What Does It Mean to be "Too Religious"?

[David T]

You know, in some ways, becoming a single-minded fanatic is perhaps the ideal in religion.

It's often times ideal in all walks of normal social human life. Whether it's not just bat**** delusional is a whole nother topic!!! a lot of artists bump head first into this.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Extremes have a cause. Too religious. It seems there's an imbalance of some kind that drives a person to be excessive to a point that others notice and comment on.

A lot of cases, it seems to stem from desperation or infatuation of some sort.

 

[wicketkeeper]

Do you think it's possible for someone to be "too religious"? If so, what does it mean to be too religious? What are its characteristics?

Yes I do. However it is not limited to religion.

An indvidual who in this case is accused of being too religious is one who allows him/herself to be totally consumed with the particular religion of his/her choice(which may have been forced upon the individual by the parents).

I knew a man who lived his life as such. Conversations became biblical epics ! He became fanatical and told those of us who didn't share the same religion and beliefs that hell was our destination - unless we repented.

The sad fact now ithat he has no friends. We became tired of his dogmatic requests sucg as repenting ! If we admired a womans legs he would quote scripture and destroy the moment(I'm a leg man and have always been so).

Classic cult behaviour. i think most religions are 'soft' cults.

One of my friends' was a former monk who told us how they would fight over the new monks(novices)as to whoms bed they were sharing ! The rest i'm sure you can imagine !

The nuns(Ireland) were also guilty of a variety of crimes including, but not limited to murder. They would sell the newly arrived babies to rich folk from around the world.

But this can happen in peoples jobs - such as the army and police. The military has a lage say on this matter. In the military they have a name for it - army barmy.

 

[LuisDantas]

Excessive compared to what? The only proper standard would be itself. Without an understanding of the nature of the individual religion, its doctrines and philosophies, how could we determine whether its excessive?

I don't think we can, unless we can somehow establish that it is misguided.