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Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 5:55 pm
(This post was last modified: May 30, 2013 at 5:56 pm by Gooders1002.)
Quote:A leading neurologist at the University of Oxford said this week that recent developments meant that science may one day be able to identify religious fundamentalism as a “mental illness” and a cure it.
During a talk at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales on Wednesday, Kathleen Taylor was asked what positive developments she anticipated in neuroscience in the next 60 years.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/30/leading-neuroscientist-religious-fundamentalism-may-be-a-mental-illness-that-can-be-cured
"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful" - Edward Gibbon (Offen misattributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca or Seneca the Younger) (Thanks to apophenia for the correction)
'I am driven by two main philosophies:
Know more about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you' - Neil deGrasse Tyson
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Yeah, I'm sure people like her tried to cure homosexuality as well....and failed miserably.
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 5:59 pm
?!?!
Bullshit.
Reagan called communism a mental illness, and countless people certainly also declared various movements to be mental illnesses.
It is simply a radicalisation of an individual or a group with potentialy harmfull consequences for the rest of society.
But simply calling it an illness would first off infringe the rights of such individuals or groups and also lift the burden of taking responsiblity for their actions from ther shoulders.
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 6:08 pm
I'm dubious if fundamentalism is a mental illness. And how would you "cure" someone who doesn't think they have a mental illness in the first place? Why would they ever seek treatment? You can't help people who don't want it.
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 6:10 pm
I read that. And fundamentalism not a mental illness.
ronedee Wrote:Science doesn't have a good explaination for water
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 7:02 pm
Fundamentalism might be indicative of some forms of mental illness, but is probably not one itself.
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Fundamentalism itself isn't a mental illness - all religious belief is. (How can fervently believing in the non-existent be completely sane?)
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RE: Leading neuroscientist: Fundamentalism may be a ‘mental illness’ that can be ‘cured’
May 30, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
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