Could religious fanatics be brainwashed?

Question

I'm greatly concerned about religious fanaticism threatening our society. One religion, in particular, that seems to have a problem with so-called "infidels" is particularly alarming. There seems to be a lot of followers (of many religions) who are intolerant of other religions and are vowing to eliminate non-believers. It seems to me that, by definition, they are being brainwashed. (Webster's definition: persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship). Are you as concerned as I am? To religious fanatics: If you aren't brainwashed, what are you? Don't you have the ability to see that maybe, just maybe, someone is trying to control your thoughts?

To Paul S: Yes DuckPhup has a good answer, but yours is right up there. Going to be a difficult choice. Yours is more to the point, but his is all encompassing and pinpoints the fundamental differences between science and religion. Thank you all. I've got my work cut out for me.

Answer 1

There are some subtleties at work here that seem to be escaping the notice of most people. They have to do with the nature of 'belief'.

A rational person might say "I believe in the Big Bang." A religious person might say "I believe in creation, as described in Genesis." But these statements are not even remotely similar, with respect to what is meant by the word 'believe'.

For the rational person, the statement of 'belief' in the Big Bang means that they understand that the concept provides a scientifically and mathematically consistent explanation, congruent with the evidence, which accounts for the evolution of the universe from a fraction of a second after the initiating event, up until the present. When the 'inflationary model' came to the fore, rational people said "Well, good... that clears up a few questions and makes things even more coherent." NOBODY threw up their arms and wailed "Oh, no... oh, no... ain't so... ain't so... the Big Bang is the inerrant truth... not this ridiculous, atheistic 'inflationary' model."

See... when we say "I believe in the Big Bang", we don't really mean the same thing as the religious person means when he says "I believe in creation, as described in Genesis," or "I believe in God." Our 'belief' in the Big Bang (or anything else) isn't really a 'belief'... it is more properly a 'paradigm'... a useful way of looking at something, or thinking about something. If additional information is uncovered that adds to the conceptual model, that is a good thing... not a disaster. If part of the conceptual model is discovered to be incorrect, and must be tossed in the trash and replaced with something completely different... that is also a good thing... not the end of the world as we know it. And often, no matter how highly confident we may be of the accuracy or completeness of a particular paradigm, we may have reason to apply a DIFFERENT paradigm to the same thing, in an effort to tease out new insights; for example, we might want to contemplate the potential implications of a change to a theory from the perspective of the Tao Te Ching, the Gaia hypothesis, or ecological homeostasis. We KNOW that all theories are approximations... and that is OK. We KNOW that we don't have all the answers... and that is OK, too. There is nothing wrong with saying "We don't know... yet; but we're working on it."

But these modes of thinking, perceiving, contemplating and understanding are utterly alien to the 'religious' mind. For the religious mind, a 'belief' is not a paradigm... not a useful way of thinking about something... it is an internalized conviction that one knows the absolute 'truth' pertaining to some aspect of existence and/or fundamental reality. 'Beliefs' are one of the key interpretive component filter of the religious person's 'self-description'... a part of what DEFINES them as a person... the very thing that creates their world-view... an underpinning of their 'subjective reality'. Any attack on one of these internalized 'beliefs' is perceived and interpreted as a vital threat... an attack upon the 'self-description'... and attack on their subjective reality.

And here is the key difference: When there is a change in one of the paradigms dealing with a scientific concept, or a new insight into the workings of the universe, to the 'rational' person, it merely constitutes an interesting new piece of knowledge and understanding. However, if that same new insight, or piece of information (a feature of the universe, for example) seems to threaten a tenet of Christianity, everybody goes to battle stations, goes into 'damage control' mode... for fear that the whole edifice will come crashing down. And, ultimately, it will.

So, when a fundie disparages evolution, for example, it really has nothing to do with a genuine, intellectual dispute regarding scientific details... they are generally scientifically illiterate, anyway. Any 'scientific' arguments that they present are inevitably not even understood... they are just lifted from the pre-packaged lies and misrepresentations that are found on dozens of 'Liars for Jesus' (LFJ) web sites, and parroted. They are in a battle. They are trying to sink science before science sinks them. They are desperate... and science is (mostly, and unfortunately) oblivious to the fact that they are even in a fight, and that somebody is trying to sink them. They are just blithely bopping along, doing what science does... figuring out how nature works.

No... none of this has anything to do with a mere disagreement pertaining to evidence and understanding. It has to do with minds that deal with fundamental issues in an entirely different way. It has to do with a flexible, open-minded, intellectually honest (willing to question and doubt one's own presumptions) curiosity about the universe, contending with a rigid, unyielding world-view that depends from a certainty that certain delusional faith-based (willful ignorance and magical, wishful thinking) 'beliefs' represent the absolute 'truth' of reality.

