Do you consider religious people delusional?
10
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.No. They have a belief system. One which has stood in the face of scientific and technological progress.
jperlow
Level 7
Mar 31, 2018
0
Their belief system is delusional. Same thing.
I disagree. You may not like their belief system or agree with it, but it’s a belief system. Which billions of people follow. I am not willing to call it a delusion, especially when so many educated and brilliant people that contribute positively to our society are of faith. I think it is insulting of us to call them that, it puts us on a completely antagonistic foot. Maybe some of you folks feel this kind of antagonism is healthy, permissible or even entertaining to you, but I do not.
Doesn't that make them delusional?
No it doesn’t make them delusional. Lots of people belong to some kind of faith, it doesn’t mean they completely lead their lives with it. Not even abrahamic faiths, all kinds. They may have varying reasons for their belonging, and may accept only certain tenets. It’s a very broad brush to call people delusional for having selective beliefs. They are closer to personality quirks. Frankly I’d rather have belief system quirks than be a total sociopath like some of the people sound like on this site.
That’s called delusional.
No more delusional than someone buying a lottery ticket, thinking that their chances of winning a decent prize are higher than their chances of getting struck by lightning, several times.
Both religion and the lottery are selling hope. If that works for people, then fine. Just as long as they respect that it doesn't work for me.
NicoleCadmium
Level 7
Mar 31, 2018
3
But you do actually have a chance of winning the lottery....... quite a major difference from religion I'd say.
I can agree to an extent. However, lottery tickets make it clear that there is only a chance, whereas religion confirms and guarantees that if you do these specific tasks and live a certain way you will be accepted into heaven.
Except religion there’s no winning lottery ticket.
For all intents and purposes, there is zero chance of any individual ever hitting the jackpot in a lifetime of buying lottery tickets. You have to seriously beat the odds, through random chance, to get a life changing win. You have to be pretty damned lucky to make more than you spend.
The lottery says it can make you a millionaire. Realistically, it won't. I know some people are absolutely 100% certain that there is no God, but I'd put the likelihood of there being one above my chances of winning the lottery jackpot.
What they believe affects us ALL...in how they vote. That's what we need to realize.
@ArdentAtheist But there are for agnostics as opposed to ardent atheists. 
No ,they are gullible, fearful , and brainwashed people
richiegtt
Level 8
Mar 30, 2018
4
...and delusional
Richiegtt I agree with you .Non believers are the delusional ones if they think believers are .What an asinine gudgment to think they are delusional. Issac Newton was a believer and so were many more scientists and mathematicians
Some certainly are, but many are just going with what they've been taught and have been given no reason to question it.
scurry
Level 9
Mar 30, 2018
0
That's what cause their delusion.
@calgirlblues agreed, but I think many, given a real chance, would see through the delusion. They just haven't had the opportunity.
It's like being stuck in a picture show and never being told that there are exits.
@scurry ...and where do you suppose a person would get a real chance? Certainly not at church. I know we can't force them to change. Most people know to look up for exit signs, LOL. I think the delusional ones are lost for good. At the least the ones I know who are entrenched into a life-long commitment to not looking for exit signs.
@calgirlblues Yes, some absolutely buy into it and are there for life. But some, as they learn, grow, meet others... go to college, travel... If they then start to look, they may be able to see that what they've been told isn't the whole story (or more accurately, was only a story).
Just saying that you can't really call an eight year old delusional if they haven't had a chance yet, even a sheltered teenager or young adult.
Different story for a thirty or fourty+ year old, for sure.
Yes. I truly believe they have a mental illness.
KKGator
Level 9
Mar 30, 2018
2
I am still debating if that is a fact. Dr. Marlene Winell has said that it is a death cult.
Your picture gave me a flashback to about twelve hours ago when a man here in Louisiana was walking along the road carrying a huge cross over his shoulder.
Ugh.....
I went to church with my sister this evening to hear my niece sing and had to mentally replace the lyrics with spaghetti monster for their god name in order to keep from rolling my eyes at every song. I had no idea the whole evening was going to be a christian rock/pop concert. I kept trying to remind myself that this form of spiritual expression helps some of these people through rough times but I couldn't help but feel a mixture of sadness and amusement at the spectacle. The concepts of delusion and self-deception both came to mind as I watched them dance with their arms in the air staring at the ceiling.
MarlaPaine
Level 6
Mar 30, 2018
2
It's very sad. And it's all about weak character - " I don't understand so god will deal with it for me".
Brilliant...thank you!
Thank you.
I'd hesitate to use the word delusional. The word is heavily loaded and brings to mind the kind of break with reality that requires hospitalization or institutionalization. I do think that theists believe things that aren't true, but I think they're mostly reasonable and intelligent people who compartmentalize or keep religious things in a separate "brain file" that is impervious to other critical thinking functions. We're all capable of it when it comes to our deeply held beliefs.
carlyhorton
Level 7
Mar 31, 2018
1
I can only respond due to my personal experience. My answer is a qualified YES! How do I know? Most of my family are looking toward the "end of times" predicting Jesus' return to earth, and I am often threatened (I'm not kidding) that if I do not return to the fold I will die a horrible death, and be excomunicated from the church, not to mention burning in hell, while the "righteous" will be lifted on a cloud and Jesus will reign for a thousand years, and they don't mind if broil in the fires of hell. Such bullshit!
calgirlblues
Level 5
Mar 31, 2018
2
That is major bullshit!
