Is religious belief a form of psychosis?

[gmc]

AS in: Psychosis is defined as a loss of contact with reality, and can manifest in numerous ways.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/...terms-at-least

I think it's curable and given the misery it causes all over the world to millions it would be nice to think one day it will become very rare. The age of enlightenment is past and we seem to be in a new darkening age but how dp you get through to the religious when anything that challenges their belief rather than being countered and discussed just gets ignored? At least cries of heresy and burn them alive are less common at least in the west.

[Mickiel]

I think religious belief can become a definite form of psychosis , just as atheism can become a form of it as well. Psychosis is not prejudiced , it can exist in any way of being. So when you point your finger at religion, there are more fingers pointed at yourself.

[gmc]

I think religious belief can become a definite form of psychosis , just as atheism can become a form of it as well. Psychosis is not prejudiced , it can exist in any way of being. So when you point your finger at religion, there are more fingers pointed at yourself.

As I said the religious are incapable of discussing their beliefs rationally all they can do is stamp there little feet and go so there!. Atheism is a disbelief or a lack of belief in a god or gods there is not a system of belief you are supposed to hold or to follow or authorities that lay down the law but the religious like to see it as such as it makes it easier for them to shrug off having to think about it.

Maybe it's something in our psyche that needs such things. In politics you see the same need to follow the lead and toe the party line regardless of where it might lead. Stalin who trained as a priest deliberately set out to create a political system that emulated religion in the way it controlled the minds of it's followers. The nazis used the cult mentality in the same way - who coiuld conceive of the holocaust unless two thousand years of brainwashing hadn't mede them "natural" scapegoats for thecountry'sills. In the UK we have brexiteers that believe what they are told no matter how often the likes of farage and Johnson change their lies.in the US trump followers believe he is the second coming of the lord.

https://www.indy100.com/article/dona...witter-9181171

I don't have a solution so how do you get through to people who have only ever read one book?

[Mickiel]

Religious people have been deceived , they don't know what they are doing : they mean well but are cornered. into a deep heart felt belief. They are caught up into a traditional mindset that has been passed down through generations of people. And most of them are harmless. They got violent during the time of burning people at the stake during the Salem witches scare. Since then they settled down until recently in our time. Some of them are dangerous.

And I see the same spirit in Atheism , some of them are dangerous. They overkill religion.

[gmc]

Religious people have been deceived , they don't know what they are doing : they mean well but are cornered. into a deep heart felt belief. They are caught up into a traditional mindset that has been passed down through generations of people. And most of them are harmless. They got violent during the time of burning people at the stake during the Salem witches scare. Since then they settled down until recently in our time. Some of them are dangerous.

And I see the same spirit in Atheism , some of them are dangerous. They overkill religion.

If you think the salem witch trials was the only time they got violent you need to read a few history books. When christianity ruled in europe they called it the dark ages and for very good reason. Hundreds of thousands died as a result of religious wars in europe (in magdenerg for instance approx 20,000 were slaughtered for being the wrong kind of christian and let's not forget the crusades while we're at it) as did thousands of women buirned as witches the most appalling of the tortures in the spanish inquisition were reserved for women. The holocaust is inconceivable without tywo thousand years of christian ptopoganda and don't forget the pope instructed his clergy to pray for hitler from the pulpit hitler himself claimed he was doing god's work and many agreed with him until the full horror was realised.

Your pilgrim father thought the native indians being wiped out by european diseases was a sign from god that they were meant to take this land whoesale massacres were carried out justified by religion they were not rational or nice people in the least. The salem witch trials are the least of it.

[Mickiel]

If you think the salem witch trials was the only time they got violent you need to read a few history books. When christianity ruled in europe they called it the dark ages and for very good reason. Hundreds of thousands died as a result of religious wars in europe (in magdenerg for instance approx 20,000 were slaughtered for being the wrong kind of christian and let's not forget the crusades while we're at it) as did thousands of women buirned as witches the most appalling of the tortures in the spanish inquisition were reserved for women. The holocaust is inconceivable without tywo thousand years of christian ptopoganda and don't forget the pope instructed his clergy to pray for hitler from the pulpit hitler himself claimed he was doing god's work and many agreed with him until the full horror was realised.

Your pilgrim father thought the native indians being wiped out by european diseases was a sign from god that they were meant to take this land whoesale massacres were carried out justified by religion they were not rational or nice people in the least. The salem witch trials are the least of it.

I never said the witch trials were the only example in history. My point is in agreement with you, I just added that religion is not alone in that behaviour. But you see you must dog religion because it's in your spirit to do so. That is easy for me to see. You have to do it because you cannot help yourself, which is the definition of obsession.

[gmc]

I never said the witch trials were the only example in history. My point is in agreement with you, I just added that religion is not alone in that behaviour. But you see you must dog religion because it's in your spirit to do so. That is easy for me to see. You have to do it because you cannot help yourself, which is the definition of obsession.

Sorry must have inadvertently taken you off ignore