Atheists, your own cultural molding?

Question

Be warned, atheists, that you will not be able to answer this question adequetely without reading the short article at this web address,

http://www.rit.edu/~cma8660/mirror/www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/14a.htm

however, since you all do read and research your positions before you come to them, this short and simple article should be no trick. But you must read the whole thing to be able to answer well.

Anyway, the point of this question is: Atheists are always telling Christians about how our cultural molding makes us sheeple and determines our faith for us. Now, I am not suggesting anyone here is sheeple, but I am asking atheists to examine cultural molding factors that may have subtly influenced their own responses and choices.

I am simply curious what your responses to this article and if you think that your decisions might have been affected--even in the slightest--by these decisions of a few rich men of the past.

Tammi,

So without reading the article you immediately dismiss the question, without doing the short and easy research?

YDoncha,

You did not read far enough to see that he wasn't making science out to be an enemy, or recommending that Christianity be taught wholesale. His argument is much more subtle than that.

Please, I asked you to simply read the article before responding. If you don't want to read the article that is fine, but please, it seems you are reacting in the same way an extreme fundamentalist Christian would when confronted with the idea of evolution. You have given a knee-jerk reaction, which is exactly what many atheists claim to deplore.

Wlee -- This is not a conversion attempt. This is simply an article that suggests that there may have been cultural influences that pre-existed your birth, that may have influenced your decision and faith subtly.

Were we reading the same article?

It doesn't call for religion to be taught in schools. I'm guessing you got to the list of court cases, and began skimming, if not stopped reading altogether.

What he is saying, is that certain realities of life, pain, death, the importance of truly meaninful work, things that western religion dealt with, had to be done away with to make room for commercialism and to make room for the indoctrination of American schooing, which applies to Christians and Atheists alike.

Answer 1

Well I'm no American but it's obvious to me, even from outside, that the Republicans, at least, exploit religion and religious people, rather than trying to subdue it, and that the religious right has far more political power in the USA than any other western country. If the article is correct, you are left with having to explain the anomaly that the USA is the most religious western country and ALSO the most consumerist western country. And as far as the best society being based on religious moral codes, then why does the most religious western country have the highest rates of violent crime, teenage pregnancies, abortions, and lowest social justice? (perhaps its relevant that, as shown by psychological experiments and brains scans, cults create barriers where people outside the immediate cultural group are subconsciously seen as less human, or even a threat). Such an article could only convince insular, conspiracy-theory leaning (cultural influence of religious fear?) Americans.

But yes, everyone is influenced by their cultural environment. The challenge is to see through it as much as possible and everything is worth thinking about.

Answer 2

I've read - literally - thousands of books, from the Bible (3 times, cover to cover) to Hindu and Buddhist works (and other religions, as well), to science and philosohy books, and did a whole lot of thinking, before concluding that the existence of God was not something I could believe in. After I lost my faith in the Christian God, I still thought it was possible for some kind of a god to exist, but I eventually lost all belief in anything supernatural. It had nothing at all to do with what I learned or did not learn in school, I was on a quest for truth, and I think I found it, though I'm willing to concede that I might be wrong. If I get information that contradicts my current worldview, I'm willing to look again at the possibility of God, but in the meantime, I just can't believe in any.

Answer 3

Yes i agree with article 100%. Learning science is evil.
Public schools are nothing but atheist propaganda!
We should IMMEDIATELY drop science for school curriculum and go back to teaching good old fashioned Bible and Geo-centrism.
That will surely create "Spiritually contented people" who will not question anything and believe what they are told.

P.S. OK i don't get how would dropping science and teaching God in public schools stop consumerism?

P.P.S I don't remember being taught to "To scorn faith so comprehensively that buying things and feeling good become the point of their lives."
In what way does teaching of big bang and evolution does that?
Also i know a lot of kids who went to catholic schools -- they don't seem a single bit different in their consumerism then everyone else.
I would like to see the author address that issue.

Answer 4

I read the article. It basically calls for re-institution of religion in schools. I went all through school being a Christian. I didn't challenge my religion until I had read the Bible about five times over. I then read the major philosophers, the works of various historians, the tenets of world religions, some major anthropologists and theologians, and the history of myth. School had nothing to do with my becoming an atheist. I went to public school in the fifties and regardless of the law my Christian teachers were very vocal in talking about religion regardless of the law. They were very adept at reinforcing what I was taught at Church and Sunday school. My becoming an atheist had nothing to do with school. I think religion is nothing but myth. It does not belong in schools. People have every right to practice or not practice a religion by law. I fully support that. The state has no right to educate people in religion.

Answer 5

I couldnt get past the first page....of a ten page article.... Hardly short. It would be easier to read if it wasnt written in such fashion as to make science out to be the criminal here....

What you fail to grasp is that education, initially, was taught via religion. The majority of scienctific understanding actually started in monasteries. Heck, Gregory Mendel, father of modern genetics was a monk!!
But as time has proceeded onwards, people have come to realize that God is not necessary for you to learn about math and science and grammar and history. In fact, much of the things taught in the bible contracdict history, science and math. So, its a good thing religion has been "tossed out on its ear" from schools. Because we'd be teaching our children useless information if it werent.... Do you want your child thinking that the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius is 3? He will never pass a math class. Do you want your child to beleive that bats are birds and whales are fish and rabbits chew cud?

Answer 6

No atheist is any different than you really. There is no knowledge in their profession only conjecture of thought which is what we all have, series of predeastined words and actions from worded story lines from creation energy put together as sins against the other creations. Would be neat if we could learn to cooperate though?

Answer 7

Firstly I'm not reading that link.

My moulding has come from my parents, my upbringing, my society, my school, my university, my workplace, etc. All of these things have allowed me to look at different life philosophies/religions and choose which best suits me.

Answer 8

Sorry, I am not going to read a ten page article.

If we live in a society, regardless of personal belief, we are molded by society, and we effect the morals of society.

Answer 9

"...cultural molding factors that may have subtly influenced their own responses and choices."

What cultural molding, I was born and raised who/what I am. So...some of us don't fit, but maybe it would apply better to some other.

Answer 10

I came to the conclusion there is no god, at least not a loving one worth a *****. No one who is all powerful and moral, would allow children to suffer and die to please the perverts of this world.
Tammi Dee