Is religion a mental illness? Or does it exploit mental illness?

As I said, I'm fine if your vengeful "god" throws me into hell. That's not the kind of "god" I wish to serve anyhow.

He has.

Edit: Well said post.

Last Edited by Brian Moser on 12/02/2012 05:08 AM

I would imagine there is more value (whether it's to "God" or in a general sense) in one that can be a wolf in sheep's clothing in order to get a message across rather than to keep preaching to the choir and rationalize that it's the best use of their time and effort.

Sorry Christians... but this thread proves once again that religion is nothing more than an imperfect tool to try and explain that which we will never truly understand.

I see wisdom and humility in admitting I know nothing about the nature of God. I am only being honest with myself and you.

If God sees that as evil, then so be it.

We are all insane in the unique way our brains are shaped.

I'm sorry that you do not understand Jesus. I understand just as well as I need to, as His message was not difficult to comprehend, although without the Spirit of God working in your heart, then it is far more difficult.


OP says: "If God sees that as evil, then so be it."

Jesus said: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

Mental Illness? I dunno... But it does make you wonder,

Why is it that if someone has an imaginary friend they're crazy. But if a bunch of people have the same imaginary friend it's called a Religion????

BOTH!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

hahahaha..

organized religion exploits the gullible, the naive, and the ignorant... just as liberalism does.

Just curious... Do you think Jesus was imaginary?

And if not, then do you think that He merely imagined His Father, in heaven?

Really not nearly as profound as you think. But you are an Oztard, and easily amused.

I think your holding the mirror up to your self. You appear to have the mental illness.

There are over 150 different religions in the World, so which one ya' talking about genius?

However I will speak for the Religion of the Christian God, it goes like this from Christian Scripture......

What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.
(James 1:27)


I ask the world....what sick b%st%rd has a problem with that religion?

Help widows
Help orphans
Don't become corrupt

Wow.......that is caused by mental illness you say.......?

Yikes.......your form of sanity is?

I already explained all that, but some grace-only "Christian" jumped on me, claiming that it was "works-based", even though it's right there in the book of James.

liberal Christians hate a true gospel

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:20)

the fact that this antichrist (1 John 2:22) moser now feels fellowship with you
is very telling according to God

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. (John 15:19)

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God. (James 4:4)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3)

you will be able to take it up with Christ when you stand before him at judgment (2 Cor. 5:10)

Religion is a crutch for the spiritually crippled and intellectually handicapped.

Religion is about God and man's relationship to God who created us. The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom! Listen to The Book of Enoch (youtube). It explains the fate of the souls of man and the angels who have influenced him throughout the ages. Our particular epoch in time called an "Age", is not the first or the last, but the creator remains the same -and God is not mocked!

Yeeah, because a guy who supposedly preached unselfish love and infinite one-ness is going to judge people and cast them into a pit of flame :P

Eerie and startling adventures await you.

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that is in them (Eph. 4:18)



That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess. 2:12)

Another illiterate tard

Why are you asking me? Are you going to give me some sort of argument that is proof? Will it be some passage from the bible that was written by man? A passage that is only a interpretation of what that man thinks? Or wanted you to think? A passage that comes from the bible which is a book written by 12 other people but not god himself? Translated from Aramaic to English, even though Aramaic doesn't easily and in a lot of cases can't be translated to English? FYI Aramaic was the language spoken during the time of Jesus. Are you going say that if I accept the twisted and manipulated word of god by the church, I'll be saved?

Give it a rest preacher. Your not doing "Gods work" you're doing the churches work. The church, not god, murdered and tortured millions yet the "God" they did it in the name of, taught love, forgiveness and acceptance. The bible is not written by God or Jesus, but instead written by people after the fact and written by memories. Your church and its perception of god is a contradiction like all other faiths. It's been poisoned by people wanting power and control. The God I was taught wouldn't want millions of people murdered and tortured in his name, weather it be God, Jesus, Allah, Yawhe or whatever else. The church and Vatican have lied to you for their own gain. God is not a "he" or physical being, God is a way of life, an energy connecting all living things, and is easily summed up with this "be good to your fellow man" the golden rule.

Funny how the "ten commandments" first one is to not have any gods before him, no false idols, yet that's exactly what the church, the pope and so is. False idols that religitards turn to when they should be helping themselves and the fellow man. But you want help right? So does everyone else, and instead of turning to the church, if everyone helped everyone, well, hey, that'd be utopia. But the church wants control, and if you don't give in to them, you're going to burn in enternity. That's extortion not religion.

I'm not without faith, but I don't pretend that God is a being that created all I see, know and everything just for us to pray to him, telling him how awesome he is. God isn't a teenage girl with low self esteem. God isn't a being, but rather God is an act. An act of caring, helping, humor, understanding and forgiveness. But hey, you believe the story told by those who have ruled over so much and so many with fear and suffering instead of love and helping. We are the only species that don't work unified together as a whole for the good of our species.

No, I don't believe in your god. I believe in mine.

Religion exploits human credulity. People want to believe the universe all fits together neatly so that they can live their lives comfortably knowing that the big questions are all taken care of. People believe that which others teach them. Some things have been handed down from generation to generation. In the absence of teachings to the contrary, there is no reason for old superstitions to change.

It is not that religion is a mental illness, though there is evidence that religions do cause mental illness, but that it fits in with basic needs of average people. It is a mechanism that others may take charge of and use to manipulate large numbers of those people, who do not enjoy the challenges of deeper thought, into concerted behavior. So it gives power to some.

the false, absurd religion you are preaching could be considered indicative of mental illness, and likewise anyone who would listen to your silly ramblings

Very well said. Religious belief only takes place between the ears of the person experiencing that belief. It has no external reality outside of the individual mind. So mine is as valid to me, as yours is to you. There is only one life. We do not have distinct and separate souls, as the Abrahamic three want you to believe. That invention is just a part of the control mechanism. We are each individual expressions of the one life. The one life expresses itself as living universe, running according to rules, rules which include the expression of life that we experience.

It's a mental illness not to believe in God......you are the ones that are pitiful and are going to burn for eternity. You have been given the greatest gift in the universe and you choose not to accept it and turn your back on your creator. That is real mental illness my friend...

Your response is a sure indicator of your sanity.

It's a classic case of extremes.

The humans who are so sure that there is no god or power of any higher kind above humanity are deluded, arrogant, and insane.

The humans who are so sure their chosen deity is that higher power are also arrogant, and insane.

There is a higher power above human beings. You will not ever know what it is with any certainty during your time here.

so your god has chosen to hide himself and his will from his creation eh?

for all intents and purposes then, your god does not exist

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt (Ps. 14:1)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)