Religion is like alcoholism

[Harbal]

Only in as much as some of us seem to have a predisposition to be afflicted and some don't. I am lucky; I appear to be immune to both. Having been married to an alcoholic, I feel I am in a position to say that alcoholism is, in most cases, worse than religion, but I can only imagine the misery of being married to a religious alcoholic.

You won't get much sense out of an alcoholic; I suppose that's another thing they have in common.

[Iwannaplato]

Only in as much as some of us seem to have a predisposition to be afflicted and some don't. I am lucky; I appear to be immune to both. Having been married to an alcoholic, I feel I am in a position to say that alcoholism is, in most cases, worse than religion, but I can only imagine the misery of being married to a religious alcoholic.

You won't get much sence out of an alcoholic; I suppose that's another thing they have in commeon.

First things first. It seems like vegetariantaxidery gives you a pass on spelling. I wonder if that will continue and also if it relates to your being part of the commonwealth nations.

OK, important matters out of the way, let's move on to the topic.

I guess it can be. But I don't think it's a rule.

[Harbal]

First things first. It seems like vegetariantaxidery gives you a pass on spelling. I wonder if that will continue and also if it relates to your being part of the commonwealth nations.

I think I'm granted a certain amount of leeway on account of not being American.

OK, important matters out of the way, let's move on to the topic.

I guess it can be. But I don't think it's a rule.

Well it certainly seems that some people are more susceptible than others, but I think it would be a mistake to be complacent about it.

[Iwannaplato]

Well it certainly seems that some people are more susceptible than others, but I think it would be a mistake to be complacent about it.

I'm more concerned about the people who have the most power. I'm not even sure they have an ideology, let alone a specific religion. Just goals and tactics and psychopathy.

But that's a bit off topic, so I'll let others weigh in on that.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Only in as much as some of us seem to have a predisposition to be afflicted and some don't. I am lucky; I appear to be immune to both. Having been married to an alcoholic, I feel I am in a position to say that alcoholism is, in most cases, worse than religion, but I can only imagine the misery of being married to a religious alcoholic.

You won't get much sence out of an alcoholic; I suppose that's another thing they have in commeon.

First things first. It seems like vegetariantaxidery gives you a pass on spelling. I wonder if that will continue and also if it relates to your being part of the commonwealth nations.

OK, important matters out of the way, let's move on to the topic.

I guess it can be. But I don't think it's a rule.

You just don't get it. I couldn't care less about typos, or that someone is simply a poor speller. This page isn't essay writing. It's in that 'grey' area between speaking and writing. And why would I give a rat's arse about 'commonwealth countries'?

[Iwannaplato]

OK, pardon, another tangent. In AA they consider alcoholism a kind of bad approach to seeking religion (or perhaps better put, spirituality). Or perhaps it supports the OP thesis, semi-indirectly, and isn't a tangent.

[Harbal]

In AA they consider alcoholism a kind of bad approach to seeking religion (or perhaps better put, spirituality). Or perhaps it supports the OP thesis, semi-indirectly, and isn't a tangent.

I don't know about that, All I can say is that my close encouter with alcoholism did not leave me with the impression that its causes were anything to do with spirituality. It seemed more to do with escape to me, or even self empowerment, as strange as that might sound, as it ultimately leads to complete helplessness.

The only common factor possibly present in both religion and alcoholism that I am speculating about is the way in which someone might fall prey to either of them. Some people seem to have a predisposition towards becoming alcoholic once their drinking reaches a certain level, whereas others never cross that threshold. I am saying that religion seems very similar. Lots of people have basic, even vague, religious beliefs, but relatively few go onto the stage where it becomes the dominant aspect of their lives.

[Age]

Only in as much as some of us seem to have a predisposition to be afflicted and some don't. I am lucky; I appear to be immune to both. Having been married to an alcoholic, I feel I am in a position to say that alcoholism is, in most cases, worse than religion, but I can only imagine the misery of being married to a religious alcoholic.

You won't get much sence out of an alcoholic; I suppose that's another thing they have in common.

How much seriousness does this thread deserve?

Is this thread also meant to make a kind of joke out of the topic also?

Is this topic presented as just a joke, or for any formal discussion at all?

[Age]

Well it certainly seems that some people are more susceptible than others, but I think it would be a mistake to be complacent about it.

