Is religion the psychological equivalent to taking steroids?
I have to preface this post by saying that in comparing the two, I am in no way trying to suggest that religion should be made illegal. I realize that if we all found out god wasn’t real tomorrow, far too many people would lose their minds and make our world a literal hell.
That said, I now return you to our regularly scheduled program…
At first glance, comparing religion to steroids can seem a bit bold and even offensive to a lot of people, which is understandable. That doesn’t mean the comparison isn’t a reasonable one…it only means people just don’t like it when religion is scrutinized.
So…onward to why I have decided to compare religion to steroids.
The main reason this idea came to mind was the total lack of honesty involved with this recent steroid controversy in Major League Baseball. You have guys like Alex Rodriguez that lied to a national audience on 60 Minutes and then gives a half-assed apology when he gets caught. You have other guys like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds who you know are just as dirty as Rodriguez, but continue to deny the reality of what they had done.
Where does all of this tie into religion? Well, I think the same dishonesty exists among the religious that claim that god is real.
It takes a great deal of dishonesty to convince yourself that an invisible being interacts with your life by helping you out, teaching you lessons, and shunning your enemies when there is no evidence whatsoever outside of the individual’s mind. It’s dishonest to reject evidence that may conflict with your belief just because you want to maintain said belief.
The more I started to think about the parallels of steroids and religion, I realized that religion can be viewed almost as psychological cheating. Not only are you trying to trick your mind, but trusting in religion is like getting the answers when you haven’t done any of the research yourself.
It’s like completely relying on someone else’s cheat sheet for a final exam. The worst part about it is that religious folks automatically assume that the person they got the cheat sheet from can be trusted. There’s no outside fact checking to make sure this cheat sheet is legit…just a complete submission to it out of laziness, naivety or just plain dishonesty.
Most religions allege to have every answer you’ll ever need in your life within the pages of their holy book. In other words, there’s no need to go out into the world and figure out for yourself how the world came to be, because it’s already written there for you.
It’s a shortcut.
I could see it if it were acceptable to take the long route and find things out for yourself, but it’s mandatory in most religions that you accept this shortcut as the truth and don’t question it. That’s like a Major League Baseball team condemning a player that wanted to play ball without steroids through conditioning and practice. No matter how possible it would be to become a great player without the roids, the team would make it very clear that any effort made to “play clean” wouldn’t be tolerated.
A lot of people object to steroids due to the health risks they pose, but you can count on one hand the number of baseball players that died from using steroids, while you can check the front page of CNN.com at any given moment and find some sort of death via religious conflict. I’d go out on a limb and say that you’d probably live longer regularly injecting yourself with Human Growth Hormone than you would walking through a muslim town with a picture of Mohammed on your shirt.
Then there’s the moral objection to steroids, which really just goes back to the dishonesty issue.
People morally object to steroids because it’s unnatural and dishonest. I won’t go as far as to say that religion is unnatural — since religion is a naturally occurring phenomenon, regardless of whether gods actually exist — but I will say that religion is extremely dishonest.
I can’t count how many times people have run away from questions about religion that they simply don’t want to answer. Why is there such an almost violent aversion to talking openly about religion? Why are objections to the religion avoided like the plague?
I think there’s only one explanation to such an unhealthy avoidance of candid religious discussion: That these people are being dishonest with themselves, and any real discussion about it would have to draw them further toward being honest with themselves…and that honest truth is something they want to avoid at all costs. What they think that honest truth is, I don’t know, but I do know that it’s being avoided everyday by everyone that refuses to give their own beliefs a reality check.
One last comparison and then I’m done…
I look at a baseball player that is able to hit 50 home runs in a season and I’m in awe of his ability. The moment I find out he’s juicing, that awe flies out of the window when I realize he may have hit 20, maybe 30 without doping [see: Brady Anderson circa 1996]. So, I have much more respect for someone that is able to hit even 40 home runs the natural way, than someone that is able to hit 70 or 73 by sticking needles in their ass.
Well, the same goes for religion.
I have a load of respect for the person that is able to lead a happy life without the aid of religion. Anyone can convince themselves any religion is real and trick themselves into believing that an invisible person is watching over you and will reward you with eternal bliss in return for your undying worship.
