Is religion a sign of immaturity?

[Delta4Embassy]

Thinking of Bill Maher's repeated use of 'imaginary friend' referring to God I wonder if that's not entirely inaccurate. If a person is lonely and unloved God and religion probably fills the void rather nicely. If they did have someone to love and be loved by they're be investing that emotional energy with them, not something abstract and intangible like a unproven deity.

"My imaginary friend says..."

"My imaginary friend is gonna beat you up."

"My imaginary friend and I have fun every day."

...Things children often say of their imaginary friends. Curiously, not unlike what people say about their deities. So are people who as adults continue to cling to such imaginary figures in some way clinically retarded?

In school, part of a psych course was a counselling session. And I remember challenging the shrink on why aren't people who profess religious beliefs considered mentally ill? They talk to beings that aren't present, have aural and/or visual hallucinations, are delusional in their grasp of reality, etc. but they're NOT mentally ill. Whereas often people who say Jesus speaks to them are called schitzophrenic. Yet when Presidents say that same thing no one dusts off the Articles of Impeachment.

Have religious beliefs become true with time and popularity? A recognized lie, yet because of how many and how long we allow such assertions to be lies instead of mental illnesses.

 

[dilloduck]

Thinking of Bill Maher's repeated use of 'imaginary friend' referring to God I wonder if that's not entirely inaccurate. If a person is lonely and unloved God and religion probably fills the void rather nicely. If they did have someone to love and be loved by they're be investing that emotional energy with them, not something abstract and intangible like a unproven deity.

"My imaginary friend says..."

"My imaginary friend is gonna beat you up."

"My imaginary friend and I have fun every day."

...Things children often say of their imaginary friends. Curiously, not unlike what people say about their deities. So are people who as adults continue to cling to such imaginary figures in some way clinically retarded?

Uh no----you are clinically retarded if you believe that. Everyone has something out side of themselves they use for companionship.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

No. But people who're various kinds of mentally ill do often assert 'everyone else is just like me.' I don't have imaginary constructs outside myself to cope with loneliness. If I feel lonely I turn on the tv, or sit on the porch to say hi to real people walking by. I don't sit in my bedroom and talk to myself.

 

[Avatar4321]

No, what's immature is presuming that because you don't understand something you are more mature than those you don't understand.

 

[dilloduck]

No. But people who're various kinds of mentally ill do often assert 'everyone else is just like me.' I don't have imaginary constructs outside myself to cope with loneliness. If I feel lonely I turn on the tv, or sit on the porch to say hi to real people walking by. I don't sit in my bedroom and talk to myself.

So TV is your "god".

 

[PratchettFan]

Bill Maher is not qualified to judge maturity in anyone. But in answer to the question - no.

 

[rightwinger]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

 

[dilloduck]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

Very similar to the AGW cult---You better stop driving your car or you will destroy the world.

 

[rightwinger]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

Very similar to the AGW cult---You better stop driving your car or you will destroy the world.

There is scientific evidence backing AGW

There is no evidence supporting God

 

[dilloduck]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

Very similar to the AGW cult---You better stop driving your car or you will destroy the world.

There is scientific evidence backing AGW

There is no evidence supporting God

The "evidence" supporting AGW is a joke. Are you not following along ? It's a huge Algore scam.

 

[PratchettFan]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

That is an extremely limited point of view.

 

[PratchettFan]

Very similar to the AGW cult---You better stop driving your car or you will destroy the world.

There is scientific evidence backing AGW

There is no evidence supporting God

The "evidence" supporting AGW is a joke. Are you not following along ? It's a huge Algore scam.

Well, let's just agree that you are both utterly wrong and move on.

 

[rightwinger]

Very similar to the AGW cult---You better stop driving your car or you will destroy the world.

There is scientific evidence backing AGW

There is no evidence supporting God

The "evidence" supporting AGW is a joke. Are you not following along ? It's a huge Algore scam.

Hundreds of peer reviewed studies are no joke

There has yet to be a peer reviewed scientific study backing the existence of God

 

[rightwinger]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

That is an extremely limited point of view.

In a nutshell...that is all there is to religion

God will punish you if you are bad....Hell
God will reward you if you are good....Heaven

So you better be good for goodness sake. You better not pout, you better not cry. You better be good, I'm telling you why

 

[dilloduck]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

That is an extremely limited point of view.

In a nutshell...that is all there is to religion

God will punish you if you are bad....Hell
God will reward you if you are good....Heaven

So you better be good for goodness sake. You better not pout, you better not cry. You better be good, I'm telling you why

If you are moral there will be positive consequences
If you are immoral there will be negative consequences
Makes sense to me.

 

[rightwinger]

That is an extremely limited point of view.

