mymistake Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 http://www.thenewsnerd.com/health/apa-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. Dr. Lillian Andrews, professor of psychology, stated, “Every year thousands of people die after refusing life-saving treatment on religious grounds. Even when being told ‘you will die without this treatment’ patients reject the idea and believe that their God will still save them. Those lives could be saved simply by classifying those people as mentally unfit for decision making.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daffodil Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Fascinating! It would especially be good to save the kids. If an adult wants to put their life in danger by refusing treatment, that's their business. But to allow their child to die rather than receive treatment is unconscionable. It should be a law that those parents are mentally unfit to parent and the children taken away to save them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Furball Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Well at least the description of christians in that article was true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraBardus Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 You know. I'm perfectly okay with stupid on that level being removed from the gene pool. Especially with overpopulation being the issue that it is. I'm even okay with it if I was the one dying because of it. If I'm killed because I do something on this level of stupid, I'm okay with it. It's just natural selection at work and we shouldn't interfere by trying to pad all the corners of life for the safety of idiots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeThinkerNZ Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Fascinating! It would especially be good to save the kids. If an adult wants to put their life in danger by refusing treatment, that's their business. But to allow their child to die rather than receive treatment is unconscionable. It should be a law that those parents are mentally unfit to parent and the children taken away to save them. I agree totally. It's already illegal to risk a child's life by refusing medical treatment, but using the law to save a child is challenging to a greater or lesser degree, depending where you live. In NZ there have been cases where the courts have intervened in where JW parents were refusing blood products for their children. This situation is pretty cut and dried, as long as authorities are aware the child is in danger, and the parents don't take the child into hiding. Other cases are fraught with difficulty, such as, say, a 12 year old child with severe issues caused by a treatable anxiety disorder, whose parents refuse medication for them. I know of an ex-c psychologist in the US who recently had to watch this happen... hearing about the case enraged me so I try to avoid such things now, for my own sanity. There are not enough foster placements to save every child who is disadvantaged by their religious parents' anti-medicine beliefs. And arguably, the children would be better off staying with their parents, if the parents could be persuaded or compelled to allow the child to have medical care. It's such a difficult issue to resolve. I guess every case where the courts can intervene is a small victory for human rights and reason. And also every case where parents can become educated and, ideally, realise that letting go of these harmful beliefs would be better for their children and themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Oh no! More Christian persecution! Can concentration camps be far behind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilith666 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 I don't think adults who can't be demonstrated to have an actual mental illness that incapacitates them should be forced into treatment. What's the point of living if we can't make our own decisions instead of being told someone else knows better? However, I cannot understand how parents are allowed to let their children die by choosing some "alternative" medicine with zero evidence over proven treatments. Apparently parents' rights and religious liberty are more important than the life of the child they are supposed to be protecting. (Then the kids die, and the fucking morons keep doing it!) It's just unfathomable. Those people are unfit to be parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Fascinating! It would especially be good to save the kids. If an adult wants to put their life in danger by refusing treatment, that's their business. But to allow their child to die rather than receive treatment is unconscionable. It should be a law that those parents are mentally unfit to parent and the children taken away to save them. Agree. But, wave the magic wand of religion over these issues, and it seems to excuse crimes being committed. It's awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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