People claim not to be brainwashed with their religion, but how would they know if they are or not?

Question

People say they chose their religion on their own, but how many of them had "parental guidance" and were taught about it from birth?

I was a Christian for 21 years, and I didn't think I was brainwashed either. Once I snapped out of it like being awoken from hypnotism, I realized, holy crap I WAS. So how can you know if you are brainwashed when you are still under the spell?

Answer 1

Someone who is brainwashed will automatically have an answer for everything from a book or their peers. More importantly they will ask no questions from their heart or mind. it is about belief vs reason/questioning.

That is how one knows.

Amusingly certain theists will say that you chose NOT to believe their chosen religion, so they argue that YOU are deceived! Of course, they conveniently IGNORE the fact that THEY also choose not to believe hundreds of other religions, or choose NOT to be agnostic, or whatever. This is known as a cognitive blind spot.

Answer 2

Very good point. You see, any organized aspect of life is considered brainwashing of some kind. Take a look at the alphabet. People are raised being taught the alphabet, so anyone who knows it and speaks it is considered brainwashing. So anytime anything is taught or "programmed" into them, it is considered brainwashing. So people who are religious should automatically realized that they are brainwashed. The same goes for anyone who follows any organized standard. So yes those religious people are brainwashed, but they would only know it if they were smart enough to realize that they have let themselves become sheep for that religion.

Answer 3

that's true. However, the danger with saying "christians are brainwashed" is that you have no idea if you are brainwashed either. Perhaps you left christianity because you rejected the beliefs of your parents. Well, ok then, but how do you know that the beliefs of your parents were the beliefs of other christians? Rejecting the beliefs of your parents does not free you from their influence. Only if their beliefs do not bother you anymore do you have a chance to get free. But frankly I don't think that's possible. The most basic assumptions your parents make about the world they don't even talk about, they just pass them along to you in every little thing they do. For a considerable part you will always live in their framework whether you like it or not.

Answer 4

I don't believe in brainwashing. But I do believe in stupidity because I saw it many times. Like right now.

People need belief. They need to hold on to something. Believing on something can be a form of evolving or just a rope in the wind. It's up to you which one you are choosing. If you want a rope, so that you can just hold on to it... maybe hang around for a while without asking questions, you grab the rope. And then you can just suddenly realize that oops, I picked the wrong rope, so let's change, what an idiot I was... Or you can try, read, document, do research and ask questions, and then start to believe in something.

You will find yourself in the same situation every time you accept something from people or religious leaders just because they are saying so, and maybe at that time, they get you because whatever they say it fits your temporary lack of support. But if you pick wisely and don't jump into the water before you ask: How deep it is... that maybe after you move on, you will not call the exercise: brainwashing, rather a useful period of your personal development, worth consider learning from its consequences.

Answer 5

Anyone who is delusional is not self-aware of his/her state of mind. They do not think, they "know". Everyone "knows" how the world works, when in fact few people actually do.

Life is filled with truths and lies, every day you pass some lies become truths and some truths lies. The danger is when someone else tells you what is true or not, humans will believe anything, even if the logic is flawed.

In the end you have only yourself. You must guide yourself untill you die... then you find out if you were wrong or not lol.

But either way, enjoying life is the best way to go.

Answer 6

I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Like Paul, I was raised to believe in certain things and believed them because it's what I had been told. When I grew up, I began to think for myself, as all men do. I then re-thought everything I believed, asked myself some hard questions, gave (and give) all I believe careful consideration, and modified and amended what I believe. The fact that you were brainwashed in no way means that all Christians are. You have to start thinking for yourself, and that's why you're accountable for what you believe.

Answer 7

They are not brainwashed when :

*They let themselves to doubt what they're preached and to think + analyze what they read in the Holy Books.

*They dare to read all religion holy books and read it w/o prejudice but with a kind of attitude that they may like it/choose it.

* They allow themself to accept other people's choice to believe/disbelieve, w/o trying to preach to what he/she believes;

* They dont quote verses as answer to a question but they ask what's the meaning/what's the background of the verses.

*When they ask the meaning of verses, they ask it with sincere / they're serious . ( Not for a joke, not to redicule )

* People won't admit or they cant "see" that they're brainwashed, other people can tell. It's just like looking at the back of your head, you need to use 2 mirrors.

Answer 8

I was raised Catholic, but in a household where my questioning and studying of other religions was accepted.
Now I am a Buddhist. It is an integral part of my faith to continue to study other faiths and question the validity of Buddhist beliefs. As long as you do that, I don't think you can be brainwashed. I think the world would be better off if everyone had a general understanding of other belief systems and was not afraid to admit that their faith is not the only answer.
I would steer clear of any religion that tries to discredit all other religions or condemns any attempt to question their beliefs .

Answer 9

They can't know without breaking th bonds of their brainwashing. If the same people that were born in the west and were indoctrinated into the Christian cult had been born in Saudi Arabia they would be just as devout about the cult of Islam.

Answer 10

Your unbelief does not justify being "brainwashed".

Your beliefs are yours. They define who you are. If you claim you were a Christian for 21 years and then "woke up", I would suggest you were never asleep. Christianity like other beliefs may or may not fit, but just because it does not fit (feel right) does not mean it is not "true".

You have heard the Christian message, so Christians who were asked by Jesus to teach all nations can not convert everyone. Sadly, you are among the not converted.