If yes give your reasons why...

I personally believe you have to fnd your own way.

Early on the whole belief behind organized relegin was that it would bring together people who wanted to worship as a community and it would instill rules that would help people worship properly..

But more and more I just see it as a way to push belifes and spread fanatical ideals...

I can agree that it is brainwashing...because He said "You need a renewing ...a renewing of your MINDS! That ye may prove what is good...and acceptable..and what is the PERFECT Will of God" Brainwash me please!!!!

I voted yes. Brainwashing is a system of befogging the brain so a person can be seduced into acceptance of what otherwise would be abhorrent to him. He loses touch with reality. Facts and fancy whirl around and change places ,all too common in religious belief. The more I'm on this forum ,the more I am convinced of this. It's frightening.

But at the same time I believe we all are brainwashed in some way,including myself.

I said yes but it depends on the followers of that religion.


Some folks tend to live fine in their religion and treat it as a personal thing while others feel the need to try and make everyone who does not follow their belief *see their light* and go over to their side.

quite simply i say it is because of lack of choice.

one must faulter to learn how not to faulter.

simplified
you must be burned by a flame to know not to touch it.

i said no, religion does not brainwash. going to a church or something to learn about and worship god isn't brainwashing. yes some preachers and some religious people are strong in their beliefs and say they are right 100%. but i seem to find that them talking and acting like this actually pushes people away instead of brainwashing people in. if you're looking for the so called "brainwashing" done by religion you should not look at religion itself but things like family or government that will brainwash you into this stuff, not religion doing it itself. ones family may force and scare a child into believing. certain governments of countries make laws that only this type of religion will be only allowed in the country. people do the brainwashing not religion itself. yes religion is the thing they use to do this with but anything could do that. i could brainwash a bunch of kids right now that this computer i'm not controls everything in the world and keeps everybody alive, did my computer brainwash them or did i?

Well it pretty much forces you to abandon all logic and reason as well as discard much science.

of course, this all depends on what your definition of Brainwashing is since the AMA doesn't have a definition.

Since people's opinion of the word brainwashing differs, I can tell you I voted NO. Why? Because when I think of the word "Brainwashing" I think of it to mean being coerced against your will.

The reality is that the word itself has no agreed upon definition.

Now, let us sit back and watch the Christian and Muslim bashing commence...

Well, religion is a concise set of philosophies and doctrines that is taught to even young children as absolutely and infallibly correct. Children have no mental defenses to brainwashing... so I would say at least in children, organized religion is 100% brainwashing.

I wouldn't consider it brainwashing, unless the intent is to persuade as many people into converting as possible.

I'm OK with it as long as I don't get pushed. I feel everyones beliefs are different no matter what. You may agree on a set of philosophies, but there are always other beliefs of which you may not realize, don't agree with those sets.

I've seen too many Christians who go to church everyday and talk about being good people etc... only to thereafter criticize and mock others from the same place...
I hear way too many a stories of jealousy and status of others among them. I could be wrong in my interpretations, but I have only to go based on what I see and hear.

I would say many of these organized relations are fake more than brainwashing. Taking into account we haven't had a mass suicide in a while, status seems to be the new thing with religion, especially since Americans seem to be all about the Christianity. Of course I solely mean it's intent and not the material within it. The philosophies of religion are to be of personal opinion, and should not have to matter to anyone else. Thus you'd only be comparing one with the other, and from being that far in, you would be proving that you may not agree completely with your own beliefs.

I have to agree with these statements... Who knows what God wants? But I am pretty certain that he doesn't agree with killing in his name eg The killing and torture of witches by the Christians. Killing in the name of Allah by the Muslims etc. and every other war in his name and I also get peeved when I hear people preach what God wants.

yay i say..
each persons life is a personal journey, don't you think?
most of these organised religions tend to overlook that or try to snuff it entirely..

is it a paradox that an organised religion could possibly cater for the individual?

As usual, 100% agreeable.

Some is, some isn't. Your average church/temple/whatever exists for the people who choose to come to it. No one is being forced to drive over on a Sunday morning. No brainwashing going on.

Of course, some sects do brainwash their members, but I think it is a tiny percentage.

Speak for your own religion Mine doesn't do that.

And I'm no so sure childern have no defenses to brainwashing (whatever that means) ... I'd not have been able to convince my daughter of anything against her will ... ever, not even Santa Clause.

Yes

Many people want a deity they can follow…..so they don’t have to do the hard work of thinking.


EDIT:
Hey Mel.....at least with Santa there is a basis of truth.

Would you care to be more specific than "many people"?

