Comments on: Monday School: Is Religion A Mental Illness? http://www.anatheist.net/2009/11/monday-school-is-religion-a-mental-illness/ Atheism & Religious Skepticism Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:54:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Guest http://www.anatheist.net/2009/11/monday-school-is-religion-a-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-15859 Guest Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:07:19 +0000 http://www.anatheist.net/?p=4149#comment-15859 I would say that to entertain fiction is not always a bad thing, ... for example I suspend disbelief every time I watch a movie in the cinema. If I went in and said 'that's not true', to myself every five minutes it would probably ruin my enjoyment of the film. At the end though I do know it was just a film, so within that context the fiction is fine, even necessary. If I was watching films with a group of friends, so that each film became a gathering, and afterwards there was lively discussion then I would be fairly displeased for someone to come along and say 'these films aren't "real"', so you can't watch them. If that context slips and I forget that they are just films, then of course this is a problem. In which case would you stop the person watching the films, or would you remind them of the context, that they are just films. I would say that to entertain fiction is not always a bad thing, … for example I suspend disbelief every time I watch a movie in the cinema. If I went in and said 'that's not true', to myself every five minutes it would probably ruin my enjoyment of the film. At the end though I do know it was just a film, so within that context the fiction is fine, even necessary. If I was watching films with a group of friends, so that each film became a gathering, and afterwards there was lively discussion then I would be fairly displeased for someone to come along and say 'these films aren't "real"', so you can't watch them.

If that context slips and I forget that they are just films, then of course this is a problem. In which case would you stop the person watching the films, or would you remind them of the context, that they are just films.

]]> By: Guest http://www.anatheist.net/2009/11/monday-school-is-religion-a-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-15860 Guest Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:07:09 +0000 http://www.anatheist.net/?p=4149#comment-15860 the phrase 'logic and evidence simply do not support a belief' is ambiguous. One the one hand is there real evidence for the beliefs held ... (clearly no). On the other is there evidence that holding the belief is not in some ways advantageous to the individual holding that belief. That's quite a different question and much more involved. the phrase 'logic and evidence simply do not support a belief' is ambiguous.
One the one hand is there real evidence for the beliefs held … (clearly no).
On the other is there evidence that holding the belief is not in some ways advantageous to the individual holding that belief. That's quite a different question and much more involved.

]]> By: Atheist Personality Disorder? | AnAtheist.Net http://www.anatheist.net/2009/11/monday-school-is-religion-a-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-15676 Atheist Personality Disorder? | AnAtheist.Net Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:03:23 +0000 http://www.anatheist.net/?p=4149#comment-15676 [...] claim that religious belief might be associated with forms of mental illness at worse or are delusional at best are, of course, well trotted out. However, I have never, until [...] [...] claim that religious belief might be associated with forms of mental illness at worse or are delusional at best are, of course, well trotted out. However, I have never, until [...]

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