Social Anxeity and Religion

[ikbenrifi]

Hello everybody,

it's been a long time i didn't post any thread, actually i started one recently

but it seems that moderators have deleted it, anyways, as the title

indicates, i want to talk about religion and any potential relation with Social

Anxeity?

I mean, personally, i was very religeous in my childhood and adolescence,

religion was everything to me and it has affected my personality too much,

now i've started to think it is the main cause of my SA, when people were

spending their time socializing i was isolated somewhere in my own world to

find myself in the end with no social skill ...etc

i don't want to discuss religion or anything, and when i say religion caused

my SA, that doesn't mean there is necessarly anything wrong with religion,

but maybe our understanding of it !

thank you in advance

 

[Sial Axetder]

May be possible. Certainly not impossible. Will not deny it.

I never was very religious. Religion separates.

 

[Confuseddd]

religion has caused more harm then good. Life is ment to be questioned... not just simply, answered for you.

 

[userremoved]

You've have really confused me. Can you clarify what you mean? I think you mean church itself caused you anxiety, not religion? Because church is a social event. It's like going to the club or bar on the weekends, except its people that dont engage in drinking and random sex lol. So yeah if you're socially awkward then church will make you even more anxious. A lot of times I would sit in my own little corner too, its really bad if youre in a megachurch with thousands of members, because people will not notice you.

But like you said I doubt its religion in itself. Especially since most religions are about bringing people together. If it separates people, it's because they choose not to belong to that religion, not because it excludes them.

 

[Dronee]

I don't think so. I've many Christian friends as well as others from other religions. Many of them are religious. Amongst these, there are those who are socially withdrawn and others who are gregarious as the religion serves as a way to bond with fellow devotees and people in general. The atheists and agnostics amongst my friends are that way too, very diverse.

Just take a look at many eager Christian missionaries. I doubt many of these have SA or they have overcome their SA in order to spread what they believe is the truth. Similarly for the other religions.

I think it's not the religion itself, but rather how your thought processes work and those are partly genetic and partly the result of your environment, particularly parents. Have you seen a person who grasps something hard and has difficulty in the motor movements letting go? Certain minds repeat their thoughts over and over again, regardless of what those thoughts may be.. especially if they're anxiety related. Unfortunately, just about anything can be learned to be a source of anxiety...

 

[coyote]

It's like going to the club or bar on the weekends, except its people that dont engage in drinking and random sex lol.

Maybe not in the church building itself. But outside of that.... hmmm.

That's why I have a problem with alot of churchy people I have known.

They're utter hypocrites.

 

[lunaticbinge]

Because church is a social event.

A social event? I guess it depends on the church. Back when I was still forced to go to church most people walked in, sat and listened to a guy drone on for an hour, then left. Lots of people in one place, but not exactly social.

 

[NathanielWingatePeaslee]

I've never seen any reason to believe that there's any direct link between religion and social anxiety. Or a significant indirect link.

 

[punklove]

I'd say because you were in church while everyone else was outside socializing that yes that deffinitly could have triggered your SA but I don't think it's specifically the church environment that did that I think that if your seperated by the outside world for long periods of time daily then that could trigger SA for sure. It didn't have to be church though it could have been... anything that kept you away from people.

 

[Feathers]

Well, I can partly relate.. I was quite religious as a kid too, from a religious family (at least Dad was very), and even as a teen.. And Dad scared as about the boys.. (and now wonders why he hasn't got any grandkids?? uhh!!)
And yup, the drinking and the parties weren't very appealing to me (for that and personal/family reasons..) So in a way not wanting to drink alcohol and do stupid stuff can isolate you somewhat.. (And yup, even a priest or 'church crowd' can do drinking or any other stupid things, depends on the individual persons really.. Some can be really great people, and some can be really great people without being religious and all..)

But what can be even more isolating is if you start to have doubts into what you were taught, or have a different/wider understanding than 'conventional', then it might happen you don't really fit in with the 'church crowd' or the 'anti-church crowd', and there can be lots of people inbetween, but it can still make it difficult somewhat, when looking for a potential partner etc (you don't want them to be too religious and not to be too anti-religion either, so it can be difficult, at least that was my experience.. maybe it's different in an ex-socialist country, or just my personal experience was sorta like that..

 

[userremoved]

Maybe not in the church building itself. But outside of that.... hmmm.

That's why I have a problem with alot of churchy people I have known.

They're utter hypocrites.

Well if they were doing it they kept it a secret from me. Which doesn't surprise me. I would be the one member who doesn't get invited to the orgy.

A social event? I guess it depends on the church. Back when I was still forced to go to church most people walked in, sat and listened to a guy drone on for an hour, then left. Lots of people in one place, but not exactly social.

Yeah people would talk before and after service. Ususally about Church related things or planning activities for the weekend.