Personally, I'm looking forward to getting all the good stuff end-timers leave behind.
No. I consider them going through a developmental stage.
marga
Level 7
Mar 30, 2018
1
Perhaps a stage that could bring us all down?
@calgirlblues Perhaps, who knows? After all, a toddler can burn down a house and all its occupants.
Religion is based on fear and delusional in that sense. Most people here were once went along with Religion, are they delusional, ? Labels is such a wide brush.
Castlepaloma
Level 8
Mar 30, 2018
0
A wide brush that could wipe us all out.
Religion dose more harm than good. Yet, there is a greater shift to people calling themselves spiritual rather than Religious, in which is harmless
Religion is a tool for Nationaism and NWO. When the Government takes half your money and Centro bankers put you and your children in debt for life, which most of us fight over daily. Wail, most are aware, yet this is the true slavery source we fear most. So much so people here on this site won't ask good enough questions about the dangers of this Greedy Corperationism take over, we actually suffer most from.
When it comes to their religious beliefs, probably, but that doesn't mean they are delusional in other areas.
evidentialist
Level 8
Mar 30, 2018
2
Religious beliefs flow over and spill into all decisions, including motives, and politics.
@calgirlblues -- Broad generalization, though it seems to be true much of the time.
LeighShelton
Level 8
Mar 31, 2018
1
Well, that's one way to avoid the answer
it's not avoiding anything. If all humans are delusional thinking they can treat the earth like its infinite then religious people are even more delusional.
Anyone who thinks that a supernatural force (that can communicate with them, lead them, guide them, protect them, etc.) has taken up residence in their "heart" is in some respect delusional...
KingofHarts
Level 7
Apr 1, 2018
2
agreed!
Magical Thinking versus Delusion.
RavenCT
Level 9
Mar 30, 2018
3
One and the same
I consider religious people indoctrinated, often by attending church from birth.
Three of my friends are Christian ministers. Two men with Ph.D.'s and a woman with two master degrees. Two are counselors. All three are politically liberal and peace activists. They are among the most intelligent and kindest people I have met. Joe, a retired counselor, is the wisest man I know. They never hassle me about being an atheist.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
Mar 30, 2018
2
I know some Christian ministers who have degrees and still believe in the deluded concept of the rapture!
It really depends on the religion. If I consider Judah/Christian I would definitely say there is a level of delusion if they have been presented with facts, otherwise I consider the person(s) misinformed. Other religions like Buddism it harder to say they are delusional because it a faith that can't be proven at this point in history.
Fulishsage
Level 6
Mar 30, 2018
1
Well said. We must listen for the clear truth that resonates as other than a fairy tale.
It depends on how religious they are. I consider any belief in a supreme being to be silly. But when you start getting super religious, you start to appear crazy in my eyes.
Scoonie
Level 4
Mar 30, 2018
2
Crazy deluded. It's a fever that can take us all down!
No amount of consideration on my part is going to change the delusional thought process of a religious person. The comfort achieved by rationalization is difficult to overcome. When a person devotes themselves to the mantra, "It's God's plan," they have divorced themselves from responsibility and, by default, the consequences of they're action. They suffer, because the brought it on themselves. Of course, this does not apply to the pretenders, like 45 and his ilk.
Q-G-M
Level 2
Mar 30, 2018
1
well said. I cannot endure it when a person says those words..."it's God's plan"...what an escape hatch that is!
I do but with the caveat that I think most people are religious by default. They don't really question it; so much as they just go along for convenience.
JimG
Level 8
Mar 30, 2018
0
which is the very definition of delusional
I think if you are raised on religion it's ingrained. I think they know it's false just feel they are trapped. Can't say so or they risk relationships etc. It is a great network if you are in sales. I always walk away when someone says they are religious in order for me to believe they are honest. They aren't. I know that I am more moral than any Christian I've ever met
Audreys
Level 3
Mar 30, 2018
2
WOW! thank you!
I think that there are some who are delusional. Others have had religion so embedded in their thought processes that they don't know any better. I used to be like that. The embedded one, not the delusional one.
MissingLink16
Level 7
Mar 30, 2018
0
An embedded one is an unbalanced one which is a delusional one
I wouldn't say delusional, but self-deceptive. As a relatively intellegent animal we understand what the future holds for us and it scares us when we start thinking about being no more. So much so that we are willing to buy into ideas that bring comfort to our death anxiety. Because the fear of "being no more" is so ingrained in us, we construct ideas that deny our vulnerabilities. This denial is built into our social institutions and culture in many forms, religion/god being one of them. Culture is a product of the human mind, therefore it is a reflection in how the human mind works, denial as self-deception is part of that, both cutural and psychological.
Pariah
Level 6
Mar 30, 2018
2
Self-deceptive is the very definition of delusional.
Not really delusional. More like willfully ignorant.
Essie
Level 6
Mar 31, 2018
2
I guess it depends on your definition of delusional. I like willfully ignorant much better. Thank you!
Yes, they are delusional only in religion.
karthikn
Level 3
Mar 31, 2018
0
AND only because they can take us all down because of one vote!
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