A question for those who were raised Catholic

[Joan_of_Bark]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Consider the fact that children raised in Saudi Arabia become … Muslims. Those raised in most of India become Hindus. Children raised by practicing Jews in Israel tend to become practicing Jews. And kids raised by evangelical Protestants usually turn out to be Protestants. Why do you suppose this is? Do you believe that upon becoming free-willed adults they carefully consider all religious creeds and come to the conclusion that (fill in the blank) is really the best and truest religion?

Of course not. We can see that they’ve merely been indoctrinated into their religious creed without the benefit of a balanced exposure to other religions. So are you really any different?

Now you may have been raised in the west, where a more pluralistic society prevails. Certainly while growing up you would have encountered other religious sects. But is a child who goes to a Catholic school five days a week, and to mass every week, and has Catholic parents and relatives, really any different than a Saudi Muslim – except in the degree of the indoctrination?

Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.

 

[Shellac]

I can understand what you are trying to say. If we were “brainwashed” most folks did a ****** job of it. Look at the numbers of folks most in the teens who stop going to church. Look at the number of folks who say the are Catholic yet don’t go to mass every weekend.Or at the numbers who left the Catholic Church to become something elce. Sometime that something is not even christen. If it truly was brainwashing don’t you think the number of folks who leave ect would be much much lower? I know I do.

"Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.’

Once more I hear you yet you miss the mark. Catholic Moms and Dads who live the faith like all moms and dads won’t whats best for their kids. Just like you would not take your kid to a wich doc as well as someone trained in western medicine and say you decide.

I would say almost all of us here are Catholic because we have thought long and hard about it. Hope that helps.

 

[chris_molter]

The same thing applies to any viewpoint… religious… secular… atheistic… agnostic… What’s important isn’t that the person might have been “BRAINWASHED” (ooo, scary!). What’s important is that parents have the right to raise their children to believe or not believe and that when they’re adults, they have the right to choose to continue to believe or disbelieve or change beliefs without interference from the state. I wouldn’t support a religious state forcing agnostic parents to teach their children Islam or Catholicism any more than I support a secular state forcing religious parents to teach their children anti-religious views.

 

[bingbang]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Consider the fact that children raised in Saudi Arabia become … Muslims. Those raised in most of India become Hindus. Children raised by practicing Jews in Israel tend to become practicing Jews. And kids raised by evangelical Protestants usually turn out to be Protestants. Why do you suppose this is? Do you believe that upon becoming free-willed adults they carefully consider all religious creeds and come to the conclusion that (fill in the blank) is really the best and truest religion?

Of course not. We can see that they’ve merely been indoctrinated into their religious creed without the benefit of a balanced exposure to other religions. So are you really any different?

Now you may have been raised in the west, where a more pluralistic society prevails. Certainly while growing up you would have encountered other religious sects. But is a child who goes to a Catholic school five days a week, and to mass every week, and has Catholic parents and relatives, really any different than a Saudi Muslim – except in the degree of the indoctrination?

Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.

Yes, for sure I have considered being “brainwashed.” The definition of brainwashing is a bit ambiguous though. Societal values can also be brainwashing. The great majority of white people in the southern USA a hundred years ago (and a lot of other places) would think that is was fine to be extremely racist towards blacks…and many of these people believed they were being good Christians. That is just how society was back then.

The way I was taught Catholicism was as a fact. This isn’t really the best way of going about it IMO. I think Catholicism makes a lot of kids feel guilty for the things they do (I don’t really know how possible it is for a boy going through puberty to not masturbate) and I think this guilt eventually turns people away from Catholicism and God in general. 3 of my very good friends went to Catholic school with me and went to church every week but turned into atheists, IMO, because of the way this Catholic guilt weighs on them. When you believe there is no God, there is no guilt for these things. And these people still feel guilt when they are mean to someone or something like that, but things like masturbation and pre marital sex that (in most cases) don’t really have a victim, they don’t have to feel bad about anymore.

Anyway, I think it is quite obvious that people are indoctrinated with religion. How many Catholics had Catholic parents? The great majority I am sure…and I bet that is how it is with just about every religion. But it is no different than me accepting homosexuality and not being racist because that was taught to me as a young child. That is something I agree with though.

 

[Garyjohn2]

It’s not brainwashed. That is a very negative term. Parents raise their children. Most of the time the children have the same values as the parents. They learn lessons through their parents, and get the foundations for their world view through their parents. The same is true for you. For all of us!

