Excerpt from the transcript.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGXKvr62kY&t=4089s
22:34
I think we're well beyond the point where somebody's religious belief is considered a mental illness. Right? There's nobody in the medical community who would say that, at least for the the standard religions. Yeah, I think the medical view is that people have different filters on life and if you pick this particular religious filter, it's more of a lifestyle preference and can be very good for you.
Would you compare somebody who believed in, let's say a specific religion, and let's say you don't believe that's a true religion. That's your opinion.
Is that mental illness if somebody picks a religion that gives them a good guideline for living their life in a healthy way?
To me if that's... if religion is a mental illness you're gonna have to show me where it's hurting people.
You're gonna have to show me that the negative is greater than the positive.
Because my observation this is just, you know, anecdotal, but my observation is that religious people do better. They have happier lives. They're less mental illness. You know, more success, more satisfaction, live longer, right? To me the benefits of having a religious Faith are somewhat unambiguous.
I mean it just seems obvious to me. Now, I don't, and I'm saying that as someone who is not a believer, so I think that gives me some credibility, wouldn't you say?
Because if I were a Believer and I said oh yeah believing is the healthy thing to do, well, then you'd have to say you know that's confirmation bias. But I'm giving you something that's the opposite of my confirmation. My confirmation is I'm not a believer.
24:19
I'm not a non-believer by choice. It's just where I ended up, right? It's just where I am. I don't choose it. So if I could choose, I would choose to have a religious faith. That would be my rational choice if I could choose. But I can't. I just... my brain doesn't have that capacity, I guess.
So I'm not sure I'd call that a mental illness if it's making you healthier and more successful and gives you meaning and all that stuff.
_____
