Religious nuts vs bolts

Sixty years go, over half a million people were living in America's mental institutions. A common cause of admission was hearing voices -- frequently, the "voice of God."

It seems to me that people who "hear the voice of God" end up in one of two places....

-- founding religions or forwarding religious movements
-- being labeled as a nut job, and being locked up

- - - - - - - - - -

So what is the fine line that divides the nuts from the bolts?

I dont know an answer to that . If that line really exist is very slim. I dont believe in god but i cant dismiss other people experiences with god and gods as being 100% imaginary. Maybe some are right about it and i'm wrong ? Maybe i'm right ? If god really doesnt exist , all those people ( in mental institutions or founding religions ) are crazy. I'm agnostic , i dont think that we have a conclusive evidence as to prove if god or gods really exist or not.

It's a difficult call in the abstract, but often not so hard in real cases. For instance, the guys who use electric drills to cut holes in their own heads "to let the voices out" - those are easy calls.

Maybe it just depends on whether they can get some people to believe them before they get put away.

So then personal charisma would be a factor?

Hmmm. George Bush often hears the "Voice of God" and often acts on it but he ended up in the Oval Office.

[quote=hotmilf;1139376]So then personal charisma would be a factor?[/quote

Yes i think so .

No longer, most of them appeared to be in central London yesterday, on the Piccadilly line especially.

Unbelievers will always argue that religious guys are crazy , specially the fundamentalists ones.

Yes, and being in the right place at the right time. Or vice versa depending on your take on things.

Interesting answers.

(And perhaps the oval office is now a home for mentals?)

Another factor could be articulation. And what kinds of promises the people make.

40 virgins later, ten wives now, burning in hell, becoming one, living forever....

Not just unbelievers, but believers as well. Forget not the tale of St. Joan of Arc. She was burned for her heracy of hearing the voices of God and the saints. Yet hindsight those same faithful called for her beatification.

Yeah, well, Dong20 -- maybe they're all waiting for the "circus" to begin??

Maybe new "revelations" or religions are accepted by the masses when current religions become outdated . When old religions are not longer revelant to human needs.

Not necessarily crazy, just misguided. Fundementalism isn't evidence of insanity in itself. Questionable perspective perhaps but insanity? When that translates into violence toward others, or themselves is when that line is being crossed.

After all, isn't defining insanity contingent on having a clear definition of normality?