Are religious beliefs inescapable brainwashing?

Question

Religion brainwashes children to believe in the religion of their parents and cannot be undone very easily. Why do we subject children to this abuse? I am not referring to any religion I am referring to all. Most do not believe a god they are programmed to not believe in anything else but the one chosen for them.

It is obvious most answers are by people already brainwashed and not capable of believing in what they choose or they would have their own religion.

Answer 1

Religion runs a distant second to the power of brainwashing of popular culture.

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.

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 2

I'm an atheist myself, but I would still have to disagree with you on this one. How else do you account for the growing numbers who come to one belief system or another as adults, including those belief systems not indoctrinated by any member of their family? Or for those who choose a completely different path from their family, including those who abandon religion altogether?

Sure, some will not question or stray from the religion they were raised with, due to an inability to think for themselves. Keep in mind though that this is true not just of religion - how many people vote for the same political party as their parents, without so much as questioning or investigating the merits of that political party themselves. How many continue the racist legacies of their families, because they are incapable of thinking for themselves? The list could go on almost endlessly here.

On the other hand, how many stay with the religious beliefs they were raised with because they have made a conscious and informed decision to do so on their own strength? We all have the right to make decisions for ourselves, even ones which you may not agree with.

Just be wary of painting everyone with the same brush - I'm sure you would be equally offended if someone did similar to you, either over your race or something which you held to be an important belief....just my opinion :)

Answer 3

Not always true-----------------my parents were Christians, and would not even consider that there might be other beliefs. They expected the same from me. I became a Jew. I was not brainwashed. Or, at least, I started to use my brain.

Answer 4

And what sin did you commit on your short life which grew to become into so heinous that a guy 2000 years in the past had to die for it . a guy died 2000 years in the past via fact a Roman Governor grew to become into too scared to uphold his own regulation and locate an harmless guy harmless. extremely he washed his hands of the full affair as he could no longer stumble on a valid cost for the harmless fellow had this harmless guy whipped or maybe that wasn't adequate, he had him killed...for what..? Being a spectacular guy....? He did no longer die for you...he died via fact of stupidity and a lazy Roman who grew to become into close to the top of his tenure and returning to Rome to retire. you presently stick to a church Dogma which grew to become into written and edited by way of the church woman, so your no longer even getting the full tale.... have you ever study the different 'Gospels', Mary Magdelaine's, Judas', no and you will no longer get to the two, they have been edited out of the image...honestly you are going to question the explanation why....honestly....

Answer 5

Are atheistic beliefs inescapable brainwashing?

Answer 6

some friends of mine, they dont follow the same beliefs that their parents have... look at islamic people converting to another... they gat banned from their homes... but they werent brainwashed...now scientology is different...

Answer 7

What are you going to instill in your kids? That you're responsible for the earth?

Answer 8

I'm Unitarian Universalist. If anything, I believe that most UU parents are almost phobic about not wanting to brainwash their children. Currently, I am part of a religious education team presenting our "Neighboring Faiths" curriculum to our Jr High age children. This course of study puts our youth in touch with members and leaders of other faiths in an attempt to give them first hand information and experience with followers of other religions. This would be rather the antithesis of brainwashing.

Our congregations contain members with a wide variety of beliefs including: theists, atheists, humanists, pagans, buddhists practitioners and many other types and variations. What we have in common is a desire to be in community where we can grow spiritually together. By that I mean a place where we can look at larger issues, give thought to what it means to be a community together and give of ourselves to the larger global community.

These are our principles and purposes taken from the denominational website.

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We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote

* The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
* Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
* Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
* A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
* The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
* The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
* Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The living tradition which we share draws from many sources:

* Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
* Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love;
* Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
* Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
* Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
* Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

The Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association

The Unitarian Universalist Association shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of the Association is to serve the needs of its member congregations, organize new congregations, extend and strengthen Unitarian Universalist institutions and implement its principles.

The Association declares and affirms its special responsibility, and that of its member congregations and organizations, to promote the full participation of persons in all of its and their activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Nothing herein shall be deemed to infringe upon the individual freedom of belief which is inherent in the Universalist and Unitarian heritages or to conflict with any statement of purpose, covenant, or bond of union used by any congregation unless such is used as a creedal test.

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