However…
It takes a special human being to face life head on to deal with the reality of our situation and find joy in it. I have the utmost respect for these individuals because they don’t carry the crutch of religion with them wherever they go like a syringe with HGH.
It takes a strong athlete to stand up and do it the natural way especially when everyone around them is doing it, just like it takes a strong person be honest with themselves when it comes to god-belief. I applaud both individuals, and hope that we’re moving toward a more honest society with both issues of steroids and religion.
No related posts.
I don’t understand your fascination with something that you think is nonsense. There are many things that I don’t “believe in”, but I don’t spend my consistently writing about it. Or if I do write about, I try not to insult those who feel differently (unless it is something extremely radical, which religion in and of itself is not).
If people choose to be religious than fine. Who does it hurt? Are there people who are fanatical? Sure there are. But there are fanatics who are atheists as well. People have faith for many different reasons. The only similarity I see to Steroid abuse in baseball is that people may use steroids for different reasons. Comparing something that is done illegally to give one an unfair advantage, is questionable at the very least, and I would say that it is also unreasonable.
Do you think racism is nonsense? Do you think slavery is nonsense? Just because someone thinks something is nonsense doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take an interest in it.
Same goes for steroids. If someone chooses to inject HGH in their buttocks, why should we care? Why is it illegal to do that?
The issue is not the fact that steroids are illegal that drives us to become concerned when people are doing them. Just becasue religion is legal doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be AS concerned about it as steroids. Lest I remind you that slavery was once a legal practice in this country? If religion is just as destructive (and possibly more destructive) as steroids, then why is one illegal and one not?
Just because steroids are illegal doesn’t mean it’s any more a drain on our society than religion. Again, slavery was once legal, but was that less wrong than stealing a pack of gum from a convenience store which WAS illegal?
I say this to point out that the legality of steroids or religion means nothing when we’re talking about their differences. It’s not unreasonable at all to suggest that someone that practices dishonesty with their religious beliefs is any different than someone that is dishonest with themselves with steroid use.
Do you think religion should be illegal?
No, I don’t think it warrants the law getting involved.
I think it should be discouraged….or rather that a more secular approach should be ENcouraged.
Outlawing religion tomorrow would actually make things incredibly bad with the folks that use religion as a crutch to function in life. I know this might sound pretty ignorant, but I picture it like a junkie that can’t get his fix…only it would take years of rehab to get someone to the point where they’re able to function without this concept of god…and that’s if they don’t kill themselves and/or everyone else around them before then.
But no, I would never forcibly tell someone not to believe in god. I would simply do as I am with this website and provide more information that has been ignored and even hidden by religious groups just to keep the individuals “hooked on god”. You can’t get hooked on god if you actually use your brain to find out whether the idea is foolish or not.
Accepting god as real and ignoring all contrary evidence doesn’t make god real….it just means you haven’t opened yourself to the idea that god may not be real.
“It’s like completely relying on someone else’s cheat sheet for a final exam. The worst part about it is that religious folks automatically assume that the person they got the cheat sheet from can be trusted. There’s no outside fact checking to make sure this cheat sheet is legit…just a complete submission to it out of laziness, naivety or just plain dishonesty.”
That is a pretty strong point. It is a fantastic analogy that illustrates the tendency of religious folks to rely on the realizations of others. Sure, learning from reading and studying historical texts is undoubtedly helpful and crucial, but the nature of the Holy Bible (“This is the infallible word of God”) discourages many people from seeking out their own paths in life.
I appreciate the willingness to talk about these issues on this site.
Thanks Brian.
There’s just no willingness from the other side, and that’s very telling. I realize most people don’t enjoy having their beliefs picked apart, but I just don’t understand believing in something you refuse to defend. What’s the point in believing in it, and how strong of a belief can it be if you close all doors to civil discussion about it?
It just seems to me that the only way such a belief can exist is if believers continue to shut out any opposition to the belief. anyone can believe anything is true if the belief goes unopposed. If a kid believes Santa is real from the time he’s a kid and no one brings any opposition or contrary evidence to him…you’re going to eventually see a grown ass man that believes in Santa.
