Is Religious Fundamentalism a "Mental Illness"?

[PoliticalChic]

Here is the video of Kathleen Taylor, in her own words. Very interesting.

Kathleen Taylor -Brainwashing:The Science of Thought Control - YouTube

Then, there is this, from "Still The Best Hope," Dennis Prager:

1. Leftism is so pervasive, that if applied to any other way of looking at life, it would be widely recognized as a form of brainwashing!

Image a person who attended only fundamental Christian schools from preschool through graduate school, who never saw a secular, let alone anti-Christian, film, and who only read religious books. Most would say that they had been ‘brainwashed.” Yet, we regularly find individuals who only attended secular liberal schools from preschool through college, watched or listened to only Left-of-center television, movies, music, and had essentially no exposure to religious or conservative ideas.
Brainwashed?

Of course not! Liberals are open-minded!!! The irony here is that the denial itself shows how very effective the brainwashing has been.

Now, Christians or Jews who have rarely been exposed to secular ideas and values would readily acknowledge same. It is only those on the Left who fool themselves into believing that they have been exposed to all points of view.


2. Universities have become to Liberalism what a Christian seminary is to Christianity. The difference is that Christian seminaries acknowledge their purpose, to produce committed Christians.

a. “The purpose of a university should be to make a son as unlike his father as possible.” The University's Part in Political Life” (13 March 1909) in PWW (The Papers of Woodrow Wilson) 19:99.



b. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ANRgcvjkk&feature=fvwrel]Eric Holder D.O.J "We Must Brainwash People About Guns" - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Sunshine]

Religion doesn't cause mental illness. Many schizophrenics are religiously delusional, but their religion didn't turn them to schizophrenics. Many of them also think they have super powers. So by your logic watching Spiderman would make them schizophrenic. Many schizophrenics are sexually occupied. Your logic would suggest that teaching them the facts of life makes them schizophrenic. I have had a couple for patients who insisted they could see germs with their naked eyes. So, I guess teaching them science made them schizophrenic.

Your thread is a colossal face palm.

I suggest that before you start such a stupid thread, you study the topic which you are attempting to discuss.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Yes for some of the individual evangelical churches I saw throughout East Texas and Louisiana.

They somehow thought they were the same as the disciples in Jesus' day.

Amazing.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Clinging to imaginary sky fairies could be termed a mental illness but its fascinating that, throughout history, most cultures, most societies have shared the same delusion.

Rather than calling it a mental illness, maybe its more accurate to call it a flaw, a weakness, a way of dealing with fear.

In the US, as long as they stay in their place - "churches" - its relatively harmless. I would really like to see fundies like Westboro and other pedo/women/gay hate groups disguised as churches, refused tax free status though. Otherwise, I don't care if they speak in tongues, wear magic undies and play with serpents.

 

[pacer]

Religion doesn't cause mental illness. Many schizophrenics are religiously delusional, but their religion didn't turn them to schizophrenics. Many of them also think they have super powers. So by your logic watching Spiderman would make them schizophrenic. Many schizophrenics are sexually occupied. Your logic would suggest that teaching them the facts of life makes them schizophrenic. I have had a couple for patients who insisted they could see germs with their naked eyes. So, I guess teaching them science made them schizophrenic.

Your thread is a colossal face palm.

I suggest that before you start such a stupid thread, you study the topic which you are attempting to discuss.

This is an excellent topic, which is being widely debated. No one said religion in and of itself caused mental illness. Your analogy is silly. It is religious obsession/brainwashing, etc. that is the mental disorder. I do not profess to know much about the subject. I thought it would make a good topic of discussion and I enjoy reading others opinions.

 

[Vox]

Religion doesn't cause mental illness. Many schizophrenics are religiously delusional, but their religion didn't turn them to schizophrenics. Many of them also think they have super powers. So by your logic watching Spiderman would make them schizophrenic. Many schizophrenics are sexually occupied. Your logic would suggest that teaching them the facts of life makes them schizophrenic. I have had a couple for patients who insisted they could see germs with their naked eyes. So, I guess teaching them science made them schizophrenic.

Your thread is a colossal face palm.

I suggest that before you start such a stupid thread, you study the topic which you are attempting to discuss.

This is an excellent topic, which is being widely debated. No one said religion in and of itself caused mental illness. Your analogy is silly. It is religious obsession/brainwashing, etc. that is the mental disorder. I do not profess to know much about the subject. I thought it would make a good topic of discussion and I enjoy reading others opinions.

except you do not understand that mental disorder is ANY set of reactionary beliefs which does not allow the human being to think for themselves.

