Mass delusions and their consequences

Surveys show that more than 60 per cent of Americans believe that the devil is a real being. A similar proportion reject evolution in favour of creationism. Likewise, more than 60 per cent of Americans believed that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the September 11 attacks. Books on the end of the world, the return of Jesus followed by rapture up to heaven, are best sellers in the US. Can such a propensity for religious beliefs that defy reason affect the capacity for rational thought processes? Can a fantastical world of religious belief affect real world behaviour? Does it matter? There would seem to be considerable evidence that it can and does.

People are generally able to quarantine the less rational aspects of their beliefs from their day to day life choices. One may pray for rain, but not pray that the car will repair itself. However if someone believes they are “chosen” or “called”, and are in a position of power in a society where such beliefs are pervasive, they may not see such distinctions. The invasion of Iraq was instigated by men of apparent great faith. George Bush said that his God told him to invade. While Tony Blair may not have admitted to hearing the Word, he always sought to justify the invasion by the assertion that he “believed he was right”. But he was not right. The invasion was motivated by faith-based intelligence and righteous zeal that was entirely misplaced.

The US-led invasion of Iraq was a religiously inspired debacle of monumental proportions. It was against the will of the United Nations. As a consequence, the rule of law, an essential ingredient for the progress of civilisation, was replaced by the naked assertion of US power. International conventions were discarded and replaced by ad hoc ex-judicial executions, apprehensions, illegal renditions to countries where torture is sanctioned, and imprisonment and torture in Guantanamo Bay. This shameful setback to the advancement of humanity was a high price to pay for actions inspired by irrational religious motivations.

The impending global recession is another monumental debacle for which the Americans must bear prime responsibility. It is no wonder that these things happen when faith, rather than rationality is seen as a virtue. It needs to be recognised that the excessive degree of religious belief in America and elsewhere gives rise to a dysfunctional social and political mentality. The god delusion is pathological. Not only America, but the whole world, has been forced to pay the price.

To effectively deal with the problem of global warming, we cannot afford a religion induced policy miasma such as we have seen. Those who are not victims of such religious delusions need to reach out to fellow citizens. We must assert that there is no evidence that justifies the belief in one religion as opposed to any other. The delusion of religion is neither benign nor beneficial. Ethical values are best determined on the basis of universal principles such as compassion, honesty, freedom and justice. We need to raise consciousness and promote rational cognitions, or suffer the consequences.