We might as well be talking to an alien species, from a distant planet.

When the religious enter a forum like this one, they are (generally) NOT seeking new information which might allow them to QUESTION their beliefs more effectively, or might put their beliefs at risk... they are seeking VALIDATION... of their beliefs, and hence, their self-description.

Answer 2

I think that the word "brainwashed" is hardly ever used appropriately, and that you really mean something much more specific and less inflammatory. By that Webster's definition that you cited, EVERYONE is brainwashed (can you think of anyone who has never been persuaded by propaganda or salesmanship?), and so it's not a very meaningful accusation.

Certainly following a religion is not a sign of freethinking, and it's obvious that religious fanatics in particular have had their thoughts and in fact their overall worldviews controlled by their religious belief systems.

But I think that the key question is not "have you been persuaded by something?", but rather "have you been persuaded by the WRONG thing?". Consider: suppose those fanatics HAD freely come to those beliefs. Is the world any better off if people freely choose for themselves...to eliminate non-believers?

Let's stop tip-toeing around the real problem: religions' belief systems are simply false.

(Later: )

Oh, man, if you don't pick DuckPhup's answer as the "Best Answer" it'll be the biggest injustice in all of Yahoo! Answers. Print out that sucker, and read it carefully. You'd usually have to pay big money for that kind of wisdom. I'm utterly serious: there's a great insight in there, about the differences in the sense of "belief", and if you sincerely want to understand this whole issue, you need that insight. E.O. Wilson described it with a metaphor: it's like shooting steel-jacketed bullets through a fog.

Answer 3

Yes people can be brainwashed if they don't stop to ask some reasonable questions before proceeding. If anyone were to ask my politics I will answer it, (I call my belief structure politics, because when you listen to politicians debate things. They are debating personal beliefs on things like health care, military...and sometimes the beliefs of a person are tied closely to their religion). That being said... I believe what I do because I have made a informed decision, and based on geological location, (I think there are a few that are essentially genuine. But all I can do is put my faith in what I believe. On a side note I think any religion that asks you to sacrifice another living being is a sham.
(after reading the other comments)... I will say right now that I disagree that every religious person is at ends with science. There are plenty of people that believe in religion, and have a scientific mind. Is it so hard to think that there was a big bang... but the big bang came from something. Laws of physics states that energy can be transfered but not created. Where did the energy to start this little place we know as earth, the galaxcy, and the universe come from? There is a lot of energy floatting out there...

Answer 4

All religious fanatics have been brainwashed, either by their family(from quite a young age) or later on by religious leaders. People who have just converted to a religion tend to be more fanatic at times, and you'll notice that most terrorists are recent converts.

Answer 5

Why r u simply believing something taht has no proof in front of yr own eyes. Why should u just simply believe any statement u heard from the media or yr friend, without comforming it first. Hav u ever approach the person with that religion and just ask him the nature of his religion. Why dont u just do it and u might be amazed by the difference in what u hear and what u experience.

Answer 6

The problem is those who believe that anything other than themselves have control and resonsibility for their actions, are open to mind control from people who distort their religion.

Religion itself is a form of control, giving a set of rules and guide lines for its followers to adhere to or face the wrath of god.

These fanatics just change the rules and fit in current events and become the wrath of god !!!!

Answer 7

First (even nevertheless you have got heard this before), love the sinner, hate the sin. The sins of premarital intercourse and homosexually will deliver you to Hell while you at the instant are not repentent of them and don't stop doing them. God has very sparkling regulations approximately intercourse. He gave it to married male/woman couples as a sacred social gathering of their love for one extra and their love for God, as properly as a sharing in God's inventive capability with the aid of the miracle of youngsters. Homosexuality does not produce infants. era. Being a sturdy individual is a initiate. God will decide somebody in accordance to what they comprehend. If a individual lived their life on a wasteland island and not in any respect found out of Jesus, yet that they had some sense of high-quality and incorrect, they are going to be judged with the aid of what they knew. same as a Christian who studied Jesus all of their life would be judged with the aid of what they comprehend. own determination is each and every thing. i'd properly be a sturdy individual and not thieve or tell lies, yet as quickly as I spend my weekends as a serial killer, i'm no longer likely to heaven. own determination skill determining on Jesus and then following Him and rejecting all it is against Him. with the aid of rejecting sin (premarital intercourse, homosexuality), i'm no longer being illiberal, i'm unquestionably merchandising love. How? i'm attempting to instruct them Jesus, who's love. How can somebody's life be undesirable with the aid of having Him who's love in it? God bless.

Answer 8

Wow, DuckPhup said all there needs to be said. Better get best answer...

Answer 9

yeah, anyone can be. Can a clean mind get brainwashed? Yeah, i said anyone didn't I?

Answer 10

http://www.answering-islam.org/