The classic example is leftist dimocrap dogmatic brainwashing and luddly as a perfect exemplary case of it

 

[daws101]

Is Religious Fundamentalism a “Mental Illness” to Be Cured?

Religious fundamentalism is a mental illness that will someday be curable by science, a leading University of Oxford neurologist recently argued. Future advances in neuroscience, as well as research tools currently under development, may go a long way to combating beliefs which lead to harmful practices such as child abuse. For those who become ordained ministers in the Universal Life Church it is a question that deserves serious contemplation: how does religious extremism hurt us, and how can science help?

Dr. Kathleen Taylor made the suggestion at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales (once described by former U.S. president Bill Clinton as the “Woodstock of the Mind” for its celebration of intellectual diversity). “One of the surprises may be to see people with certain beliefs as people who can be treated,” she said, and somebody “who has for example become radicalized [into] a cult ideology—we might stop seeing that as a personal choice…as a result of pure free will and may start treating it as some kind of mental disturbance”. Taylor pointed out that treating fundamentalism as a mental illness does not apply only to radical Islam, but also to more obscure extremist cults as well as the belief that it is OK to beat children as a disciplinary measure. This new approach could be highly beneficial, she argued, “because there are no doubt beliefs in our society that do a heck of a lot of damage, that really do a lot of harm”.

Taylor’s ideas are not without precedence—other researchers have also suggested a link between religious extremism and mental illness. Religious conversions may be significantly correlated with a developing psychotic mental illness, according to Dr. Dinesh Bhugra, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In a paper entitled Self-concept: Psychosis and attraction of new religious movements, Bhugra draws attention to research from several different studies showing that religious converts are more likely to exhibit first onset psychosis. (Importantly, Bhugra’s study does not necessarily peg religious belief in general as being correlated with mental illness.)

But what kind of reception should these ideas get from us as Universal Life Church ministers, and are they compatible with our beliefs? At first glance, treating religious fundamentalism as a mental illness may seem unusual, but in some ways it corresponds with our values. The ULC Monastery teaches its ministers to value science is a tool for understanding nature, and it also admonishes its ministers against the harm of extreme, unwavering religious dogma, so it seems appropriate for us to approach religious fundamentalism through the critical lens of scientific inquiry.

Obviously many religious people are good people, but many religious extremists are dangerous. Treating religious fundamentalism as a mental illness can be viewed as an attack on religion, or it can be viewed as an attempt to shine a light on more predatory or malevolent belief systems, offering tools for diagnosis and treatment. As interfaith ministers a part of whose mission is to cultivate religious solidarity, perhaps we can find a way to treat the symptoms of unwavering dogmatism while nurturing the core values of spiritual curiosity.

Is Religious Fundamentalism a ?Mental Illness? to Be Cured? - Universal Life Church Monastery Blog

Watch the video below

Kathleen Taylor, Neuroscientist, Says Religious Fundamentalism Could Be Treated As A Mental Illness

I am very much concerned with left winged fundamentalism. It is the belief that humans only become human once the baby comes out of the birth canal, and a magical fierry waves her magic wand over the "fetus", thus turning into a human.

View attachment 29279

Then there is the practice of ignoring science when it comes to the gay lifestyle. Gay males only make up about 3 % of the population, but account for well over 60% of new AIDS and STD cases in the US every year. Why would cities like San Fran try to ban Happy Meals and soda bottles because they are bad for us but ignore this?

Will the far left continue to blindly ignore science while holding on to their primitive belief systems while chastising those of faith for not doing so because they shun homosexual conduct and abortion? Science has told us that gay male sex is inherently unhealthy and dangerous and that nothing of significance changes once the infant passes out of the birth canal to make it human. Those of faith embrace science and recognize these truths, while left winger glibly ignore them and try to preach to those of faith about being illogical.

10 posts in and an ass hat proves the op correct...

 

[Sunshine]

Clinging to imaginary sky fairies could be termed a mental illness but its fascinating that, throughout history, most cultures, most societies have shared the same delusion.

Rather than calling it a mental illness, maybe its more accurate to call it a flaw, a weakness, a way of dealing with fear.

In the US, as long as they stay in their place - "churches" - its relatively harmless. I would really like to see fundies like Westboro and other pedo/women/gay hate groups disguised as churches, refused tax free status though. Otherwise, I don't care if they speak in tongues, wear magic undies and play with serpents.

