eChurch Blog

Doug Chaplin is one of those bloggers who doesn’t post much, but you really wish he did.

In Doug’s post entitled: Belief and Insanity, he relays his brief interaction with a chap who exhibited ‘deviant thinking’, or probably better described as ‘delusional thinking’. Doug notes that there appeared to be a: “dissociation from what most of us would recognise as reality”.

Now, Psychotic disorders and delusion are often intimately entwined, with the latter being a symptom of the former.

So how exactly do we define delusional psychosis? Perhaps we could define it as:

Holding unusual beliefs, which other people don’t experience or share.

or

Loss of contact with reality.

or

A false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence.

I suspect many Christians will have come across accusations inferring ‘delusion’, ‘madness’ or ‘insanity’ in regard to Christian beliefs. It’s no coincidence that Richard Dawkins’ famous book was entitled: “The God Delusion”.

Sadly, there is no doubt that there are indeed Christians who hold to delusional beliefs. For example, I was Tweeted yesterday:

After the destruction of Vatican this March 2012 any Christian that pay tax will die like Ananias and Saphira on 2018

There is no doubt in my mind that this is an example of delusional thinking; however, I also have no doubt that many would view my beliefs as delusional.

If we stick with the assumption of ‘delusion’ as a symptom of psychosis, we are in reality designating ‘delusion’ to the realm of severe mental illness. It is no secret that Dawkins is sympathetic to Robert Pirsig’s statement: “when one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion”.

In modern times I think it would be fair to say that we have lost an overarching cultural narrative in our society that most would adhere to, and now we have a plethora of plurality of systems of belief and worldview.

In the past, deviation from the overarching narrative held by most of the community, may have incurred the label ‘insane’. The growing tendency in this day and age to label religious belief as ‘insane’ says something for the growth of new, alternative, narratives. In fact, in a plurality of belief systems, will we not witness more and more instances in which folk look upon – and view – those with alternative narratives, as delusional or insane?

If this would be the case and the fragmentation of beliefs and cutural narratives continues apace, could we end up with no coherent framework of normative belief, and if so, how then do we define divergence from reality?

Thinking back to my brief and crude attempt to define delusional psychosis:

Holding unusual beliefs, which other people don’t experience or share

This will no longer be valid with such a plethora of beliefs.

loss of contact with reality

With so many different ‘realities’ believed by so many, how will we define ‘reality’?

A false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence.

How will we decide what evidence is superior?

Doug ends on a thought provoking and slightly ominous note:

I do wonder, however, whether a scientific society with fewer shared and more widely divergent beliefs will either resort more readily to “insanity” an an explanation of unacceptable difference of belief (with its accompanying treatment, perhaps?) or will fail in the care it needs to give those who have a genuine medical problem because deviant belief can no longer serve any indexical value of an inability to cope with reality.

And I think that might be something to worry about.

And so the ‘Friday Question’ becomes:

If we have no coherent framework of normative belief, nor an overarching cultural narrative, how do we define divergence from reality? How will we define delusion?

I’ll pop this in at the end here as it is purely anecdotal, but I have experienced, and know of others that have experienced, Psychiatrists that would most certainly view religious belief in delusional terms.

And just to say that there’s a universe more to say on the subject of psychosis and delusional thinking, but I needed to keep this as simple and short as possible and so forgive any crude oversimplifications.

Christopher Hitchens has died.

There is no doubt that he was brilliant man in many respects and perhaps this explains why the Christian Interweb is ablaze with tributes and “RIP” sentiments for him.

The irony is that Hitchens was himself no fan of the polite obituary.

The fact of the matter is that Hitchens detested the church and our God and was the most prolific anti-Christian polemicist on the planet. He wrote some plain nasty material and was in fact an insufferable bore on the subject of religion. In all honestly I used to cringe at the fantastical expectation of some for a deathbed conversion.

Squeezed almost silently in between the fawning platitudes today, I glimpsed stories of Christians brutally murdered in Iraq and Nigeria. I’ll be frank, it saddens me that so much Christian ink will be spilt over Hitchens’ death, when in front of our noses martyrs will be made today without so much as a sidewards glance by many of their brothers and sisters.

I’m sad for the family of Hitchens at this time, but the fact of the matter is, if we do believe the tenets of our faith, then we have to accept the fact that Hitchens will be granted exactly as he desired; namely, existence without God.

First Reading Isaiah 56:1-3,6-8

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Blessed is the man who does this and the son of man who clings to it: observing the sabbath, not profaning it, and keeping his hand from every evil deed.
Let no foreigner who has attached himself to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’ Let no eunuch say, ‘And I, I am a dried-up tree.’
Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.
It is the Lord who speaks, who gathers the outcasts of Israel: there are others will gather besides those already gathered.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, Lord, with your peace
that we may rejoice in your presence with sincerity of heart.
Alleluia!

Gospel John 5:33-36

Jesus said to the Jews:
‘You sent messengers to John,
and he gave his testimony to the truth:
not that I depend on human testimony;
no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this.
John was a lamp alight and shining
and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave.
But my testimony is greater than John’s:
the works my Father has given me to carry out,
these same works of mine testify
that the Father has sent me.’

Sadbutrue just Tweeted:

Appears that my beloved Canon scanner is only good for scrap now – won’t work in Win7 or OSX

I got as far as “…..only good for scrap now…..” and thought: Who on earth is Canon Scanner, I’ve never heard of him, I wonder which cathedral…..

