Although humans have no instincts (only drives, reflexes, urges, etc.), there is a brief period during childhood when youngsters are vulnerable to religious training. Their concepts of right and wrong are formulated during this time, and their view of God begins to solidify. As in the case of the gosling, the opportunity of that period must be seized when it is available. Leaders of the Catholic church have been widely quoted as saying, "Give us a child until he is seven years old, and we'll have him for life"; they are usually correct, because permanent attitudes can be instilled during these seven vulnerable years. Unfortunately, however, the opposite is also true. The absence or misapplication of instruction through the prime-time period may place a severe limitation on the depth of a child's later devotion to God. When parents withhold indoctrination from their small children, allowing them to "decide for themselves," the adults are almost guaranteeing that their youngsters will "decide" in the negative. If parents want their children to have a meaningful faith, they must give up any misguided attempts at objectivity. Children listen closely to discover just how much their parents believe what they preach. Any indecision or ethical confusion from the parent is likely to be magnified in the child. After the middle-adolescent age (ending at about fifteen years), children sometimes resent heavy-handedness about anything—including what to believe. But if the early exposure has been properly conducted, they should have an anchor to steady them. Their early indoctrination, then, is the key to the spiritual attitudes they carry into adulthood.
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it's called brainwashing.
If your religion, faith, whatever you call it can't take objectivity it's fucked. Really, it's fucked.
PS this waste of space can't be a physician, please tell me he's not! The thought of him responsible for the well being of anyone he disapproves of is frightening
If I ever have children (unlikely, given the fact that my erm, boyfriend and I aren't fans of that much lack of sleep), I will never raise them in a religion that suggests brainwashing. That's creepy, aye?
Because while they're little they'll believe all sorts of crazy shit. One of my kids once thought that the leaves on the trees had to be bought and glued on, a T-rex was going to go do it for him.
If you raise them without religion by the time they're 9 or 10 they should be able to poke all kinds of holes in the bible stories without any help.
It's great how this quote is basically admitting that his religion is bullshit. He's saying that you have to convince children that god is true when they're young, because once they start thinking for themselves they'll see how big a crock of shit the whole thing is. Sometimes I doubt that these people believe their own bullshit.
I was one of the kids that was left to decide for themselves and I will never be able to thank my parents enough for that.
When you think about it, it seems better that a kid would grow up in a home lacking any kind of significant religion, because then they'll learn to do the right thing just because it's the right thing, not because they'll burn in hell for eternity if they don't.
I don't see where fundies get off thinking they're so much better people than atheists when they only act decently because they're afraid God will smite them if they don't.
The whole thing is pretty vile, but this leapt out at me:
" instincts (only drives, reflexes, urges, etc.)"
I think you need to look up the word "instinct", because I don't think it means what you think it means.
Suckling is an instint for an infant. Did anyone teach you how to chew? No? That's an instinct. You instinctively know how to form the sounds you hear when you learn how to talk- no one told you how to make the incredibly complex motions between the throat, toungue, jaw, teeth, and nose that no other animal can do. Sitting, crawling and walking come instinctively as an infant's muscles get stronger, not because his/her parernts taught him/her balance and coordination.
Yes this is fucking scary, but it's not even 100% TRUE. I was indoctrinated as a Christian for most of my childhood, kept in Christian schools or homeschooling, kept off the internet, kept away from secular music and shows, the whole works. Now, after going to a public high school and 3 years of college, I'm an atheist. I thought the whole point of brainwashing was to keep people in the faith?
Humans have many instincts. Breathing, suckling, and swallowing, of course are known at birth. As one gains strength, one can sit up, stand, and walk, without instruction, even with all the muscles and balance involved in a short walk across the room. Talking, uniquely human, is instinctive. One learns by imitation, but the complexities of speech are instinctive. No one has to tell you how to make the sounds for Mama or Daddy, even though they involve the throat, tongue, teeth (the T-zones. Sorry), the lips, and the nose, and how to pass air though them. You just have to learn the correct way to connect sounds in something meaningful. You learn if it’s the woman, la madamoiselle, la señora, a senhora, or an bhean.
Holy crap! I find myself agreeing with James "The Fruitcake Fundie" Dobson. Although, I don't think he would like it - LoL
It's true that if you INDOCTRINATE (read: brainwashing, behavioural conditioning, etc) children they will have a very hard time breaking away from the grip of the fear and pain you have inflicted. (scratch head) Wasn't it Skinner who instilled the Teddy Bear phobia into Little Albert (poor kid!!)? Fundies do the same - "bad" thought? Blow the air horn or beat the kid. "Bad" behaviour? ditto the above.
And isn't the fact that kids will be "almost guaranteed" to choose not to believe in a deity if not indoctrinated show that lack of belief is normal and natural, and not the opposite?
Wow, Jimmy - you sure managed to shoot yourself in the foot most spectacularly with this ...
"When parents withhold indoctrination from their small children, allowing them to "decide for themselves," the adults are almost guaranteeing that their youngsters will "decide" in the negative."
This from a member of the cult which insists that the proof of god's existence is all around us and in undeniable. Don't you believe that James m'boy? Or are you acknowledging that the so-called proof of your god is NOT immediately self evident and might in fact be entirely imagined?
Sincerely,
One whose indoctrination didn't take and decided in the negative for himself
If this were even remotely true, then there would be no such thing as adults who convert. Missionary outreach would be utterly pointless.
Way to shoot yourself in the foot, Doc.
In other words, "get them while they don't have the mental capacity to see through our bullshit".
Also, your understanding of human psychology is pathetic.
"Although humans have no instincts (only drives, reflexes, urges, etc.), there is a brief period during childhood when youngsters are vulnerable to Communist training. Their concepts of right and wrong are formulated during this time, and their view of Great Comrade Stalin begins to solidify. As in the case of the gosling, the opportunity of that period must be seized when it is available. Leaders of the Catholic church have been widely quoted as saying, "Give us a child until he is seven years old, and we'll have him for life"; they are usually correct, because permanent attitudes can be instilled during these seven vulnerable years. Unfortunately, however, the opposite is also true. The absence or misapplication of instruction through the prime-time period may place a severe limitation on the depth of a child's later devotion to Comrade Stalin. When parents withhold indoctrination from their small children, allowing them to "decide for themselves," the adults are almost guaranteeing that their youngsters will "decide" in the negative. If parents want their children to have a meaningful belief in Communism, they must give up any misguided attempts at objectivity. Children listen closely to discover just how much their parents believe what they say. Any indecision from the parent is likely to be magnified in the child. After the middle-adolescent age (ending at about fifteen years), children sometimes resent heavy-handedness about anythingincluding what to believe. But if the early exposure has been properly conducted, they should have an anchor to steady them. Their early indoctrination, then, is the key to the political attitudes they carry into adulthood."
Except if a Communist regime did the same thing, it would be evil, right?
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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