Time and time again I hear on threads you are just brainwashed into believing this christianity. I am just wondering what exactly is brain washing, how is it achieved? This will have a twofold beneficial effect.
1. I will see if I am in fact brainwashed
2. If belief in Christianity has nothing to do with brainwashing then maybe people will stop calling upon it erroneously to invalidate a Christians point of view.
So definitions please and proceedure.

Brainwashing is complete and utter reprograming of the brain.

And no one will ever stop questioning christions because we all have different points of view, and we always have flaws to find in anothers belifs.

is there something you unquestionably believe only because of what you were told?

in that scenario, should you reject any opposing information or opinion solely on what an "authority" stated, you would be succumbing to dogma and in laymen's terms, be considered "brainwashed".

but think about how much you accept as fact without question or evidence and see how christianity is in good company.

I guess I'm not qualified for being brainwashed. I believe what evidence [personal evidence included] I see, and also what I feel deep down inside. I don't care what skeptics or scientists think of that, but that's me, either get over it and go about your life or shut up and eat a cookie.


I think many Christians are brainwashed by the church. And many skeptics are brain washed by science books. Also if a scientists says "I did so and so experiment, and got so and so results" they'll believe it. Even though it's just a man's words.


So, yeah, I'd say the most brainwashed people are those of Christianity who are fanatics and deny anything that disagrees with their church and the same for skeptics who blindly follow science without actualy looking into things the scientists claim

How is brain washing achieved?
It can be regarded as programming one to think a certain way.
In severe cases I would believe a form of conditioning and punishment and fear is used.

In other cases I believe it can be as suttle as purposely keeping one ignorant or suttle suggestions purposely made to pursuade another against their heart and that hold clout in another's mind in a negative way.

There is a difference between lifting one's spirits and lifting one's ego. Just personally I believe that any religion that seeks to teach others that it holds the only absolute truth only helps to lift one's ego rather than their spirits.

Recently i was having a conversation with a freind about how my son who is 8 is lifting weights lite just a few bicep curls a few pushups, My friend say On my gosh don't let him i don't let my sons it will stunt their growth, I said I think that is a myth another friend pipes in no its a fact my cousin lifted weights it stunted his growthI asked my friend how can this happen she says " the muscle atrophys and impeedes the bone fron growing , i quietly went on to doing other things, i asked my sons boxing teacher who is a 82 year old physical fitness teacher, he said no its good to lift alittle weights as long as his form is good and the weight isn't to heavy, okay I next ask a cleint of mine who teaches physical eduaction ( says the same thing the boxing teacher and adds to it) she said the only thing that will stunt a persons growth is their diet through puberty and childhood ec etc. I share this becasue this is an example of brainwashing and this is how it circulates, Many things are picked up this way and never questioned. Someone you resepct or love often a parent or a grandparent or an valued friend and you just take the info no questions asked no personal investigations....this is the often how religion is except no questions asked.

Couldnt have said it better hyper.


Most of the time people are born into the belief system they currently hold, and I find this especially so with majority of christians. Their belif systems have always been represented to them as fact, and without much questioning. In effect this is like brainwashing.

A great excersise is to imagine you were born in a different culture in a different part of the world and brought up to believe ina different religon. Lets say you were brought up with the Islamic religon, or the Mormon religon, or buddhism. Are you so sure you would convert out of those into christianity? Most likely not because, you may know about other religons, but you wouldnt know them in the detail as much as you do your own, the one you were raised with. And as such would succumb to the learned in your religon telling you the other religons are wrong and their reasons for why.

If you can truly say you know just as much about other religons/belief systems/ their history if not more than the one you were raised with, that would be weighing the evidence. Yet so few people do this, hence the reason they are called 'brainwashed.' They are ignorant about others beliefs and dismiss other beliefs out of their ignorance.

venom, star, hyper, great perspectives added depth to my understanding of brainwashing

Zero why are you telling people to shut up????

Have you ever watched "Soldier"? Those boys are conditioned from birth to be soldiers, to kill and obey orders without question, no matter what.

Look at Christians, from birth you are told you will go to hell if you stray and Jesus is your savior...from birth...there is no time to grow up and explore the world and then pick what you want.

If you look at all Christians a very small percent actually grew up, then converted compared to the life long ones.

Now you tell me that isn't brain washing.

Being one of those that came to Christ later in life, I do see some element of people who are "brainwashed". However, I think the number is a lot smaller than people believe. Living near cabramatta (dubbed "vietnamatta" for obvious reasons), and going to an Asian church (though not actually asian myself), most of the CHristians I know are actually former Buddhists. Only a relatively small number of people actually grew up as Christians.

That aside, when one stops questioning, I think that is when they are officially brainwashed (unless they are conditioned only to question and never listen to answers, then they are also brainwashed).

There are Christians who do not question, who unwaveringly hold to their beliefs. But there are far more who question, in my opinion. Far more who seek to learn more, to examine texts more, to test what they know, to see if it is Truth or not. That people change Faith throughout their life is evidence of this (both into, and out of Christianity).

