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Like I said. . .
"the majority of kids raised in an overtly Christian home will likely choose Christ for themselves." I already acknowledged that, OK? So chill.
Whether you believe me or not (and you likely will choose not to), I pondered many different religions along the way, waffled back and forth, studied many of them, compared them with Christianity and eventually chose Christianity. Yes I grew up in the religion, yes I studied many other religions, yes I eventually chose Christianity.
"Indoctrination" according to Webster: "to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments: teach: to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle." So with that definition in mind, I was actually indoctrinated into a variety of religions. Among the religions studied in some depth: Christianity, Hinduism, New Age doctrines, Wicca, Humanism, Femanism . . . heck, I even subscribed to Mother Jones and a few other choice far left magazines for awhile. Trust me, Gome, my mind was wide open.
Carefull what you say or YOU might turn into a chucklehead. 
posted by
JanesOpinion
on October 28, 2005 at 9:00 PM
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JanesOpinion --- that is the lamest support for a contention that
I have ever seen. You didn't have anything close to a choice in what religion you were going to adopt as your own. You have had a lifetime of affirmation from your environment pertaining to one solitary religion.. Is that your definition of free will? ...Here take this one choice, take it or leave it.
I must need a new dictionary.
posted by
gomedome
on October 28, 2005 at 8:48 PM
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My dear chucklehead, er, I mean, gomer, er, gomedome
(Phew!). This slow witted, blonde chuckleheadette finally figured out your name and that was struggle enough. 
But regarding your blog, I'm assuming that you, raised a Catholic, were also indoctrinated into your family's religion? Yet you exercised free will and escaped the clutches of catholicism? I do think exercise of free will actually happens more than you acknowledge. I've read multiple stories of young women born into Muslim families in Saudi Arabia (and other totalitarian regimes) who become Christians. Once this becomes public knowledge, their choices are either to convert back to Islam, be forcibly married off to a Muslim or be killed or tortured (and at some point along the way usually raped by a handfull of men). Amazingly, with such inauspicious choices, they frequently choose torture/death. Now, of course, you'll respond by observing that for a Muslim woman, there's a good chance she would prefer death to life locked up in the same room as her mother in law. Good point. But somehow, miraculously (or as you might prefer to say, "as luck would have it") these women are rescued and saved from both their future Islamic mother in law AND death and raised as Christians.
OK, it's late and I'm rambling (what's new?) but that said, I do agree that the majority of kids raised in an overtly Christian home will likely choose Christ for themselves. For myself, I "became a Christian" when I was six (and essentially clueless), joined the church at 14 (because I felt it was the appropriate thing to do and something others my age were doing), quietly rebelled by age 15 (never outwardly, mind you), was wishy washy regarding my faith until about the age of 25 or so, and then only AFTER moving 3,500 miles away from family and close friends made the decision to whole heartedly follow Christ. Perhaps you would still see that as indoctrination? I see it as free will. I had ample time to think for myself and make up my own mind.
Meanwhile, during those years, my parents were praying really hard . . . 3500 miles away.
G'night.
posted by
JanesOpinion
on October 28, 2005 at 8:27 PM
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Amish kids are allowed some time away and can "opt out".
Makes sense when farmland is disappearing and they have large families to divide the acreage amongst.
posted by
majroj
on October 28, 2005 at 8:09 PM
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NOPEACE --I didn't think it was possible but I have confused you even more
Your idea of man having free will to pick and choose his religion is utter bullshit, making your quarterwitted notion that those who do not adhere to your faith, are condemened because they "chose" not to follow your faith even more ludicrous than utter bullshit. If there is such a thing. You have to get off of the North American continent. I can tell that you have never been anywhere else in the world if you think that someone born in Iran for example, could make a choice based on free will to become a Christian. Your premise is retarded.
posted by
gomedome
on October 28, 2005 at 2:09 PM
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Hemlocker
" Beware of false prophets, who go about crying 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace"
Sorry about that Nopeace, just couldn't resist it
posted by
ariel70
on October 28, 2005 at 1:28 PM
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let's not say "iondoctrinated", shall we?
I know of people who have grown up in a certain religion and can see no religion but theirs is valid; however, many who have grown outside of that religion feel that that one is quite invalid.
They believe things that the rest of us have great problems believing; and yet, for them, the tenets of their religion are gospel fact.
And I am sure that NOPEACE would find it to be that many of these tenets are invalid to him; and yet other bloggers here would tell you (and they have already) that these tenets are more valid than what the rest of us believe. And this is a Christian denomination that I am speaking of.
Basically, we find, then, that the religion that we have been taught from childhood, generally, is what we embrace, to the exclusion of others, and each of us embraces the validity of our own and the invalidity of the others.