Again, I find your comments to be insulting. You say that people are “hooked on God” and that those who are religious are not “using their brains”. this to me is an insinuation that believers are not as intelligent as as atheists, and I sincerely beg to differ. Your religious beliefs, or lack thereof, have absolutely nothing to do with your intelligence. Period. YOU don’t believe in something. Good for you. No one is trying to figure out WHY you don’t believe ( I don’t care to know), yet you argue that you’re concern for why believers believe is based on your worry of society’s well-being.
We can point to illustrations to back up any opinion one can have. This is not remarkable. What IS remarkable, is the fact you are taking an interest into something that you “KNOW” isn’t real. Why is that? To be racist is nonesense, racism is not nonsense. Racism EXISTS, this is not debatable. you are not saying that MAYBE God doesn’t exist, you are saying that he doesn’t exist. Which is your right to do so.
And the slavery reference was unnecessary and quite frankly, inappropriate. Slavery was/is obviously destructive. RELIGION IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT. People can make it destructive, just as I can make my little pony to be destructive. A person’s of faith, does not have a negative impact on society. I realize that you are beefing with some believer’s individual beliefs, because they are contrary to your own. Fine. Don’t like their views. But to consistently berate something that is fundamental to so many people (and many of those are harmless and very personal), is beyond me. I know this is a moot point, and I will prob. never understand it.
I have to maintain a delicate balance between being as candid as possible without hurting feelings, and that’s often difficult to do. When I say something like people are “hooked on god”, it’s nothing different than a Christian that says they “love and depend on Jesus.” I’m sorry if the way I’ve worded it has offended you, but I hardly see the difference.
When I talk about the religious “using their brains”, it’s out of frustration by seeing people disregard anything other than what they were taught and conditioned to believe. There’s no effort to hear the other side or find out if what they believe is true. It’s stubborn, and like I said with the article, it’s cheating. You’re not finding the answers yourself….you’re ENTIRELY leaning on what someone has told you as 100% fact.
I have a vested interest in other people since I choose to live in a world with them. If I have to interact with people that think I don’t believe in god because a magical devil guy, or that women should not have the legal right to an abortion because god said so…that’s a problem. I’m going to speak out when I see and hear someone doing something I think is a little jacked up. I would expect someone to do the same if they thought I were doing something detrimental to their well-being as well.
And wow…I’d love for you to find the passage anywhere on any of the posts I’ve written that says that I KNOW god doesn’t exist. In fact, I’ve said the opposite…that the jury is still out, but as far as the evidence goes, the more consistent position would be to conclude that god does not exist. There’s a difference between saying “I know one doesn’t exist” and “one probably doesn’t exist, and all of this is most likely BS”, and I say the latter.
I only brought in the slavery reference because you asked me why I was concerned with something I thought was nonsense. I did not directly compare slavery to religion as if I were saying the two were equally as destructive. I was merely making the point that just because you think something is nonsense doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take an interest in it, since that’s what you seemed to be implying.
My point with this post was to draw the parallel between steroids and religion since I see them in the same light. Steroids don’t hurt society any more than religion does, and yet they are illegal. They only hurt the individual when abused (like religion), and yet they are illegal and looked down upon. When used properly, steroids can improve your life by making you stronger, and yet they are frowned upon. That’s my only point with this post.
I don’t think religion should be outlawed or anything to that extreme…I just want people to think a little bit about why they believe what they do…that’s all. I think we can only benefit if we know why it is we believe the things we do.
Steroids and religions are an interesting comparison.
The number 1 reason steroids is illegal is money. If they were legal, potential athletes from middle school and up would be secretly juicing, for the chancing the multi-million dollar contracts what will set themselves and their families and extended families for life But we all know the health consequences of juicing up still developing CHILDREN and placing pressure upon them to make a choice to juice and excel, or play fair an be mediocre.
The difference with religions is much richer in historical context. Billions have died fighting for the freedom to believe what they believe, whether what they believe is true or not. In comparison, the issue of steroids is a capitalistic creation in its infancy. Although perhaps not entirely without historical context in the evolution from bronze to steel to whatever.