I'm more concerned about the people who have the most power. I'm not even sure they have an ideology, let alone a specific religion. Just goals and tactics and psychopathy.

I think their ideals, or ideology, is to just get and obtain more and more power.

But that's a bit off topic, so I'll let others weigh in on that.

[Harbal]

How much seriousness does this thread deserve?

Is this thread also meant to make a kind of joke out of the topic also?

Is this topic presented as just a joke, or for any formal discussion at all?

Sometimes, when nothing much is happening on the forum, and I'm feeling a bit bored, particularly when it's getting late and my judgement is not at its best, I post stuff like this. I can't say what my intention was when I posted it, but I was probably just hoping to get a reaction of some kind.

I don't think there is much potential for making a joke out of the subject; alcoholism is one of the least funny things I can imagine. If you want to discuss any aspect of what has been said so far, that's fine, but I haven't prepared a reasoned argument for or against anything, and there aren't any views I particularly want to defend or challenge.

[Iwannaplato]

I don't know about that, All I can say is that my close encouter with alcoholism did not leave me with the impression that its causes were anything to do with spirituality. It seemed more to do with escape to me, or even self empowerment, as strange as that might sound, as it ultimately leads to complete helplessness.

Alcohol loosens boundaries, can be addictive when the person regularly longs to not be so disconnected, even from themselves. In philosophy forums people often focus on afterlife ideas, but a lot of people are religious or spiritual out of longings for peace, connectedness (with something beyond themselves), serentiy....And religious and spiritual practices include all sorts of tools for just those results. Even architecture. And if people engage in new spiritual practices they tend to have a better chance of no longer being active alcoholics...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3125889/
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... e_Disorder
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117904/

The only common factor possibly present in both religion and alcoholism that I am speculating about is the way in which someone might fall prey to either of them. Some people seem to have a predisposition towards becoming alcoholic once their drinking reaches a certain level, whereas others never cross that threshold. I am saying that religion seems very similar. Lots of people have basic, even vague, religious beliefs, but relatively few go onto the stage where it becomes the dominant aspect of their lives.

That would seem to be true about anything from sports teams to work to star wars trivia to detachment to sex to judging others to intellectualizing to.....

Pretty much anything can be a coping mechanism, a way of avoiding/distracting, a way to create a false identity (or a real one) or a way to sublimate anything from aggression to sexual feelings. Though not necessarily at all. I should add that I don't think if someone centers there life around something it is necessarily bad.

[Dontaskme]

You won't get much sence out of an alcoholic; I suppose that's another thing they have in common.

What if nothing, absolutely nothing zilch zero makes sense?

Do you think us human minds would ever be able to handle that notion?

[Harbal]

What if nothing, absolutely nothing zilch zero makes sense?

Do you think us human minds would ever be able to handle that notion?

I'm too busy correcting all the spelling mistakes I made in the original post to handle anything else right now.

[Dontaskme]

What if nothing, absolutely nothing zilch zero makes sense?

Do you think us human minds would ever be able to handle that notion?

I'm too busy correcting all the spelling mistakes I made in the original post to handle anything else right now.

Well while you are doing that, I'll just quickly pop this up on the screen to stimulate the perusal sense organs.

[Age]

How much seriousness does this thread deserve?

Is this thread also meant to make a kind of joke out of the topic also?

Is this topic presented as just a joke, or for any formal discussion at all?

Sometimes, when nothing much is happening on the forum, and I'm feeling a bit bored, particularly when it's getting late and my judgement is not at its best, I post stuff like this. I can't say what my intention was when I posted it, but I was probably just hoping to get a reaction of some kind.

I don't think there is much potential for making a joke out of the subject; alcoholism is one of the least funny things I can imagine.

This is just because of what you have experienced with alcoholism. As absolutely everything is relative to the observer, the way one looks at things makes them funny or not. For example when you are an "alcoholic" this can be extremely funny at times. And the.actual potential for making jokes about religion and alcoholism could be endless, but as the chances of being criticized, ridiculed, and/or even punished for just making jokes or making fun of things, in those days, when this was being written, was continually increasing, the chances of just joking around and having fun about those topics decreased.

If you want to discuss any aspect of what has been said so far, that's fine, but I haven't prepared a reasoned argument for or against anything, and there aren't any views I particularly want to defend or challenge.