[OPEN]Psychology of Religious Ideas

[Steve Petersen]

What kind of psychology do you think lies behind religious ideas such as:

I am scum in God's eyes

Others are damned if they don't believe as I do

Everything is predetermined

I can't be perfect so there is no use keeping commandments

[plum]

what do you mean "psychology"?

Those sound like ideas perverted from Scripture.

[MattyJames]

Well I know this for one:It is a phsycology of Iniquity, Torahlessness, Lawless.

NO guesses from where it originates.

regards,

Matt James

[Henaynei]

What kind of psychology do you think lies behind religious ideas such as:

I am scum in God's eyes

Others are damned if they don't believe as I do

Everything is predetermined

I can't be perfect so there is no use keeping commandments your question seems to be premising a single "psychology" behind all of the above, other than an inferiority complex/syndrome I see no common thread :scratch: can you clarify your intent/question/premise a bit?

b'Shalom
v'L'Shanah Tovah
Henaynei

[Charles YTK]

I think this is more of a societal sickness. All these can take place because not having a continuous and consistant standard from outside of the society, like Gods law, which is no longer the standard for most. And the factor of individualism, where every man is an island to himself cut off from family and associations in a group welfare. What we have in the west is more self promotion and self interpretation, self motivation, and goals to be aggressive and competive to get the best for ourselves and forget everyone else even family and friends. It is the Me generation and Gen X merged into a maturing society.

To condense it, it is the spirit of iniquity, the mystery of iniquity. We knew this would happen. We were told to expect it.

[Steve Petersen]

What is it in peoples psychology that makes them susceptible to these ideas?

[Amora]

What kind of psychology do you think lies behind religious ideas such as:

1. I am scum in God's eyes

2. Others are damned if they don't believe as I do

3. Everything is predetermined

4. I can't be perfect so there is no use keeping commandments

my inept atempt at phych 101:

1. people who were brought up to belive that god is not a benevolent god, rather one that punishes for every bad deed. a god of "midat hadin" only.

2. people who see black and white, and are ignorant of a great many things. mostly what their faith is trying to teach them. (I am refering to very specific sects - I think we all know who)

3. lazy people. people who dont realy want to try to repent and change their ways, because "it wont make a difference anyway"

4. again, lazy people. people who dont want to keep gods word - keeping the word is not always so easy. this is what hashem was trying to avoid when he commanded "do not add to these words" (<-- not exact quote. I am too lazy to look it up :D )

[debi b]

Destructive thinking = lack of scripture

Maybe.....

[stone]

What is it in peoples psychology that makes them susceptible to these ideas?

I think it starts with poorly raised children.

[Tishri1]

It instantly reminded me of the Passover Haggadah where it talk about the four sons

http://www.aish.com/passfamily/passfamilydefault/The_Four_Sons.asp