Religion
In reply to the discussion: Religious Belief = Mental Illness: A More Venomous Response [View all]mike_c
(36,281 posts)You know that guy that stands on the corner all day shouting at passersby and having animated conversations with people who are not really there? Although I''m "not a mental health professional" I can tell that his behavior is delusional and self destructive. Likewise, one can note that folks who accept other sorts of delusions as reality are not entirely anchored in the real world, without the need for mental health credentials.
There is little qualitative difference between conversing with invisible strangers on a street corner or conversing with them in church. Nor is there any real difference between having those delusions in public, or when kneeling in prayer. Delusions are delusions. No amount of papering over with rationalizations will change that.