Mass shooting LDS church Grand Blanc, Michigan, is gunman down.Church on fire

[chr0naut]

Post deleted because it has gotten off topic.

Apologies

[Truthhurts]

I will never grasp why religion isn't viewed as a mental illness. When someone claims, "I am Abraham Lincoln," society responds with, "you're mentally ill." Yet, when someone asserts that there exists an invisible entity IN THE SKY that fulfills wishes if you pray, their lack of evidence is overlooked, and it's still not deemed a mental illness.

[Truthhurts]

This thread is likely to fade away rapidly, as the shooter might have been affiliated with Trump. There was a pro-Trump sign displayed on his fence.

In this situation, we witness the hypocrisy of the Reich wing; there is no outrage, no demands for action, and no effort to keep the story in the headlines because the shooter could potentially be one of their own, and they prefer for the narrative to vanish.

[chr0naut]

I will never grasp why religion isn't viewed as a mental illness. When someone claims, "I am Abraham Lincoln," society responds with, "you're mentally ill." Yet, when someone asserts that there exists an invisible entity IN THE SKY that fulfills wishes if you pray, their lack of evidence is overlooked, and it's still not deemed a mental illness.

So, almost all the people on the planet are mad?

Makes sense, I suppose.

We should also add the people who think this all came about by accident, too. That's not very rational, either.

[Truthhurts]

So, almost all the people on the planet are mad?

Makes sense, I suppose.

We should also add the people who think this all came about by accident, too. That's not very rational, either.

The mere fact that a large number of people hold a belief does not validate its reality. Recently, millions thought the rapture was imminent; did it occur? Certainly not.

[chr0naut]

The mere fact that a large number of people hold a belief does not validate its reality. Recently, millions thought the rapture was imminent; did it occur? Certainly not.

Especially if we are all totally bonkers!

But by definition, the rapture has been imminent (there is no 'sign' and no-one knows of the date or time of occurrence, prior to it happening) for 2,000 years.

[Truthhurts]

Especially if we are all totally bonkers!

But by definition, the rapture has been imminent (there is no 'sign' and no-one knows of the date or time of occurrence, prior to it happening) for 2,000 years.

Pastors apologize for false rapture prediction that sent social media into frenzy

The prediction went viral, allegedly causing some believers to sell off their belongings, such as cars and homes, and prepare for the apocalyptic event.

A doomsday prediction about the Rapture is spreading on TikTok


 This demonstrates that the belief held by millions of individuals does not necessarily render it true.

[Mantiss2021]

I will never grasp why religion isn't viewed as a mental illness. When someone claims, "I am Abraham Lincoln," society responds with, "you're mentally ill." Yet, when someone asserts that there exists an invisible entity IN THE SKY that fulfills wishes if you pray, their lack of evidence is overlooked, and it's still not deemed a mental illness.

It is really quite simple:


Religious beliefs can easily be manipulated to engender and then re-inforce social control mechanisms. Chief among which is the compliance-reward vs. Non-compliance/punishment system.

Added benefit is that religion-based rewards need not be actually, physically manifested, so long as punishment can be seen to very often carry a real, physical component.


Someone claiming to be Abraham Lincoln, or some other example of delusion, is not easily translatable into a socially useful tool.

[MBSC]

Obviously speculation but I wouldn't be shocked if it turns out Sanford's motivation for this horrendous act was somewhat similar to the case of Stefan Day Rowold which just resurfaced in the media about ten days earlier and may very well have been what triggered him.

Rowold, 36, told investigators in Wiggins that it “brought him joy” to vandalize and twice set fire to the LDS church in Wiggins around the Fourth of July 2024, Wiggins Police Lt. David Roberts testified at Rowold’s federal trial in Gulfport.

“You don’t know the joy I got from this,” Rowold said. But he admitted he was disappointed after the first fire because the building didn’t burn down. He said he returned days later to “finish what he started.”

Rowold claimed he hated the LDS church because he believed it promotes polygamy and trafficks children for sex. He said he received his “epiphany from God” long after his own conviction for child molestation, which made him a registered sex offender.

Torching South MS church ‘brought him joy,’ he told police. Now he’s on trial
Article was published on September 17

[Truthhurts]

It is really quite simple:


Religious beliefs can easily be manipulated to engender and then re-inforce social control mechanisms. Chief among which is the compliance-reward vs. Non-compliance/punishment system.

Added benefit is that religion-based rewards need not be actually, physically manifested, so long as punishment can be seen to very often carry a real, physical component.


Someone claiming to be Abraham Lincoln, or some other example of delusion, is not easily translatable into a socially useful tool.

I concur; however, the reality that a significant number of individuals who subscribe to this delusion can be so readily influenced ought to raise alarms for humanity.