IF organised religion is a form of control?

I can't make the leap. When people look at other religions they wonder how could someone believe THAT!!. But they go along buying there own Mumbo Jumbo.


Here's a question. As children we are unable to learn things that aren't concrete. Are parents making their kids go to sunday school brainwashing them with concepts they aren't ready to understand?IF organised religion is a form of control?
A child will be indoctrinated no matter what; the subject of their indoctrination is up to the parents. The parents are the ones who determine what they deem concrete enough for their children to grow up believing. The real question is are you brainwashing your kids to think like you or how you want them to think? In Utopia children would be raised without biased opinions being shoved into their heads and they would then be able to make their own decisions, but Utopia cannot exist.





Maybe someone has been brainwashed into following a certain religion or maybe someone has been brainwashed into not following. I think when it comes down to it, each person must study and make his or her own decision regarding what they think is right. This cannot be decided upon easily because there are very many topics to consider, and you don鈥檛 want your decision to be another result of what you鈥檝e been brainwashed into thinking.





I think too many people leave these questions unanswered. If you鈥檙e worried about the kids, first decide for yourself then raise your child where they can make his or her own decision.IF organised religion is a form of control?
we learn and absorb all sorts of different experiences from the time of our birth. We start learning to talk, learn cultural values, ... That doesn't mean those things aren't valuable tools that they can use later on. It just means that they are receiving info, which they will one day choose whether or not to agree with based on their own experiences and knowledge. All sorts of different experiences should be shown to children, therefore when they are older and are capable of analyzing and deciding for themselves, they will have some knowledge and personal experience to help guide them.
Unfortunately we live in a world where your fleashly parents make the decisions for you when young. But as you well know, or maybe you don't. Many children when they grow up don't follow on the practices of their parents. So as for parents indoctrinating us, Yes they do even to what we grow up eating. I ate meat at home, now i am a vegie. Thats life it seems. Things must change. Lets keep hoping.
I think organised government and organised education could be seen as a form of control just as much as organised religion.


Television, music, art, stories, anything with an opinion or ideal could be seen as brainwashing children with concepts that they aren't ready to understand.


I personally do not think that any of these things are particularly efficient in brain washing anyone, unless it is their deliberate intention to do so.


I think there are examples of some kinds of government, education, religion etc which do want to control the people which have allowed them to influence them, but I don't think it is what happens in the majority of cases.
As has been said, give someone a child when they are young, different ages have been quoted, and they will be theirs for life. We seem to imprint on what we learn. It is hard for grownups to reject what they learned at as children. Many people would rather be suicide bombers than admit that their religion is wrong.
I think that so much of the standard accepted organized religions are based on controlling--not only their own followers, but the minds and beliefs of those that don't believe the same as they do. Look at the reactions to my religion, Wicca--it is not one of the ';standard'; organized religions, and because we believe something so ';different'; (as far as Christian theologians are concerned) than what is accepted, we are labeled Satanists. When; in fact, we do not even acknowledge the existence of this Christian based entity!





****I don't see any pity me message here, as I don't feel our religious choice warrants a need to be pitied. You need not e-mail your personal opinions again polar270. TYVM.****


I might add that we have allowed our children to CHOOSE what faith they believe in, as we feel people should be OPEN-MINDED and accept others faiths. Our 12 year old currently chooses to attend a Protestant church BTW...and we support him 100%.
Sometimes they are, usually though, parents that force the kids to go to sunday school, slowly anger the kids, into hating god.
But of course, The Religions are very structured and well formed life style, all of which have the threat of a Hell of some type.