Could the belief in god considered a mental illness ?

Is the belief in mental illness, a mental illness ?
At a point of cleverness, to avoid mental illness
we believe in God.

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: cooperton

I like your thinking cooperton. But at a certain level even knowing can obstruct. You just need the faith to jump into the abyss of spirituality, come what may. Akin to surrending yout life, at every level, to God.

I 100% agree. Logic eventually reaches a wall that you cannot pass with more logic. What you have said is essentially identical to Kierkegaard's ' leap of faith'.

“Thinking can turn toward itself in order to think about itself and skepticism can emerge. But this thinking about itself never accomplishes anything.” -Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard wants to stop "thinking's self-reflection" and that is the movement that constitutes the leap. I would suppose only someone who has personally reached the dead-end of thinking would be able to have their intellect forfeit executive command to what their heart feels is necessary to jump off the diving board into the arms of God.

originally posted by: murphy22
a reply to: TzarChasm

What are you addicted to? Unbelief?

I'm addicted to denying ignorance. Guess I'm in the right place.

originally posted by: LoneBird

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: LoneBird
a reply to: sapien82

Without grace from the Holy Father and Holy Son, I would be the most tormented man on earth.

Prayer and belief 100% work.

That says more about you than anything else. An addiction is an addiction however you dress it up.

It is not an addiction, it is a personal relationship.

A personal relationship that becomes stronger when one chooses to overcome the addictions of this world in order to have a closer relationship with the heavenly Father.

Having a personal relationship with a creature who only exists in your mind is called a delusion. Even if it's healthier than narcotics. And by healthier I mean not punishable by law.

originally posted by: Bloodworth
I would say the opposite....today there are more people who mock religion as a fairy tale.

there are so many fairy tales to choose from which is correct ?

shall I go with my the fairy tale of my own country that we are the descendants of the Daoine Síth

or with christs version ?

or with the mayan , or hopi indian
or egyptian ?

or Sumerian ?

why is christ the right one ?
when all of the things christ taught were already taught by previous religions?

as far as we know there is nothing new under the sun with regards to religions gods and deities

you dont need religion in order to be spiritual , as i've said simply standing and looking at nature you can see that connection.
Even science explains we are all connected life is one giant chemical reaction we are all apart of the same system no disconnect

a reply to: jjkenobi

luckily your right to mental illness is protected by the constitution
Win Win

originally posted by: sapien82
a reply to: LoneBird

how can it get closer , a relationship is a joint effort
seems to me you are doing all the work yourself by believing it to be reality.

It's not a belief, it's a knowing. God is perfect. I am far from perfect - a fallen one. So to have the opportunity to put in work is a blessing.

We could go back and forth all day about this. You don't believe. I know. How do I know.. I am not going to tell you. Each individual has to find out the truth for themselves.

originally posted by: sapien82

originally posted by: Bloodworth
I would say the opposite....today there are more people who mock religion as a fairy tale.

there are so many fairy tales to choose from which is correct ?

shall I go with my the fairy tale of my own country that we are the descendants of the Daoine Síth

or with christs version ?

or with the mayan , or hopi indian
or egyptian ?

or Sumerian ?

why is christ the right one ?
when all of the things christ taught were already taught by previous religions?

as far as we know there is nothing new under the sun with regards to religions gods and deities

you dont need religion in order to be spiritual , as i've said simply standing and looking at nature you can see that connection.
Even science explains we are all connected life is one giant chemical reaction we are all apart of the same system no disconnect

That's within yourself, just be humble and respect the higher power.
And like most ,look to the sky.

originally posted by: Bloodworth

That's within yourself, just be humble and respect the higher power.
And like most ,look to the sky.

If we look to the sky for God, then birds would come before us. Instead we could realize that we ourselves are the embodiment of this original Creator Spirit. This is proven by the fact we are the ideal biological vessel for creation - perfect for such a Creative Spirit to inhabit.

This may seemingly oppose your ideas of humility, but what if it is a matter of fact that we are a child of the Most High God?

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: LoneBird

originally posted by: TzarChasm

originally posted by: LoneBird
a reply to: sapien82

Without grace from the Holy Father and Holy Son, I would be the most tormented man on earth.

Prayer and belief 100% work.

That says more about you than anything else. An addiction is an addiction however you dress it up.

It is not an addiction, it is a personal relationship.

A personal relationship that becomes stronger when one chooses to overcome the addictions of this world in order to have a closer relationship with the heavenly Father.

Having a personal relationship with a creature who only exists in your mind is called a delusion. Even if it's healthier than narcotics. And by healthier I mean not punishable by law.

I won't drag this along any further after this but it is this type of thinking which allows the devil and dark forces to run rampant over people. It's most likely how they will get their agenda, for a short time.

I believe this world is a test. We came here to be tested.

What we do here, it matters. And if one keeps reaching out to God, God will most certainly reach back.. eventually.

a reply to: LoneBird

you tell yourself so many stories, "god is perfect", "i am far from perfect", "I am a fallen one", "the devil, dark forces", etc... It's astonishing to see that you don't realize it.

Well, as I recall it's around 80% of the US and a similar percentage of the entire planet who believe in God.

If you accept that the mentally ill, people who are so far out in left field they require psychiatric care, are not the majority, then no a belief in God is not mental illness. Normal minds clearly believe in God.

