Born Gay?

[relspace]

If their ideas that they hold religion to be a mental illness permeated as deeply as you suggest, one would expect the mental health organizations to mention it in the studies they publish, or the treatment methods they endorse. I've taken a small handful of psychology courses and I've never been taught that the psych community considers religion to be a mental illness.

On the other hand it is clear that religion is one of the big players in psychological health. Even Dr. Scott Peck is forced to admit this. It is just that with a less biased approach such as his, religion can be seen to play both helpful and harmful roles. And even when the role is harmful, it most often has more to do with how that person thinks about religion that to do with the negative value of religion itself.