I'm sure you've all seen TV advertisements for collections of religious music. There's one that airs regularly right now for a collection called "Songs 4 Worship." It's the typical smarmy pap you hear on contemporary Christian radio stations.
Most of these commercials show at least one shot of a church congregation, the people all with their eyes closed, heads tilted back, some with arms in the air, and all with expressions of what some might call euphoria on their faces.
But that glazed, oblivious expression reminds me more of the faces of some of the stoners I knew in high school. It's almost like they're high.
And interestingly enough, a friend of mine recently told me about a show he watched on addiction. An opening scene evidently showed a series of shots of the types of things you'd expect: alcohol, drugs, gambling… but it also showed a shot of one of these "euphoric" church congregations!
The Atheist Attic has been online for not quite four and a half years, and during that time, I've labeled deep religiosity an addiction disorder no less than four times. Make that five, now.
There's no question in my mind that this is the case. And frankly, I think we ought to treat it as one.
Though I personally do not imbibe or partake, I consider drug use to be a personal choice. If you want to be a user, go right ahead. Unless you're putting others in danger because of it, I frankly don't care. It's your body, your mind.
This is how I view religion, as well. I don't care what other people believe, so long as they're not harming others due to their beliefs or trying to push their beliefs on others. And if one's religion causes harm to others, it should be treated no differently than when someone is harmed by any other addict. Being drunk, for example, is not an excuse if you hurt someone. You're still responsible for your actions. Likewise, "because the Bible says so" is no excuse for discriminating against homosexuals, to give but one example.
I'd like to see extreme religiosity treated just like any other addiction. They should have their own version of the Betty Ford Clinic… maybe a Dan Barker Clinic. (Dan was a fundamentalist minister who recovered. He is now an outspoken atheist on the staff of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.)
Many addicts are unaware of, or in denial of, their addictions. Such a clinic would be the perfect place for them to go. They'd have no access to their holy books, to religious television or radio. Certainly, they'd be denied their "Songs 4 Worship" CDs. (Give them one of the freethought CDs that Dan has written and recorded.) Instead, they'd be in an atmosphere of reason, surrounded by former religion addicts who can explain to them how they've been deceived all these years. They'll have books at their disposal, a library of rationalist literature and science texts. There will be a huge museum of natural history that shows quite plainly how Noah's flood couldn't have happened.
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head, but I like where it's going. I'll check with Dan and see what he thinks.
In the meantime, consider doing something to help one of your addict acquaintances. Send them to this site!
