I wish 42 was the answer
I was reading someone's lj ( scoradh ) , who, in turn was watching religious debates on youtube and came across this:
Religion is a mental illness, of which the defining feature is delusional belief in an invisible being who is always watching you and will punish you if you don't follow their will (the paranoid delusions found in schizophrenia are often similar). The illness comes in various strains. People not afflicted by religion are called atheists, and they can be identified by their ability and willingness to use rational thought.
She also posted this (obviously) and I find myself in complete agreement with this and the rest of her journals I've read. (I think she's like my 'other' that actually posts what she's thinking in a reasonably coherent manner)
But seriously, what this guy is saying about religion being a disease, sorry "illness", definitely strikes a chord in me. And I don't mean this in that 'Ooooh, look at me I'm an atheist and I think all religion is the DEVIL' way (the irony/hypocricy/stupidity was intentional) I mean that, it is a thing that most people are programmed to believe, or want or even think about. religion IS largely based around morality and the meaning of life right? The inherent need of humankind to simplify things to black and white 'do this, don't do that, touch that and GO TO HELL', the drive to want MORE- heaven, hell, a 'higher power', a reason for everthing. It takes over thought, impairs it (as many, many things do-not the least of them religion) and skews everything in your life to reflect this crippling thought strain- how can anone ever be happy with anything they do if they're scared its going to be Judged, or whatever, for other strains of religions other than Islam and christianity that that could apply to, even Buddhism, in its true form, FORBIDS ill-thought in order to reach that state of Nirvana, seriously imagine the pressure? Think one bad thing and your chances of enlightenment are OVER. Its crap, and totally unrealistic- which is why it's mental.
There are so many things about religion that I find so hypocritic, unforgiving and just plain stupid that I'm at a loss as to how anyone can stand it.
But at the same time I recognise my fallible human nature that creeps up on me when I'm not looking and says "But, there has to me something more"
And this is exactly what that guy said- a disability to form rational thought is the onslaught of religion and all its implications. I am obviously afflicted as I can no longer think rationally about this (or many things, but thats besides the point)
And this is exactly the kind of post I hate-to-love-to-read (it deserves hyphenisation)
Religion is a mental illness, of which the defining feature is delusional belief in an invisible being who is always watching you and will punish you if you don't follow their will (the paranoid delusions found in schizophrenia are often similar). The illness comes in various strains. People not afflicted by religion are called atheists, and they can be identified by their ability and willingness to use rational thought.
She also posted this (obviously) and I find myself in complete agreement with this and the rest of her journals I've read. (I think she's like my 'other' that actually posts what she's thinking in a reasonably coherent manner)
But seriously, what this guy is saying about religion being a disease, sorry "illness", definitely strikes a chord in me. And I don't mean this in that 'Ooooh, look at me I'm an atheist and I think all religion is the DEVIL' way (the irony/hypocricy/stupidity was intentional) I mean that, it is a thing that most people are programmed to believe, or want or even think about. religion IS largely based around morality and the meaning of life right? The inherent need of humankind to simplify things to black and white 'do this, don't do that, touch that and GO TO HELL', the drive to want MORE- heaven, hell, a 'higher power', a reason for everthing. It takes over thought, impairs it (as many, many things do-not the least of them religion) and skews everything in your life to reflect this crippling thought strain- how can anone ever be happy with anything they do if they're scared its going to be Judged, or whatever, for other strains of religions other than Islam and christianity that that could apply to, even Buddhism, in its true form, FORBIDS ill-thought in order to reach that state of Nirvana, seriously imagine the pressure? Think one bad thing and your chances of enlightenment are OVER. Its crap, and totally unrealistic- which is why it's mental.
There are so many things about religion that I find so hypocritic, unforgiving and just plain stupid that I'm at a loss as to how anyone can stand it.
But at the same time I recognise my fallible human nature that creeps up on me when I'm not looking and says "But, there has to me something more"
And this is exactly what that guy said- a disability to form rational thought is the onslaught of religion and all its implications. I am obviously afflicted as I can no longer think rationally about this (or many things, but thats besides the point)
And this is exactly the kind of post I hate-to-love-to-read (it deserves hyphenisation)