Religious Fanaticism: Insanity or Truly Devoted

With the authorization of the American Journal of Psychiatry we are republishing the Case Study of "Brother David" [not his real name]. We believe that Brother David's story, most of which was never published by any of the nation's key newspapers, will give the serious reader a better understanding of the fragile and fine line separating sanity with insanity in matters of faith.

We have written of the errors of fanaticism and of radical asceticism. In this fine study by Dr. Laura Weiss Roberts, et al, the reader will achieve a better grasp of the dangers of faith-related extremisms.

Brother David's story may initially bring memories of the ancient ascetic of Biblical times, until the reader realizes that he was a member of the Heaven's Gate cult who committed suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California, in March 1997.

But what if the faith-related extremism is expressed in the form of believing that the group one is a part of will save, say, the Roman Catholic Church from its arch-enemies? Or another that instead believes that the Roman Catholic Church is evil? Or yet another group bent on the destruction of the "infidels". To what extent will they go to achieve what they believe is their well justified mission?

In any case, this fine Case Study may be considered as a home-study crash-course on the radical faith-related mentality and logic that we must avoid at all times, regardless of the faith we may profess.


And so begins a case history of a certain member of the Heaven's Gate cult, whose leadership's anti-sex repressions lead one man to request castration.

This is a must-read in order to help one understand the mind of a religious fanatic.