wishful thinking, intentional misquotes, and essentially lies as truth because they support your belief.

Answer 2

I am not an atheist nor religious. However I think you do atheists a disservice with the question you ask. I feel most of them would say brainwashing from childhood, but you have to understand that the religious person having grown up in a family and environment where everyone followed the same tenet would probably say that the atheist was the real psychotic so it is almost an unanswerable question really!

Answer 3

We are spiritual beings, not just physical.
Sure, to live without God seems to make sense
to our ego.
That is what Satan tempted Adam and Eve to begin with
and even though they actually spoke with God,
they STILL wanted to deny God because of
the "lure" of self-sufficiency.
We have this false desire to be our own god
all the time when our real desire and fulfillment is
to worship God.
So, religion is not "natural" but it is an attempt to
seek out truth where we left it.
It is ESSENTIAL to our make-up b/c we are
spiritual beings, not just physical and for
no other reason one could make up as an
excuse. Nothing has ever changed in that light.
The Bible displays an understanding of the
human well above the understanding of any
behavioral specialist!
It gets to the heart of the matter much quicker!

Answer 4

It's not so much an illness but a symptom of misinformation and misguidance.

For example - a child brought up in a fundimentalist Christian family, that is taken to fundimentalist seminars, etc will probably end up believing what he/she is told simply because that's all they know. Without proper education the child will probably grow up and do the same.

So, quite simply, it should be treated with open-minded peers, a decent education and a lack of bias against reality.

Answer 5

I think religion is closer to the foorball fan than it is to the mental patient.

To believe in God is an act of faith, just like believing Tranmere Rovers can win the FA Cup!

Answer 6

Religion is a very severe and contagious illness. There should be a quarantine for some strong believers, really.

Answer 7

That's the way the communists thought. Are you a communist?

The communists thought they could create a world order without God where everybody would live in peace. Now look at it. It is in pieces!

Answer 8

There's much more to the ethereal than Christianity.

Answer 9

They probably could go hand in hand. Forget religion and follow Christ.

Answer 10

I think its more like hypochondria.