freedom of belief.

Picture this.

You walk into a room and there is an adult sitting with their hands cupped together in front of them. You ask them what they are doing and they say there are speaking to their special friend who they hear in their heads sometimes. You can't see anybody and so you want to help them realize there is no one there and that their lives would be better spent doing something else.

Should you do it? Should you help the mentally ill person come to their senses and wake up?

I would...and this is leading somewhere...

No I wouldn't....

That will only make us more condesending and patronising. Who knows whether they tell the truth or not.

At the end of the day, you will be helping them by giving them a listening ear.

Lol 'spread amongst the sheep' that made me giggle!

I would not instruct the person to stop praying or inforse my veiws upon them. However I would say to them that I can not see who they are talking to, I would ask them to tell me about the voices and I would, to the best of my ability, try to understand whilst telling them my oppinions; they seem to be wasting their life.

Through this sharing of ideas I would hope to acheive a higher understanding and perhaps this person's words will lead me to see what they are seeing.

"I think therefore I am, now that I am here I don't know what to think"

Well, if a person was mentally ill then there'd be nothing I could do/say that would make them "come to their senses." Granted, mental illness is an illness, therefore me not being any kind of physcologist or doctor would have no business telling someone their invisible friend doesn't exist.

I wouldn't want to confuse the person or cause harm. It wouldn't do anyone any good, moreless be a waste of time. Besides, I am no one to tell anyone "how their life would be betterly spent."

That's just me though.

Bob, I believe in focussed thought having an effect on reality, if i walked into a room and someone told me they were training their minds to the outcome of a situation, seeing it's possibilities and preferred avenues in their heads...willing the best scenario to come to pass, I'd think them most rational...this could extend to healing etc.

It's the inclusion of a deity, a nebulous 3rd party I find ridiculous which is why I draw a line between prayer and mediation type excercises.

I know influencing people to think as we do is a touchy subject among the free thinking peace loving masses in here, and of course my post was going to draw heat for being blatantly religious.

But consider this, you all say it is wrong to instill in another a way of thinking linked to their behavior that might not be natural to them, or counter to how they think and behave now.

But we all do that when we raise children, we do that when we judge criminals, we have moderators in here for that reason, and religions themselves have commandments for this reason...to bring people round to a certain way of thought.

For the record, I don't think voices in someones head means anything bad....I'm well aware of the generic nature of the definitions included in the diagnostic journals for medical and mental conditions around the world...I would have thought some of you might know me a little better.

alright, i didnt read all of the above, because i'm in school...but i will say this much

i don't think that because the person hears voices in their head means that they are ''ill'' and who is to justify if hearing voices is ill or not?

this is a touchy subject for me becuase i do have the issue of voices in my head, yet i live a completly normal life. i have wonderful friends, great family, a car, i go to school...and have never had anyone tell me i'm ill because of it

so quite frankly, i dont think that hearing voices is a sign of being ill and even if it was the person would have to want help for this to work.

"Not to believe is still a belief"

I agree, but the troubles especially in my small town in which most people go to some kind of church, Not believing is...bad.

It all really depends on how you choose to go about "not believing."

Personally, I prefer to believe in myself, first an foremostly.

I am the master of my own destiny...or demise...but what ever it is, I am in control.

Kevin, something you seriously misjudged is the fact that in here, as in religion, and a coutry, nobody is forced to join. No body forced anybody to join P and Q, they merely stated that if someone does join they must abide by the rules given. Countries and religions do the same. Moderators don't go out and force people to join P and Q and then force them to follow rules. By going up to someone who is praying and "helping" them by telling them they are wrong and trying to convince them out of a deity is forcing.

Cory, I don't think I have misjudged all that much, except how much other people understand.

I didn't say anything about forcing. All I said was [if you read my post] that it's a joke to talk about how wrong it is to change someones way of thinking to match your own when we do it everyday. You are trying to do it to me now, how dare you tell me my perceptions are wrong...voices in my head tell me the things i know.

: )

Kevin, to change someone's way of thinking to match your own, foring your own opinion on someone, this is just an argument of semantics. I think we both mean the same thing; I just used harsher terminology.

However, I never tried to change anything you said, as a matter of fact I never said anything you said was wrong, because that would be imposing my will. I only said I think you left out crucial information. I never stated your were wrong at all. I simply took your comparison and went deeper, comparing more intricataley the differences between mods on this site, a religion, and your hypothetical situation (joke). The entire world is based off people imposing, forcing, persuading (whatever you want to call it) others to think like them. That is advertising, politics, business, sports, debates, poetry, art. There is no escape from it.

I'm sorry but all of you who dont believe in God A.K.A. Jesus Christ are going to be cast into the burning lake of fire A.K.A. Hell...And Yes granted this is my opinion but I 110% believe it is true and that Jesus died on the cross for all of us...so yes if you don't beleive that..sorry but your gunna "burn in hell"

I find it immature of one to call a religious person insane or mentally ill, all though, someone who is not religious may find it a bit pointless for another to pray to an "omnipotent being".

Religion is therapy for the mind. It helps those with weak constitution or weak mental will to overcome problems they could not, otherwise, overcome alone. I am Atheist. God is not real to me. I am more than capable of handling my own mental stress. Even at the young age of eightteen, I am able to free myself from mental slavery. The restrictions that one puts themself under, due to the following of a strict religion, can only be seen as subjective, unrational fear of loneliness.

It is perfectly logical for one to be safe and sane without the influence of a spiritual leader.

*taps stick*

Top post, fella. Although I am sure given time someone will come along and give it the ol' "You may not believe in God, but He believes in YOU as you'll find out on Judgment Day, AHAHAHA!" or similar.

Every religion has it's collection of fruitloops. And they often spoil it for the gentle, kind ones. As we saw during the Inquisition. As we are seeing with Islamic Extremism.

Just let them talk to themselves, or whoever they whenever they want. Unless they are doing something that's really life-threatening, just let them live to the best of their ability. It's not gonna kill you.

But then again it really depends on the situation, and if that certain situation comes along then you'll just have to act and do what you think is wise, if you discern the situation carefully.