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Religion as a Psychological Crutch

Isn’t Christianity, like all religions, just a crutch for emotionally weak people?

Religion could be used as a Psychological Crutch for weak people because they are insecure about their future and so they invent “good luck charms” to help them feel secure. But just because it can become a crutch DOES NOT MEAN that it actually always is.

Didn't people create god in order to cope with the future?

Some individuals do create “god” in order to cope with the future. However, this does not mean that god is made up. People use good luck charms all the time.

Why should it matter what you believe as long as you have a sincere faith?

The Bible makes it clear that the only way to salvation is through Christ (John 14:1). Being sincere is not wrong.

However, this does not logically follow for can a person be sincerely wrong, convinced that something is right when in fact it is wrong? Look at the Jim Jones massacre or the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas. These people were sincere yet they ended dying for a cult.

A nurse administered oxygen to a patient and left. When she came back to the patient he was dead because the bottle had been mislabeled “oxygen” instead of “nitrogen.” She sincerely believed she was right but this did not help the patient who died.

Truth must be determined objectively apart form religious intent. Scripture, which we have determined to be true, states the truth.

If your were raised to believe in God, can you ever deny that preconditioning?

There are two assumptions which you are making.

First, that all Christians are preconditioned. (Poll any number of Christians and you will find out that they all have different conversion experiences)

Secondly, you assume that if a person is preconditioned, then his position is valid. (Do you still believe in Santa Claus?)

Preconditioning is not a valid reason to reject Christianity.

What if I do not need religion?

There is a God shaped vacuum in every man. When a person recognizes his need for God and responds to the light he has received, God Himself will respond and reward that person.

Return to The Hard Questions from Psychological Crutch