by MsMcDucket 3 Replies latest jw friends
Does this sound like somebody are organization that you know of?
http://www.med.uiuc.edu/m2/psychiatry/2005_Pages/Answers/answers/psychotic.htm
I couldn't copy the whole thing, so you'll have to go to the link to see what I'm talking about. Edited to add: I really had to put this part on here.
2. The patients delusions are grandiose and religious as he believes that he has the power to detroy 1/3 of the population and his mission appears to be inspired by God.
I've often said that there is a very fine line between "faith" and "delusion".
Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of reality, though not beheld. ~ Heb 11:1 NWT
delusion (from wikipedia.com):
A delusion is commonly defined as a fixed false belief and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception.
The line between delusion and fervent religious belief is the classic, age-old debate in psychiatry. It is easier to diagnose someone with psychosis if they are having hallucinations (sensory experiences that do not originate in reality--seeing things, hearing things, etc.) in addition to delusions (false beliefs). With a person experiencing delusions without hallucinations, and when those delusions have religious themes, diagnosing is more complex. Interesting article about distinguishing the two: http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2003/FaithAndDelusion_DiscGrp_Nov-03.html
Check out this info about shared delusions, which is even closer to what cults do: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3352.htm
Many neurotic psychopaths became religious leaders driven by the intensity of their delusions, and Rutherford was certainly one of them. They are usually very careless and make predictions about the near future that invariably fail and that gives away their game. They had illusions rather than divine revelation.