You can be negative and call it “brainwashing” or you can be more neutral and call it “parental influence.” Most people would call the lessons, teachings, and values passed down from their parents as a “positive influence.” It is very treasured, especially once your parents are gone! Then you may miss the influence and guidance they provided.

Take some time and think about the way your parents influenced you, religiously or otherwise. I’ve always respected my elders, and my parents are at the top of the list. Most cultures are like this…for good reason! If we ignored the wisdom of those who came before us, we, as a human race, would be lost.

 

[Lutheranteach]

I consider that possibility everyday for those of any religion…

 

[Kay_Cee]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed by secular society?

 

[tbtcom1213]

I am a Catholic revert and I can say without a doubt I was definitely not brainwashed;

I was baptized into the Catholic Church as an infant by my mother who was Catholic; my father was a Buddhist;

Later on my mom and dad separated and my mom started going to the Baptist Church;

I didn’t feel right in that church and felt something was missing; I always believed in Jesus I just didn’t know which church he resided in since there were so many:

My aunts were either Baptist like my mom, Pentecostal, Seventh day Adventist or Jehovah’s Witness. My relatives who are Catholic weren’t really grounded in the faith.

It was very confusing and all I could do was simply pray to Jesus.

Eventually I found my way back to the Catholic Church where I am active as an altar server in the Latin Mass; I felt utter joy receiving Jesus in the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist thanks be to God, the Blessed Virgin and the Saints Amen.

 

[Joe_5859]

I would say almost all of us here are Catholic because we have thought long and hard about it.

Exactly.

I think the whole “brainwashed” card gets played way too much, and it is not at all helpful. It’s generally an appeal to emotion in order to circumvent reasoned arguments.

You could toss out the term “brainwashed” to describe any religious group, non-religious group, philosophical system, etc. Kids today are “brainwashed” by the secular media into thinking that Christianity is illogical. They are “brainwashed” into thinking that sex outside of marriage is no big deal. Any group can toss out the term to degrade those they disagree with. It usually only serves to offend.

I forget who said it, but I think it’s apt: God has no grandchildren! He is our Father, not our Grandfather. There comes a time in every person’s life where they have to decide for themselves what they believe.

 

[PatriceA]

I consider that possibility everyday for those of any religion…

Me too. I think it is entirely possible that there are “brainwashed” cradle Catholics, because its not always just about religious beliefs for some families but about the very core of the family structure and dynamics. In my experience though, those cradle Catholics that seem to be “brainwashed” also hold many racist and sexist views as well. They have never challenged what their parents taught them, formed their own moral belief system and religion is a part of the package.

I’m not saying all cradle Catholics are that way, I’m a cradle Catholic myself but I was exposed to different faiths, some within my own family and my parents had a healthy respect for people of different faiths. I was encouraged to at least be educated about what other religions believe, to understand, not to argue why being Catholic was a better choice.

But I’ve encountered other Catholic parents within the Catholic School system that would never consider letting their children be exposed to people of other denominations, not even letting their children socialize with them at the local Y. So IMO, the OP’s scenerio could be possible.

 

[Crash001]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Plain and simple…this is just a ‘silly question’.

 

[Rence]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Yes, but I rather like to call it, ‘given a solid foundation’

Catholic parents have a duty and responsibility to pass their religion on to their children, and the best way to do that is to lay down a solid foundation. And they do this because they believe in the Catholic faith. They wouldn’t abandon their children’s spiritual needs by not laying down that foundation. People of other faiths, such as muslims and jews and those of other denominations, do the same.

But what you call religious brainwashing is really done about everything. For example, those who believe that a college education is paramount to sucess in life and “groom” their children for college from early on. And no matter what, they have to finish school.

What about brainwashing regarding gender-specific activities? Some families believe only boys can participate in certain activities (like basketball, soccor) while the girls aren’t allowed to participate because they’re girls…and this belief follows in the next few generations.

 

[Prophesy]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Consider the fact that children raised in Saudi Arabia become … Muslims. Those raised in most of India become Hindus. Children raised by practicing Jews in Israel tend to become practicing Jews. And kids raised by evangelical Protestants usually turn out to be Protestants. Why do you suppose this is? Do you believe that upon becoming free-willed adults they carefully consider all religious creeds and come to the conclusion that (fill in the blank) is really the best and truest religion?