We say we are gith and they are wrong. So some of us who are right are condemned to hell because others who are right believe that we are wrong.
posted by
Xeno-x
on October 28, 2005 at 1:25 PM
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religion is inherently cultural.
even when kids are all grown up, they will most likely choose the religion that they have been taught their whole lives, and that their family and loved ones practice, even assuming that they have been exposed to christianity, which is NOT something that happens to all people, or even most people.
imagine you are an Egyptian who was taught islam until you were 18. once you move out of the house, you hear about a religion called christianity. you aren't taught about it extensively...you just hear about it in passing. you think "hmm...should I continue practicing the religion that I have come to accept and cherish througout my entire life, or pick up this christianity thing (which I haven't been taught about very much...just sorta heard about from some missionary), thus rejecting my OWN god and being subject to his wrath, and probably being ostracized from my family and culture?" say you consider it for awhile, but stick with Islam. Then, as a result, when you die, god sends you to Hell?
doesn't sound too compassionate to me. doesn't even sound reasonable.
posted by
mikebrown
on October 28, 2005 at 1:24 PM
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Hey, gome
What about those millions of Chinese Christians? and all those former Latino Catholics or whatever, who became born again Protestant Evangelicals? What about Sammy Davis, Jr., who chose to become a Jew? What about all those communists and libertarians and arachnaphobes. What about me? I was once a Jew and now I work for the Christian Devil. My business card says Beezlebub, Inc. As for No Peace, I think his name is quite appropriate.
posted by
Hemlocker
on October 28, 2005 at 1:13 PM
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I'm not saying the most people arent introduced into their religion by their parents, I would agree with that, but what they cant fake is their faith in that religion. But there also comes a time that each and every person says i'm going to continue going to this church or mosque or what have you are they say, I'm going to try something else or they say I dont believe in God at all. Didn't you make your choice.
posted by
NOPEACE
on October 28, 2005 at 1:05 PM
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if you took a survey of people who have faith in any religion
and asked them who introduced them to it (and who encouraged them to partake in it), i would wager that 99% of those surveyed would say it was their parents, or if not their parents, whoever raised them (in case they were a foster child or something). this is not based on a scientific study, but just on personal experience.
also, there are many, many people who are not exposed to christianity AT ALL in the world. take a pygmy village in africa, for example. and... guess what? many people of religions OTHER than christianity are as nuts as no peace and think that non-believers in THEIR religion will be condemned by THEIR god. so, upon being exposed to christianity, they would probably not make the switch.
so god is just sending people to hell for not believing in him who never even HEARD of him, or because they were fed a similar BS story and believed the wrong one.
wow, god is a dick. you'd think he'd be a little more compassionate than that. doesn't he have one of those WWJD bracelets?
posted by
mikebrown
on October 28, 2005 at 12:46 PM
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Gomedome,
Also, where is your facts that the majority of the world is indoctrinated into their religion? Maybe it's your logic that is in fact half baked.
posted by
NOPEACE
on October 28, 2005 at 11:56 AM
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Gomedome,
So what you are saying is that nobody has a choice in what religion they have. This would imply that there is no free will. Are you saying the man does not have free will?
posted by
NOPEACE
on October 28, 2005 at 11:55 AM
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NOPEACE - as usual your logic crashes into a brick wall
you are talking very small numbers of people in your examples versus billions of people indoctrinated into other faiths. By your half baked logic, those who have grown up as Moslems for example, will be turned away from God because they had incedental exposure to the bible in their lives but refused to drop everything they believed and continued practising the faith that they had grown up with. Right, sure buddy, and you have the nerve to call me naieve.
posted by
gomedome
on October 28, 2005 at 10:19 AM
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Gomedome,
Nice story, a bit naieve as for as the way a person picks a religion. Did you parent ever take you to Church?
If they did and you are an atheist, you made your free choice to choose that. If they did not take you to church, you know that there are religions out there, I know you have at least read the bible and with you free will, you have chosen not to believe.
Others as well have grown up NOT going to church, whose families are atheist and they chose to submit their life to God. Was that indoctrinated into them at birth or in their up bringing? No, because their parents didn't go to church.
Everyone will hear the words of the Bible and will choose to believe or not believe, whether they grow up in the household going to a bible teaching church, atheistic home, or a non-bible teaching church. Religious preference is not indoctrinated into anyone, it is a free will choice that everyone makes.
posted by
NOPEACE
on October 28, 2005 at 10:10 AM
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Ariala -- that's just a terrible lisp that I have...I'd stick around and
tell you about it but I'm going out for a woot beer.
posted by
gomedome
on October 27, 2005 at 8:36 PM
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I'm laughing too hard at Ariala's comment to respond... LMAO
A child born to Ariala... ROFL... oh boy...
posted by
-blackcat
on October 27, 2005 at 8:27 PM
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ROFL, gomey, you are so bad...this made me laugh and I don't think I'm
supposed to laugh at such a post.
First, I thought your headline read "A child born to Ariala"...I'm like damn, now what did I do? LOL
posted by
Ariala
on October 27, 2005 at 8:25 PM
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