Version 1.0! Version 2.0! Version 3.0! Turn to a location and pray 5 times a day, isn't this Brainwashing?

Question

When will we figure it out that the major religions of the world, might just be a extraterrestrial experiment to see, if we human can break away from the brainwashing. After, all what is a sacrifice if you come back? For a sacrifice to be a sacrifice there is no coming back :-). For Truth to be Truth it must be universal and transcend culture. I have nothing against religions, but I am curious to know if other people freely ask themselve questions instead of asking someone who has something to gain from the answer like a religious leader like a pastor etc....after all no one has been to the other side and come back :-)

Answer 1

Question yourself, yes. No intermediary is required. Just keep seeking the truth, dude.

Answer 2

First of all, I think # one has written or cited something very beautiful and to the point, but probably not explicit enough for someone who asks basic questions about religion.
I'm not sure about other religions (some Asian practices such as Yoga seem even to aim at brainwashing), but mine is not about brainwashing, is about freedom. Prayer and faith are not supposed to dumb out reason, which is the highest faculty of the mind. But what can reason by itself do except building a logical argument on the information it has? And also, when pondering on things such as the meaning of life, there is no predictable argument and solution, as in 2+2=4. There are even more complex ones, such as the fate of humans after death, where not only there is room for a variety of interpretations, but some of these are true and others are not. This is when reference to a respected authority makes sense. Of course, you have first to respect that authority as such, whatever it is, but this cannot and should not prevent you from further investigation, such as, for example, going from the Bible to the Fathers of the Church, and from the Fathers of the Church to contemporary commentaries, and from these to asking a priest.
However, you are probably not aware that, because a guy named Lenin decided religion is the opium of the people, a truly brain-washing experiment took place in communist countries, starting with his own, the former Russian empire, which became the Soviet Union. Children and, as much as possible, adults were educated through all available means (which in communist countries meant all media and schools, all being government owned) that religion is for old countryside women, while modern people who are aware of the progress of science cannot be but atheists. Also, there were persecutions for those who didn't comply, especially those who made a confession of faith in public, even something as basic as a sermon after a church service. They could be sent to prison, concentration camps or forced labour, where their faith was their support in keeping their sanity. But enough of this.
I don't get your sacrifice point. Are you talking about Crucifixion and Resurrection or what? This is the only sacrifice I can think about where the victim doesn't stay dead, so to speak. "Christ is risen from the dead/ Trampling on death by death/ And upon those in the graves/ Bestowing life" (from the Ressurection hymns) So, death could not get hold of the Son of God, even when He assumed a human body and existence. Instead, He became the first Man to conquer death and thus opened the way for other humans to do so.
I do believe Truth is universal and transcends cultures. Otherwise how would I hold the same faith with people who lived in the Roman Empire in the first century and later, and in Byzantine Constantinople, and in Early Christian Britain, and since then in many places, including today places scattered all around the world. People who don't hold the same faith are, of course, free to believe what they wish, but to infer from this that all religions have equal access to Truth, and moreover to infer there is no Truth because different people have different views, is a bit far-fetched.
I hope this will make some sense to you.

Answer 3

*The Lord’s spirit touched me with such peacefulness and love telling me that the gospel is true. Much of what happened is too sacred to be telling a non-believer or stranger, as it is not for the world’s benefit but for mine and for the spiritual uplifting of believers or true seekers. The church tells me to pray to know the truth in all things and does not tell me what to believe but to digest the message received. No one can give you your testimony that is something you have to acquire for yourself. You can have this peace and love in your life too if you will only pray for it with a open heart and mind. There is nothing brainwashing about believing in the gospel.*