I actually don't know many religious people who are complete dolts and lazy thinkers as you suggest above. Very few in fact. In fact, I know just about as many lazy atheists as I do lazy theists.

Aww there is no need to bring me into this...Oh wait

And disco... lol. you're not one of the lazy ones. Obviously. We know who the lazy atheists are around here I think. Consequently, I think we know who the lazy theists are too.

Brainwashing isn't forced, it's voluntary. People stick around religion and slowly have their critical skills, will and reason about the issue slowly melted away and replaced with a load of crap which they would otherwise consider embarrassing for a B-class novelist.

I thought everyone knew that Santa is real.

*Shakes head*

There, I'm being a lazy agnostic

Here's some nice christian brainwashing for children


http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHEmWgW4qwg

In my own opinion , if you believe your faith/religion is the only way to God or the only right way - your brainwashed.

which would mean most people that follow religion are.

I believe in a God big enough to accommodate all beliefs ( even lack thereof . As said ' you don't have to believe in God. God believes in you). Any view of God otherwise is well smaller.

I voted yes. However I am part of an organized religion called Quakers and they dont try to brainwash anything onto people. However in general organized religion is the greatest of all mind controlling prisons.

Nevermind that "Brainwashing" is a word that has no medical or psychological supported definition.

If I used it the way you are all using it, I could easily say All Linux Users are Brainwashed. Or All People Who Love Starbucks Coffee are Brainwashed.

Whatever, it's a senseless word with no agreed upon description. Kinda like the word "Cult".

If any adult get's brainwashed, it's their own fault >but children are another matter.

I feel these guy sums up fundie christianity well.

Brainwashing and FEAR. The Christian Church uses several known brainwashing techniques to gain and then keep converts. Here is an example: Ever been to a church service where the same song is sung over and over and over again? I have, and it is a common practice. What the vast majority of church members do not know is that this is a brainwashing technique. The repetition of the song breaks down mental barriers and puts people in an extremely suggestible state. The music plays a part as well. Deep bass tones played rhythmically and repeatedly will cause people to enter an altered state of consciousness - they go in and out of trance while the song is playing. Watch a Charismatic praise & worship service or pay attention next time you are in a church service. You will notice some folks staring blankly into space. They are in a hypnotic trance. Some preachers also use a speaking technique called “voice roll”, I think, which also has a hypnotic effect. While in a relaxed, altered state, most people’s defenses (and critical thinking skills) are down and what they are taught at that time they will not necessarily think through for themselves. So, while the defenses are down, the brainwashing and indoctrination takes place.

FEAR is another tactic that the Christian Church uses and, unfortunately, they use it well. Christians are taught that the Bible is the “word of God” and that they have the ONLY truth. Anything that disagrees with the Bible and/or the Church’s interpretation of the Bible is a deception. For example, all other religions are a deception. Evolution is a deception. If it doesn’t agree with the Bible, it is a demonic deception designed to keep us from believing the Bible and therefore being “saved”. According to the Church, you MUST believe their way or you have displeased God and are going to Hell FOREVER. The Hell doctrine is nothing more than a heinously cruel fear tactic that has been used successfully for centuries. It should be obvious that the concepts of a Loving God and an eternal Hell are diametrically opposed ideas. With this kind of pressure and these kinds of fear tactics, is it any wonder that Fundies don’t think for themselves?

The best thing to do regarding your Fundie relatives and friends is to realize that, while they are well-meaning in their beliefs, they have been brainwashed. Brainwashed people cannot see the truth that is right before their eyes and they will deny facts that do not agree with their beliefs. Brainwashing causes a disconnect in the mind of the Believer between Reality and religious fantasy. Reality is filtered out in favor of the religious dogma/fantasy.

Recovery from brainwashing and the fear tactics absolutely is possible! There are those like me who woke up on their own and came back to Reality and there are those who are helped back to Reality by those who care about them.

It is very important to understand that Fundamentalist Christianity is a Destructive Cult, NOT a harmless and benign belief system. Any institution that employs brainwashing techniques and fear tactics CANNOT be considered to be a harmless and/or respectable institution.


http://christianityisbull.com/brainwas...-of-the-church/

So who is this "Christian Church" exactly? Lutheren? Catholic? Baptist? JW? Who is this "Chrsitian Church" I keep hearing about? Do they exist?

They don't sing brainwashing songs at my chuch, they dont' sing songs at all.

I've never attended a church where I've been told that all other are wrong and that all other religions are deceptive. Where do you find this "Christian Church" I wanna have a talk with them.

In short, I voted YES ..it is..

nuff said lol

I can't tell you how hard I'm laughing at all the misconceptions...I can hardly breath.

