a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by historyarch
historyarch  ·  2221 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How Conservative Christianity Can Warp the Mind

First off, without getting into any sort of debate, I am sorry to hear your experiences with religion have been negative. I do not know you or your experience so it would be pointless to deny your personal observations, not to mention insulting to you so I won't try.

My overall objection to this article is that science should explain the world, not be used as a weapon to attack others. The conclusions of these authors may fit your experiences. That does not make them objective and does not support their claims in a meaningful scientific way.

I cannot agree with you that mainstream religions are cults or cult-like. Many people who are Mormons, evangelicals, etc. are happy with their religious experience and it seems to play a positive role in their lives. I think it is unfair and unscientific to write all of that off in negative terms. I am not evangelical, Mormon, etc. by the way. You make the point that going to church is a "roll of the dice" in finding a "pro or anti-social church" which seems to acknowledge that some churches are "good" and others not. You also say that religion can affect "pre-existing mental health disorders . . . positively [or] negatively." (I agree with you on that second assertion regarding pre-existing mental conditions). The fact that you see variation in individual churches leads to the conclusion that they are not all the same which tends to undermine the notion they are monolithic cult-like organizations.