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TVBlogger - my experience with religious indoctrination growing up
was a little different.
I escaped the clutches of those who would attempt to brainwash all within their charge at the age of 14 but then married (almost unwittingly) into a family of rabid born again cult members.
posted by
gomedome
on June 6, 2006 at 2:24 PM
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gomedome
Thanks for the offer to link, but I think I'll just leave it as it is. I don't want to get sidetracked by fighting about religion there. If someone likes what I've said here, perhaps they'll check out my blog anyway. But thanks, that was a generous offer. BTW, I should have added in my first comment, that most Christians will not recognize themselves in my experiences because until you step out of the culture, you don't see it.
posted by
TVBlogger
on June 6, 2006 at 2:01 PM
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RAME - I've only gotten as far as acknowledging that different people
have different ways of seeing things.
posted by
gomedome
on June 6, 2006 at 12:27 PM
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Gomedome,
I will not pretend to understand the mindset of a non-believer. I don't understand it, pure and simple. You raise some very good points in your post.
posted by
RAME
on June 6, 2006 at 12:18 PM
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TVBlogger - this is an exceptional comment
I am going to make a suggestion. Your comment could be posted in your own blog, then I can link to that blog at the bottom of this posting (you get clicks that count that way and it may help your blog rankings). It's up to you but in any event I do appreciate your insightful comment.
posted by
gomedome
on June 6, 2006 at 12:14 PM
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I should probably give this more thought before posting since I haven't formulated all my thoughts on this, but I do believe I have a unique perspective to offer. I grew up in a very conservative Christian home in the rural Midwest of the United States. I tried valiantly to fit in to my family and community, but something never quite felt right to me. It wasn't until my 20's that I decided to try to throw out everything I'd ever been taught and do the hard work of figuring out what
I believe to be true. This was a painful process at times and one still in progress to some degree. But, because of all of that, I can actually see both points of view.
There is a strong history of victimization in the Christian community. Basically, the founder of the movement was victimized by unjust capital punishment (still floors me that his followers generally approve of this method of punishment). Then there was the early persecution of the church. There was the whole issue of fleeing to America because of religious persecution. It's an ongoing theme in the faith. So, when someone is attacked, it's time to circle the wagons and stand up for the faithful. They may be wrong, but they are a Christian and God will forgive them and help them see the error of their ways. They still see themselves as victims and currently think they are being persecuted despite having the Presidency, the Senate, the Congress and the Judicial branch. THAT is a deep belief in victimization.
I also remember an almost complete contempt for people who didn't believe "the truth." Their hearts had hardened (in other words they were arrogant, stubborn fools) or they simply hadn't heard the good news. Those were pretty much the only two categories nonbelievers fell into.
At one point in my life when I was still a churchgoer, I moved to a new community and decided for the first time not to go to church and to more or less "hide out" from the present Christian community. They assumed I was one of the heathen, and the disdain I was treated with was shocking. For the first time I saw the condescending manner in which I'd been treating other people my whole life and I was deeply ashamed.
Now, do I think all followers of Christ's teachings behave this way? No, but I know the vast majority, indoctrinated in the modern American version of Christianity do. I've seen 24 years of it.
Anyway, I'm sorry this got so long. I don't know if my views shed any light on your questions. I just have some strong opinions on this subject, having lived on both sides.
(spell checked for your convenience
)
posted by
TVBlogger
on June 6, 2006 at 11:57 AM
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