I've been to just about every denomination of church there is in my area and until you do that, to get some facts, you're just spreading unfounded rumours and ignorance.

I don't know who YOU IS but not all are the same. Been there done that. I had some fun when I lived in the south,

It's still brainwashing to me. You don't have to agree.

so if your told everyday of your life the sky is pink and this is what you believe what would you call that ?

if your brought up being told jesus is the only way to God what do you call that ?

if your brought up being told you'll be reincarnated what do you call that ?

the latter 2 can't be proven. so what do you call it ?

when does belief become 'brainwashing' ? is there a difference ? how about instead of brainwashing we call it ingraining ? what would be the difference ?

what is the difference between religion and cult ? ( I know we've been through this ) . I see a cult as a group of people who believe in something without fact or evidence. a rose is a rose by any name. some are violent and destructive in an immediate sense and others aren't.

I believe in God and that we go on. I have no proof. I could be wrong. Is that cult thinking? brainwashing? the point being I know I could be wrong. most who believe won't admit it on either side be it believer or atheist.

so could 'brainwashing' be nothing more than the lack of the submission 'I could be wrong ?'

I didn't mean anyone in particular...sorry.

ALL OF US are brainwashed to a certain extent.

But Starbucks doesn't use fear like "your'e bound for hell if you don't convert coffee drinkers into Starbuck fans" or Lipton Tea is the "devils brew".Not yet anyways

Starbucks doesn't make you speak in tongues or does it ?

LOL I couldn't agree more...

Well Ripley, Our parents have the unique ability to tell us our opinions on all kinds of topics. You're living proof that it didn't have that much of an effect on your adult beliefs. Did you require Catholic deprogramming? No, of course you didn't.

In my lifetime, I've thought a lot of things were true based on what people told me, then I found out they weren't and moved on. I was hardly brainwashed, just misinformed. No shame in that. It happens to the best of us, but I don't think I'd call it brainwashing.

Actually, starbucks is more apt to make me speak in tongues than religion is. LOL

here's a place to start -

http://www.biblebelievers.com/

Pat Robertson on other christian religions -
and people believe him. - is that 'brainwashing'? or just stupidity ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUyKmcB7l60

actually I have a bumpersticker that says 'Recovering Catholic' . years later there are still things that I was indoctrinated on that surface. guilt is a good one even for things I have no control over. misplaced shame still haunts me. I've had to struggle against that 'brainwashing ' still. It's gotten easier sure. but if it weren't for it and the christian religion permeating everything around us maybe I'd be more at ease being 'out'. I'm at ease , but there are times you have to restrain who you are for fear of ignorant reactions. and that is what religious cultish thinking has done.

so yes in a way I've been going through 15 years + of deprogramming. and I'm not the only one. that bumpersticker sells very well.

I know you are adressing Rip here but I have to add>> At least when my parents told me the sky was blue> I could look out of the window and "lo and behold " the sky WAS blue

When my mom said "the birds sound crazy outside , listen to how they are chirping !" I could stick my head out the window and..........(fill in blank).

But I agree ,I know you never forced your belief on your daughter, just gave them your opinion as I do> but many believers do.

Yes
Why do they need so much money? You would think that with billons of dollars you could convert all of the unbelievers.

did you ever see Lewis Blacks' take on Starbucks ? Starbucks is the end of the universe.

well hear it anyway -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07AKNQUywLw

Well, all I have to say is welcome to the club. We ALL (yep, even me who was raised without any kind of religion) have those feelings on some topic or another that has roots in our childhood, not just religion. I'd say, that's life. Live it, learn from it and move on, as you're obviously doing... just like me.

Now, there are cases where people lose their entire identity, who do things they would normally have NEVER done, that is completely out of character for them. People who have been coearced against their will. That's a very very different thing in my opinion.

I think before anyone can answer the question of the OP, everyone would need to agree on what is a suitable definition of brainwashing. It seems to be one of those words that people have their own pet definition of the term.
By dictionary definition it would be: to impose a set of usually political or religious beliefs on somebody by the use of various coercive methods of indoctrination, including destruction of the victim's prior beliefs. Now you need to determine what ranks as ‘coercive methods’ When everyone is on the same page the answer can then be determined and then we can ask the question is politics brainwashing? .

Just had a butchers at the poll...23 people believe it is brainwashing LMAO ...

I totally agree Irish. I've been saying the same things since the first page of this thread, although obviously not as eloqently.

And since there is no generally accepted definition of Brainwashing--if the medical and psychological community hasn't been able to come up with a definition, we certainly aren't going to here. Although it might be in interesting exercise.

Now we know what Starbucks...er ...I mean Satan has been doing with his time