Do religious beliefs and religious delusions lie on the same continuum?

(Disclaimer: I’m not trying with this post neither to discredit or to validate the religious experience. Please don’t turn this into a religious discussion. I only seek to clarify the criteria for diagnosing delusions).

Prior to my alleged SZ onset I held no religious beliefs. Since then part of me has become convinced that the universe was created by an evil demiurge/devil. The nature of religious conversion is, of course, complex and we should avoid the temptation of being too reductive. Nonetheless, it is difficult not to feel suspicious about such a sudden ‘spiritual’ development. Things are further complicated by the standard understanding of delusion as a belief at odds with the cultural background of the individual holding that belief. It could be argued against this that with internet age and the growing fluidity in the construction of personal identities, that such a distinction is obsolete, that I’m simply establishing creative, digitally mediated, cultural ties with ancient strands of christianity, who also argued the universe was the handiwork of an evil demiurge. How can I know whether my (part-time) belief in an evil creator is a legitimate religious belief or a delusion? Any insights will be welcome.

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Yours is specifically a delusion. Idk any scriptures that claim the universe was made by a/the devil.

Gnostics and marcionites did.

Well I guess if you do believe in the supernatural. Have you entertained the idea your thinking is being affected by the supernatural ? That maybe a good line of thinking is to avoid religion altogether ?

If I was in your situation, I’d like to think that’s the path I would take.

Every scripture says the actually deity of power is understanding or forgiving. Which ever more appropriate, so you would be chancing your fate on logical grounds — the best form of therapy for those of us affected by schizophrenia.

According to gnostic writings the ‘real’ god is good, but it’s just that he didn’t create the material universe.

@NotSeksoEmpirico you know religious discussions aren’t allowed except in a recovery sense.

This is an exploration not recovery oriented.