therefore leaving the idea of brainwashed, stupid, and the term close minded no longer vaild???
2006-10-23 07:00:43 · 26 answers · asked by maybe 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I personally reject all religion, but that does not mean that everyone should do it. A person I respect very much and an emminant humanist and intellectual and damn funny guy by the name of Erasmus was devout a Christian. I respect him for his great work and would never marginalize his contributions to humanity based on his religion. I also feel the same way about the great Sufi poet Rumi, and for the Zen Poet Basho.
I know there are many ways to know God. People choose their paths. The "brainwashed" in my opinion, are the people who simply follow the dogma with no intellectual integrity.
2006-10-23 07:05:49 · answer #1 · answered by Bran McMuffin 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The idea of brainwashed, stupid, and the term close minded may still be valid for a large number of people, and not valid for another large number.
The education of a person is less important than their thought process, their ability to toleration ambiguity and their respect for others. There are many less educated people who have developed kindness. These exist on both sides of the fence.
Attacking someone across the fence does nothing but provoke anger. If you want to rein in someone, rein in the Christians. Once they stop telling people they're headed for hell, then the tug of war will stop. It takes two to play that game, you know.
2006-10-23 14:07:45 · answer #2 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, it doesn't bother, nor do I consider Christians to all be uneducated, closed minded, or stupid.
I would say most Christians maintain belief for rational reasons, even though they insist they do it out of faith. If you poll 100 Christians why they believe, it's unlikely even 1 of them will say "I believe, because I hope it's true", which would be the correct answer if they really believed through faith. Instead, they will rattle of lists of evidences as their reason for beliefs.
My contention is that those reasons are invalid.
None of this addresses the word "brainwashed". I would contend that most of them are in fact brainwashed in the sense that they believe their evidences are valid. But even the most brilliant of minds will accept most evidence without questioning its veracity, as it simply isn't practical to be hyper-skeptical. So certainly there can be brilliant Christians, just like there can be brilliant (fill in any belief you want).
2006-10-23 14:09:04 · answer #3 · answered by lenny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because someone is highly respected or educated does not make them any less susceptible to delusions.
Who is it that is "highly respecting" someone with a mental disorder such that they believe in fairy tails? The answer to that would be the brainwashed stupid people who cannot think for themselves.
Just because someone is "educated" in religion does not mean any more than a PhD in fictional literature.
2006-10-23 14:09:47 · answer #4 · answered by sprcpt 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Goodness no. There are highly respected and educated people who are atheists, Pagans, Hindu, Satanists, etc... So why wouldn't there be highly educated and respected Christians?
Though I must point out that one can be highly respected and educated and still be very closed minded.
2006-10-23 14:09:19 · answer #5 · answered by swordarkeereon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
During my life I have met many supposedly highly educated and respected people who were in reality were quite clueless outside their narrow specialty. I have even met and worked with a few well known people with PhDs who were rather clueless within their specialty. History is replete with educated men who have believed rather ridiculous things. That said, the more educated one is, the less likely that they will believe ridiculous things. But it is surely no guaranty of that.
2006-10-23 14:21:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it doesn't concern me.
Just because someone is respected and educated doesn't mean they are correct.
Religion isn't about intelligence or respect, it's about a belief.
A belief in something doesn't need proof, just a desire to believe.
Be done with it and move one.
Live by the golden rule and leave this world better than when you found it.
2006-10-23 14:06:04 · answer #7 · answered by timc_fla 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not in the least. A person can be a brilliant professional and yet, brainwashed when it comes to religious beliefs, or to stuff the church has something to say about. I actually know people like that. They're great professionals. I'd trust them without a doubt, as professionals. And they're great people, too. But if you discuss religion with them, they'll only answer with pre-fabricated phrases...
2006-10-23 14:04:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
So all the Germans who adopted Nazism weren't highly respected and educated people? Sorry the accusation of brainwashing still stands. Come back when you have a valid argument to challenge it.
2006-10-23 14:03:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
There are not all that many in the hard sciences.
I think the National Academy of Sciences is some 80+ percent atheist.
2006-10-23 14:04:17 · answer #10 · answered by Pablito 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