I can’t help but coming back to the dishonesty thing, especially in a athletic forum. Muhammad Ali had fought two life and death decisions again Joe Frazier, losing one of them. Gorge foreman obliterated Frazier in 2 rounds, knocking him two 5 times. When they made that fact, all the pundits said Ali was risking his life, and that Champion Forman could very well kill Ali. Ali sent away his wife who claimed that he was risking his life in this fight. But Ali had a belief in his own superiority as a fighter, psychological destroyed forman over eight hellacious rounds absorbing crippling bombs, and eventually knocked him out.
Believe that you can be more than you are is a basic tenant of our world Whether “logical” or not, denying of discouraging belief in whatever form can lead to unrealized gaines and advanven in the human experience. Thank us all that Edison tryed that 25000 combination for the light bulb, that penicillin was discovered the way it was. It’s because we believe so many unbelievable things, have the intelligent people to research them, that occasioanlly we get lucky and cure things that long ago were not an optoin.
In essence, religion allows us to dream that we can be more than we already are, and there might be something out there that guides us to fulfill our best.
p.s.
Understand Trusth Seeker’s first point. Threre are a million peopl s marter ithe the world than us that are both chritian ad nore intelligent,and atheists and less intelligent.
Hmm.. I think you’re lumping everyone who is religious or believes in a God into the same group. There is the smaller group of fanaticals who take their holy texts to be literary fact. They make the most noise obviously but pale in numbers to the casually religious. These are the people who believe in a God but don’t know the details.
Are they deceiving themselves? Yeah maybe, who knows? It’s just as likely there’s some great power as not… according to the limits of current human knowledge. I think there’s an assumption in religion denial that’s a bad one: that we just don’t know enough science to disprove gods but we will eventually.
I’m not religious. It’s not because organized religion seems like a crock. It’s because I don’t need it. A lot of people do. It provides meaning and structure to their lives. It can be a positive on an individual level. If it requires a little self-deception, so be it, as long as it’s not harming anyone. All of us deceive ourselves in some ways. You have to think of it in a cost-benefit way. There is some benefit to questioning your beliefs but if the cost is to eliminate meaning and structure… is it worth it?
For example, what if someone grew up thinking his father was a hero… like a cop who saved children or whatever. But later he learned his dad was a pederast. Yeah, maybe for that guy individually it might be better for him to know the truth and tried to grow through it… but odds are he’s gonna be f’ed up for a while if not forever.
(PS I’m not comparing religion to pedophilia in any way, just giving an example of what a psychological blow it could be for some people)
Sure, I realize there’s a difference between the radicals and casual religious folks, but they both share the same tendency to reject any contrary evidence.
And you’re right that there’s a possibility that there is a god out there, but when you go on believing something like god rewards those that believe in him and punishes those that don’t…and there’s zero evidence for this at all…you’re being dishonest, and that’s all I’m talking about.
I agree with you for the most part, but I just think the problem comes in where people can’t admit to themselves that they’re just trying to trick themselves into believing and not that it’s all actually real. I’d have more respect for the person strong enough to say “hell yeah, I know deep down it’s bullshit, but it’s the only way I can make sense of things” than the person that goes on acting like they’ve got the truth.
It all comes down to whether you want to deal with life on life’s terms or your own. If you’re going to live like the way YOU want it, then you’re going to have to play fairy tale land sometimes. But I prefer to be more honest with myself…and I’ve confronted these things to the point where I can enjoy life just as much as a believer, if not more sometimes.
I understand the psychological blow, but again, it comes down to being strong enough to face issues instead of making shit up just to make you feel better. Some people need the bullshit just to function…others are stronger and able to function without it. That’s just the way it is I guess.
OK I got to say something on this. I know I’m new to this site but still fell I should point out an obvious point about religions. They are one of the main points that start wars. So to say they do not hurt anyone is a lie. I myself have been hit while in church (doing research for a paper I had to write) with a Bible for asking things like “if God is the all mighty Creator how did he come to life?” Now granted I am atheists but I have an open mind. Also I grew up in a strict Christian family. I have read the Bible (I think all of them plus the Caron to get an understanding on Muslim culture too). I am sure there are other religious books/guides I have not read and probably wont read due to the fact that from what I have read they all say almost the same thing just in a different wording.