Religious people are certifiable. They are obligated to believe crazy things.
But that doesn’t define them as ill. When the things they believe or are taught to believe harm them, however, then they have a disorder.
I write this from my hotel in Seville, on Good Friday, after marching through the streets following religious processions of floats, mournful bands, and men dressed in pointed hoods and robes (which makes all Americans uneasy). When I ask my daughter– much more culturally sensitive than I am – what this has to do with Jesus, she answers, “ritual.”
Of course, religious people are obligated to believe and practice all sorts of crazy things. One older man I work with came from a bedrock Plains Methodist family, and took a vow as a teen that alcohol would “never pass his lips.” He also refused to have premarital sex, and married a woman he was strongly attracted to in order to. . . .
But they were ill-suited to be married and spent the next fifty years struggling. He began drinking a liter-and-a-half of vodka in their basement, fell, and was hospitalized. When he emerged, he moved into his own apartment. He consulted with me about drinking wine moderately. Ordinarily, I am reluctant to accept a moderated drinking plan for someone living alone who has been getting drunk in his basement. But it has worked perfectly. Out from under the onus of his marriage, he is a new person.
It is virtually impossible to work with someone raised to be religious who has alcohol, marital, or sexual problems without finding a strong religious component to their disorders. A woman I dealt with could only have sex when she was intoxicated, leading to bad sex, bad relationships, and bad drinking. Although she now professes atheism, she was brought up a Southern Baptist and was lectured against sex and booze. A person never gets entirely free from such indoctrination.
Many people (think of Catholics) simply ignore the crazy beliefs of their church – like the bans on homosexuality and birth control. But there is always a cost to dealing with such craziness. A man I know to be a completely nonobservant Jew, but whose father was a rabbi, now keeps strictly kosher. When I asked him, “Isn’t that diet difficult to keep?”, he answered, "Tell me about it – I must be constantly on guard.”
Yes, religion is a bitch. Of course, us atheists are plenty crazy too.
The processions mentioned
The processions mentioned are also common in my country of residence, Malta. The statues represent moments in Christ's Passion and the bearers normally book well in advance to carry them. They sometimes do this as a sign that their prayers have been answered for conversion or healing, for example. A few of them prefer to cover their faces so as to remain anonymous.
Perhaps the extreme stand taken by fundamentalists makes the public ignore the essence of religion which is to love one's neighbour.
You have to suffer to love another person and this, perhaps, is the message of the Crucifixion, symbolised in the people carrying the statues or walking barefoot behind the statues.
thanks
Its sad to see people still believing in those religions literatures in the 21st century . good thing is that secularism is on the rise, so there's hope...
religious crap
Love thy neighbour, isn't that only valid if you are not gay, muslim, jew or abortionist?
I understand that religion was important when we didnt know any better. But now we do, religion is a delusion and I'm sad that so many teenagers and kids feel bad about their sexual behavior when nature has made us that way. If u are adult(and a moron) and decide to become religious, that is your fault to take, but kids don't know any better...indoctrination is real evil.
Religion and Happiness
IT is probably an error to conclude (as this article implies) that all who have belief are indoctrinated fools. In fact, there is strong evidence that people who believe in God are happier than their atheistic counterparts. I’m not arguing that all ritual makes sense – that certainly isn’t the case, but I am saying that painting all with such broad strokes is the same type of intolerance that you seem to abhor.
Religious Fan
Weird rituals, weird "tongues", weird rolling around on floors--I grew up in a Pentecoastal "Church of God In Christ" church in the rural South. And, I've encountered every weird thing about religion that a person can. From laying on of hands to drinking bless oil (extra virgin Olive Oil), I'd concur--Religious people are certifiable.
However, I also have to say that lumping all theists into one big loony bin catchall isn't an accurate portrayal of what having a strong belief in a god figure can do for you. There are many benefit touted by researchers (yes, even in the 21st centur) including that religious people tend to live longer, heal faster, and have better behaved children.
Before you generalize that religion is all good or all bad, remember that all things in moderation can be good for the body, including alcohol, smoking (wow!), and sex. So religion can't really harm.
Looking into the histories of your patients, I bet the WAY they were taught religion effected them far more than the actually religion.
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