Isn't religion a paranoid phenomenon that promotes violence?
Religion is a paranoid phenomenon that is based on dividing the world into good and bad. You have to fight for the good and fight against the bad. It will inherently cause violence.
It's not often a question gives us the opportunity anger people on both sides of the religious divide but this one sure comes close.
No, I don't think religion is a "paranoid" delusion. That's not what the word means. Yes, it does promote violence. There's plenty of evidence of that from the Crusades, to the Inquisition, to the Holocaust, to Jihad, to the hate attacks on churches, mosques, and synagogues.
But religion fulfills a need for many people who need reassurance. Karl Marx understood that when he said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."
I didn't say that religion is a paranoid delusion. I said that religion, with it's focus on good and evil, promotes a simplistic, paranoid universe that is split between fighting for good and fighting against evil. That's paranoia. It's an us versus them system. The good guys versus the bad guys. That's paranoia.
Splitting (also called black-and-white thinking or all-or-nothing thinking) is the failure in a person's thinking to bring together the dichotomy of both positive and negative qualities of the self and others into a cohesive, realistic whole. It is a common defense mechanism used by many people. The individual tends to think in extremes (i.e., an individual's actions and motivations are all good or all bad with no middle ground).
This post was edited by flipper at December 15, 2016 2:41 PM MST
In view of the somewhat nebulous and inexplicit nature of your answer, and the arguably marginal and peripheral nature of your influence within the central deliberations of Answermug and priorities within Answer Mug questions, there could be a case for restructuring your answers in such a way as to eliminate your obfuscation from their immediate intent. Carry on, my good man !!
A fight-flight group is a paranoid group: In the basic assumption of fight-flight, the group behaves as though it has met to preserve itself at all costs, and that this can only be done by running away from someone or fighting someone or something. In fight, the group may be characterized by aggressiveness and hostility; in flight, the group may chit-chat, tell stories, arrive late or any other activities that serve to avoid addressing the task at hand. The leader for this sort of group is one who can mobilize the group for attack, or lead it in flight.
However "that is split between fighting for good and fighting against evil. That's paranoia. It's an us versus them system. The good guys versus the bad guys. That's paranoia."
Not really true as a statement. I'd say the real paranoia of religion is that most of it's believers are holding onto faith over a "what if?" thought base. Not a good vs. evil. Most everyone is that way and with good reason and even so it's being paranoid. It's the just-in-case and what if mentality that really encompasses the definition of paranoia.
It can be. It is a subject that everyone feels sacred and sincere about and when another line of thought contradicts that belief, a person can feel like their center is disolving. Their reason for being has been compromised.
All religions have truth. Find one if you want, and practice the true teachings. They are all pathways to God.
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at December 15, 2016 2:45 PM MST
I have passed that problem a long time ago. There is no what if. Finding God, takes work. Most people don't even know HOW to do the work much less want to do it.
Here is a tape. I bet you don't even click on it. Al Drucker is a Sai Baba devotee. He was flying a plane and God came on the radar and saved his life.
Isn't religion a paranoid phenomenon that promotes violence? Religion is a paranoid phenomenon that is based on dividing the world into good and bad. You have to fight for the good and fight against the bad. It will inherently cause violence. ====================================================
1- Good religion is meant to instil order into society and the theistic ones use an omniscient God, who will mete out perfect justice in the hereafter, as an incentive for societies to behave well.
2- "dividing the world into good and bad" is part of human nature.
3- "You have to fight for the good and fight against the bad." is the persuasive call of politicians who know that if they succeed "It will inherently [give them a mandate to] cause violence." many miles from home, enabling them to exercise the muscles of billion dollar manned killing machines and unmanned drones.
Benedict Arnold 