Religious Fundamentalism Could Soon be Treated as a Mental Illness
Would this be a good thing, a bad thing, or a mixed bag? Why?
Would this be a good thing, a bad thing, or a mixed bag? Why?
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Religious Fundamentalism Could Soon be Treated as a Mental Illness
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Subhankar Zac
Hare Krishna,Hare Krishna,
Outright denial of other possible theories and firm belief in one, need to harm other living beings for the sake of an unknown scripture or culture, abetting ignorance and aversion towards education and knowledge, hatred of diversity, personal disgust towards other living beings and their ways... Religious or non religious, all these prove a hindrance to a civilized society where education is worshipped instead of idols and single scriptures.
So perhaps yes.
So perhaps yes.
Its like expanding the dysfunctional European union. Our track record of detecting and treating existing and quite easily detectable forms of mental illness is so poor that adding more stuff to it seems very premature.
A bad thing. A dangerous precedent.
While it may seem at first glance to be a great thing (no more Christian fundies or religiously motivated terrorists!), the idea really terrifies me. What would be considered extreme? The article mentions beliefs that can be detrimental to others and the self, would a belief in magic count? Could I be subjected to this treatment for believing that I can practice magic and commune with the dead? I'm sure they could find some way to say that's self-endangering. This seems the like the beginning of the end if they really start doing microsurgery on the brain to "correct" ideas. I can just see it now, all humans being exactly the same, perfectly obedient, without opinions. It seems like some distant distopia of the future, but with "treatment" like this looming over us, it might not be that that far away.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
I just can't see it as a mental illness. I see no justification for the label. Although what she goes on about can and often is detrimental to society, it is often societal influence and/or extreme circumstances that lead to such things. I'm not even sure if we would find a higher rate of mental illness among fundamentalists and extremists due to the factors that play out in making people a fundamentalists or an extremists.
The Thought Police will lock up anyone with such "ideological beliefs potentially harmful to society" straight away.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
There are some that would. I don't think it's that many, but yet I have read books and articles where researchers and clinicians have emphasized the importance of recognizing the difference between religious beliefs and actual psychotic hallucinations.
God bless your post.
Hallucinations are already treated as a mental illness, my worry arises when they start treating beliefs too. I'm afraid for the day that they decide the two are not so different.
[sarcasm] "Let the Witch Hunts Begin." (NOT!) [/sarcasm]
The Emperor of Mankind
Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
Seems like a precursor to 'thought crime' to me. Let these people believe as they wish - they have that right just as we do and outlawing it won't make it go away.
allfoak
Alchemist
I am certain thatBig Pharma is already developing a pill for this new disorder.
Augustus
…
One of the most disturbing ideas I've heard recently.
Seems like a return to the illiberal part of the Enlightenment that most people have forgotten even existed. Along with the nice, tolerant, humanistic part of the Enlightenment, there was the supremacist, authoritarian and decidedly illiberal part (that gave us the Jacobins, scientific racialsm, eventually Marxist communism, etc.)
When people think 'science' tells them they are 'objectively' right regarding social and political issues, then this is a recipe for disaster.
Seems like a return to the illiberal part of the Enlightenment that most people have forgotten even existed. Along with the nice, tolerant, humanistic part of the Enlightenment, there was the supremacist, authoritarian and decidedly illiberal part (that gave us the Jacobins, scientific racialsm, eventually Marxist communism, etc.)
When people think 'science' tells them they are 'objectively' right regarding social and political issues, then this is a recipe for disaster.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
A much as I hate religious fundamentalism, something about this makes me feel uneasy.
It's like trying to fight brainwashing with more brainwashing, imo.
Come the revolution, I will be very glad to subject the fascist enemies of the people who came up with this idea to an intensive process of re-education.
They deserve the absolute best care and no method is too extreme to help them recover from their delusions of deserving human rights they would deny to others. Executing the people's Justice will require a great deal of imagination and perseverance.
I think I will start with the electrodes first. Followed by water-boarding...
