2007-12-21 13:42:20 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes. Specifically it is a "meme-virus."
A meme (pronounced[help] /ˈmiːm/), as defined within memetic theory, constitutes a theoretical unit of cultural information, the building block of cultural evolution or diffusion that propagates from one mind to another analogously to the way in which a gene propagates from one organism to another as a unit of genetic information and of biological evolution.[1] Multiple memes may propagate as cooperative groups called memeplexes (meme complexes).
Just like their protein counterparts, the "goal" of a meme-virus is to use all available resources of the organism to propagate itself... Usually at the cost of the destruction of the host cell(s), which in the case of the meme-virus is the identity and higher reasoning processes of the host organism who's ultimate aim is to infect other hosts.
2007-12-21 13:51:20 · answer #1 · answered by Dr Bob 4 · 5⤊ 4⤋
Nothing is inherently harmful about religion in general. Some religious ideas and practices are very twisted, however, and the way that some followers spread them is very sickening to the health of humanity.
Humans can use any ideology for "good" or "bad" purposes, but this does not necessarily reflect the same qualities on the ideology.
2007-12-21 14:41:43 · answer #2 · answered by deekun 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Perhaps religion is a manifestation of immunity to a disease.
As for Dr Persinger's experiments with magnetic fields directed toward certain areas of the brain, is the treatment a tin-foil hat?
2007-12-21 14:03:37 · answer #3 · answered by Renata 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes, it is contagious, like a disease, but it is more accurately described as a psychological disorder, brought on by societal pressure, parents, friends, peers, etc.
2007-12-21 14:05:58 · answer #4 · answered by clarklhc 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It behaves like a disease , infecting successive generations and those people in close proximity. The parents are mostly to blame by indoctrinating malleable kids with their own religious beliefs.
2007-12-21 13:51:17 · answer #5 · answered by londonpeter2003 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋
No, religion is not a disease.
2007-12-21 13:49:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Depends on which religion.
2007-12-21 13:55:34 · answer #7 · answered by Bobbie 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, it's an idealogy.
Idealogy is stronger than disease because it doesn't kill the carrier.
2007-12-21 14:18:43 · answer #8 · answered by Truth 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes. dis-ease. But sometimes it's an ease too. It does cause change, and anything that changes an organism is a dis-ease... though not necessarily a virus, a bacteria, or an illness.
2007-12-21 13:49:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
This from someone who just asked how to go about being "demonically possessed"?
2007-12-21 13:53:20 · answer #10 · answered by Wired 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