Of course not. We can see that they’ve merely been indoctrinated into their religious creed without the benefit of a balanced exposure to other religions. So are you really any different?

Now you may have been raised in the west, where a more pluralistic society prevails. Certainly while growing up you would have encountered other religious sects. But is a child who goes to a Catholic school five days a week, and to mass every week, and has Catholic parents and relatives, really any different than a Saudi Muslim – except in the degree of the indoctrination?

Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.

My answer is a ‘no’. My parents aren’t astoundingly well-knowledged in Catholicism, they do the ‘church thing’. If there was truly any type of action to be taken from my upbringing, it’d likely be a reversal or youthful rebellion against their beliefs. However, this isn’t the case.

I did revolutionize my worldview that I had sheepishly adopted, but this worldview was one of cynical-quasi-socialism, the typical ‘leftist-by-default’ stance that arises in my hometown. This wasn’t something I had picked up from my parents, it was ingrained into me through ‘politically intelligent’ (really astoundingly unlearned as they now admit after growing out of their beliefs) and through indoctrination within the school system (like believing that the UN was the greatest thing since sliced bread.)

I did readdress my faith, which wasn’t much of anything at that time. And then I started to learn philosophy, debate, argumentation, etc. And as I grew (and continue to grow) in matters of philosophy and debating skill, I learned more about Catholicism and how it simply makes sense to me.

-Prophecy

 

[paul_c]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Consider the fact that children raised in Saudi Arabia become … Muslims. Those raised in most of India become Hindus. Children raised by practicing Jews in Israel tend to become practicing Jews. And kids raised by evangelical Protestants usually turn out to be Protestants. Why do you suppose this is? Do you believe that upon becoming free-willed adults they carefully consider all religious creeds and come to the conclusion that (fill in the blank) is really the best and truest religion?

Of course not. We can see that they’ve merely been indoctrinated into their religious creed without the benefit of a balanced exposure to other religions. So are you really any different?

Now you may have been raised in the west, where a more pluralistic society prevails. Certainly while growing up you would have encountered other religious sects. But is a child who goes to a Catholic school five days a week, and to mass every week, and has Catholic parents and relatives, really any different than a Saudi Muslim – except in the degree of the indoctrination?

Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.

Why do you ask this question? Are you trying to turn people away from their “brainwashing” parents? Did you have an issue with your parents so that you don’t trust them and you want to warn the rest of us that our parent’s don’t have our best interest at heart?

And why do you focus on religion? Why not on any of the thousands of other influences our parents have on us. Things as mundane as the food we eat and the clothes we wear to the people they associate with…

Do you really advocate that our parents give no guidance whatsoever, simply presenting everything as an option? Aren’t they our first and primary teachers. And aren’t they the people most likely to have our best interest at heart…

 

[UnityofTrinity]

Let me put it this way sir, consider this: All parents have a different style of discipline, If you live in East Asia, most parents will raise you upon a very Confucian style, so is the system of family model will assemble with the Confucian style. If you live in the old Soviet Union, parents will raise you in “the way the government want you to be”…, then why can’t Christian parents raise their children with Christian price and Christian value? I don’t see how it could be brainwashing, if we use the term brainwash like you, then I could also say that I had been brainwashed by American society or brainwashed by democracy…, if I’m Richard Dawkins’ son, I would say that he would “brainwashes” me to become an atheist, again, what guarantee you that Atheist and Agnostic parents don’t “brainwashes” their children?

 

[paul_c]

Yes, for sure I have considered being “brainwashed.” The definition of brainwashing is a bit ambiguous though. Societal values can also be brainwashing. The great majority of white people in the southern USA a hundred years ago (and a lot of other places) would think that is was fine to be extremely racist towards blacks…and many of these people believed they were being good Christians. That is just how society was back then.

The way I was taught Catholicism was as a fact. This isn’t really the best way of going about it IMO. I think Catholicism makes a lot of kids feel guilty for the things they do (I don’t really know how possible it is for a boy going through puberty to not masturbate) and I think this guilt eventually turns people away from Catholicism and God in general. 3 of my very good friends went to Catholic school with me and went to church every week but turned into atheists, IMO, because of the way this Catholic guilt weighs on them. When you believe there is no God, there is no guilt for these things. And these people still feel guilt when they are mean to someone or something like that, but things like masturbation and pre marital sex that (in most cases) don’t really have a victim, they don’t have to feel bad about anymore.

