Are religious people mentally imbalanced? (serious questio)

[chirox]

I'm a Paramedic who was bought up Catholic, but no longer follows any God.
The reason for my question is that I recently had a few classroom days with a Mental Health Professional and he stated that Religion is mass paranoia and therefore people who believe in a God are mentally unstable to some degree. He didnt say that they were insane, just that in order for a human to believe in something that is totally unquantifiable, invisible, all powerful and all knowing, requires certain functions in the brain to be switched on (or off I suppose?), and that Atheists such as myself are in fact missing a piece of code somewhere or it's been eliminated from our conciousness.

I'd love to hear from MH Pro's if there are any here, it struck me as quite odd that a Professional could say this so openly. Posted in Science as I'm looking for a Scientific rather than esoteric answer.

[Davethedog]

Duck

[jake-the-peg]

Imbalanced is probably a bit strong.

However there is evidence from separated twin studies that suggests that we are genetically disposed to be either religious or not.

Just waiting for a religious group to take this as evidence for a race of "chosen" people destined to have faith and hence be saved

[chirox]

Not really an answer mate.

[jd_1984]

Mental Health proffessionals can be religious too you know!

[MickyMacgraw]

Mass paranoia? Are you basing this on religions that threaten you with heaven and hell or all religions?

[jno]

or maybe just the reverse, jake - could it produce people who say non-believers are sane while believers are mentally imbalanced?

[wolf63]

I am not too sure how logical an answer this will be!

I am bipolar and am very anti organised religion. I accept other people's religious beliefs and try to be tolerant about religion. However during periods of mania it appears, my psychiatrist told me, that religion is a major thing that people become obsessed over.

My brother has no mental health problems (he says!) but has similar view about religion as I do.

I don't now if crazy people are driven crazy by religion or if crazy people are attracted to it.

[Zeuhl]

Well if people claim certain belief in things that have no substantiation; Elvis is alive and living in Cleethorpes, Fairies at the bottom of the garden, being abducted by aliens - they are usually treated as having a mental health issue to some extent.

At the extreme this sort of unsubstantiated belief does segue into diagnosable problems such as schizophrenia. Someone i know was convinced she was a princess and secretly married to Prince Charles. She has spent the past 10 years under medical supervision.

Clinical Therapy training teaches us that we should respect other people's 'model of the world'. I think the heart of this is that there are massive gaps in our understanding of Life, the Universe and Everything. For some of us, we are content to accept and be content with the 'not knowing'.

Others feel a need to fill those gaps with stories, beliefs, myths etc And of course, our species is very creative in inventing these.

Especially when you factor in that many human beings have an issue with the notion of ceasing to be (death) and the other basic needs that Religions satisfy; sense of community, personal significance and certainty.
.

[MickyMacgraw]

Maybe religious people look at those that don't believe in god and calls them crazy!

[steg]

maybe you just don't have an open mind chirox and it is easier to say there is nothing than to consider the infinite number of possibility's that exist

[Zeuhl]

true steg

but most religious doctrines don't acknowledge <<the infinite number of possibility's that exist >> either.

they put forward one 'possibility' but claim that it is true, factual and the one-and-only truth. That has got to be much worse.
.

[steg]

a bit like atheists Zeuhl?

[chirox]

i think some of you have not read the question as you seem to think that it is my view. I'm questioning a MH pro, looking for at least the thread of an answer (thanks to a couple of good posts I'm starting to get there).

[chirox]

Fairies at the bottom of the garden? Alien Abduction?
Read The Spirit Molecule by Dr Rick Strassman for those answers.

[steg]

ok then, no not necessary

[Zeuhl]

<<a bit like atheists Zeuhl? >>

No not at all.

I am an atheist ie I don't believe in God - because I have no way of knowing who, what, why of the infinite universe. My stock answer to theological questions from religious people is 'I don't know and with all due respect, neither do you'.

My not knowing is certainly no reason to accept some man-made invention of a supernatural creator - especially as it is so obviously a self-serving, comforting and reassuring idea for people to have.
.

[jno]

I don't know, Zeuhl, I've known lots of believers (in various things) in my time, and I can say they've always been peaceful and happy and showing no sign whatever of paranoia or other mental imbalance. (No doubt there are religious nuts, and non-religious nuts too.) I believe there are studies showing religious people are happier people overall.

Among possible conclusions: ah, they're only happy because they're stupid; if only they knew the truth...
or: if believers outnumber non-believers by five to one (that seems to be about the ratio), surely it's the latter who must be considered unbalanced?

[steg]

oops *necessarily