New Posts For Thread: Is Religion A Form of Mental Illness?http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_IllnessI'm starting to think it must be. I don't see what else can make otherwise reasonable people get it into their heads that they must eat the flesh and blood of a resurrected Jewish corpse, and beg its ghost to forgive them for being born (ChristianitDear grandpawombat --- progressive theists (be they the Abrahamic branches of Christianity, Islam or Judaism) and other theists have much more in common with non-theists than their religious siblings. It does not go unnoticed that the more....er....http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284701249#284701249Dear grandpawombat --- progressive theists (be they the Abrahamic branches of Christianity, Islam or Judaism) and other theists have much more in common with non-theists than their religious siblings. It does not go unnoticed that the more....er....Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:20:30 -0500There are still a few progressive religious voices around, but they don't get heard much. The late William Sloane Coffin comes to mind, but I bet most people never heard of him. Oh, and there is Bill Moyers, though even PBS doesn't seem to have a spohttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284699396#284699396There are still a few progressive religious voices around, but they don't get heard much. The late William Sloane Coffin comes to mind, but I bet most people never heard of him. Oh, and there is Bill Moyers, though even PBS doesn't seem to have a spoMon, 13 Apr 2009 14:12:21 -0500Grandpawombat,This has been an interesting discussion, but frustrating because of what seems to me to be entirely different way of looking at the American religious experience. First of all, like non- religious folks, I see the separation of church ahttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284482185#284482185Grandpawombat,This has been an interesting discussion, but frustrating because of what seems to me to be entirely different way of looking at the American religious experience. First of all, like non- religious folks, I see the separation of church aSun, 12 Apr 2009 15:04:30 -0500This has been an interesting discussion, but frustrating because of what seems to me to be entirely different way of looking at the American religious experience. First of all, like non- religious folks, I see the separation of church and state as crhttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284362029#284362029This has been an interesting discussion, but frustrating because of what seems to me to be entirely different way of looking at the American religious experience. First of all, like non- religious folks, I see the separation of church and state as crSat, 11 Apr 2009 22:22:35 -0500For me, this has been an interesting and fruitful exchange. Your point about politics, not psyche, is a good one, though I do think it is a little of both. Well, actually, when polls indicate that an overwhelming majority (numbers like 80 to 95%) prohttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284216398#284216398For me, this has been an interesting and fruitful exchange. Your point about politics, not psyche, is a good one, though I do think it is a little of both. Well, actually, when polls indicate that an overwhelming majority (numbers like 80 to 95%) proSat, 11 Apr 2009 09:15:57 -0500Religion is a set of beliefs and activities presumably based on those beliefs. In most instances, these beliefs are based on the assumptions of prescientific peoples. So many centuries ago, it might have seemed reasonable to assume that sunshine anhttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284173597#284173597Religion is a set of beliefs and activities presumably based on those beliefs. In most instances, these beliefs are based on the assumptions of prescientific peoples. So many centuries ago, it might have seemed reasonable to assume that sunshine anSat, 11 Apr 2009 00:36:31 -0500For me, this has been an interesting and fruitful exchange. Your point about politics, not psyche, is a good one, though I do think it is a little of both. Well, actually, when polls indicate that an overwhelming majority (numbers like 80 to 95%) prohttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=284137957#284137957For me, this has been an interesting and fruitful exchange. Your point about politics, not psyche, is a good one, though I do think it is a little of both. Well, actually, when polls indicate that an overwhelming majority (numbers like 80 to 95%) proFri, 10 Apr 2009 21:26:20 -0500GrandpaWombat wrote: You have made some perceptive observations, artboyz, but have a few observations of my own......And although the Mormons did vigorously campaign for the initiative (as did the notorious Rick Warren), many who worked on the "no" chttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=283997108#283997108GrandpaWombat wrote: You have made some perceptive observations, artboyz, but have a few observations of my own......And although the Mormons did vigorously campaign for the initiative (as did the notorious Rick Warren), many who worked on the "no" cFri, 10 Apr 2009 09:50:43 -0500You have made some perceptive observations, artboyz, but have a few observations of my own. First of all, and I admit it is a bit of a picky point, but I think it is important to understand what the initiative actually was about. The CA supreme courthttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=283848508#283848508You have made some perceptive observations, artboyz, but have a few observations of my own. First of all, and I admit it is a bit of a picky point, but I think it is important to understand what the initiative actually was about. The CA supreme courtThu, 09 Apr 2009 16:23:32 -0500While we're busy having rational conversations about the modern world with moderate believers, and working together for progressive causes and values, fundamentalists are exploiting free speech to exert undue influence on our political system. The Mohttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/14119043/Is_Religion_A_Form_of_Mental_Illness?post_id=283685578#283685578While we're busy having rational conversations about the modern world with moderate believers, and working together for progressive causes and values, fundamentalists are exploiting free speech to exert undue influence on our political system. The MoWed, 08 Apr 2009 22:24:28 -0500