Psychosis is culturally based. I've seen plenty of psychotic atheists and muslims. Their psychosis just includes things not a part of Christianity.

perhaps you should learn to pray to that 'imaginary sky fairy.' Your life and your outlook on life could only improve if you did.

 

[Sunshine]

Religion doesn't cause mental illness. Many schizophrenics are religiously delusional, but their religion didn't turn them to schizophrenics. Many of them also think they have super powers. So by your logic watching Spiderman would make them schizophrenic. Many schizophrenics are sexually occupied. Your logic would suggest that teaching them the facts of life makes them schizophrenic. I have had a couple for patients who insisted they could see germs with their naked eyes. So, I guess teaching them science made them schizophrenic.

Your thread is a colossal face palm.

I suggest that before you start such a stupid thread, you study the topic which you are attempting to discuss.

This is an excellent topic, which is being widely debated. No one said religion in and of itself caused mental illness. Your analogy is silly. It is religious obsession/brainwashing, etc. that is the mental disorder. I do not profess to know much about the subject. I thought it would make a good topic of discussion and I enjoy reading others opinions.

Obsessions are a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is an anxiety based disorder and in 25 years I never saw an OCD patient who was anxious about or obsessed with religion. Their obsessions usually deal with some aspect of the physical world over which they have little or no control. Like dirt and handwashing, for example. Or keeping the fringe completely straight on the rug in the foyer.

 

[pacer]

Obsessions are a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder. OCD is an anxiety based disorder and in 25 years I never saw an OCD patient who was anxious about or obsessed with religion. Their obsessions usually deal with some aspect of the physical world over which they have little or no control. Like dirt and handwashing, for example. Or keeping the fringe completely straight on the rug in the foyer.

Please read this article:

Scrupulosity: Where OCD Meets Religion, Faith, and Belief | OCD Center of Los Angeles

 

[Agit8r]

It is a symptom of a chemical imbalance. Though perhaps with those who are conditioned to it from a young age, the rigidity causes the imbalance to begin with.

 

[hobelim]

This is an excellent topic, which is being widely debated. No one said religion in and of itself caused mental illness. Your analogy is silly. It is religious obsession/brainwashing, etc. that is the mental disorder. I do not profess to know much about the subject. I thought it would make a good topic of discussion and I enjoy reading others opinions.

My question is that if certain religious beliefs are not the root cause of many mental illnesses why do so many people who are not religious at all suddenly start having religious ideations with auditory and visual hallucinations of a religious nature at the onset of a psychotic break with reality unless they are suffering the toxic effects of second hand religion so virulent one doesn't even have to be a believer to suffer from the destructive effects it has on the mind.

 

[pacer]

My question is that if certain religious beliefs are not the root cause of many mental illnesses why do so many people who are not religious at all suddenly start having religious ideations with auditory and visual hallucinations of a religious nature at the onset of a psychotic break with reality unless they are suffering the toxic effects of second hand religion so virulent one doesn't even have to be a believer to suffer from the destructive effects it has on the mind.

Simply holding religious beliefs is not the root cause of mental illness. It is when one obsesses over religious beliefs that mental well-being can be affected. Copied and pasted from the article above:

"One of the first documented references to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was in a 1691 sermon by Bishop John Moore of Norwich in which he discussed men and women who were overwhelmed with unwanted thoughts, and tormented by feelings of guilt and shame over what he described as “religious melancholy.” Priests had started to notice that some churchgoers were attending confession several times a day, and repeatedly confessing to the same sins and shortcomings that they feared would result in divine judgment and eternal damnation. Their penance and absolution would provide only a fleeting glimpse of peace, and then their fears would come roaring back.

In retrospect, we now know that this obsessive religious fervor is a manifestation of OCD known as Scrupulosity. People of various religions across the world are haunted by feelings of doubt, guilt, and anxiety that torment them by attacking that which they find most dear – their faith. Scrupulosity is a form of OCD in which the sufferer’s primary anxiety is the fear of being guilty of religious, moral, or ethical failure. Those afflicted with Scrupulosity fear that their effort to live according to their spiritual values not only isn’t good enough, but is in direct violation of God."

 

[theword]

Is Religious Fundamentalism a “Mental Illness” to Be Cured?