Gods existence can neither be proven or disproven. Atheists claim to know for a fact whether God exists or not, a fact that can not be known or proven either way. Agnostics are honest in they say they don't know. Believers and atheists believe what they believe based on pure faith. In a way believers and atheists are the same on the surface. Both claim to know something they cannot prove either way.

Me, I only need to ask myself what lies beyond infinity, what lies beyond the universe and where did the universe come from to know, there must be more to this than we know or are even capable of knowing.

Science has barely scratched the surface and it's not impossible to imagine that one day science and religion will find they are searching for the same thing.

Social control. Keeping the bewildered herds bewildered. Not only are the mentally ill are targeted by these ponzi schemes , but the elderly, the physically ill, the frightened, the hopeless. So, no the illness is not the belief in a god, wether it be the God of the Abrahamic faith or Odin of Asguard. The mentally ill are the ones selling their version of hope to the hopeless for ten percent of whatever they have. (not just mammon),

originally posted by: gosseyn
a reply to: LoneBird

you tell yourself so many stories, "god is perfect", "i am far from perfect", "I am a fallen one", "the devil, dark forces", etc... It's astonishing to see that you don't realize it.

I realize my life story has shown me the spiritual battle is real. It's been imprinted on my soul forever.

a reply to: LoneBird

Cool I just didnt need religion to tell me that
everyone is different you are right about that
but we are all human and we are all the same how strange
so it doesnt matter what you or I believe no one is right or wrong
its all our thoughts anyway
hey wouldnt it be weird if it was all real
what a mind # so bizarre and totally ridiculous
every human thought manifested into reality because of belief
humanities will is so strong we manifest our thoughts.

Im just not that into religion , I get it what its about , i just dont feel the need for it.
It creates far too much division among our species so much so that its caused so much suffering it is antithesis to the peace that religions speak of.

that is why I think there is no true religion

all you need is yourself because you are already this

being alive is enough of a mind # for me anyway, We are living beings on a giant rock in space god must have some pretty good acid

a reply to: cooperton

I will look Kierkegaard up, he sounds fascinating. Another historic figure that I found very enlightening is Meister Eckhart. The ramifications of his phrase below took my breath away. It explains why hindu's are fascinated by the third eye. Our very seat of conciousness is that of God. So God doesn't just await us. he is aready here. But many cannot hear him because the constant chatter from our ego-construct is deafening (thus reason for prayer/meditation).

The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me. My eye and God's eye is one eye, and one sight, and one knowledge, and one love.

Meister Eckhart

a reply to: gosseyn



If sanity is the norm and insanity is not I would say that the opposite is probably true. After all, globally it would appear that more people believe in some superior being or entity than don’t.

originally posted by: glend
a reply to: cooperton

I will look Kierkegaard up, he sounds fascinating. Another historic figure that I found very enlightening is Meister Eckhart. The ramifications of his phrase below took my breath away. It explains why hindu's are fascinated by the third eye. Our very seat of conciousness is that of God. So God doesn't just await us. he is aready here. But many cannot hear him because the constant chatter from our ego-construct is deafening (thus reason for prayer/meditation).

"The eye with which I see God is the same with which God sees me. My eye and God's eye is one eye, and one sight, and one knowledge, and one love. "

Meister Eckhart

There are certain writers that kick me back into self-awareness very profoundly and Eckhart is definitely one of them.

The pineal gland seems most definitely the seat of the soul since it is the only singular neural organ in our nervous system. All other neural hubs are split into two - i.e. left and right cerebral hemispheres, left and right hypothalamus, thalamus, pituitary, and so on. But the pineal gland sits singular in the center of mass of our brain. The unified single eye that puts an end to dualism when totally in-tuned.

"Cartesian dualism breaks man up into two complete substances, joined to another no one knows how: on the one hand, the body which is only a geometric extension; on the other, the soul which is only thought—an angel inhabiting a machine and directing it by means of the pineal gland" -'The Dream of Descartes' by Maritain

originally posted by: cooperton

originally posted by: Bloodworth

That's within yourself, just be humble and respect the higher power.
And like most ,look to the sky.

If we look to the sky for God, then birds would come before us. Instead we could realize that we ourselves are the embodiment of this original Creator Spirit. This is proven by the fact we are the ideal biological vessel for creation - perfect for such a Creative Spirit to inhabit.

This may seemingly oppose your ideas of humility, but what if it is a matter of fact that we are a child of the Most High God?

It was interesting to read about Tesla and einstein. two men who first opposed religion and used science to prove things.
And they both made similar statements saying the deeper they dug the more they were convinced there was a higher power or intelligent power involved.

The human body In genral looks to be specially designed.

If it was random then bravo, but the working of the human body and its capa are incredible

a reply to: gosseyn

Hi Go-Sin.
How easily are we able to perceive our own stories ?
If we can observe the stories of others: may that help us in examining the stories that we tell ourselves ?

Thanks for the thread.
Sorry that you didn't feel moved to reply to my previous reply to you,
maybe sometimes my questions are too awkward. LoL !
Am not the best communicator on ATS.




ETA: would just like to say that have liked this page of this thread, and very much enjoyed the comments of Sapien82; LoneBird; The Coope; Glend; Bloodworth; etc... and our gracious host: GosSeyn . Stars for you ! *** LoL !

Sometimes tire of the endless battles here on ATS, so it is nice to see folks getting-along respectfully.