God's law vs. Democratic law
There is an old saying that "just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean that people aren't out to get you." What if it turned out that biological evolution selected for a type of delusional thinking? A type of delusional thinking that was initially adaptive and brought about significant technological innovation and advancement. What would then happen if technological and intellectual evolution started taking place faster than natural selection could remove the increasingly maladaptive delusional thinking? In my opinion, it would result in the world you see around you today. A world in which we build particle accelerators to look at the beginnings of the universe 13 billion years ago while claiming that the universe is only 5000 years old.
We live in two worlds!
In one world we use our brains to push the limits of science, medicine and technology to create better conditions for humanity. In the other world we used the latest advances in technology to broadcast the murder of students trying to get an education, or people who believe in the "wrong" god.
At the moment humans are dividing along a profoundly disturbing continuum. At one end are those who seem to be largely free of the delusional thinking that was common and adaptive during our early evolution. At the other end are those who remain extremely susceptible to the early, though no longer particularly adaptive, delusional thinking of our earliest ancestors. In between are those who are not ruled, but also not entirely free of prehistoric delusional thinking patterns.
Delusional thinking manifesting as religion.
Of the 7 billion people on the planet, it is safe to say that of the adult population, over 85% still manifest the delusional thinking typical of our early human ancestors. Today, that delusional thinking can be called religious thinking. In its early forms it was pagan or polydiest thinking. In its more modern forms it is monotheistic, but with different gods for different people.
Religious thinking is delusional, almost by definition.
“A false belief based on incorrect inference about external
reality that is firmly sustained despite what almost everyone else
believes and despite what constitutes incontrovertible and obvious proof
or evidence to the contrary. The belief is not one ordinarily accepted by other members of the person’s culture or subculture (e.g. it is not an article of religious faith). When a false belief involves a value judgment, it is regarded as a
delusion only when the judgment is so extreme as to defy credibility.
Delusional conviction occurs on a continuum and can sometimes be
inferred from an individual’s behavior."
This definition, offered by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM IV, conveniently excludes religious thinking as delusional (the green text), but that's to be expected since there is a very high probably that it was written by people who where directly or indirectly influenced by religion. I think this dates back to the idea that those who live in a glass house shouldn't throw stones.
Religious Thinking is Anti-Democratic
The modern idea of democracy is built on the idea that laws created by the rational mind of man are superior to god given laws. There superiority is axiomatic, since god is a delusion. Therefore, those who seek to govern America using god given laws are anti-democratic. The purpose of the First Amendment to the Constitution was to prevent the imposition of religious laws over rational law. It is a clear statement that claims that in America, rational law supersedes god's law.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Religious thinking is a delusional state of mind, which I fully accept exists on a continuum. A continuum that ranges from the innocuous to the dangerous. At this time I am not concerned with explaining the mechanism, for the
mechanism is extremely complex. However, I am concerned with its functional impact on society and democracy.
The Dangerous
My concern lies with the dangerous end of the spectrum. In a secular democracy, the rule of rational law is intended to supersede all irrational laws, i.e., god given laws. Currently, in America there are a large number of organized groups and a disturbingly large number of individuals who believe that the rational laws, freedoms and liberties set forth by the United States Constitution are secondary to the laws handed down via their particular god. In an effort to circumvent the secular nature of the US Constitution, in particular the part of the constitution intended to protect US citizens from the imposition of religious laws on their daily lives, these groups and individuals advocate using their numerical majority to take political control at the local, state and federal level, with the goal of undermining, the secular freedoms and protections established by the Constitution of the United States.
In an assault that requires almost daily documentation, state legislatures and the US Congress have begun to systemically roll-back protections from religion and replaces them with overt restrictions, stemming from biblical law, on personal freedoms and liberties. Religious laws, are in many cases, directly opposed to the values of a free society and the principles of democracy. To put a slightly finer point on it, imposition of religious laws is anti-democratic and contrary to the natural evolution of free, fair and just societies. One need look no further than any society, historical or otherwise, based on a theocracy to see the failures of enforced delusions.
Those on the dangerous end of the spectrum now openly advocate repellent views on important domestic and national policies. They are, not only supporting, but leading the way to the reemergence of homophobia (Indiana Religious Freedom Act), racism (
New Jim Crow Laws), anti-intellectualism (Climate change deniers), misogyny (anti-abortion movements), narcissism (God favors the rich), and nationalism (God is an American) in America.
Conclusion
The currently accepted idea of religious tolerance must be reexamined. Instead we must consider it as
delusional tolerance. Those who are most seriously affected by delusional religious thinking must be recognized for what they are, evolutionary throwbacks with a dangerous vestigial form of delusional thinking. Simply because they represent a sizable number of people doesn't mean we should accept their condition and let it ruin the future of America or the future of our species.
Most religious people are only slightly or mildly affected and have high level functionality. It doesn't mean we, as a society, shouldn't try to help them, but they are not the real and present danger.
The real threat comes from those who have other personality disorders that are compounded by archaic delusional thinking at the extreme end of the continuun. Those with natural sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies, when also burdened by deeply delusional thinking, represent a significant threat to the future of a secular, free America. Especially when there seems to be a natural tendency for those with these very specific personality disorders to be attracted to politics and positions of power.
If you look at the current contenders for the GOP nomination for president you should be both amazed and shocked. They, without exception, are opposed to the founding principles of a secular nation that is free from the imposition of a national religion or religious view point. They also fully embrace and support the reemergence of those most horrific anti-democratic values mentioned above.
I fear that America is losing the battle to remain free. When the Pence's, Huckabee's, Perry's, Cruz's, Robertson's, and Bush's of the world openly threaten to take away the democratic principles of freedom and liberty on which America was built, we had best take them at their word and believe that they will try. It's time we start to question the mental stability and soundness of those who would place the rational law found in the Constitution of the United States of America second to the non-existent laws of a god that arose as a delusional by-product in our pre-human ancestors.
Interesting YouTube videos addressing the delusion of religion.
