The God Delusion

 A person in an atheist group asked the question, "Psychologists - is it harmful that religious beliefs get a special exemption from the definition of delusion?"

I'm not a psychologist, but as people in the group noted it doesn't meet the criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis because it isn't based on brain wiring or brain chemistry. If a religious person takes antipsychotics they won't stop believing in their imaginary friends and imaginary enemies. And while religion DOES cause harm, it's not a delusion that prevents the patient from functioning in society (though it WOULD in a society where no one else shared the belief). 

It would be more useful to see it as a maladaptive coping skill - a behavior that meets emotional and social needs for the person, but in a way that causes harm to them and to others. And the treatment for that is not medication, but teaching the person a "functional alternative" - another behavior that will meet the same needs without causing harm. The person would need a replacement behavior that gives them the things that religion gave them (or at least pretended to give them) - the sense of community, the sense of purpose, the sense of hope, etc that they look for in religion. That's why creating atheist community is so important. It's like, religious people are starving, and their church keeps giving them this poisoned food, and they don't notice the poison because it's the only nourishment they know; and they CERTAINLY won't stop swallowing it just because we point out that it's toxic. But if we can offer them REAL, wholesome food to replace it, they will be much better able to give up the toxic stuff they've been living on.

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