Some relevant threads:

Kellym78 on the disorder of theism

Kellym78 on the disorder of theism part deux

RRS in some videos on the mind disorder of theism.  Video 1  -   Video 2 

In the recent storm of debate over whether theism is a mental disorder, I've noticed an interesting word game being played. Those who disapprove of our label are suggesting that theism is not a mental disorder, and that anyone who does something in the name of religion was insane to begin with.

I'd like to remind all of the atheists who object to "Theism is a Mind Disorder" to remember a particular logical fallacy -- No True Scotsman. Let's look at a hypothetical dialog.

1) Theism is a mind disorder.

2) No it isn't.

1) Look at what Joe did. He cut his hand off in the name of religion.

2) He's really crazy. That's not because of theism.

1) Ok, fine. But look at Iran. They've been cutting hands off for centuries in the name of religion.

2) Yeah, but the people who do that are really crazy. That's not because of theism.

1) Ok, fine. But look at America. Despite overwhelming evidence that homosexuality is a normal part of the animal kingdom, including animals, we see groups like the Westboro Baptist Church picketing funerals holding up signs that say, "God Hates Fags."

2) Yeah, but the people who do that are really crazy. That's not because of theism.

1) Ok, fine. There are many states in the U.S. who are actually debating whether or not schools should teach that the earth might be 6000 years old, despite the fact that we know beyond the shadow of any doubt that it is not. We're debating this because of the pressure of huge numbers of theists who believe it, despite overwhelming evidence... not just overwhelming evidence, but... holy cow, man! It's moronic. How could anyone possibly believe this?

2) Yeah, but the people who are pushing for this are just the fringe. They don't represent religion.

1) You changed the subject... are they crazy?

2) Well... um... Want to go to lunch?

At what point do we look at a person's behavior and say they're insane? Did you know that in the 50s, women who didn't want to have children were labeled by the medical community as insane? They were given medication and shock treatment to cure their insanity. The DSM is not a peer reviewed book, contrary to popular belief. If every entry in that book had to be peer reviewed, it would never be published. It's simply an edited version of what most professionals hold to be mental disorders.

Of course, there's a big problem with this. The medical community doesn't agree on the definition of mental disorder, even in America, not to speak of the rest of the world. There's a bigger question here, and it's what RRS is trying to address by attacking theism as a mental disorder.

Theism is not just a haphazard belief. It is a model of reality. Theism literally teaches that logic doesn't work. It says that there are some things that you must believe because they are true despite evidence to the contrary. It says things that are contradictory can both be true. It says that what we perceive as reality is only true if it lines up with doctrines that sometimes contradict reality. If someone believes and firmly holds to a view of reality that is clearly not true, despite ample evidence to the contrary, we say they are mentally disordered. Yet... people who believe theism are not mentally disordered... Only the ones who do really crazy things are.

People who are irrational to the point of breaking with reality are said to be mentally disordered. While the medical community may not agree on the exact classification, the implication is clear. People with PTSD were born with brains that dealt with reality pretty well. As a result of an external trauma, they can no longer function well in society. Even though the syndrome was caused by something external, PTSD is treated as a mental disorder.

So, let's go back to the No True Scotsman fallacy. If we say that anyone who does something crazy -- in the name of religion -- is "just crazy," we have removed the possibility that some people who do things because of the theism are crazy specifically because of the theism. We know that external forces can cause mental instability (PTSD), yet we deny the possibility that theism is just such an external force. We give theism a free pass, yet again, because it's simply too disturbing to imagine that all the theists who do not do things that seem certifiably crazy are simply not mentally disordered enough to do anything really bad.

Let me say that again for clarity. We are discounting the possibility that people who do not do crazy things because of religion are simply resistant to the more insane parts of theism. Everyone who goes into combat does not show symptoms of PTSD. Yet, we know that combat is the catalyst which causes PTSD. We don't go around saying, "People with PTSD were just crazy to begin with!" We admit that the external circumstances -- the combat stress -- caused it. Why do we give theism another free pass simply because every theist doesn't do crazy things?