Gabe the Angel

I have put this topic in this section in the hope that it can produce a history of clear evidence to show how Religion can create mental instability amongst people in history and also people in the current day. Was the reason for Hitlers hate of the Jews from religion? was the reason Bush went to Iraq and Afghanistan to wipe out fundamentalist views from the Koran in order to keep his fundamentilist view of the Bible? Is the reason that children are brainwashed into the Bible is that their parents cannot cope with the real world, and wish to stay in the dark ages?

Toto

OK - I will give you a chance to try to connect this to BCH before I kick it to GRD.

This is a very broad question. Hitler grew up in a Christian culture that promoted the hatred of Jews as Christ-killers and economic misfits, so you can connect that hatred to religion. But there are clearly other factors involved - psychological factors, pseudoscience, etc.

There is no evidence for this. Bush is not a fundamentalist, Iraq was not ruled by Koranic fundamentalists. Oil and geopolitics are involved.

How does this relate to history or Biblical criticism?

Ovazor

The Nazis weren't interested of the religious beliefs of the victims of the Holocaust, but their ancestry. They believed jews as a "race" were biologically inferior. This belief may have cultural roots in religion, but for most Nazis the holocaust was an instrument of eugenics.

Iraq was the most secular nation in the region, so invading it to wipe out fundamentalist islamists would make no sense. Afghanistan refused to hand over Bin Laden.

No. The reason that children are brainwashed into the Bible is, that their parent's think Biblical worldview IS the real world. They teach what they believe to be right.

aikido7

What's the difference between a fundamentalist Christian and a paranoid schizophrenic?

One person hears voices, is convinced his thoughts and actions are known to some outside power, thinks the world was designed and created for him and that he is central to everything that goes on, is sure he is part of a special divine mission, believes that ordinary everyday events have some special transcendent meaning visible only to him, sometimes speaks in babbling incoherent voices, and believes supernatural forces are at work to influence his actions.

And the other one, of course, is a Christian.

Koyaanisqatsi

You mean, "And the other one, of course, is a paranoid schizophrenic."

Vorkosigan

Fits better in GRD.

IrishGuy

What about all the atheists that are insane? I don't see what insanity has to do with religion.

wildernesse

Well, they're atheists, so that makes them perfect, didn't you know. Atheists have perfect mental health. Their perfect perception of reality as it objectively is keeps their minds running incredibly smoothly.

Gurdur

*snicker*
So far Wildernesse is winning this thread on a large lead in points.
Extra points given for use of good, relevant, telling irony.

Cheers,
Gurdur The Relatively Impartial (Albeit Atheist) Umpire

Gurdur

And now for the serious answer:

Various forms of religious extremism can easily lead to worsening of pre-existing cognitive pathological conditions, or, when those extremist forms of religion are forced upon people, as has often happened and happens, it can easily cause cognitive/emotional pathologies.

Of course, that is a very non-controversial claim, and rather easy to demonstrate.
So you would think people would stick with the easy claim, no problems, Bob's your uncle.
But do they ?
Well, no, they bloody don't do they ?
Instead they go for maximalist claims which have about as much chance of survival in scrutiny as a fifth of Bourbon at a Baptist retreat.
So instead of saying, "Various forms of religious extremism can easily lead to worsening...."
they say,
"Religion causes insanity"
or better still
"Religion is insanity, therefore religion causes insanity"

Someone pass me the asprin.