RE: When is a Religious Belief Delusional?
September 5, 2018 at 7:52 am
(This post was last modified: September 5, 2018 at 8:01 am by polymath257.)
(September 4, 2018 at 9:52 pm)chimp3 Wrote:(September 4, 2018 at 8:03 am)polymath257 Wrote: There is no restriction on delusions that they cannot be shared with others: (from Marriam-Webster)As I mentioned, antipsychotics help with psychotic delusions. They have no effect on religious beliefs commonly held.
Definition of delusion
1 a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated
- under the delusion that they will finish on schedule
- delusions of grandeur
b psychology : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also : the abnormal state marked by such beliefs
- the delusion that someone was out to hurt him
-------------------
Does this apply to religions? At the very least, it applies to beliefs in supernatural deities that affect day-to-day lives of people. Combined with the confabulation (called apologetics) that is typical of religion (and delusions), it is hard to see a way that most religions are NOT delusional.
Unfortunately, they don't help with all delusions.
(September 4, 2018 at 4:28 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote:(September 4, 2018 at 3:32 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: … my question about the disanalogy between beliefs like the existence of human equality and that of the existence of God. That's still valid in lieu of an objection.If you don’t like the analogy then use mathematical realism as a better one. I would like to see you argue that considering mathematical objects real is delusional.
Mathematical objects are language constructs and have no existence outside of a formal system.
(September 4, 2018 at 7:09 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote:(September 4, 2018 at 5:36 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: Mathematical truths aren't objects. Numbers aren't objects. Your own words betray you.
I don't care if you reject the notion of objects of intellect. To me that is a matter of opinion and cause for debate. What I really want to know is if you think people who believe in mathematical objects are delusional.
Mathematical objects exist *as language constructs*. If you are claiming that deities only exist in the same way, you might be able to avoid the delusion label.
Platonism was the first major philosophical mistake.
Added: If you pray to the number 2 and think you get an answer, you are delusional. if you think any mathematical object has an intelligence, you are delusional.