Transcript Document
Is religion a form of social neurosis or delusion? Is religion a delusional disorder? Do you imagine that someday in the future, humanity will advance to the point of addressing religious beliefs as a delusional disorder? If you had to file religious belief under a particular delusional theme, which one of these would it be? 1. Delusion of control: This is a false belief that another person, group of people, or external force controls one's thoughts, feelings, impulses, or behavior. 2. Nihilistic delusion: A delusion whose theme centres on the nonexistence of self or parts of self, others, or the world. A person with this type of delusion may have the false belief that the world is ending. 3. Delusion of guilt or sin (or delusion of self-accusation): This is a false feeling of remorse or guilt of delusional intensity. A person may, for example, believe they have committed some horrible crime and should be punished severely. 4. Delusion of mind being read: The false belief that other people can know one's thoughts. 5. Delusion of reference: The person falsely believes that insignificant remarks, events, or objects in one's environment have personal meaning or significance. 6. Erotomania is a delusion in which one believes that another person is in love with him or her. 7. Grandiose delusion: An individual is convinced they have special powers, talents, or abilities. 8. Persecutory delusion: These are the most common type of delusions and involve the theme of being followed, harassed, cheated, poisoned or drugged, conspired against, spied on, attacked, or obstructed in the pursuit of goals. 9. Somatic delusion: A delusion whose content pertains to bodily functioning, bodily sensations, or physical appearance. Is religion a form of social neurosis or delusion? You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time. Abraham Lincoln Reality check If things just happen inside our head, and are not corresponding to reality, then reality would slap on our face. Andrew Newberg: you may believe that gravity does not exist, but if you jump out the window, you will find that gravity is real. Mass delusion From 1958 to 1961 Communist China launched a movement called the Great leap Forward. Goal: overtakes the US and the United Kingdom in production within a few years The government propaganda asserted that the movement was successful, but indeed 30 million Chinese people died of starvation. In 1979 China woke up and partially adopted market economy. Mass delusion Marxism is like looking for a black cat in a forest. Leninism is like looking for a black cat in a forest at night. Stalinism is like wearing a pair of sunglass to look for a black cat in a forest at night. Mao tse-tung thought is like wearing a pair of sunglass to look for a black cat in a forest at night. And the cat is not in the forest. Mass delusion 1989 the fall of Berlin Wall Take home message: history tells us that illusion cannot last forever, no matter how massive the movement is and how much brainwashing is used. Reality will slap on your face! If religion is a mass delusion, reality will eventually slap on your face.