Oh man, how churched am I?

So, the end of the Iraq war has been announced.

In the years since the operation began to ‘liberate’ Iraq an estimated 2,000 Christians have been murdered. Examples include:

3-year-old Adam murdered in a church

A 2 month old infant kidnapped, beheaded, roasted and returned to its parents on a bed of rice

14 year old Ayad Tariq decapitated because he is a “dirty Christian sinner”

A 14 year old boy crucified in his own village in Mosul

Dozens massacred in a Mass service celebrated in the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Deliverance in Baghdad

70 churches have been attacked or bombed since June, 2004: 43 in Baghdad, 19 in Mosul, 7 in Kirkuk and 1 in Ramadi.

The UN reports that although Christians comprise less than 5% of Iraq’s population, they make up nearly 40% of the refugees fleeing Iraq. More than 50% of Iraqi Christians have already left the country. In 1987, the last Iraqi census counted 1.4 million Christians, but as the war radicalized Islamic sensibilities, Christian numbers have slumped to around 500,000.

Was it worth it?

Early this afternoon a motion was successfully defeated in the House of Lords which would have banned the celebration of civil partnerships in religious premises.

The ‘wrecking motion’ was introduced by Conservative peer Baroness O’Cathain. It would have meant that the ‘Alli amendment’ that Stonewall secured to the 2010 Equality Act last spring would have been scrapped.

However, significant demonstrations of support for Stonewall’s position from across the House meant that Baroness O’Cathain withdrew her motion moments before a vote was due to be called.

….continue

Huffington Post has more…..

Quite the contrary in fact.

With ten days to go until Christmas it seems timely to post my annual “Mental health and Christmas” post.

Christmas can be a wobbly time for those prone to mental distress and I certainly feel a little blue myself right now. My heart’s not really in anything and even putting this post together feels somewhat arduous. But I think the reminder is worthwhile.

As those suffering from mental health problems are already more likely to be experiencing chronic loneliness, stress, and anxiety, the festive season can be a double-edged sword accentuating these problems. Christmas can be one of the best and one of the worst times of year.

Calls to the Samaritans will spike this time of year and over this period they will receive a call every 7 seconds; so whilst you’ve been reading this, they would have received three calls from those in desperate need.

With the economic situation as it is currently, coupled with the financial pressures of Christmas, this year threatens to be exceptionally difficult for many. Obviously financial worries can have a devastating impact on mental health and can lead to serious problems such as stress, anxiety and depression.

People who have mental health problems are already more likely to be living in poverty, with many dependent on benefits because they are too ill to work. Worries about finances and the prospect of not being able to afford the essentials like food, heating and electricity will only add to their distress.

Whilst the best efforts are made to cheer up psychiatric wards with decorations and such, some patients can feel more stigmatized, forgotten and abandoned than ever, especially if they have no family and friends to visit.

Many folks suffering from mental illness take solace online and even this refuge can go rather silent over Christmas. This is worth remembering.

We need to be extra vigilant for exacerbation of mental health conditions brought on by isolation or increased stress from this festive season. Christmas has become a difficult time for many people in our society, but it’s a marvelous opportunity to reach out to them.

First Reading Isaiah 54:1-10

Shout for joy, you barren women who bore no children!
Break into cries of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour!
For the sons of the forsaken one are more in number
than the sons of the wedded wife, says the Lord.
Widen the space of your tent,
stretch out your hangings freely,
lengthen your ropes, make your pegs firm;
for you will burst out to right and to left.
Your race will take possession of the nations,
and people the abandoned cities.
Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame,
do not be dismayed, you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth
and no longer remember the curse of your widowhood.
For now your creator will be your husband,
his name, the Lord of Hosts;
your redeemer will be the Holy One of Israel,
he is called the God of the whole earth.
Yes, like a forsaken wife, distressed in spirit,
the Lord calls you back.
Does a man cast off the wife of his youth?
says your God.
I did forsake you for a brief moment,
but with great love will I take you back.
In excess of anger, for a moment
I hid my face from you.
But with everlasting love I have taken pity on you,
says the Lord, your redeemer.
I am now as I was in the days of Noah
when I swore that Noah’s waters
should never flood the world again.
So now I swear concerning my anger with you
and the threats I made against you;
for the mountains may depart,
the hills be shaken,
but my love for you will never leave you
and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken,
says the Lord who takes pity on you.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!
The day of the Lord is near;
Look, he comes to save us.
Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 7:24-30

When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to talk to the people about John, ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Oh no, those who go in for fine clothes and live luxuriously are to be found at court! Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet:
he is the one of whom scripture says:

See, I am going to send my messenger before you;
he will prepare the way before you.

‘I tell you, of all the children born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. All the people who heard him, and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God’s plan by accepting baptism from John; but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them.’

I have to share this with you as I found these quite extraordinary.

Bored Panda have a selection of works by some of the world’s greatest photorealism masters.

Here’s one example but you really need to check these out as they are quite simply breathtaking. I marvel at man’s abilities at times; I really do:

Nearly everyone – 94% to be precise – brought up without religious affiliation in Britain today stays without religious affiliation. Basically, if your parents bring you up outside a faith, you stay outside a faith. Who was it that said, give me the child, and I’ll give you the man?

SOURCE