In a nutshell...that is all there is to religion

God will punish you if you are bad....Hell
God will reward you if you are good....Heaven

So you better be good for goodness sake. You better not pout, you better not cry. You better be good, I'm telling you why

If you are moral there will be positive consequences
If you are immoral there will be negative consequences
Makes sense to me.

If you are good.....Santa will get you toys
If you are bad.......Santa will put coal in your stocking

It is a simplistic incentive to be good that children will understand. Same as religion

 

[dilloduck]

In a nutshell...that is all there is to religion

God will punish you if you are bad....Hell
God will reward you if you are good....Heaven

So you better be good for goodness sake. You better not pout, you better not cry. You better be good, I'm telling you why

If you are moral there will be positive consequences
If you are immoral there will be negative consequences
Makes sense to me.

If you are good.....Santa will get you toys
If you are bad.......Santa will put coal in your stocking

It is a simplistic incentive to be good that children will understand. Same as religion

What is the secular method of encouraging morality ?

 

[sealybobo]

Thinking of Bill Maher's repeated use of 'imaginary friend' referring to God I wonder if that's not entirely inaccurate. If a person is lonely and unloved God and religion probably fills the void rather nicely. If they did have someone to love and be loved by they're be investing that emotional energy with them, not something abstract and intangible like a unproven deity.

"My imaginary friend says..."

"My imaginary friend is gonna beat you up."

"My imaginary friend and I have fun every day."

...Things children often say of their imaginary friends. Curiously, not unlike what people say about their deities. So are people who as adults continue to cling to such imaginary figures in some way clinically retarded?

In school, part of a psych course was a counselling session. And I remember challenging the shrink on why aren't people who profess religious beliefs considered mentally ill? They talk to beings that aren't present, have aural and/or visual hallucinations, are delusional in their grasp of reality, etc. but they're NOT mentally ill. Whereas often people who say Jesus speaks to them are called schitzophrenic. Yet when Presidents say that same thing no one dusts off the Articles of Impeachment.

Have religious beliefs become true with time and popularity? A recognized lie, yet because of how many and how long we allow such assertions to be lies instead of mental illnesses.

IThe validity of a claim, such as the existence of god, is not governed by the intelligence of the minds which hold it. Evidence and reason are the deciding factors.

The fact that an intelligent person holds an irrational belief is simply evidence that our brains are able to compartmentalize world-views and models from one another, usually in order to maintain a state of ‘ignorant bliss’ and escape the discomfort of cognitive dissonance.

 

[PratchettFan]

Religion is the ultimate Santa Claus fantasy

"You better be good or no toys for you"

That is an extremely limited point of view.

In a nutshell...that is all there is to religion

God will punish you if you are bad....Hell
God will reward you if you are good....Heaven

So you better be good for goodness sake. You better not pout, you better not cry. You better be good, I'm telling you why

No, it is not. That is simply your unsupported belief. You are, of course, free to believe whatever you like. But just because you believe it does not make you right. It just makes you a believer.

 

[sealybobo]

If you are moral there will be positive consequences
If you are immoral there will be negative consequences
Makes sense to me.

If you are good.....Santa will get you toys
If you are bad.......Santa will put coal in your stocking

It is a simplistic incentive to be good that children will understand. Same as religion

What is the secular method of encouraging morality ?

Are you kidding me? I see my sister, who is a christian by the way, NEVER bring up god when teaching her kids. Never once heard her say what would jesus do or you'll go to hell. And she is raising two great kids who know not to bully, be nice, polite, don't steal, don't lie.

You think you need to scare a kid with jesus to make him be good?

I can also tell you my nephews, when they do bad, don't worry about what jesus or god is thinking. They worry about if they'll get in trouble.

Now, they do go to church every week, so I do realize even they are being brainwashed too, but that's on a subconscious level.

Wow, typing this it dawned on me. Even though they go to church every week, let me tell you something. From an honest view of their level of christianity, I can tell you that they pretty much forget about jesus for 6 days until it is time to go back to church. And how much of church is the socialization for them vs. the actual god stuff? I would say god is a side thought for most christians that I know anyways.

And I'm greatful because honestly I hate Gismys type christians. They are the worse.

So yes god does contribute to making my nephews better people, but I say completely unnecessary. I don't believe in god and that doesn't mean now I want to murder rape and steal.

So maybe god is good for kids but once they grow up, stop lying to them. Explain like Santa its how we make people good. I don't approve of the method but at least the intention is there. BUT, I also think "they" use religion to control the masses. If "we" can believe in god we can buy pretty much any story right? So in the future if we are scientific atheists, it'll be a lot harder to lie to us like our government does now every day.