Religion and the mentally unstable

[Edwardo Piet]

Yes, You will notice I like to throw in some famous quotes every now and then.

"I cannot foresee the future, but I do know World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein

Yes, and please don't do it in future, as it adds nothing to the argument and makes you look like a fool who uses the appeal to authority fallacy to prove a point. If you have a quotation that you think is nice, put it in your signature, not in the actual post.

I quote but only if I think its relevant and it wouldn't be right to say it myself and pass it off as who really said it.

[Psalm 23]

Yes, and please don't do it in future, as it adds nothing to the argument and makes you look like a fool who uses the appeal to authority fallacy to prove a point. If you have a quotation that you think is nice, put it in your signature, not in the actual post.

Actually, the Bill Gates quote had alot to do with the O.P. Religion can be used as a good thing.

[Daystar]

When I was in church there were a fair number of damaged people.
Damaged emotionally and mentally.

The church made them feel welcome, wanted, useful and forgiven.

Does the church attract more than it's fair proportion of unstable people? And if it does, can it be argued that it is doing a useful thing in giving them a sense of purpose. Even if that purpose is false

I sort of have mixed feelings on this. I hate religion more than even the most ardent atheist, I think, but I don't know if I would go so far as to suggest they are damaged emotionally and mentally. Then again I only attended a congregation briefly and they seemed like average to above mental and emotional stability.

There was one guy who had been a big drug pusher when he was younger and now was a successful business owner, so there was an improvement there but is it worth the spiritual lobotomy religion tends to encourage? Didn't expect that, did you?

From an atheist perspective the importance would be placed on the purpose given to them? From a social perspective as far as getting the loonies off the street so they could be productive members of the contribution, er, uh . . . congregation and in the voting booths come election. The loonies have to have talking heads as well. Isn't really advantageous to the atheist, is it? Politically. In the long run I think that is the important thing.

[Tiberius]

Actually, the Bill Gates quote had alot to do with the O.P. Religion can be used as a good thing.

Yes, but it was his opinion on religion being used as a good thing. Here is the difference:

Quote illustrating a point:
"I think religion can be used for good things, charity is an example of this" - X

Quote trying to justify a point:
"I think religion can be used for good things" - Influential person

Using an influential persons opinion to back up a point is a logical fallacy whilst using a person's opinion which justifies itself (first quote) is not.

[EmmaM]

I was inpatient at a mental health hospital and I saw a few adults in the ward with me who were scrawling through the bible daily for the answers to their ills it freaked me out a bit
I think it just depends on your diagnoses and strength of faith and if you believe you are being tested.

I guess some people can get obsessive and it makes them worse questioning things in the bible and conflicting feelings about their religion.