Religion And Addiction.

[melv16]

Are some of the fervent religious posters on here recovering from other addictions?

[pixie374]

Can you be addicted to "nothing"?

[pixie374]

Yes.... :-)

[agchristie]

I don't see the link. Religious people addicted in what sense?

[RATTER15]

A non belief is nothing isn't it?

[pixie374]

It's not circular. I disagree with you...

[wildwood]

I don't think religion is any more of an 'addiction' than cleanliness or socially acceptable behaviour is. Some just go overboard.

[Old_Geezer]

A non-belief is not the same as a belief in nothing.

One has to prove an addiction to something before considering whether someone has an additional addiction to something else.

[melv16]

OG. Most of the fervent "born agains" I have met are recovering alcoholics. They've swapped one addiction for another.

[dieseldick]

why do u ask ? do you think people who are religious only do so because they need a crutch ?

[melv16]

Diesel. I don't mind people using religion as a crutch, as long as they don't hit me with it!

[grasscarp]

From Collins dictionary, Addiction is the condition of being abnormally dependent on some habit, esp compulsive dependency on narcotic drugs.
What does this have to do with a religious belief Melv?
And, if you think that religion is addictive (which I dont agree) why would such person be recovering from another addiction?

[naomi24]

Grasscarp, melv isn’t asking if religion is addictive. That’s another issue.

[Hypognosis]

@melv16

I saw some documentary where I learned that the final stage of the Alcoholics Anonymous "12 step program(sic)" is finding God, specifically the born again variety. This was USA, of course. I've no idea whether it is the same in the UK. Anyway, it really bothered me. I thought they were a perfectly neutral organisation, just trying to help people out? It seems a really underhand method of 'selling' Christianity, to zero in on people who are down. It is not a "selfless" act of rescue, it is a recruitment.

When they're not recruiting people in prisons, that is. A literally captive audience!

[Svejk]

I was addicted to brake fluid. Just couldn't stop.

[grasscarp]

Naomi - you wrote "Grasscarp, melv isn’t asking if religion is addictive."

You are correct he didnt ask - he stated it is when he wrote -
"other addictions" and not "an addiction"

[naomi24]

Grasscarp, you're right. My mistake.

[melv16]

For 'other addictions ' I should have written; alcohol, gambling and drugs. Sorry about the confusion.
There used to be a poster on here who was always quoting tracts of the bible. He admitted to be a recovering alcoholic.