What is the difference between brainwashing and teaching?

Question

I feel that a lot of people think if a mom or dad or friend teaches someone about their religion they are brainwashing them.
I feel the term brainwashing is used too much and too often incorrectly.

Answer 1

to me brainwashing implies scare tactics. it also implioes lack of autonomous choice and lack of discussion. Teaching can be brainwashing if all that it entails is "this is the TRUTH, it is not to be questioned or explored and you are going to die and burn in hellfire if you question it"
Saying that to a 5 year old child is brainwashing.
however, presenting it as a belief and giving the child time to learn about it, ask questions and make their own decision is not brainwashing.

Answer 2

Definition of brainwashing:

To make someone adopt a belief by using systematic indoctrination, intimidation and fear.

To give a child information as fact without evidence or proof is a form of brainwashing, because the child has not developed the critical faculty to debate anything.

Definition of teaching:

The process of imparting knowledge.

The teaching of facts can never be confused with brainwashing.

All beliefs that are taken for truths are form of brainwashing.

Answer 3

Everyone needs to be informed and it is cruel not to share the truth with your children. They have a right to know and Christians are told to tell the truth. Brainwashing is a term the Atheists like to use, but it's something the Communists have used for many years and I really think it's related to false information. Children need to be taught the truth and they will feel very unhappy if not told what is true if they wanted to know, and most do.

Answer 4

Brainwashing, per the link below, is defined as "the systematic changing of attitudes or beliefs". What that means is, if the environment you laerned in was controlled, you learned what was provided.

How this relates to your question: If you would research OTHER religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto, Muslim, or a true American Indian tribe, you will find people just as devout as yourself praying to their different God.

How do you know your God is right? Are they blaspheming, misguided, uninformed? Doesn't it strike you funny how there are other religions?

I am not really an atheist. I just think no one has it correct yet.

Answer 5

You don't need to teach someone about your religion. However if someone asks you a question you simply answer them. The difference between brainwashing and teaching I think is the intention.
If your purely trying to inform someone just for the sake of informing them that's fine
But if your telling them about your religion in hope that they believe you and convert then that is trying to brainwash

Answer 6

Brain washing is a system to delete real programs of brain and feed some new programs (correct or false ) up to person that has purpose . It is used like torching person without any physical action .To use the person for personal or specific operation such as wearing bomb jacket or terrorizing kids in school .The brained wash person is not in normal reaction of brain . But teaching is a system contain of thinking and understanding (optional).

Answer 7

Teaching is to teach a kid -how- to think. Brainwashing is teaching a kid -what- to think. I do think a lot of religious teaching in the US is brainwashing, and you see the results of this on Yahoo Answers every day.

But I don't think that invalidates religion altogether.

Answer 8

Teaching presents; brainwashing alters..

Answer 9

Charles Darwin is brainwashing and the God Yahweh is teaching.

Answer 10

Brainwashing you run the horse hard for 20 miles then lead it to the water, while teaching you just lead the horse to the water.