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

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by gnomon

However, any psychiatrist that actually was worth their salt and followed at least the DSM-IV wouldn't confuse political and religious ideology with mental illness.

Some political or religious ideologies are so divorced from reality it's difficult to imagine a healthy person devoted to them.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Some political or religious ideologies are so divorced from reality it's difficult to imagine a healthy person devoted to them.

but it isn't a person. It is a group. The Hawthorne experiment comes to mind. In the Op Tangnefield described street preachers who believed in Hell as being on the outer rims of opinion ---which may be true of the UK but doesn't seem true in the USA. I think the majority of Christians here in the USA think there is a red fella with a cape and a pitchfork that lives in the center of the earth. You and I are in the minority for not perceiving this to be true. Relating that back to your quote it isn't a person but persons and that peer evaluation reinforces their convictions. In that regards I don't think they are mentally ill in America but more peer reinforced.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Some political or religious ideologies are so divorced from reality it's difficult to imagine a healthy person devoted to them.

Definitely.

And I definitely think people with certain mental illnesses could gravitate towards an extreme religious practice. It's knowing how to separate cultural influence and ignorance from people who are suffering from delusional beliefs brought about by some physiological problem.

I may be influenced in my words because I am and lived with people who suffered from various mental illnesses. Among all of them, the gravitation towards an extreme religious belief was not there. Based upon my own experience and admittedly limited study, I assert that to view certain groups we call extreme as mentally ill is not only factually incorrect but dangerous for society.

Also, if we label certain religious beliefs as an indicator of mental illness where is the line drawn. I could easily reduce the concept to include practically all religious belief.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by robtex

but it isn't a person. It is a group. The Hawthorne experiment comes to mind. In the Op Tangnefield described street preachers who believed in Hell as being on the outer rims of opinion ---which may be true of the UK but doesn't seem true in the USA. I think the majority of Christians here in the USA think there is a red fella with a cape and a pitchfork that lives in the center of the earth. You and I are in the minority for not perceiving this to be true. Relating that back to your quote it isn't a person but persons and that peer evaluation reinforces their convictions. In that regards I don't think they are mentally ill in America but more peer reinforced.

This brings to mind the Stanford Prison Experiment. I have not read about the Hawthorne effect.

[w00t]

Originally Posted by robtex

but it isn't a person. It is a group. The Hawthorne experiment comes to mind. In the Op Tangnefield described street preachers who believed in Hell as being on the outer rims of opinion ---which may be true of the UK but doesn't seem true in the USA. I think the majority of Christians here in the USA think there is a red fella with a cape and a pitchfork that lives in the center of the earth. You and I are in the minority for not perceiving this to be true. Relating that back to your quote it isn't a person but persons and that peer evaluation reinforces their convictions. In that regards I don't think they are mentally ill in America but more peer reinforced.

I didn't quite say that being who believe in hell are mentally disturbed, I think the ranters who seem to enjoy the prospect of people being tortured in the flames of hell are fruit loops!

[Ozzie]

Originally Posted by Tangnefedd

I am not talking about mainstream Christians, Muslims, Jews etc, I am talking about the fanatical representatives of these religions. I can only talk from the Christian perspective as I know it best. In my life I have met many fanatical Christians who seem to take a great pleasure in damning people to the most painful vision of hell they can come up with! A few were clinically insane, others were probably suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness. Do you think religious fanatics are mentally ill?

Is the current Pope German, white and aged 70+?

[*Paul*]

Lets flip it the other way, all who do not have the full atonement offered by God through Jesus Christ received by faith are Spiritually ill.

[vandervalley]

Lets flip it the other way, all who do not have the full atonement offered by God through Jesus Christ received by faith are Spiritually ill.

what do u mean by "spiritually ill"? Do u mean those who question god's morality are spiritually ill?

you know a lot of people question god's morality regarding the issue of flooding that killed thousands, assuming it really happend. Are those people spiritually ill simply because they question god?

[Aasimar]

Originally Posted by *Paul*

Lets flip it the other way, all who do not have the full atonement offered by God through Jesus Christ received by faith are Spiritually ill.

I agree. Not making absurd claims about the nature of the universe and life after death makes you completely batty..... *sarcasm*