The bible is more ruthless than Hitler in some ways and I can’t understand how come religious people can’t see that. To much indoctrination at an early age maybe?

Christ sakes and his twelve boyfriends, it really does. I would even argue that it can keep a person immature mentally.

the notion of a 'love out of fear' makes my head hurt.

tolerating, even accepting an entity out of fear has nothing to do with love, & everything with the urge of self-preservation (i hope this is the proper term), which in a way makes it an act of self-love. it kind of confirms my lifelong suspicion that people don't believe out of their own free will, but because they have been scared into submission.

The thing about stockholm syndrome is holding the gun is only half of it, the other half is that they are taking care of you.

Ohh! Interesting! I've never thought of it that way before...

Yes. As I have seen many abused children grow up and love their abusive parents. I was doing the same thing, until my awareness kicked in.

Only for the persons that lay that crap on them.

No its a cargo cult

It doesn't appear to be strange if we consider the ways these fear based proselytizing cults operate. They actively subdue members as soon as possible, before development of reasoning faculties, when their minds are accepting and trusting.

The comparison to Stockholm syndrome is spot on. It is especially on display when their captors are criticized or condemned by infidels. They 'identify' with the god and the system of indoctrination. To attack it is to attack them. It is captivity without physical restraints and confinement to a space. They are in a state of mental and emotional isolation. The 'right' to evaluate or even question is abdicated as the price of admission.

Mexican Catholics are a good example of this. A great many were Jewish when they fled the inquisition to Mexico. They pretended to be Catholic to avoid the persecution. The inquisition followed them. A generation or two later they all were Catholic. You can only pretend at a thing for so long.
There are a ton of stories out there about people finding out about their forced heritage.

Yes, I think that’s a reasonable assumption, and it still possibly holds up even if God is assumed to be only a metaphor for reality. We are all captives of reality. We can’t escape. It will do what it wants with us. We are convinced it will kill us in the end. Our choices are to hate reality or fall in love with it. Maybe love is actually the more sane response to inevitability. Maybe the Christian metaphor has it right.

For women, I think so.

For men, I think it's a trade. They submit to their religions and their religions grant them dominion over their partners, children, and home.

I would put it closer to battered wife syndrome. But, those are near cousins anyway.

I've always thought so and I know I'm not alone.

LMAO that's a helluva question!

The Roman empire established Christianity as a way to control the people in their massive empire. It's easier to control what people are doing behind closed doors when they think there is always someone watching them. The NSA and other agencies are the new God in this context.

I think love for the God of the Bible is an example of Stockholm syndrome. You are told he exists and is all powerful and that you have to worship him. When you submit you begin to find some good qualities and then you develop a love for him based on your perception of these good qualities.