Religion = Brainwashing?

Question

Yes there is a question at the end.
Based on the realization that any religious couple will force their children to believe that THEIR religion is the only TRUE path to follow, this seems like brainwashing.
Muslim parents have muslim children.
Catholics raise catholics.
You won't see a Hasidic Jew raising a Mormon child will you? And yet in America, we are supposed to be tolerant of ALL beliefs? We weren't really given a chance from the start, were we?
The scenerio: A baby is taken away from parental influences, and taught about 12 different major religions. These 12 would include Christian, Muslum, Jewish, Buddism AND even straight science with evolution and NO GOD. The 12 views would be taught one at a time for a MONTH until the year is up and the process repeats until adulthood.
QUESTION: Upon reaching adulthood, which religion do you think the child would accept as truth and why?
(I didn't list all 12 religions, just to leave open the possibility that YOURS is one of them.)

Terrific answers so far (without flaming responses. Thank you)
FYI. I'm 34. My views mostly follow Buddhism, however I'm born a Protestant.

I first thought that the child would shoot towards "science" as its chosen path as so many others rely on faith alone (or some reading material from ages ago.)
However, after reading the responses, many have swayed me to believe that the child may see ALL the choices as a sham after seeing how SURE the teachers are that THEIRS is the ONLY path.
It's also a good point that the child might pick and choose different aspects from all the faiths. Never thought of that either.

Answer 1

No.

Religion = Security Blanket.

It's a big, unpleasant, lonely universe. You cannot expect most people to be able to cope with all of the uncertainty, unknown an currently unknowable in any other way then to give it a supernatural explanation. Religion is the aspirin of the masses - let them have it or you will have to explain the universe to them in great detail until they understand it.

Answer:

People accept whatever explanation sounds good to them at the time. If you need rigid beliefs to keep you grounded you go with Judaism or Muslim. Need a casual religion where you don't think too much and everything is simple or forgiven - then Catholic. And so on. Religion is just designed to match the times and understanding of the people it's suppose to relieve. Besides, they all have the exact same message: "Everything is going to be ok"

Answer 2

Since "ALL" teachers are biased, the outcome would depend on the teachers. No teachers can teach evolution and creation, or Mohammedanism and Christianity without favoring their particular choice.

"IF" it were possible to present all things only as the current evidence supports-I think we would all be surprised.

You are correct about the fact that religions and ideas are put into the children, by their overseers-parents or who ever.

I am a devout Christian (not catholic), but I was not raised that way. I turned to God because of severe trouble in my life. I was raised as a child of hell. Since I have become a christian my whole outlook on life has done a flip flop. I studied religion in college. I am thankful God allowed me to be born in the USA. I have wondered why He gave "me" that chance. I try to turn everyone I meet in the right direction. If someone has lived as wrong as I have for as long as I have, it is easy to recognize "right way" when you see it. I know Christ is the right way, the only way. Many pervert that with their own idea of religion. but the key is to use Jesus as the measuring stick and not some religious person of denomination.
May the Lord Jesus bless you.

Answer 3

I know for myself that I was raised Baptist and was a bible thumper until I had a world religions class in college and am now a buddhist. I think that children have to mature into adults before they can accept anything as "the truth." I don't feel like I was brainwashed by the church of my youth. I think that they truly beleived they were the only "true" religion and all others were "trappings of the devil." But, if any church was open minded and tolerant of others, they wouldn't have a strong faith base. Members of churches expect that superior attitude or else they wouldn't be confident pouring their hard earned money into the church coffers.....

Answer 4

a similar question must be reversed and asked why do colleges no longer instruct clever layout. the two evolutionists and creationists have faith that the different view is void, it may be absurd for them to instruct something they suspect is fake, surprisingly whilst each and each of them have faith that the different view contradicts scientific suggestions. all and sundry indoctrinates toddlers, faith, college, television, books, mum and dad, you call it. And it starts off with start. None of those, even though, is inevitably brainwashing. Brainwashing occurs whilst all and sundry isn't given the choice to pursue their very own concepts. some religions do brainwash, yet as an entire, it may be incorrect to assert that faith continually brainwashes. maximum brainwashing in faith falls below cults that are branched from a greater stable faith. maximum cults come from islam, christianity, and judiasm. the concepts-set for brainwashing: Forbid participants to work together friendships with absolutely everyone exterior of the team. keep the participants busy, deprived of sleep and at times foodstuff so as that they are too occupied or too drained to think of for themselves. This softens them up for suggestive reasoning. Forbid participants to get right of entry to advice that could disagree with the team. normally rigidity the participants to think back their previous existence in unfavourable techniques. psychological abuse is used to self-discipline the participants, together with telling them they're going to exchange into ill, or unfavourable in the event that they do no longer do what they're advised. a lot of those techniques are used right here and there via many communities interior the international, yet once you place all of them together, you have an invaluable suggestive gadget that reasons a guy or woman to end thinking all together, and basically settle for what they're advised via their brainwashers.

Answer 5

The child will take up whichever faith "feels" right for him/her.

There are many people who are raised in a faith (with various levels of observance) who upon adulthood pick a faith other then the one they were raised with.

Your statement before your question is leading and not 100% accurate. There is a degree of truth in the fact that in some people blindly accept the faith of their parents, in general this is not true. College is a perfect example, most kids explore a host of faiths in college.

Also there are a host of faiths, not just twelve.

Answer 6

For this reason we never allowed our children any contact with any religous teaching. Many so-called religions try to get children as young as possible and indoctrinate them with scare tactics. We wanted to keep our children away from any teaching that spoke of a judgmental punishing God. These ideas pretend to be religion but they are simply control tactics. They make people insecure and unsure of Gods love for them.

I found a book that was simple enough to explain the various belief systems of the world’s religions without going into to much detail. You can do this too. Explain each of these to your child and tell him or her that they will have plenty of time to decide if they wants to join a particular church when they are old enough to make an informed decision. We did this with our youngest and he saw the compassionate nonviolent ways of the Buddhists as making the most sense to him. He has always emulated this Buddhist idea of nonviolence in his dealings with others. I guess what I’m saying is be careful who you let form your child’s idea about God, because they will be stuck with that idea for a long time. .

Answer 7

The Christian religion, as taught by the Bible (not tradition).

It is the most reasonable. In addition, it gives acceptable answers to the age-old three philosophical questions:

1. Where did I come from?
2. What am I doing here?
3. Where am I going?

Answer 8

religion doesnt means brainwashing. only ppl who make it seems like that cuz -as u said- when the child find their parents muslims or catholic or whatever, they just follow that religion without thinking and without getting sure that this religion is the right path. About me i asked myself several times;am i in the right path?? but the answer always came clearly YES IAM. about the 2nd part of ur question which is why i think that islam is the right religion, u should visit "islam-guide.com" and u ll know why iam saying so.

Answer 9

The child would see that these faiths share a lot in common, but have their own distinctive aspects as well.

The true answer depends upon what the child was taught and which one the child feels more akin to.

You must also acknowledge that the child could choose to reject them all.

Answer 10

I do not think of it as 'brainwashing'. A dog does not have kittens. Our parents, being good parents, want the best for us, and their religion is in their eyes the best religion, so, that is what they would naturally teach their child. Your QUESTION is entirely subjective, and can not be answered with any accuracy, but hopefully he will take the path that God has ordained for him to follow.