Hey Rob.
To me it's more than just an assumption. I prefer to think of it as a fantasy delusion. A simple google search gives these definitions:
Fantasy: the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.
Delusion: an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument.
I think you can drop idiosyncratic as that alludes to individual(s) and the god fantasy delusion is not individual. It's a shared, taught, and group reinforced delusion. It is a herd mentality delusion. In fact, a theist made the following statement to me the other day: "If 98% of the world believes in a god(s) then how can your atheist position be correct? 98% of the world can't be wrong." In other words for this individual, thinking outside the herd mentality about this fantasy delusion is automatically in error.
Do I think that the delusion is innately bad or harmful, that depends on the particular specifics of the delusion but in general, NO. It's fairly innocuous. The majority of the people I deal with every day have it. It does them no harm. Them having it typically does no harm to me.
The harm of the delusion is when the individual or group try to force the delusion onto the people who choose not to believe in the delusion. Really harmful when the force applied is join or die. Annoying with attempts at conversion, when used as exclusion, and when closed to any rational discussion or tolerance.
Sorry theists, don't mean to offend, but this is my belief as much as you have your belief.
To me it's more than just an assumption. I prefer to think of it as a fantasy delusion. A simple google search gives these definitions:
Fantasy: the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.
Delusion: an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument.
I think you can drop idiosyncratic as that alludes to individual(s) and the god fantasy delusion is not individual. It's a shared, taught, and group reinforced delusion. It is a herd mentality delusion. In fact, a theist made the following statement to me the other day: "If 98% of the world believes in a god(s) then how can your atheist position be correct? 98% of the world can't be wrong." In other words for this individual, thinking outside the herd mentality about this fantasy delusion is automatically in error.
Do I think that the delusion is innately bad or harmful, that depends on the particular specifics of the delusion but in general, NO. It's fairly innocuous. The majority of the people I deal with every day have it. It does them no harm. Them having it typically does no harm to me.
The harm of the delusion is when the individual or group try to force the delusion onto the people who choose not to believe in the delusion. Really harmful when the force applied is join or die. Annoying with attempts at conversion, when used as exclusion, and when closed to any rational discussion or tolerance.
Sorry theists, don't mean to offend, but this is my belief as much as you have your belief.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental.