Religious fundamentalism is a mental illness that will someday be curable by science, a leading University of Oxford neurologist recently argued. Future advances in neuroscience, as well as research tools currently under development, may go a long way to combating beliefs which lead to harmful practices such as child abuse. For those who become ordained ministers in the Universal Life Church it is a question that deserves serious contemplation: how does religious extremism hurt us, and how can science help?

Dr. Kathleen Taylor made the suggestion at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales (once described by former U.S. president Bill Clinton as the “Woodstock of the Mind” for its celebration of intellectual diversity). “One of the surprises may be to see people with certain beliefs as people who can be treated,” she said, and somebody “who has for example become radicalized [into] a cult ideology—we might stop seeing that as a personal choice…as a result of pure free will and may start treating it as some kind of mental disturbance”. Taylor pointed out that treating fundamentalism as a mental illness does not apply only to radical Islam, but also to more obscure extremist cults as well as the belief that it is OK to beat children as a disciplinary measure. This new approach could be highly beneficial, she argued, “because there are no doubt beliefs in our society that do a heck of a lot of damage, that really do a lot of harm”.

Taylor’s ideas are not without precedence—other researchers have also suggested a link between religious extremism and mental illness. Religious conversions may be significantly correlated with a developing psychotic mental illness, according to Dr. Dinesh Bhugra, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In a paper entitled Self-concept: Psychosis and attraction of new religious movements, Bhugra draws attention to research from several different studies showing that religious converts are more likely to exhibit first onset psychosis. (Importantly, Bhugra’s study does not necessarily peg religious belief in general as being correlated with mental illness.)

But what kind of reception should these ideas get from us as Universal Life Church ministers, and are they compatible with our beliefs? At first glance, treating religious fundamentalism as a mental illness may seem unusual, but in some ways it corresponds with our values. The ULC Monastery teaches its ministers to value science is a tool for understanding nature, and it also admonishes its ministers against the harm of extreme, unwavering religious dogma, so it seems appropriate for us to approach religious fundamentalism through the critical lens of scientific inquiry.

Obviously many religious people are good people, but many religious extremists are dangerous. Treating religious fundamentalism as a mental illness can be viewed as an attack on religion, or it can be viewed as an attempt to shine a light on more predatory or malevolent belief systems, offering tools for diagnosis and treatment. As interfaith ministers a part of whose mission is to cultivate religious solidarity, perhaps we can find a way to treat the symptoms of unwavering dogmatism while nurturing the core values of spiritual curiosity.

Is Religious Fundamentalism a ?Mental Illness? to Be Cured? - Universal Life Church Monastery Blog

Watch the video below

Kathleen Taylor, Neuroscientist, Says Religious Fundamentalism Could Be Treated As A Mental Illness

No mental illnesses can be cured. They can only be suppressed with drugs. I know drug companies have drugs to totally remove a man's beliefs but then the man would be better off dead so that he can wake up in his new bodies to experience eternal life.

 

[hobelim]

My question is that if certain religious beliefs are not the root cause of many mental illnesses why do so many people who are not religious at all suddenly start having religious ideations with auditory and visual hallucinations of a religious nature at the onset of a psychotic break with reality unless they are suffering the toxic effects of second hand religion so virulent one doesn't even have to be a believer to suffer from the destructive effects it has on the mind.

Simply holding religious beliefs is not the root cause of mental illness. It is when one obsesses over religious beliefs that mental well-being can be affected. Copied and pasted from the article above:

"One of the first documented references to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was in a 1691 sermon by Bishop John Moore of Norwich in which he discussed men and women who were overwhelmed with unwanted thoughts, and tormented by feelings of guilt and shame over what he described as “religious melancholy.” Priests had started to notice that some churchgoers were attending confession several times a day, and repeatedly confessing to the same sins and shortcomings that they feared would result in divine judgment and eternal damnation. Their penance and absolution would provide only a fleeting glimpse of peace, and then their fears would come roaring back.

In retrospect, we now know that this obsessive religious fervor is a manifestation of OCD known as Scrupulosity. People of various religions across the world are haunted by feelings of doubt, guilt, and anxiety that torment them by attacking that which they find most dear – their faith. Scrupulosity is a form of OCD in which the sufferer’s primary anxiety is the fear of being guilty of religious, moral, or ethical failure. Those afflicted with Scrupulosity fear that their effort to live according to their spiritual values not only isn’t good enough, but is in direct violation of God."

I understand.


but I also see that beliefs such as the devil is an invisible disembodied entity that whispers in peoples heads and makes them doubt irrational religious dogma and do bad things is a belief that can only divide the mind and set it writhing in torment against itself.