 

[Confuseddd]

You've have really confused me. Can you clarify what you mean? I think you mean church itself caused you anxiety, not religion? Because church is a social event. It's like going to the club or bar on the weekends, except its people that dont engage in drinking and random sex lol. So yeah if you're socially awkward then church will make you even more anxious. A lot of times I would sit in my own little corner too, its really bad if youre in a megachurch with thousands of members, because people will not notice you.

But like you said I doubt its religion in itself. Especially since most religions are about bringing people together. If it separates people, it's because they choose not to belong to that religion, not because it excludes them.

uh buddy? i hear what your saying but..

Religion says sure lets all come together... IF and only if you believe this, this , and that, oh and you must accept OUR god.

there are so many different religions that as long as religion is around there will never be total unity in our world.

Religion attempts to appear wise to knowledge that one could not possibly know, not in this lifetime.

The truely wise man knows that he knows nothing. This force fed religion is against the human nature and provides explanations for the world only so people can live without fear of death.

Socrates once said that he would rather ask the right questions then pretend to know the right answers. I do hope you understand the relevance in that.

Not to mention the radicals that religion produces, not only in islamic culture but buddhist cultures and yes also american cultures. Death and murder is apart of religion? What is that ludacris nonsense... Like a song or a poem the bible too is interpertable. Have you ever read any religious doctrines? They are targeted around philosophys of an era where philosophy was just beginning.

The facts are we as a human race, not as individuals must accept the fact that we simply do not know. I do not refute any religious beliefs although i do not accept them as absolute truth. Nor would i ever pretend to be so wise as to know what happens after death, like most every religion does. Then and only then could we ever come together, in a world without religion, only belief sytems and philosophy.

 

[Dronee]

uh buddy? i hear what your saying but..

Religion says sure lets all come together... IF and only if you believe this, this , and that, oh and you must accept OUR god.

there are so many different religions that as long as religion is around there will never be total unity in our world.

Religion attempts to appear wise to knowledge that one could not possibly know, not in this lifetime.

The truely wise man knows that he knows nothing. This force fed religion is against the human nature and provides explanations for the world only so people can live without fear of death.

Socrates once said that he would rather ask the right questions then pretend to know the right answers. I do hope you understand the relevance in that.

Not to mention the radicals that religion produces, not only in islamic culture but buddhist cultures and yes also american cultures. Death and murder is apart of religion? What is that ludacris nonsense... Like a song or a poem the bible too is interpertable. Have you ever read any religious doctrines? They are targeted around philosophys of an era where philosophy was just beginning.

The facts are we as a human race, not as individuals must accept the fact that we simply do not know. I do not refute any religious beliefs although i do not accept them as absolute truth. Nor would i ever pretend to be so wise as to know what happens after death, like most every religion does. Then and only then could we ever come together, in a world without religion, only belief sytems and philosophy.

What, in your opinion, would be the best belief systems and philosophy?

 

[Confuseddd]

What, in your opinion, would be the best belief systems and philosophy?

there is no best belief system. i talk about MY philosophy in my last post though.

 

[ikbenrifi]

You've have really confused me. Can you clarify what you mean? I think you mean church itself caused you anxiety, not religion? Because church is a social event. It's like going to the club or bar on the weekends, except its people that dont engage in drinking and random sex lol. So yeah if you're socially awkward then church will make you even more anxious. A lot of times I would sit in my own little corner too, its really bad if youre in a megachurch with thousands of members, because people will not notice you.

But like you said I doubt its religion in itself. Especially since most religions are about bringing people together. If it separates people, it's because they choose not to belong to that religion, not because it excludes them.

No, i didn't mean church because i'm not a christian, and i didn't mean any social religeous events, what i meant is religeous thinking, i'll give an exemple: it's like thinking that most of people are evil, and that they don't deserve to be friends with.
i mean that kind of thinking has kept me isolated somehow, what has led me to SA.
hope you understand me now, any other question i'm here, thanks

 

[Feathers]

No, i didn't mean church because i'm not a christian, and i didn't mean any social religeous events, what i meant is religeous thinking, i'll give an exemple: it's like thinking that most of people are evil, and that they don't deserve to be friends with.
i mean that kind of thinking has kept me isolated somehow, what has led me to SA.
hope you understand me now, any other question i'm here, thanks

No, I didn't experience any of that kind of education.. Although my Dad didn't really like me hanging out with a divorced friend who was fairly promiscuous... I explained that maybe she needs me more than I need her, and I didn't have many friends to choose from when I moved back home, so then he kinda understood..

I think that kind of thinking as you wrote above may be present in more extremist families or religions or maybe some sects/cults..

When my Dad was very religious, Mom wasn't so much.. and they quarrelled a lot in other areas too.. So I could see both sides of the view..
Mom is more for tolerance anyway, in all respects..
And there are some movements within religions that are friendly with other religions too.. Like ecumenic or interfaith movements.. I really liked that as a teen and later..
I have friends who are religious and some who are not.. And some became 'officially' religious later on in life..
I think 80%+ people are good anyway..

Catholic religion is big on guilt and sins and such, and I've had some problems with that though..