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Religious identity
#1
Religious identity
I know a few people who are so deeply religious it becomes their identity. Not a part of who they are, but everything they are, their entire personality. Everything they do must be done with a reference to god. Every decision they make must be perfectly in accordance with their religion. It takes over their lives completely.

Now I know people can get obsessed with many different things, but religion is special in that regard because it demands to be the important thing in the believer's life. God must always come first, to say otherwise is blasphemy. Though I know many theists who (through compartmentalization or otherwise) manage to be religious and not let it become everything they are at the same time, for some people it seems impossible to do.

It's not that it's bad to strongly with something. But there is a line and the extent to which some believers go just appears unhealthy to me. Or am I exaggerating? Undecided
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#2
RE: Religious identity
My opinion, regarding the cause of religiosity that becomes all-consuming, all-encompassing and the sole component of one's identity:  Disregarding mental illness, there are few things I can think of that are capable of triggering such an extreme response other than GUILT, whether true or perceived.
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#3
RE: Religious identity
I agree. Allowing anything to become your entire identity is dangerous, and this is an area I see it happen in way too frequently.

When someone can't distinguish criticism of their God from themselves, that's a clear indication that this God is just an extension of themselves. If they really thought God existed externally and independently, surely they wouldn't feel he needs protecting. You protect a child because they are vulnerable; you speak up for them because they have trouble speaking for themselves. Why on earth would people think God needs protecting, or needs to be spoken for?
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#4
RE: Religious identity
And then we have stories like in the thread Jenny started, with xtians being offended by atheists merely existing -_-

It's like they can't stand the suggestion that there are people who don't think like them. Are their beliefs really that fragile that they can't stand even the slightest bit of scrutiny, that they have to delude themselves everyone on earth thinks they same way? It's like locking yourself in a bubble. Doesn't seem healthy.
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#5
RE: Religious identity
I know a few that are over the top. Every conversation has to have their religion injected in some where (oh their so blessed, if he'd only believe, it's a miracle from above, there is an answer......). They wear cloths with religious crap advertising. They have it plastered all over their cars. The radio is always on the freak station and turned up just enough to be irritating.

I try to avoid them at all costs. When not possible, I tend to start making fun of them, i.e. "their so blessed" response is "you know he's a satanist".
I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem.
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#6
RE: Religious identity
Those are the annoying ones, and hopefully aren't relatives. Sad
I reject your reality and substitute my own!
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#7
RE: Religious identity
(August 3, 2015 at 7:32 pm)Neimenovic Wrote: Or am I exaggerating? Undecided

You are not.

Religion in the extreme, usually referred to as fundamentalism, is quite mentally unhealthy for an individual.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
~ Erin Hunter
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#8
RE: Religious identity
You definitely aren’t exaggerating. There are many out there. I live with one that thinks god is more important than me. He told me to be that way, about age 7-8, and I still remember crying about it they day he told me. I'm proud to say that I never accepted that one day of my life.

Fuck religion. Fuck it in the A Hole region. Or any other region that may be unpleasant for it.
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' -Isaac Asimov-
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#9
RE: Religious identity
Shit.....How can you say something like that to a 7yo? To ANYONE? That's....Just fucking awful. I'm sorry Sal Undecided

What a dickweed! Angry
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