Quote from: KirklandSignature on Sep 18, 2013, 05:48:18 PM
Quote from: DC on Sep 18, 2013, 04:10:48 PM
I view the different factions of religion the same way I view different strains of disease...
It has been proven that religion is a type of mental illness, adherents display the same behavior as schizophrenics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haBLjVqrrjM
Hmmm, I disagree with the video, since it seems to make the assertion that holding illogical beliefs is the same thing as being mentally ill. I used to believe (when I was 12) that aliens existed and that their ships took them through planes of existence so they could travel to Saturn as it exists in a parallel world, where they are close to us in space-time but not vibrating at our universes frequency.
Yes, I was retarded to believe this, but if that made me mentally ill, then I recovered somehow
I just call it being misinformed and not applying my critical thinking skills.
For religion as a mental illness, however, there are some cases. It has to do with being raised into Religion, the damage can't really happen in adulthood. Basically, the part of your brain that evaluates information stops working, since you shut it down so much as a kid. Just believe X, stop questioning X, we won't love you unless you love X. So whenever X came up, your critical thinking department just powers down.
And yes, this leads to actual brain damage, but I do feel saying 'religious people are mentally ill' is a bit inaccurate (and I say that as an Antitheist). You gotta be indoctrinated from birth, and pretty viciously at that, in order to get that kind of damage.