Friend turned to religion in bad way, please help.

[freeman552]

Welcome to AF.org!
Enjoy your stay.

About your friend...well, what everyone else said...
You need to tell him he's not acting like himself. That you suspect it's because of the "supplements".
It's a facebook chat, not much you can do...

I told him that already, but to no avail. He insists he feels better and stronger with each day because of these supplements. Yeah it really sucks that facebook is the only option right now, ptentially I will be able to see him in person in about 2 weeks, only right now im not even sure if I want to :(

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The dominant religion in this country (my country of origin) is orthodox christianity, so I would assume that is it.

I don't know, I tried explaining to him that I simply want to live my life otherwise. Some of his responses were: "Your view on the world is bulls**t", "You're stupid, if you want to live in darkness, go for it", and, simply, "you're a d***"...

Ask him if his god would really want him to be saying things like that. Remind him, quite forcefully if you have to, that right now he's acting as a representative of his religion when he gets into conversations like this with a nonbeliever, and that not only should he be acting in a way consistent with his own beliefs (despite the words in the bible, most christians seem to think theirs is a religion of peace) but in a way that will save you from hell. After all, if he's your friend, he must not want that for you, right?

It probably won't stop the arguments, but maybe it'll get him to stop and think, possibly conduct them in a more respectful way.

That is a good point! I will try approaching the situation that way. Thank you for your reply :)

[Silver]

I recently ditched out of my life my own brother.

I just had to do the same thing with my sister, through Facebook rather than all contact. I informed her that she can still reach me through email, but I know she does not prefer that type of communication. Have not heard a peep from her since I did the old switcheroo of Facebook accounts, making her believe that I was simply no longer posting on Facebook while actually going over to an alternate account that I prefer more.

As far as the original post is concerned, I believe everyone before me has already given great advice. Thus, there is nothing more for me to add.

[Rahul]

Make fun of his religion whenever he mentions it. Mockery has a way of really destroying things.

The second incarnation of the KKK in the US was destroyed this way. The KKK had become huge, even practically controlling the entire legislature of, I think it was, Ohio. Some people infiltrated the organization and leaked to the press the silly rituals they did in private.

Next thing you know the entire country was laughing at them and the organization evaporated.

And really, Christianity is pretty funny when you look at all the stupid shit they believe.

[Minimalist]

He's 22

You had best take a look at this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (/ˌskɪtsɵˈfrɛniə/ or /ˌskɪtsɵˈfriːniə/) is a mental disorder characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and by a deficit of typical emotional responses.[1] Common symptoms include auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood, with a global lifetime prevalence of about 0.3–0.7%.[2] Diagnosis is based on observed behavior and the patient's reported experiences.

[Faith No More]

He's probably not schizophrenic, Min. Occam's Razor dictates that this guy is most likely just a dick.

[Minimalist]

The point is people don't just suddenly become dicks. The OP knows someone for 12-13 years - more than half of his life - and notes rapid personality changes. They don't all take an assault rifle and shoot up a school but they are never the same.

I have seen this up close and personal. The son of a good friend was the nicest kid you ever wanted to know. Good student, ball player; when I was running the umpire program for the local Little League he was my best umpire. By the time he was 25 he was a total emotional wreck. His parents have him on medication but he is not capable of independent living and he can't hold a job. Guess what the diagnosis was?

[Faith No More]

I agree, it's something to be wary of, but based on such little information it is unreasonable to assume that the guy's schizophrenia is suddenly manifesting itself. A lot of times people are dicks, but our close relationship with them blinds us from being able to see their true nature. Sometimes big changes in your friend's lives bring out their true personality more prominently, and you begin to see the person for who they truly are.

My best guess is that is what's going on.

[Minimalist]

One can only hope that they live in a country - unlike this one - which has a serious mental health program.

[Faith No More]

Yeah, I've seen first hand how terrible our mental health program is. It's not just the programs, but our whole attitude towards mental illness.

But that is a topic for another thread...

[KichigaiNeko]

Great laymans advice given here.

Sometimes you just have to let go of your friends