Religious Addiction
by Roger E. Bissell
Philosophy and religion can be used as a tool, to guide one in the living of one's life. Or they can be misused, as a manifestation of "fight or flight"—that is, as a weapon with which to exercise power over others or as a privileged sanctuary within which to hide from the demands of life in the real world.
One form of the misuse of philosophy and religion is what some have called "religious addiction." It is a very real problem in America and, to some extent, in the Objectivist movement. It is a sickness comparable to drug and alcohol abuse.
By this, I do mean not that a particular philosophy or religion is making certain people ill. I am saying that those people are misusing their religion or philosophy in a way that disguises and perpetuates, rather than heals, the emotional illness they had before turning to that religion or philosophy.
I have my own list of telltale signs that newly super-devout worshippers or adherents of a philosophy are engaging in religious addiction. Here are just a few of them:
1. Although they have been "healed" by God or Objectivism or whatever of their abuse of alcohol or drugs or sex or whatever, they are still locked in the grip of other addictions, such as nicotine or compulsive spending.
2. Under the guise of religious or moral righteousness and missionary zeal, they still engage in the same hateful and abusive actions toward friends and loved ones that they did before "finding God" (or Rand).
3. They speak of being "forgiven" of their sins by God, or having "rationally risen above" their previous immoral behavior, yet make no effort to acknowledge the exact nature of those wrongs to the people they have hurt and make no effort to make amends for those wrongdoings.
For these people, religion or philosophy is a "refuge." It is a hideaway, not unlike the bottle, where they can continue to deny responsibility for their mistakes and avoid facing up to their problems in dealing with life and with other people.
To paraphrase Rand, "don't tell me that these people don't exist, because I've met them." They exist in mainstream religion, in Objectivism, and elsewhere, and I have met quite a number of them, both in person and online.
For these people, it is a very small step from "How Dry I Am" to "How Great Thou Art"—or to the embarrassing attempts of some to pose as would-be Roarks and Dagnys, instead of their own, authentic selves.
As a prescription for breaking out of this self-destructive pattern of behavior, for religious addicts of whatever persuasion, I recommend the reading of Nathaniel Branden's The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem and/or a good 12-step meeting.
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