Religion is a Mental Illness Dr Sapolsky (antitheist atheist videos)

Religion is a Mental Illness 

Dr Sapolsky explores schizophrenia to see if there is any hidden adaptive advantage in the condition as there are with so many other genetic disorders.  Disorders where the full maladapted trait is extremely harmful to the individual but where a lower partial level of the same trait clearly has adaptive benefits.

Harvard psychiatrists undertook an extensive study of over 10 000 families in Denmark, speaking with the largest number of schizophrenics and their families ever,  and over the period of a decade they noticed something quite remarkable. The family members, the biological relatives of the schizophrenics displayed a very high incidence of schizotypal characteristic behaviour, differing from the full schizophrenia where life is at times impossible, these characters instead were withdrawn and had a strong tendency towards metamagical thinking.

They were the type of characters to be obsessed with science fiction fantasy or new age beliefs that were so extreme they took things to another level, taking things to be very literal. Typically the religiously leaning schizotypal accepts the seven day creation story, not as metaphorical, but as fact. The same with the resurrection, not symbolic of continued life or anything, it actually happened. Schizotypal personality traits as a mild form of schizophrenia is a recognised diagnosis.

Robert Raven an anthropologist first highlighted this schizotypalism with the shamans and witch doctors, medicine men and women of so called primitive civilizations and religious beliefs. Extreme behaviour, speaking to the dead, talking in tongues and all the other strange and not so wonderful behaviours attached to religion. The characters with the full blown schizophrenia, provided the balance was right, were and are highly regarded members of society.

I think you can see where this is leading, from the pages of the National Geographic magazine to our own societies and those who invented theology were schizotypal/schizophrenic personalities. The main tenets of religion are very closely related to obsessive compulsive disorders, rituals, cleanliness.   It's a superb lecture and very interesting.



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Richard Dawkins - On Why Morality Has Nothing To Do With Religion

Richard Dawkins - On Why Morality Has Nothing To Do With Religion

Distinguished biologist and writer Richard Dawkins discusses the relationship between religion and morality.



Richard Dawkins has authored several books, the most recent being "Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science."

See More Titles by Professor Dawkins Here

Religious News in Brief - 1st March 2015.

RELIGIOUS NEWS IN BRIEF:

- The Pope while wearing an ankle-length dress, has thrilled trans men and women around the globe by comparing them to nuclear weapons. Apparently, both are against creation. Gay Star News.

  - While ISIS continues barbarically beheading innocent men and women, top neuroscientists say head-transplants are only a couple of years away. New Scientist.

 - Orthodox Jewish leaders celebrated the abandonment of any regulation concerning the practice of sucking blood from newly circumcised penises. The damage from the practise of metzitzah b'peh will be minimized only by self regulation. New York Times.

 - 'Jihadi John' has been named as Mohammed (who'd have thought!) Emwazi and it has been revealed the British Muslim responsible for numerous barbaric acts against innocent people, many of whom were humanitarians, attended anger management classes as a youngster. BBC.

- A new study reveals more than half of US republicans want to unconstitutionally see Christianity established as the national religion of the USA. Source.

In other news:

 - The world's first atheist orphanage raised the required $5 000 within twenty-nine hours of requesting help from the atheist community. Source. 

Over Half of Republicans Support Establishing Christianity as the National Religion of the USA.

Over Half of US Republicans Support Establishing Christianity as the National Religion of the USA.

Despite the founding fathers explicitly banning the formation of a national religion in the USA, over half of republicans support Christianity being established as the national religion.
The establishment clause prohibits government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. It enforces the "separation of church and state."

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

When asked if they supported or opposed seeing Christianity established as the national religion of the USA, 57 percent of Republicans told Public Policy Polling they were in favour. 30 percent of Republicans were opposed to seeing the USA become a Christian theocracy, and 13 percent didn't have a clue, or didn't understand the question. 
Frank Zappa warned about the USA becoming a theocracy more than 25 years ago. See Frank Zappa on Crossfire here

The survey also depressingly shows why the Republicans are not fit to govern:

- 66 percent of Republicans surveyed do not believe in global warming. 13 percent didn't know.

- 49 percent of Republicans surveyed said they did not believe in evolution, 10 percent were unsure.

For the full results of the poll SEE HERE.


Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All —and What We Can Do about It