Are churches really clubs and is religion just brainwashing?

Answer 1

YES!

Answer 2

Good question!! I feel there are many people who find peace in religion; however, I also believe there is a wider group of people that use religion, and the weakness's of others, to profit monetarily. That really makes churches more a business than a club. Brainwashing, well let's say you need a simple mind to buy into all the "stuff" religion wants you to believe. If you mean brainwashing as in manipulative practices, then yes!! Clear as mud, isn't it?

Answer 3

Yes churches can be thought as clubs, because the theory is groups of like minded people gather in churches to partake of their chosen faith in a social manner. However brainwashing? maybe. More likely religion is a form of social control. Some would view that as negative, some would view that as positive. Depending on whether you have been on the receiving end of religion's more zealous followers and how justified you think that is. The point is that you can only really let yourself be brainwashed if you want to be. Therefore on reflection religion in general isn't really brainwashing.

Answer 4

No, but there are many kinds of churches and religions that practice differently. Generic questions are the result of brainwashing.. probably from time spent in clubs and not in churches

Answer 5

Yes and no. And I'm sure for people of "real" faith this is an offensive question.

I do think many effective Churches are places where people gather for more than just religious education. And this is a good thing I think. Why shouldn't people find fun things to do with people that share their faith.

Brainwashing is where your question is offensive. We are all of us brainwashed. So much of what we believe about things (and not just our faiths) come from what we have been exposed to and how it is presented to us.

I think folks that listen to Rush, O'Riley, etc. are conditioned to think a certain way about Liberals such as myself. Sadly, if these folks really knew me they might think differently about their Liberal brothers and sisters. And the same is true of my fellow Liberals who spend too much time in the Michael Moore zone.

I would also like to suggest that real Faith is not brainwashing at all. A Christian (born again or other) in his/her heart grows their relationship with God. And brainwashing can't account for what we know in our hearts.

Answer 6

religion provides a lot of people with comfort and a sense of belonging. Of course in a way they are clubs and the brainwashing seems to be voluntary.

Answer 7

A proper exposure to God and religion can help to counteract the real brainwashing that popular culture is constantly throwing at all of us in books, movies, TV, songs, advertisements, and even video games.

Even if your proposition is partially true, religion runs a distant second to the brainwashing of popular culture.

Popular culture is constantly bombarding us with intensive, not-so-forcible indoctrination, aimed at setting up worldly convictions and attitudes.

Popular culture comes at us from all directions including books, movies, TV, songs, advertisements, video games and even the Internet.

A few of the these immoral values include:
- Lust and Sex (outside of marriage)
- A disrespect for God and religion
- A disrespect for lawful authority
- A disrespect for our human dignity
- Envy, greed and consumerism
- Anger and Violence
- Drugs including smoking and alcohol
- Vanity, outside is more important than inside
- Prejudice and hate

I think that if we expose our children to all this immorality without the moral anchor of God and religion "until they can come to a conclusion of their own" then we would be unwise irresponsible, and frequently too late.

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

Any church is the house of God . They can be brainwashing only if evil people are using them for they selfish purposes instead for the purposes of God to bring people together in a communion of love and peace .Some gurus indeed are using them for their own purposes twisting the minds of innocent people to extol and serve him instead of God .

Answer 9

It all depends on the definitions of "church", "club", "brainwashing" and "religion"!!!!

Answer 10

religion is interesting... it's a bunch of ppl gathered to show themselves and each other support, "love", and worship to a higher being.

personally, i like the support part... but leaving everything up to fate is a bunch of baloney.

if i sat at home on my butt all day... "god" will not take care of me, and bring me food, and automatically refresh my bank account. i actually have to go out and find a job, and work for what i have.

but as for the ppl, you meet as many whack jobs in a religion as you do out... so everything has an equal percentage of wackiness.

do you what you believe is right for you.

Answer 11

no. churches are a congregation for a spiritual belief, not for playing chess. also, religion is not brainwashing, if you choose not to believe don't bash others because they do.