http://youtu.be/Wv91IVpLyBk
Going by this description, are religious people sociopaths?

(July 23, 2015 at 4:16 am)BrokenQuill92 Wrote: Going by this description, are religious people sociopaths?

Very interesting, thank you! I was fuzzy on the distinction between these terms.

I'd say that anyone leaning towards the extreme end of religion is a sociopath by this description, yeah. They've adopted a fucked up set of values which don't correspond to wellbeing anymore, but instead to an arbitrary set of rules which they've been convinced are more important.

I think your general liberal religious guy is probably not a sociopath. Sadly they have to pretend to have sociopathic opinions when questioned due to their doctrine; but probably wouldn't actually act on what they state.

That's the difference I guess. I think we see both on this forum. I'd say some theists here are definitely sociopaths, while others are caught in the trap of excusing obviously immoral teachings while knowing they are wrong. So they present "the religious opinion" which is not actually their opinion, in most cases at least.

The really sad thing is when that religion doctrine has to be supported so often that is eventually erodes the genuine morality, and it becomes embedded.

Only the extreme cases. You'll know them when you smell them.

No,

I know true sociopaths. Being religious has nothing to do with it.

(July 23, 2015 at 4:16 am)BrokenQuill92 Wrote: Going by this description, are  religious people sociopaths?

Not necessarily.  Though Sociopaths tend to gravitate towards religion.

The average person who simply holds religious beliefs is unlikely to be a sociopath.  However, religious leadership is an ideal position for a person with sociopathic tendencies. And it's practically a requirement for being a television evangelist, as essential to the gig as a mouth full of perfectly capped teeth.

(July 23, 2015 at 9:21 pm)Thena323 Wrote: The average person who simply holds religious beliefs is unlikely to be a sociopath.  However, religious leadership is an ideal position for a person with sociopathic tendencies. And it's practically a requirement for being a television evangelist, as essential to the gig as a mouth full of perfectly capped teeth.

Looking at you Joel Osteen

Psychopath v Sociopath sounds like one of those dreadful Sci-Fi Channel movies.

(July 23, 2015 at 10:42 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Psychopath v Sociopath sounds like one of those dreadful Sci-Fi Channel movies.

Freddy vs Jason?

Sweetie, that was Academy Award caliber compared to Sharktopus v. Whale Wolf .