Is Reigion A Neurosis ?

[modeller]

Do Theists and Atheists actually Need religion in their lives. With some its OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ) . To others its just an excuse for a good arguement similar to politics.

[Sharingan]

I think when I bother to discuss religion it falls into the latter catagory. I enjoy debating, that's quite hard if everyone agrees.

[jno]

it depends how you define "neurosis", but given that maybe 70% of the world's population are religious (this estimate varies widely), why would you classify it as a medical condition? On that basis, you'd have to think that it's atheists who have something wrong, not the other way round. Unless you think the whole regiment's out of step except your Jimmy.

[Old_Geezer]

If it is, then can we say the same about any belief ?

I think therefore I am. Apart from that it could all be imagination. The fact that it seems reasonable consistent merely shows how good the imagination is.

[FredPuli43]

The latter. Both my children have turned out to be quite religious; both are firm believers and one attends church every Sunday and goes to masses; but I would never argue about religion with them. If they are happy being believers, who am I to persuade them against it? But if they came on here giving the nonsense that we get, I'd be replying to it.

[mikey4444]

I don't have the slightest need for religion in my life. I manage remarkably well without it.

[naomi24]

Atheists don't need religion in their lives. Why would they?

[pixie373]

Atheists clearly don't need religion. Theists clearly do.

[modeller]

pixie I think the word Need sums it up. As that need intensifies it becomes more impelling. There are many sites that look at the different levels of need. I doubt any of us would recognise our own level.

This site I found interesting. but only maybe from my own unknown level.
http://evangelicaliberal.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/religion-addiction-and-obsessional-neurosis//

[birdie1971]

I certainly don't need religion in my life but unfortunately it's forever being rammed down my throat whenever I pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV. If it isn't brainwashed Islamists blowing themselves up in an effort to murder innocent people or mindlessly murdering those who do not agree with them whilst conveniently clinging on to their own lives, it's Christian tools who seem to be unable to follow their own religious teachings (ie. Justin Welby's astonishing idea that the Church should be involved in money lending despite Jesus' quite clear messages to the contrary).

I despise organised religion in all its many guises because of its rampant hypocrisy and tacit support of violent behaviour. I honestly think that people who truly believe are simply unable to cope with reality and must retreat to their own nirvana in order to cope with life and death. Religion is a false hope, a crutch, a cop-out from reality and can and sometimes does give the believer the wherewithal to commit the most heinous acts of barbarity with a clear conscience. If pure evil exists then I think it is the concept of a supreme creator to whom we are all answerable and who promises us a spiritual life after this corporeal one.

Put simply, it's all a pack of lies. I hate liars.

[modeller]

birdie & naomi My point was, that some Atheists and Theists may need religion as a subject to which they feel almost compelled to discuss.
A bit like Lefties and Righties in politics just have to bring it into every conversation.


birdie. I assume you may agree with Freud :

//Religion is a system of wishful illusions together with a disavowal of reality, such as we find nowhere else but in a state of blissful hallucinatory confusion. Religion's eleventh commandment is "Thou shalt not question.”
― Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion //

[LazyGun]

Interesting link modeller - have not read it all the way through yet, but I was not aware that Freud had described religious belief as being a "universal obsessional neurosis". I do not think you could describe religious belief as an actual neurosis though.

Personally, I do find religious belief to be irrational. That having been said, I think everyone is irrational about something, to a greater or lesser degree :)

I have no need for religion as an atheist - it certainly does not factor in my day to day life or even in my regular day to day conversations.That having been said, the continuing influence that religion has on our cultures is of interest, and in the case of zealous or fundamentalist belief is a source for concern,worth contesting and debating.

[Octavius]

Perhaps obsession, but not OCD.

The generic theme is, line up your stones, present your circuitous cliche, wait for the target to turn up, hone in on only their responses for several posts, then throw some stones, retreat in self pity and to await support/backup etc, throw some more stones and say 'look how clever I am' and await the fawning of your supporters before concluding in your own self righteous cleverlyness that you were right all along. Then repeat.

So yes, if you assume both ends of the theist and antitheist spectrum, its pretty much the same as those lefty liberal yoghurt knitters versus the right wing neo nazi fascist debates that you get in AB News. Irrational versus rational etc etc.

[naomi24]

Modeller, I have no ‘compulsion’ to discuss religion. I do, however, think it’s important to speak out against that which inflicts harm – and nothing inflicts more harm on more people in this world than religion. Having said that, when the need arises, I condemn with equal conviction burglars, paedophiles, bullies, and a number of other things which I deem unjustifiable.

[modeller]

//I do not think you could describe religious belief as an actual neurosis though//
No not in general terms but with some I have met and read I would say it's borderline. It's difficult to be sure because it depends on where you are coming from.

[Khandro]

octavius; That was a good post this morning, strange lack of response. You forgot one cardinal rule though; atheists must never make any form of positive assertion whatsoever. In fact the questioner once slipped up and did so and got into an awful tangle as I remember.
No, apart from saying you are an atheist, always remain negative and remain safe.

[Spoonboy]

Not quite! While OCD is doing something like a religion (if you pardon the pun) and getting quite upset when someone comes behind you and spoil what you do - like having a utensils on a rack in a particular way and that someone who knows it gets your back up if it is changed, changes it round anyway.

[jomifl]

If you are believer don't answer any questions just say something irrelevant and pointless thus avoiding the admission that you cannot put two thoughts together :-)

[naomi24]

Khandro, I assumed Octavius was talking about the religious. I can’t recall any atheist retreating into self-pity, but the faithful do it regularly.

//You forgot one cardinal rule though; atheists must never make any form of positive assertion whatsoever.//

I can’t imagine where you got that from. Atheism isn't a club. It doesn't have any rules - cardinal or otherwise. I’ll make a positive assertion. Religion is not only bunkum, it’s a blight on this planet. What’s negative about that?

[modeller]

jomifl When in doubt just say 11th commanment.

[Khandro]

naomi; please re-read your last post, then kindly read my previous last sentence, - quod erat demonstrandum! ;-]