"Religion causes brain damage"

karaokeman

I just saw these two videos on youtube, and it got me thinking. The two are quite interesting, both short, but each brief over the main points that I, as an agnostic find myself attribute to religion.

This video looks at problems caused by indoctrination and how religion works if prominent in childhood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AJU49PpHqo

But is brain damage caused by faith, or is faith caused by brain damage? That's another question that's been doing the rounds in the studies as addressed in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfhp8eocKLY

Bellatori

There was a conference in London last year which looked at the relationship between religion and mental illness. It was not suggesting that religion was a mental illness but it noted that people with acute mental illness often presented at surgery with a religion fixation.

I would not necessarily say that religion, whilst delusional, was necessarily dysfunctional. As Robert Heinlein said
“Delusions are often functional. A mother's opinions about her children's beauty, intelligence, goodness, et cetera ad nauseam, keep her from drowning them at birth.”

and, of course

"History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it."

karaokeman

Bellatori wrote: »

There was a conference in London last year which looked at the relationship between religion and mental illness. It was not suggesting that religion was a mental illness but it noted that people with acute mental illness often presented at surgery with a religion fixation.

I would not necessarily say that religion, whilst delusional, was necessarily dysfunctional. As Robert Heinlein said
“Delusions are often functional. A mother's opinions about her children's beauty, intelligence, goodness, et cetera ad nauseam, keep her from drowning them at birth.”

and, of course

"History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it."

Interesting point there. The point of the first video was that religion is spoonfed to children, and as they grow older it becomes harder for them to think independently due to the fact parents and teachers enforced that material, which is mainly a result of them being conditioned themselves. If that's the case, it is easier for a person to rely on religion for social and moral guidance because they were never taught not to question or challenge it.

Likewise religion serves its purpose to give some people a perceived way of understanding the world. I only think that aspect should be somehow revised because belief without evidence can get messy.

GarIT

Religion is a mental illness under any interpretation of medical definitions but they just won't apply the diagnosis if it is religion that is the cause of the symptoms.

Bellatori

karaokeman wrote: »

Interesting point there. The point of the first video was that religion is spoonfed to children, and as they grow older it becomes harder for them to think independently due to the fact parents and teachers enforced that material, which is mainly a result of them being conditioned themselves. If that's the case, it is easier for a person to rely on religion for social and moral guidance because they were never taught not to question or challenge it....

I view that as a form of child abuse. We have an age of consent for sex at 16 to protect children from exploitation and I feel that a similar age of 'reason' should apply to prevent them being 'exploited' by religion. Under about 14 they lack the ability to reason and see the flaws. They are too prone to accept the fallacies of "Argumentum ad verecundiam" and "Argumentum ad populum"

Once they reach fourteen they are then protected by the teenagers natural instinct to disbelieve anything they are told by anyone older...