Religious paranoia

Religious paranoia is an irrational fear of being purposefully attacked by an outside agent(s) in or through some religious context. Some examples:

  1. The fear of one's soul being stolen
  2. The fear of being tempted by demons
  3. The fear of being plotted against by cultists
  4. The fear of being a target of God or Satan

It is a condition which has been compared to extremism and intolerance.[1] It has been cited as a possible contributor to political violence.[2][3] It is often related to splitting, psychological projection, a desire to maintain a sense of purity in situations of real or perceived persecution, and rigid and unchallengeable attitudes.[4]

In an alternate form of religious paranoia of a psychiatric nature, the patient can suffer from a permanent delusion of a primarily religious nature. He could, for example, believe that he is the messenger of God who has been sent to the world to propagate some religion.

See also

References

  1. Field F., J. (August 8, 1999). "China's Religious Paranoia". National Catholic Register. Retrieved November 29, 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. Presidential peril: Assassin Nation, Globe and Mail, May 31, 2008
  3. Mustaffa, Ahmad; Manaf, Abdul (January 18, 2011). "Religious paranoia can wreak havoc if unchecked". The Star. Retrieved November 29, 2011. External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. The destructive power of religion: violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, J. Harold Ellens, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 ISBN 0-275-99708-1, ISBN 978-0-275-99708-3
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