RELIGION AND FAITH PRACTICE SHOW YOU ARE HIDING YOUR NARCISSISM

The narcissist loves herself or himself and has nothing but tolerance (yes tolerance as in hating you but having to put up with you) and contempt for others. The narcissist suffers from above average pride - if suffer is the right word.

Narcissistic pride is quite common.   We all know a few narcissists.

A lot of people we know are self-obsessed but act good for they want you to think they are glorious.  So it is not always obvious that a person is a narcissist.  You can be narcissist one way but not others.  You can be narcissist with career for example and that may not branch out in other paths.

Too often we only see a narcissist when the destruction they do is in full force.

An extrovert narcissist is one thing.  One who keeps it inside is another.  You can show narcissism and still in many ways be an introverted narcissist. 

Thoughts and feelings lead to actions so the introverted narcissist can do terrible things that seem totally out of character.

To think that your brain or your judgement that you are being drawn to God through his grace in which he reveals himself to you is narcissism of the introverted type. The claim, "But the God I love is not about what I think or want him to be. He relates to me personally and I have found him through how he helped me through his grace" is just a cover-up. Anybody can say that. Also, people think they are connected with a God and can be wrong. It is narcissitic in itself to use such an excuse. And even if God were revealing to you and reaching out personally it is you thinking you can judge that it is him and not your own notions. That is pure narcissitic arrogance. You are claiming to be as smart as God if not more for you decide if he is speaking.

Religious introverted narcissism gives rise to more extrovert forms.

Narcissists are believed to have a fragile ego underneath it all. This makes their pride and boasting a mere facade. It is about trying to gain a sense of self instead of feeling you are nothing.

Studies have shown narcissists can reduce or avoid depression because they have a "mental toughness." However that benefit is not a benefit in the full picture for it makes the narcissist dangerous and selfish. You can be mentally tough enough to destroy your whole community for your own gain.

There are endless ways to be a narcissist. The religious person has an inner mental world. Living in your interior spiritual world with God allows you to be a narcissist without anybody else seeing it. Being a narcissist in a world that is not friendly to narcissists leads to exposure. Being a narcissist in your inner life with God is foolproof. If you are mentally tough when your life is so terrible that you really should not be then that is a sign that you are a mentally tough narcissist in your inner world. Why am I saying that is narcissist? Nobody seems to be hurt but that does not mean it is not narcissism. You cannot call a trait narcissist just because it hurts somebody else. It is narcissist for you claim to be above forces bigger than you such as depressive illness. You are not bigger than them. Narcissist mental toughness can only come from a sense that there is some supernatural force protecting you. It is religious even if not openly or obviously so. Not all religious stuff is obvious anyway.

The core and essential spiritual and religious value of forgiveness is actually driven by introverted judgmental narcissism.  I am talking not about pragmatic forgiveness but forgiveness is about your soul or your relationship with God or religion.  It is seen as a gift from God that you let him give another through you.  You are the instrument of his mercy.

The drive behind bans on vengeful behaviour and holding grudges and being unforgiving is based on the notion that you are giving another control over how well you can be and how well you can feel. The idea is that you are giving power to damage your well-being, particularly your spiritual and psychological well-being to the person who hurt you and that is bad for the person is not worth it. This implies you give them the power so they are still hurting you. But you can't judge and blame them when it is you who is hurting yourself. You are not giving them power. Saying you are is just a way of being spiteful and judgemental but cloaking it as forgiveness. It is narcissistic for you accuse them of hurting you now and claim to be above what they are doing to you. It is all about your superiority. When you bring religion in and claim your scheme is inspired by God and helped by his grace it only gets worse.

Thoughts are actions in your head and they become actions you actually do. Prayers are not like that because they pose as actually doing something. Prayers do not go with action. They are not thoughts that are intended to get you to act. If you were going to think thoughts to get you to act you would not be praying in the first place.  They are about you not the other person and its narcissism to tell yourself they are!

The religious person says their free will is a gift from God inviting them to be the instrument of God.

It is not plain and obvious that free will is for loving God. Or neighbour. Or enemy. Or any combination of these. So it is obvious that free will is not for that purpose. Of the three which one is the most implausible option? God is for at least you know you have people around you including enemies.

The doctrine of free will having a religious or God element is narcissism and is about you trying to declare your own truth against the real truth.  You don't get to decree truth!

All activities you do to be close to God in reality show your narcissism.  Faith action is really a mask for your narcissism and a channel for it.  The narcissist who has some commonsense knows it needs a safe space and the inner "spiritual" life provides that safe space.

Religion as in belief system is a total disgrace.