Are Religious Fanatics Mentally Ill? (hell, Christians, Christ, religions)

[gnomon]

I do not think fanatics, for the most part, are mentally ill. It depends on who is being classified as a fanatic. Jim Jones, David Koresh and others who built a cult following around them presented a personality disorder at least. They probably did suffer from some form of illness which led to delusional beliefs. These illnesses are hardly equated with religious fanaticism.

Westboro Baptist Church, Jesus Camp, Focus on the Family, Discovery Institute....all hold some sort of extreme beliefs but I don't think any member of those groups have ever shown an inclination towards mental illness. Political ideologies mixed with religion do not qualify or share anything in common with mental illness.

The guy on the street corner holding upon a sign stating "Repent....blah,blah,blah" may or may not be. Certainly people who suffer from a mental illness which leads to extreme delusions may grasp a religious ideology and push it to an extreme. This doesn't mean that just because someone is screaming religious verses on the side of the street is a mentally ill person.

[Terrywoodenpic]

I would say some are very ill ...
However religion can act as a safety valve for them.
And provide a state where they can spend quite harmless lives.

[Halcyon]

Some no doubt, but most are the result of extreme indoctrination aka brain-washing.

It's no coincidence that the Westboro Baptist Church's members come almost entirely from a single family. When you are raised in an extreme environment, or have extremism thrust upon you daily without break, it engulfs your personality. I suppose you could see that as a form of mental illness, but it's not a natural one, rather it's an illness of human creation.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

Some no doubt, but most are the result of extreme indoctrination aka brain-washing.

It's no coincidence that the Westboro Baptist Church's members come almost entirely from a single family. When you are raised in an extreme environment, or have extremism thrust upon you daily without break, it engulfs your personality. I suppose you could see that as a form of mental illness, but it's not a natural one, rather it's an illness of human creation.

That would be called cultural indoctrination.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by gnomon

That would be called cultural indoctrination.

No, most people undergo cultural indoctrination. It's why I believe in freedom of speech, whereas in many countries it's not so big a deal. Or how we in the West are gradually becoming more and more materialistic as wealth and possessions are placed as the ultimate life goal.

These people have gone one step beyond, it's still cultural indoctrination but even for the culture the group arises from it is extreme.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

These people have gone one step beyond, it's still cultural indoctrination but even for the culture the group arises from it is extreme.

I agree. I just wouldn't call the WBC or other extremist groups as suffering from any sort of illness. It leaves us poorly equipped mentally to deal with them. It causes too many to just dismiss them as crazy, which they are not, rather than seeing them as an opposing ideological entity which must be challenged.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by gnomon

I agree. I just wouldn't call the WBC or other extremist groups as suffering from any sort of illness. It leaves us poorly equipped mentally to deal with them. It causes too many to just dismiss them as crazy, which they are not, rather than seeing them as an opposing ideological entity which must be challenged.

It is a form of madness though, not technically an illness i guess, but certainly an overwhelming obsession and extremely twisted understanding of the usual moral values.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

It is a form of madness though, not technically an illness i guess, but certainly an overwhelming obsession and extremely twisted understanding of the usual moral values.

That's the key word there. Obsession. I can definitely agree with that.

edit: Just to muddy things up, however, alcoholics consider obsession part of the two fold definition of the illness of alcoholism. That's an entirely different discussion, however. Perhaps I should just expand my view of the original question.