Just my opinion.

Regards, PA

I hope your refering to australia only, other wise that would be an extremely narrow minded view and blatantly false.

Majority of people on this PLANET that are christian now, grew up as christians. This mainly includes virtually ALL of Europe, North and South America. This accounts for roughly a bit over one-sixth of the world population.

Actually, I was only talking about Cabramatta. I do meet other CHristians outside of Cabramatta, and while most of them are born into Christian families, I have come to the conclusion that most of them question and are not brainwashed. I have met a few who could be considered brainwashed, but you get that in any walk of life.

Regards, PA

I rarley ever went to church, talked about God, or read the bible through out my entire life. Guess what I am now? A Christian. My dad and alot of my family are also not religious. My mom isn't either but she goes to church, but me and my dad don't.

A christian is only brainwashed if they refuse to admit the possibility that they might be wrong. Actually, pretty much anyone who refuses to admit that there is a chance that their beliefs may be wrong is brainwashed.

Basically a brainwashed person is one who doesnt think outside the box. One who doesnt step out of their comfort zone and one who doesnt ask questions or examine things. Note its not only found that some Christians are brainwashed- many skeptics or nonbelievers are very brainwashed too. Its just people that are afraid to cross their own boundaries and its not a smart way of living.

I guess if you were born into a christian family and never exposed to a different belief system then I would say that person would be brainwashed..however many people come to Christ later in life sometimes after a major event or just because they are curious..those people generally come into their belief with their eyes wide open. This however doesnt include some of those religions which are obviously a 'cult' which is a different matter altogether as the intentions behind the leaders are not generally for the good of their followers. But PA and Ramster are correct..when one stops questioning and always presumes their ideas only correct..I think that would be bordering on the brainwashing side. And this does actually apply to all religions.

Alot of people seem to think that one can be born, a Christian. You cannot be born a Christian, you must become a Christian through faith in Jesus' sacrafice, death and ressurection. But I get the point, they are saying that people brought up in Christian homes are more likely to trust Christ. This may not be because of brainwashing, but seeing the truth of salvation and how it effects a persons life first hand.

Any way, all these opinions, and no real facts... What is 'brainwashing', I mean the generally accepted/scientific definition of it, and how is it achieved?
If we can get a definition we can make up our own minds if we are brainwashed or not.
Or could we, if one is brainwashed is it impossible to know that you are?

Well Yes and No

I once felt I was brainwashed as a Catholic then I snapped out of it...but I have said before on these boards my mom the born again is indeed brainwashed and I did explain why I thought this...so IMO only some are and some arent

No there are not very many people that think this. Most people understand that christians belive man is born fallen, broken, sinful, etc.



Yes its a matter of probability. Most people born into their respectives beliefs are inclined to stick with them.



So what exactly is "seeing the truth of salvation"? If you are talking about peoples beliefs affecting their lives, first hand, Im sure everyones seen that. Ive seen how the Islamic belief affects Muslims lives First hand, Ive seen how the mormon belief affects the lives of mormons first hand, and likewise with christians, Hindus, Buddahists and many others.

But if all you only ever lived around and experienced peoples lives being affect by the christian belief you may be inclined to believe that all others are false. This would be due to a limited perspective, inadequate knowledege and experience. Thus in a way making u 'brainwashed' or ignorant.



Do a multiple dictionary search of the word 'brainwashed' and you will come across a variety of definitions. You will also come across a large variety of methods and circumstances on how brainwashing is achieved. The term 'brainwashed' covers a broad spectrum of ideas and thus cannot be said, it means this as opposed to that because it can mean both.



In my belief, and way of thinking being 'brainwashed' is simply not having enough knowledge on the given subject usually religon. It is due to a limited perspective. Take the topic of religon, if you only know about christianity, and do not know much about Islam, their beliefs, the Quran, their different sects, their history it could be said you are ignorant to the Islamic belief. You simply dont have much knowledge about them, or if you prefer first hand experience of how their beliefs affect their lives. Once you obtain the knowledge and experience you will have a better more balanced perspective on things.

To me brainwashing is when you let others make up your mind for you and it's not just religion...it can be when purchasing a product

Well, to be specific, the kind of "brainwashing" you'd get to buy a product goes by a different name: propaganda. That's what advertising is. Brainwashing is a different, more intensive and invasive process...although propaganda can be a PART of brainwashing. Not sure if that makes sense.

Well not really but in a way I can see what you are getting at

I sont see advertising as brainwashing...but hard cold selling door to door sales men can be...they can influence some poor sod into a product...ie - some insurance scam into believing its the right thing to take out...I call that part of brainwashing

Or alternatively, if one believes something (not necessarily religious) just because it's "common knowledge" that everyone "just knows". I think we are all guilty of this to some extent. We take much for granted, without ever really thinking whether the foundation for that is solid.

Regards, PA