Hardly a recipe for good mental health.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Is Religious Fundamentalism a “Mental Illness” to Be Cured?

No, but OCD is.

By the way, the rest of your post sounds a lot like what they used to say about being gay. Good job on showing how you are never taken in by anything really stupid just because it fits your agenda.

 

[hobelim]

No mental illnesses can be cured. They can only be suppressed with drugs. I know drug companies have drugs to totally remove a man's beliefs but then the man would be better off dead so that he can wake up in his new bodies to experience eternal life.

Ugh. Start taking your meds again Brad.

If nothing else they might help you to type better.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I don't think it's a mental illness per se', as much as a sign that those who adhere to a given religion taking the holy book literally are simply too lazy to read and study it. I've always maintained the most effective way to discredit the Bible is to teach it. More people know what's in it, and how the NT half contradicts much of the OT half, less likely they are to take the whole thing literally. But most people's faith seems more about appearences. It's a social activity going to church and associating with a given religion. When if it's actually true, it's more literally between the follower and their deity. Yet most peoples' identify in their faith isn't concerned with the deity so much as the people at their place of worship.

If people literally believed the Bible they'd be unable to function in our decidely secular society. They'd be recluses hiding out indoors lest they venture outside and sin simply noticing the myriad of sinful images all over the place. So I think the ones who'd say they believe the Bible is literally true, yet hold down professional careers and participate in society are simply saying what's PC to say. Afterall, if they admitted they don't believe all the BIble is literally true it'd open the door to just what parts do you literally believe, and what parts do you not.

Is that because you are too lazy to study it yourself? Because every single fundamentalists Jew I have ever met forgot more about the Torah than you will ever know.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I don't think it's a mental illness per se', as much as a sign that those who adhere to a given religion taking the holy book literally are simply too lazy to read and study it. I've always maintained the most effective way to discredit the Bible is to teach it. More people know what's in it, and how the NT half contradicts much of the OT half, less likely they are to take the whole thing literally. But most people's faith seems more about appearences. It's a social activity going to church and associating with a given religion. When if it's actually true, it's more literally between the follower and their deity. Yet most peoples' identify in their faith isn't concerned with the deity so much as the people at their place of worship.

If people literally believed the Bible they'd be unable to function in our decidely secular society. They'd be recluses hiding out indoors lest they venture outside and sin simply noticing the myriad of sinful images all over the place. So I think the ones who'd say they believe the Bible is literally true, yet hold down professional careers and participate in society are simply saying what's PC to say. Afterall, if they admitted they don't believe all the BIble is literally true it'd open the door to just what parts do you literally believe, and what parts do you not.

Is that because you are too lazy to study it yourself? Because every single fundamentalists Jew I have ever met forgot more about the Torah than you will ever know.

Regurgitating Scripture is impressive at children's parties, but my studies are concerned more with understanding the origns of religions as a whole. If we don't understand who wrote them, when, and under what circumstances, the content means nothing.

 

[Chuckt]

I don't think it's a mental illness per se', as much as a sign that those who adhere to a given religion taking the holy book literally are simply too lazy to read and study it. I've always maintained the most effective way to discredit the Bible is to teach it. More people know what's in it, and how the NT half contradicts much of the OT half, less likely they are to take the whole thing literally. But most people's faith seems more about appearences. It's a social activity going to church and associating with a given religion. When if it's actually true, it's more literally between the follower and their deity. Yet most peoples' identify in their faith isn't concerned with the deity so much as the people at their place of worship.

If people literally believed the Bible they'd be unable to function in our decidely secular society. They'd be recluses hiding out indoors lest they venture outside and sin simply noticing the myriad of sinful images all over the place. So I think the ones who'd say they believe the Bible is literally true, yet hold down professional careers and participate in society are simply saying what's PC to say. Afterall, if they admitted they don't believe all the BIble is literally true it'd open the door to just what parts do you literally believe, and what parts do you not.

Is that because you are too lazy to study it yourself? Because every single fundamentalists Jew I have ever met forgot more about the Torah than you will ever know.

Regurgitating Scripture is impressive at children's parties, but my studies are concerned more with understanding the origns of religions as a whole. If we don't understand who wrote them, when, and under what circumstances, the content means nothing.

There is an offence of original sin that separates God from man and without becoming born again, you can never have that relationship with God to fully understand Him.

The Bible was written for His children and unless people become His children by faith, His words won't fully make sense hecause they were written for His children.