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<DIV><FONT size=4>Ted,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Thank you for your reply.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The problem of defining "mental illness" is not an easy one to
solve. As far as I know, there is no general agreement about such a
definition which is accepted by all those who can be rightly and credentially be
called professional mental health professionals.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Most definitions however, recognize that a long term
disconnect from "reality" meaning belief in the contradictory or unevidenced
over a long period of time is part of the definition in some way.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>There is no doubt that religious belief for many is a
satisfying self-therapy in the form of a coping/defense mechanism against the
rigors of life in a contingent universe. I do not think these long range
coping beliefs/behaviors are the most productive for many of these believers,
but I respect their right to choose them but not their right to call them
the "truth".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The real problem is the apodictic insistence that a particular
untestable, unverifiable, etc superstitious/religious set of
statements is the truth and that everyone should accept this dogma, even if
such acceptance is to be coerced at the threat of social isolation, economic
deprivation, physical punishment, etc, and/or death.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>The material I posted author by Cult Attorney Gregor Dickison
and blessed by the Cult Master himself clearly shows where the Christ Church
Cult stands on such matters.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)<BR><A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tbertruss@aol.com
href="mailto:tbertruss@aol.com">tbertruss@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=deco@moscow.com
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, June 12, 2005 6:07 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] An Open Letter
[Continuing the Thread]</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana'">
<DIV>
<DIV>Wayne, et. <SPAN class=correction id=""><SPAN class=correction
id="">al</SPAN></SPAN>.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>No need to pray for my indulgence, of course. Maybe you meant that
tongue in cheek. I really don't mind your large colored font,
though it does make me feel like I am reading a children's book. But I
like children's books. And truth be told, I think some of the
people you might be trying to reach with your large colored font are <SPAN
class=correction id="">unconsciously</SPAN> thinking/feeling on the level of
children, so I guess this fits! I have often stated that God is for many
believers a parent figure for adults who have not outgrown the needs of
children for an all knowing guiding hand in life. I suspect you might
agree with this.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>About religion and ment<SPAN class=correction id=""><SPAN
class=correction id="">al</SPAN></SPAN> illness, I guess I disagree to some
ext<SPAN class=correction id="">en</SPAN>t, because I know people wh<SPAN
class=correction id="">o </SPAN>fervently bel<SPAN class=correction
id="">ie</SPAN>ve in their faith who I do not think are<SPAN class=correction
id=""> m</SPAN>entally ill, who DO NOT DOUBT the truth of their faith, or if
they do, they do not tell me. So your qualification that for a religious
believer to be "sane" they must admit the possibility of the falsehood of
their beliefs I do not think always applies. But I have a view of mental
illness that is perhaps unusual, that includes irrationality as a normal part
of the human condition, unavoidable to some extent. I really do not care
what a person believes or if they admit they might be wrong, under some
circumstances, in regards to their sanity. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What I find "insane" is justifying doing harm that can be avo<SPAN
class=correction id="">id</SPAN>ed to any living thing. So i<SPAN
class=correction id="">f </SPAN>a Chri<SPAN class=correction
id="">st</SPAN>ian feels they listen to Jesus talk to
them every night, with<SPAN class=correction id=""> n</SPAN>o
doubt it is the word of God<SPAN class=correction id="">, </SPAN>and th<SPAN
class=correction id="">ey</SPAN> live a <SPAN class=correction
id="">li</SPAN>fe of kindness, gentleness and good will toward all living
things, they are saner, to my way of looking at mental illness, then the most
logical factual skeptical thinker in the world, who kicks his dog, yells at
and neglects his wife and kids, and abuses our biosphere recklessly,
contributing to species extinction, to make a million bucks off, for
example, strip mining sites around the globe.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I find the leg<SPAN class=correction id="">al</SPAN> definition of sanity
quite insane. If someone with full ration<SPAN class=correction
id="">al</SPAN> capabilities and awareness commits a premeditated mass
murder, the courts will say they are sane. I think that this
demonstrates they are more insane than a person who has impaired ration<SPAN
class=correction id="">al</SPAN> <SPAN class=correction id="">faculties</SPAN>
and/or awareness who commits the same crime, though in the later case the
courts may allow an insanity defense.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think you can understand what I am saying. Maybe?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ted <SPAN class=correction id=""><SPAN class=correction id=""><SPAN
class=correction id="">Moffett</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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