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

Yes, no matter how many times you quote the Bible you'll never understand that as a product of your environment it's the book that you choose to believe in, as it would be the Quran in a fundamentalist Middle Eastern society. These ideas were fine when the world consisted of the town you lived in but there are many billions on Earth who do not believe in your God, and the absurdity of sending them to hell spits in the face of the rules of the Bible requiring a benevolent God.

I am pretty sure that god is not a trickster and does not hide. I also see the "word of god" written everywhere for all to see. I do not believe this "word" is hidden in old books that change meaning with the culture that reads it. It is hidden in plain sight. Unchanging and eternal. There are a limited set of basic rules that define our universe. These manifest as complex interactions between matter, physics, chemistry. We can see and understand life processing as the leaf absorbs sunlight and draws water from the ground. We can see life processing in everything physical, chemical, electronic and biological. These processes can be individually understood and communicated without cultural misunderstanding. So this underlying processing has greater believability as a measuring point when looking for gods word written infallibly to us.

God does not hide from us. We hide from God by looking in the wrong direction.

no matter how many times you spew out your own ignorance (Eph. 4:18) for doctrine, it never will be

for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen 3:19)

for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isa. 29:16)



For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done (Isa. 46:10)

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. (Deut. 4:35)



And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

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

You got it all wrong. You say; "Religion exploits human credulity" but it is actually in reverse such that; Human credulity exploits religion. How else do you get an "Inquisition", or Jihad or other "in the name of God" bull shit? None of that shit is in God's Scriptures to mankind, but the LARGE CHRISTIAN organizations don't encourage reading scripture for that reason....."FOLKS MIGHT LEARN THE TRUTH" Heck, back then folks did not read, you could sell them a bill of goods because they had "Blind Loyalty" and "Blind Faith".

Spiritual warfare dictates by definition the corruption of Christ's image to the general public. You don't see anyone mocking "Buddha", because NO ONE cares about him, he did not save the world, he is not God's Son. He had great wisdom but not supernatural. Same with the other smaller religions.

[link to www.e-sword.net]

your own personal contrived ambiguous nonsense will never be God's Word
no matter how much you'd like it to be

for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Gen 3:19)

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's
clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the
thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isa. 29:16)

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Rom. 1:20)

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)

You have a point, but there are many people who feel their credulity is being stretched a bit thin by the idea of a single savior for mankind. I think the Jesus image lacks credulity today, is because with modern communications, many more people are getting acquainted with it, and they see the arrogance of an idea that claims to have more import than their own native philosophies. People do not feel inclined to mock the Buddha, because his way does not make any demand on anyone's credulity. It is not that they do not care, it is that Buddhists just like to quietly and inoffensively get on with their own lives. How many times have you bumped into proselytizing Buddhists? Probably never. But various competing groups of "Christian" godbotherers? All the time. They are on you like fleas on a dog in some places.

Yes, I understand, but that is your god, not mine. I want no part of the mystical biblical god and do not accept any of the writings associated with its cults as being in any way definitive evidence of anything. There is ancient wisdom in those writings. People were not stupid. They recorded a lot of their truth. We are dust and will return to dust. The way to find god is to see what he has wrought, not what others want you to believe about their interpretation of Him.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Rom. 1:21-22)

Your rejection of the truth (John 14:6) will not change it.

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

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matt. 24:35)

Gods will and glory has this to say about the blasphemous situation.






Of course religitardation is an illness of the weak who need someone to blame and point a finger at for why things happen like they do

Religion is consent to slavery.

It's the most effective form of social control, why do you think all of the religious leaders have insurmountable wealth and power in their name?

This is 100% correct.

Sorry, but that is INcorrect.

Did the voices in your head tell you to say that? Or did you read it in a "holy" book?

I wish I believed in Christian God. It would make arguing supremely easy. Any time one is confronted with anything, just regurgitate Bible verses someone else wrote that seem to have some relevance to the topic at hand.

As if you're remotely curious. Why pretend to care?

I wish I believed in Christian God. It would make arguing supremely easy. Any time one is confronted with anything, just regurgitate Bible verses someone else wrote that seem to have some relevance to the topic at hand.

Most people prefer not having to think for themselves, it seems.

Might as well live the life a robot, pre-programmed to spout out whatever it's been told to say and think.

THERE IS ONE GOD AND ONE SAVIOR OF THE HUMAN RACE AND THAT IS JESUS CHRIST! FROM THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH AND IN PRIOR AGES HIS ARRIVAL WAS LONG HAILED AND AWAITED AND WHEN HE CAME THEY KNEW HIM NOT! WE ARE ALL SINNERS AND WILL BE TRIED BY GOD AFTER WE DIE. JESUS WAS AND IS GOD BUT HUMBLED HIMSELF TO BECOME ONE OF US; THE LEAST INTELLGENT OF GOD'S WILL CREATURES. NO ONE GOES TO THE FATHER IN HEAVEN EXCEPT THROUGH HIM WHO PAID THE PRICE! HE IS THE KING OF WISDOM AND SUFFERED GREATLY FOR THE SAKE OF THE HUMAN RACE! HE OWNS YOU, ME AND ALL WHO HAVE WALKED UPON THE EARTH! IT IS NOT JUST A STORY, IT IS FACT AND TRUTH! GOD IS NOT MOCKED!

Does it anger you that I don't live a life of mental slavery and fear?

I bet it does :)

Lots of people get upset when people like you do not give all the respect believed due to their ideas. You have to remember that some of these people invest lots of energy into kneeling, mumbling, promising and praying. They do not like it if you laugh at their chosen use of the time of their one life. You dismiss their life as if it were all a waste of time. He may well be guarding his mind right now to ward off the baleful influences of Satan, whose influences waft in with your words.

THE PURPLE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER IS THE ONE TRUE GOD.

HOW DARE YOU NOT ADOPT THE ONE TRUE FAITH OF PURPLE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER. I AM OFFENDED AND APPALLED.... YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT TO SPAGHETTI HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Translation: Deal with it.

It is a means of getting people to obey authority. It is so effective that people will violate every religous tenet they have learned, simply to obey.

When you adopt the stance of a lunatic, be prepared for people to point out your lunacy.

Especially if your lunacy demands constant proliferation of said lunacy to others.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is PURPLE? Since when? Is there a Pastafarian in the house who can confirm this?

As it was written in Saint Luigi's Verse 7 Chapter 1.

Seriously you need to study the Holy Menu more!!!!

Open your eyes, open your heart, and open your mouth to His sweet Spaghetti love.

Eat long and prosper, my son.

I shall make up for it by serving Merlot at my next feastgiving.

well, my good sirs, I can answer this. He's mistaking the one true god: the flying purple people eater, with the false deity: the flying spaghetti monster.
this is a novice mistake, and you'll be banished to be eaten in a purple hell rain forever! dust thou worry?
see what we did there you religious fucks?

listen i'm cool with Christians, I hate Creationists,
and if either one of you come to me with your bullshit, I will no question knock you the *&w7 out.haha sorry.

you people are wack. it is not an illness, it is something that gives people the answers which we all seek. its gives them hope in a world that is sometimes hopeless. whether they are the correct answers is of course up for debate.