Religion and the mentally unstable

[StewartP]

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

(This thread prompted by witnessing the implosion of Terry Burton on the Raytractors blog. I presume you've been following it, Adrian)

[Tiberius]

Yeah, I've been following it with interest. I know a lot of atheists go on and on about how religious people are "deluded" and "mentally deranged", but Terry Burton is actually mentally unstable...

http://raytractors.blogspot.com/

[StewartP]

As someone said, it is a case study. It's like watching a car crash.

Many people are feeling sorry for him, but I think he's a nasty piece of work who deserves a kicking. Not very humane of me I realise, but I'm a sucker for a mob.

[Ace Otana]

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

(This thread prompted by witnessing the implosion of Terry Burton on the Raytractors blog. I presume you've been following it, Adrian)

An interesting view. One of which I have.

I guess religion can be seen as a helping hand (Help you mentally that is).

Is atheism for the happy and open minded? And religion is the place for those who are down and depressed? It's something that might be 75% true and 25% false.

What if the majority of theists looked to religion for hope and a upward look on life. Whilsts the rest, just simply find religion as the one that answers all the questions for which "You want to hear"

I think that the majority go to religion for hope. Whilst the rest seek answers and only answers that "They" want to hear.

I am a very happy and healthy person. I can't say that I would of been a theist if I was the opposite. I've always had a good out look on life and I've been one for accepting my position and situation.

Is religion something for people who can't quiet take on responcibility of their own actions?



Lots of questions and very little answers!

[Darwinian]

There are many reasons why a person turns to religion for their answers rather than science. I think the most obvious is they have been indoctrinated into a particular faith from an early age and the religion, rather like a parasite, has taken root.

From this position it must be very difficult to dismiss everything that you have been taught and know to be true. Especially when all of your questions are answered by you religious friends and family. The tribal instinct makes you want to be like everyone else in your group and even if you have doubts you don't want to make waves and be seen in anyway as some sort of trouble maker, especially if others have doubted before you and you have witnessed the results of their questioning.

Another reason is that humans are pattern seeking beings and can connect all sorts of disparate events and happenings and make conclusions. This is of course good, but the side effect of this is that they can also connect things together and come up with nonsense, which, without an alternative explanation, seems to them to be the truth. This is were the religion virus gains access to its host and spreads like wildfire, rewarding those who agree and shunning those who dismiss.

There is also a clear link between intelligence and education and a propensity towards religious and/or supernatural belief. It has been shown in many studies that the higher a persons I.Q. and level of education, the less likely they will be given to being religious and vice-versa.

Other people of course simply have a wild imagination. Couple that with a keen intellect and you again have a disposition towards some form of religious thinking. Bishop John Shelby Spong comes to mind, who's religious beliefs are so advanced as to be almost unrecognisable to the majority of those who call themselves Christian.

As far as those who have a limited ability to take responsibility for their own actions are concerned, what better position to find yourself in than having an all powerful Father like being watching over you every minute of the day with the promise of eternal paradise and a rather useful 'how to' book to tell you what to do in every part of your life. It allows you to abdicate all responsibility and take a submissive role akin to the lowest member of the pack. Every part of your life is taken care of and you can just lie back and enjoy the ride.

[Psalm 23]

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

(This thread prompted by witnessing the implosion of Terry Burton on the Raytractors blog. I presume you've been following it, Adrian)

Attending Church gives people a sense of comfort and a feeling of hope. They believe someone other than themself (God) can hear their problems.

"I don't practice any certain religion or faith, and we don't attend Church on a regular basis, However, I do believe Religion can be used as a good thing." - Bill Gates - 1996 PBS article.

[Tiberius]

"I don't practice any certain religion or faith, and we don't attend Church on a regular basis, However, I do believe Religion can be used as a good thing." - Bill Gates - 1996 PBS article.

Nice appeal to authority there, because as we all know: If a rich tech guy says it, it must be true!!!

[Psalm 23]

"I don't practice any certain religion or faith, and we don't attend Church on a regular basis, However, I do believe Religion can be used as a good thing." - Bill Gates - 1996 PBS article.

Nice appeal to authority there, because as we all know: If a rich tech guy says it, it must be true!!!

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

[Edwardo Piet]

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

(This thread prompted by witnessing the implosion of Terry Burton on the Raytractors blog. I presume you've been following it, Adrian)

Yes I can see how religion can help comfort people mentally. AT LEAST in the short-run.
But isn't it possible that also in some or even many cases, in the long(er) run - it could make them worse?

[Tiberius]

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.