The Scholarly Trend and the Mark of a Brainwashed Person.
I have argued that the reasons why Christians believe is because of brainwashing, ignorance and fear. We skeptics can even show from psychological studies that people of faith don’t reason too well; none of us do.
How many believers are willing to test what they believe by taking the Debunking Christianity Challenge? If Christians were really interested in the truth then those books would fly off the shelves. What I have learned is that many apologists have not even read many of the best books critical to their faith. Which of those ten books have YOU read Christian? What other books besides those ten have you read?
Yes, there are individual scholars who can stay believers in one or more fields of study antithetical to faith, like anthropology, Biblical scholarship, psychology, archaeology and many of the branches of science, but the overwhelming trend among scholars in those fields is toward doubt. Those are the facts. This means that it's a person's personality and sociological makeup that causes an individual to continue to believe in the midst of the evidence against what s/he believes. If the trend was towards belief then you might have a point. But it isn't, not by a long shot. Want to take a stab at explaining why this is so? My explanation is brainwashing, ignorance, fear of hell, and even the fear of the loss of social relationships.
People who have become atheists after embracing faith describe it as a terrible ordeal, much like pulling teeth out. They fear hell, and they fear what their families will think and do to them. It's best not to question the status quo and simply ignore doubt.
Christians don't realize you've been given a culturally adopted set of eyes through which you see everything. You just cannot see any differently. You don't even want to try to see things differently, do you, because you're scared? Does that describe you? Yes or no? If yes, that is a mark of a brainwashed person. If no, then take the debunking Christianity challenge.
How many believers are willing to test what they believe by taking the Debunking Christianity Challenge? If Christians were really interested in the truth then those books would fly off the shelves. What I have learned is that many apologists have not even read many of the best books critical to their faith. Which of those ten books have YOU read Christian? What other books besides those ten have you read?
Yes, there are individual scholars who can stay believers in one or more fields of study antithetical to faith, like anthropology, Biblical scholarship, psychology, archaeology and many of the branches of science, but the overwhelming trend among scholars in those fields is toward doubt. Those are the facts. This means that it's a person's personality and sociological makeup that causes an individual to continue to believe in the midst of the evidence against what s/he believes. If the trend was towards belief then you might have a point. But it isn't, not by a long shot. Want to take a stab at explaining why this is so? My explanation is brainwashing, ignorance, fear of hell, and even the fear of the loss of social relationships.
People who have become atheists after embracing faith describe it as a terrible ordeal, much like pulling teeth out. They fear hell, and they fear what their families will think and do to them. It's best not to question the status quo and simply ignore doubt.
Christians don't realize you've been given a culturally adopted set of eyes through which you see everything. You just cannot see any differently. You don't even want to try to see things differently, do you, because you're scared? Does that describe you? Yes or no? If yes, that is a mark of a brainwashed person. If no, then take the debunking Christianity challenge.
6 comments:
Personally I haven't read any of those books. I don't agree with your reasons on why Christians believe. I myself am a convert to the Christian faith did give it much thought before becoming Christian. I read books from other faiths and even read books by Dawkins and Hitchens. If I can get any of those ten books at my local library then I will read them. I personally like to see other viewpoints even if I don't agree with them.
Angel, The books that I've read on the list, especially the ones by John, Bart Ehrman and Michael Martin (I wasn't impressed with Beversluis at all), are much better than Dawkins's 'God Delusion' and Hitchens's 'God is not Great' -- and I emphasize **much** better.
Eric,
That's good to hear. I wasn't that impressed by either Dawkins or Hitchens.
Thanks Eric. What was it about Beversluis that you weren't impressed with his book?
Other marks of the brainwashed person: 1) You are emotionally attached: "I wholeheartedly admit that I have an emotional investment in my Christian faith," 2) You prefer that your beliefs are true: "I'd rather go to be with God when I die." And 3) You have wishful thinking: "I also admit that sometimes wishful thinking has clouded my judgment of certain arguments."
As I was leaving my Christian faith kicking and screaming against the very thought, I had to do so despite the above brainwashing indicators I myself shared with you. It was very painful emotionally, it went against what I wanted to be true for so many reasons I don't know where to begin, and the arguments had to overcome my wishful thinking.
Look at the trends. Follow them. They may be decisive. Explain them if you can.
And according to ARIS 2001, for every 5 people who join a religion, 23 people leave.
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