Faith is a Delusion

Faith is a delusion held by those who do not really want to know the truth.

A cult is a faith group wherein members are strongly discouraged or are not allowed to seek the truth.  A group that will not tolerate challenges to their faith is a cult.  Cult members will ignore reality and people they love to avoid facing facts in conflict with their beliefs.  

Propaganda is the tool used to recruit cult members and convince existing cult members that their beliefs are true.

How would one know if they are in a cult or are the product of propaganda?  Question everything, seek outside views, challenge your own beliefs, trust science, and verify the veracity of cult statements.  If you are not able or are not willing to do so you are a cult member and/or are the product of propaganda.  If you would end friendships, if you would separate from family members because they do not believe as you believe then you are likely a cult member.  If your mind is made up and facts just get in the way, you are likely a cult member.  If you welcome new views, new insights, new thoughts and seek truth then you are healthy.

Current delusions and propaganda:  God chose Trump, Trump is persecuted by the left-leaning media, vaccinations cause autism, global warming is a myth, tariffs are helping American producers, Trump is a self-made billionaire, Trump is a stable genius, immigrant asylum seekers are bad people (rapists, murderers, etc.), the government is out to take guns away from citizens, socialism is a bad thing, liberalism is a bad thing, separation of church and state is a bad thing, white nationalism and racism are not bad things, the more guns the safer we all are, making the rich richer will help the middle and working class, America has more international respect under Trump, the wall is being built, Trump supports veterans, Trump supports Social Security and Medicare, abortion is murder, Putin is our friend, Trump has been exonerated by Mueller, etc., etc.

But increasingly if you seek the truth behind these issues you are alone.  The cult appears to be growing.  The delusions are more and more bizarre and less and less tied to reality.  I fear for the future of humanity if we cannot break free of the current cultism and tribalism.  We are capable of so much more.  The dinosaurs ruled earth for over 150 million years prior to extinction.  Humans have just made it 150 thousand years and are fading fast.  The answers to our longevity do not lie in faith.  The answers will be found by seeking truth.