Is Atheism A Mental Illness?
A man in Nigeria is being held in a psychiatric ward on request of his family for not believing in God.
In Kano in Northern Nigeria a chemical engineer named Mubarak Bala is currently being held in a psychiatric ward having been forced there over two weeks ago by his family. He first began to question the stories of his Muslim upbringing a few years ago but recently his declaration that he did not believe the Adam and Eve story and no longer believed in Allah was enough to have him beaten, sedated and detained by his family in the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and being declared insane, supposedly for his own protection. His only mental crime being that he did not believe the fantastical stories of his childhood. Out of almost 6 billion of us on this little rock an estimated 80-90% believe in a supreme-being, spirit or deity of some kind. For some it consumes their daily lives, having to follow the tenets of their faith, be it praying at certain times of the day, going to church on Sundays, not being able to eat or drink certain foods, maybe following a ritual of some kind to show their god they love them and are faithful to them. For others its a more general belief in something or a comforting notion of an afterlife, some meaning to their existence and the knowledge they will see their loved ones again after they die. In parts of East Asia, Atheism is the predominant world view, but in the USA and many European countries the percentage of those without a belief in gods is in the single digits. 90% of 6 billion is an awful lot of people and for most of them the suggestion that they are wrong in their beliefs is unthinkable. Many will argue that everyone else is wrong and they will all go to hell if they dont repent and follow the one true god, others will simply say that we go to whatever heaven or hell we believe we deserve. Is there something in the human brain that that drives this need to believe? Is there some part of the human psyche that cannot function unless it believes there is a higher power out there watching over us? If there is, then what of the 10% or so who dont believe in a god or gods? Well deal with them in a minute but first, to answer the question, yes, the brain, it seems, is hard-wired to believe. Studies have shown that specific areas of the brain light up when subjects are meditating or when thinking about their god and their relationship with it. Indeed, a god helmet was developed that could invoke a religious experience in some people by magnetically stimulating those areas of the brain. Some claim there is an evolutionary benefit to be gained by believing in a god but others suggest that believing what adults tell us as children is the evolutionary vote winner, religion simply usurps that vulnerability. Studies have shown that the way we think can shape the brain every bit as much as the brain shapes the way we think. A recent research project even suggested that believers and non-believers actually use different parts of their brain and process information in subtly different ways whether it be through the language or visual centres of the brain. Believing in god, in an afterlife, in a plan, is a comforting thought. Many psychological and social studies have shown that people of faith tend, statistically, to be happier, have less disease and recover more quickly from illness. This is not to discount the power of modern medicine and it is clear from study after study that prayer is no substitute for actually doing something. Rather, the point is that a belief in a plan and a purpose can stave off depression and the feeling of why bother. So what is there to be said for the 10% of people who dont believe in any kind of god or spirituality? Those who have come to the conclusion that once you die you simply cease to exist, that there is no plan, no purpose, no meaning to life except whatever meaning you decide to give it. Their brains genuinely work differently, their rational, evidence driven thought processes and views drive the neurophysiology of their brains to process information differently. They think they are more enlightened and, to an extent, more intelligent, than those who chose to believe in what they see as fairy tales. Is this a mental illness? Could atheism be seen as an abnormality of the brain? It is certainly statistically small enough to be viewed as different from the norm. Or is it an evolutionary step beyond the need to believe in a god and a desire, instead, to believe in each other and humanitys capabilities? And what of Mubarak? Managing to raise the alarm through his Twitter account, many of his followers have tried to raise awareness of the case using #FreeMubarak and the International Humanist and Ethical Union have managed to get a lawyer in to see him. His understandable initial bemusement at his predicament quickly turned to fear that he would be permanently damaged by the medication he is being forced to take or incarcerated until he re-joins the faith of his father. His life may be in danger though because, in certain parts of the world, being atheist is seen as being dangerous or unhinged. In his town the Boko Haram extremists have abducted and killed villiagers in an attempt to impose strict Sharia law which. This is not limited to the Muslim faith, polls in America show that voters would be less likely to vote for an atheist that a drug addict. But there are those who would declare his apostasy to be tantamount to a self-signed death sentence and a change.org site has been set up to try to raise awareness of his plight. His Twitter account has been silent for days and many fear for his condition. He has been drugged and treated for insanity despite the first doctor his family took him to declaring him fit and mentally healthy. 
The ability to believe in the fantastical makes it easier to believe the unbelievable. Some of the religious experiences described in the big three religions, times when people spoke to God, would be seen today as psychological problems such as schizophrenia, hallucinations or bipolar disorder. The story of Abraham specifically is clearly an example of a mental health issue yet it is lauded as true example of God speaking to a patriarch. Others would be discounted as no more plausible that flying dragons, unicorns or leprechauns. Think about it, if one of your friends came to you today and told you they spoke to God in the form of a talking snake would you believe them or take them to the local ER? It seems that, like many other things in life, a little bit of religion is a good thing, but thats not to say that those who abstain are in any way inferior or mentally deficient. Being atheist is no more of a mental illness than being religious, but it does seem that for many people around the world they would be mad to admit it.