RE: Which is the cause, which the effect: religious fundamentalism <=> brain impairment
March 18, 2018 at 3:04 pm
(This post was last modified: March 18, 2018 at 3:05 pm by drfuzzy.)
I'm with Jehanne. I was raised Pentecostal and called myself xtian until into my 40's.
The fear of hell was ingrained into my system at an early age, along with the idea that one would be punished for doubting. If you doubted and questioned what you were told, then you probably weren't a true christian. Children indoctrinated in this way almost certainly lag behind in critical thinking skills. It has also been shown that they are more punitive and judgmental toward their peers, and intolerant of anyone who is not a member of their specific religious group.
But education and true searching (I found science and comparative religion and history to be most helpful - along with actually READING the Bible without thinking that it is special) can break the programming, I'm living proof.
The fear of hell was ingrained into my system at an early age, along with the idea that one would be punished for doubting. If you doubted and questioned what you were told, then you probably weren't a true christian. Children indoctrinated in this way almost certainly lag behind in critical thinking skills. It has also been shown that they are more punitive and judgmental toward their peers, and intolerant of anyone who is not a member of their specific religious group.
But education and true searching (I found science and comparative religion and history to be most helpful - along with actually READING the Bible without thinking that it is special) can break the programming, I'm living proof.
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
