Why isn't religious belief considered to be a form of mental illness?

What is the fundamental difference between someone who believes an ancient man is to descend from the heavens and save all of humanity, to the extent where they formulate their life around it, and your average schizophrenic who is able to function in the real world but suffers from delusions?

Google modern day prophets and you will find countless articles of individuals who claim to be, yet are laughed at and/or institutionalized.

Mohammad was a schizo, and so was Yesus.

eh... It makes more sense then most Political,and Scientific Beliefs People on the Left have.

But then they are ....

the OP should just shut up. if you dont believe in it thats your buisness, nobody has qualms with that. but brandin religious beliefs as mental illness is crossing boundaries.

Originally posted by The Spectre+
the OP should just shut up. if you dont believe in it thats your buisness, nobody has qualms with that. but brandin religious beliefs as mental illness is crossing boundaries.

I'm going to pretend this is not a hateful rant and answer the topic at hand.

There is a cultural logic to religious belief, in almost all personnal context there is a potential cultural gain that comes from religious practice. If you talk about Jesus and Mohammad as mentally ill then you fail to realize that their teachings and narratives where so in tune with the societies that spawned them that they succesfully became influential over multiple nations in litte time. Religion serves a social propose that is based in how it's practiced and not in the specific beliefs or faith of its carrier.

Originally posted by Bentley
I'm going to pretend this is not a hateful rant and answer the topic at hand.

There is a cultural logic to religious belief, in almost all personnal context there is a potential cultural gain that comes from religious practice. If you talk about Jesus and Mohammad as mentally ill then you fail to realize that their teachings and narratives where so in tune with the societies that spawned them that they succesfully became influential over multiple nations in litte time. Religion serves a social propose that is based in how it's practiced and not in the specific beliefs or faith of its carrier.

Seems to me religion is effective at 2 things. Helping people cope with existential dread and fleecing gullible people out of money.

Originally posted by Chuck_Schumer
What is the fundamental difference between someone who believes an ancient man is to descend from the heavens and save all of humanity, to the extent where they formulate their life around it, and your average schizophrenic who is able to function in the real world but suffers from delusions?

Google modern day prophets and you will find countless articles of individuals who claim to be, yet are laughed at and/or institutionalized.

Mohammad was a schizo, and so was Yesus.

He has a point. And religious belief can enhance mental illness (like it did with my schizophrenic brother who killed himself as a result of getting mixed up in the dogma of the Christian religion).

If a single person believed what millions of people do, they would be locked up, institutionalized. But since millions of people also believe it, it's considered normal. Religions are just cults with way more followers.

Originally posted by Chuck_Schumer
What is the fundamental difference between someone who believes an ancient man is to descend from the heavens and save all of humanity, to the extent where they formulate their life around it, and your average schizophrenic who is able to function in the real world but suffers from delusions?

Google modern day prophets and you will find countless articles of individuals who claim to be, yet are laughed at and/or institutionalized.

Mohammad was a schizo, and so was Yesus.

Lol calling Muhammad a schizo is being very kind to him. I'd go with "pedophile warlord who really hated poets".

Jesus was mostly chill. 99% chill, 1% a belt he beats people with. I think both these religions are awful but even I know Jesus is the way nicer fictional character. He's the prophet you'd want to show up if they were real. Muhammad is the one you'd want to show up if you really like to see kids get raped and beheaded.

I’ve never understood the Jesus hate. He went around helping people.

Mohammad went around killing people and sleeping with young girls.

Yet Mohammad is loved and Jesus is hated.

Jesus even said pay your taxes

Jesus straight up allowed people to beat and torture him and then kill him. Muhammad murdered poets who said bad things about him lol.

One of these things is not like the other, one of these things is not the same.

Originally posted by jaden_2.0
Seems to me religion is effective at 2 things. Helping people cope with existential dread and fleecing gullible people out of money.

It would be more accurate to say atheists have a mental illness.

But more accurate to say neither is a mental illness.

More accurately, in research, atheists seem to not activate the "God spot" in the brain. Even in modern countries that are not religious, they "remain deeply spiritual" because you cannot undo tens of thousands of years of evolution very quickly.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201208/the-god-spot-revisited

So I'll say this with 0 levity: I truly think that atheists, who do not exhibit a "god-spot" in their brain are the next step in human evolution. A "god-spot" is much better seen an unnecessary and vestigial element in modern societies. This is not to say that we should mock and look down on the religious. But religion is not as necessary when you live in a society that provides all the basic needs and bonuses.

I liken this to another vestigial evolutionary "problem": people who are light sleepers vs. people who are deep sleepers. A deep sleeper would be higher on the evolution ladder because have lived beyond the need to be light l to be wary of nocturnal predators. It's just not necessary. In fact, our babies are so very loud and annoying because we've grown beyond the need to worry about predators. That's how badass humans are. But we still carry vestigial traits from our primate ancestors that had to be light sleepers to quickly react to avoid being eaten.

I love when it’s Christmas time and liberals say “Jesus was an immigrant.”

It’s the only time they want to invoke his good name.

Originally posted by dadudemon
It would be more accurate to say atheists have a mental illness.

But more accurate to say neither is a mental illness.

More accurately, in research, atheists seem to not activate the "God spot" in the brain. Even in modern countries that are not religious, they "remain deeply spiritual" because you cannot undo tens of thousands of years of evolution very quickly.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201208/the-god-spot-revisited

So I'll say this with 0 levity: I truly think that atheists, who do not exhibit a "god-spot" in their brain are the next step in human evolution. A "god-spot" is much better seen an unnecessary and vestigial element in modern societies. This is not to say that we should mock and look down on the religious. But religion is not as necessary when you live in a society that provides all the basic needs and bonuses.

I liken this to another vestigial evolutionary "problem": people who are light sleepers vs. people who are deep sleepers. A deep sleeper would be higher on the evolution ladder because have lived beyond the need to be light l to be wary of nocturnal predators. It's just not necessary. In fact, our babies are so very loud and annoying because we've grown beyond the need to worry about predators. That's how badass humans are. But we still carry vestigial traits from our primate ancestors that had to be light sleepers to quickly react to avoid being eaten.

Originally posted by dadudemon
It would be more accurate to say atheists have a mental illness.

But more accurate to say neither is a mental illness.

More accurately, in research, atheists seem to not activate the "God spot" in the brain. Even in modern countries that are not religious, they "remain deeply spiritual" because you cannot undo tens of thousands of years of evolution very quickly.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201208/the-god-spot-revisited

So I'll say this with 0 levity: I truly think that atheists, who do not exhibit a "god-spot" in their brain are the next step in human evolution. A "god-spot" is much better seen an unnecessary and vestigial element in modern societies. This is not to say that we should mock and look down on the religious. But religion is not as necessary when you live in a society that provides all the basic needs and bonuses.

Lol, what the hell are you talking about? Where did this "god-spot" nonsense come from?

.missed that God voices told people what to do in complex situations. It's possible the God spot is to do with that it was a 70s theory, didn't know it was around still.

Satan told me to do it is equally used.

Originally posted by BrolyBlack
Satan told me to do it is equally used.