American Psychological Association To Classify Belief in God As a Mental Illness
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a strong and passionate belief in a deity or higher power, to the point where it impairs one’s ability to make conscientious decisions about common sense matters, will now be classified as a mental illness.
The controversial ruling comes after a 5-year study by the APA showed devoutly religious people often suffered from anxiety, emotional distress, hallucinations, and paranoia. The study stated that those who perceived God as punitive was directly related to their poorer health, while those who viewed God as benevolent did not suffer as many mental problems. The religious views of both groups often resulted in them being disconnected from reality.
http://www.thenewsnerd.com/health/apa-to-classify-belief-in-god-as-a-mental-illness/
Replies
linda
Usually when a new diagnosis emanates from the self serving medieval monkeys infesting the american psychological association, it is accompanied by a recommended pharmaceutical solution. And it will come as these inhuman scum have aggressively helped psychologically addict 1 in 10 american women on anti depressants. This is worse than the barbaric effort of the western powers to addict the entire nation of china on opium. And now these greedy psychopaths well lets use the euphemism materialists are working feverishly to destroy the moral anchor that religion provides to the populace and the nation.
Hi Klemens - thanks for clarifying your original title/post contents and I now got that you are anti-APA. I read the text, "Toxic Psychiatry ]1991] by Dr. Peter Bergen, which I found informative regarding psychotropic medications, however, I also note that for a small population of survivors of trauma, low dose, chemical intervention can and does help with symptom reduction and improves their quality of life for some are so badly damaged by abuse they are unable to achieve enough wellness simply by utilizing complementary approaches to recovery...for whatever reason...and these are complex...
I am skeptical about generalization statements which tend to support pessimism and negative thought forms [toxic mind-sets/scapes into fixity states]. I am of a simple [factual] opinion that China, which is a far older civilization/country that any "western power" could be...and that fixing "blame for opium addiction upon the West" just does not make sense nor fit for me. As a matter of fact, it is well known that it was the Chinese and other countries that produce poppies that introduced opium to people in the west.
I could be wrong in this logic on this matter...however, regarding "greedy psychopaths," materialists or not...are running rampant and amuk in huge numbers among us and around the globe right now, so concerning "feverishly to destroy" - it appears to me that this presents highest, right now, in the lands that support and harbour psychopathic terrorists that has resulted and evidenced in the "killing fields" genocides graves scattered around the globe. But what do I know...as a lover of life not instructed, leaned in war nor politics...just my heart speaking to you on this Sunday hoping you have a lovely one. Peace + Love Linda
I saved it as private for practitioners of healthcare... i.e., you in Depth Psychology. I'd be glad to meet some of you when I return to Washington DC in August.
Good afternoon Ralph - thanks for sharing your learnings and wisdom here, however I do believe you might want to consider joining the Homeopathy and Depth Psychology group which the wealth of your information would fit in nicely with. I too read the book and watched the movie on "The Red Tent" and it was good to hear the fact/fiction narrative as told by the author to catch a glimpse of women during the time of the Genesis book. Have a fabulous Sunday. Peace + Love Linda
Good morning Klemens - interesting time frame and name you chose for this APA announcement, and I do remember your opinion and posture on God and the Old Testament and this study aligns nicely with that position.
From my exchange and interaction on the front lines with people, I do not concur with the findings that "strong and passionate beliefs" ought to be paired in a sentence with "impaired ability to make conscientious decisions about common sense matters" to simply justify and dam spirituality, which houses various religious doctrines just like the "disciplines" house various scientific specialties - hard and soft sciences all have their varied opinions about "spiritual matters."
"Without conscience" is already covered in DSM-5, a feature of Cluster C "Personality Disorders." I also do not believe APA can take such a simply complex matter as 'belief in a deity, higher power or gods/God' and reduce it to polar opposite [punitive verses benevolent], as even "the" descriptor or variable and as a matter-of-fact, even that one word "religion" within the whole context concerning spiritual development which encompasses formation of one's moral compass "belief" guidelines/system gleamed or learned along the road in life.
Now how did they find that both groups had the "disconnection factor" - I would not bank my money nor my reputation on this study in light in light and in contrast to all the other "religious" study results out there. Interesting timing, stance and times for APA to release these controversial results - now.
We all know that DSM-5 diagnostic categories change like the blowing winds within cultural times, so what is deemed "mental illness" in a culture in a specific time frame may and does change...Peace + Love Linda [obviously spiritually minded].
I'll be back later tomorrow to check postings. Healthful regards. Ralph Wilson
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