When Religion is an Addiction

When
RELIGION
is an
ADDICTION

Outwards Books presents
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D.
Author of SCARED STRAIGHT

Last night Outwards Books sponsored a talk by Robert Minor on his current book "When Religion is an Addiction" This was a very informative discussion on how Religion can become an addiction, how it comes about and why. What we do to further it and how to respond to it.

Basically we need to stop enabling the religious people's addiction by altering our way of thinking. It deals with the the questions such as Will we call it an addiction? How those caught up in the addictive web get a "High" or "Fix" from those who preach about righteousness and and how it feeds those with low self-esteem to feel better than those around them. Its like a drug where they never quite reach that ultimate High and ever strive for more.

He went into detail about how we can overcome some of the pitfalls that liberal thinking and actions can exacerbate the situation. We should not argue religion with them, but we should concentrate instead on how they feel about themselves.

Arguing our position doesn't work and we should discontinue that approach. It just feeds on their addiction. We have to let them hit Rock Bottom and not feel sorry for them. First we have to save ourselves. Secondly we need to ask why we are in this fight. We must recognize addictive religion and non-addictive religion, know the difference, and how they relate to that. Be clear about what you can and cannot do for the addict and the addiction. Lastly to remove the addict from the addiction and the the driver's seat in our society and our lives.

All this is explained in his book and talk. It is a short 153 pages and will certainly enlighten many about how the Religious Right act and think. It is a good book to read and study now because Pride Fest is just around the corner and with it will undoubtedly come the extremists outside the gates. Undoubtedly it will give some of us the knowledge to better handle the situation.