Anyway, I think it is quite obvious that people are indoctrinated with religion. How many Catholics had Catholic parents? The great majority I am sure…and I bet that is how it is with just about every religion. But it is no different than me accepting homosexuality and not being racist because that was taught to me as a young child. That is something I agree with though.

Bingbang,
There are several issues in your post that I wanted to comment on:

1. Parent’s teach their children what they themselves believe. If they are strongly believe in what the Catholic Church teaches, they will be more likely to teach it thoroughly than someone who is themselves luke warm. But this is true for everything the parent values, whether it be desired vacation destinations, politcial affiliations, their view on labor, or whatever… But parents aren’t the only influences, which are why people deviate from their parent’s view of things… And brainwashing implies somethign much different than what parents do.
2. The Catholic Church does not create guilty feelings. The Catholic Church simply teaches what it takes to get to heaven and administers the sacraments that give you the grace to get there. Any guilty feelings you have are the function of your own conscience, which is God’s gift to you to call you back to him. The reason that your consicence speaks less loudly to you after you leave the church is because you are voluntarily walking away from God’s grace. You may think a lack of guilty feelings when you do something evil is a positive, but in reallity it is hugely negative. Its analogous to wishing you feel no pain. however, pain protects you from harm. If you dont feel pain, you don’t know when to pull back from a hot pan, for instance. The lack of the ability to feel pain is life threatening. The lack of the ability to feel guilt is soul threatening.

1. Maturbation is not victimless. The victim is you. It takes away form your personal dignity.
2. Premarital sex is clearly not victimless. First there are the finite chances of STDs and pregnancy. 1/7 couples will give birth in a given year while using condoms. That is why there are so many abortions and out of wedlock births. Secondly, and more importantly, sex outside of marriage is an affront on the sanctity of the individuals involved. Sex is the way that life and a soul are created. This is sacred and should be treated as such.

Now you may not recognize any of this, but just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t make it less true.

 

[rben20]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed by secular society?

Nice! The OP is so quick to pick on the religious when really any idea, if you take a hold of it, will certainly influence you or should I say “brain wash.” The OP is just begging the question. People are free to drop their religious beliefs or keep them. Good parents can have bad children…same with religious parents having atheist children. Actually come here with a question that makes sense!

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

NOPE! I was raised Catholic…spent 20+ years in a few different Protestant religions. I’ve come back to Holy Mother church and LOVE it!

One brother…brought up Catholic…now foursquare

Other brother…brought up Catholic…left for aethism…now is a semi-practicing Catholic (I’m working on him). But he came back to the Church before I did.

So–explain that! If we were all brainwashed would we all not have stayed Catholic?

 

[GreggAlvarez]

Have you ever considered that you may have been brainwashed?

Consider the fact that children raised in Saudi Arabia become … Muslims. Those raised in most of India become Hindus. Children raised by practicing Jews in Israel tend to become practicing Jews. And kids raised by evangelical Protestants usually turn out to be Protestants. Why do you suppose this is? Do you believe that upon becoming free-willed adults they carefully consider all religious creeds and come to the conclusion that (fill in the blank) is really the best and truest religion?

Of course not. We can see that they’ve merely been indoctrinated into their religious creed without the benefit of a balanced exposure to other religions. So are you really any different?

Now you may have been raised in the west, where a more pluralistic society prevails. Certainly while growing up you would have encountered other religious sects. But is a child who goes to a Catholic school five days a week, and to mass every week, and has Catholic parents and relatives, really any different than a Saudi Muslim – except in the degree of the indoctrination?

Look at it another way. If you had children, would you take them to a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim mosque, a Protestant church, and a Hindu temple – as well as a Catholic church – and say to them: “Okay, my child, it’s now up to you to decide which of these religions – if any – is the true one”?

If you answer ‘no’ to this question, perhaps you can begin to see where the question at the top of this post comes from.

The problem with secular society is that they take words like “indoctrinate” and “brainwashed” to mean similar things. The point of Catholic “indoctrination” is the complete opposite of its modern assumed defintion, which is jam a set of rules into ones mind like a shelf. The Catholic point of this is to free us. Modernism shut most people’s minds to this concept because the words “authority” and “obedience” have negative connotations in the modern world. If, for instance, everybody on this planet were to obey what they are “indoctrinated” and not to steal, kill, rape (I hate this word), and beat, imagine the total freedom. People would not lock doors; they would sit outside at night; they would not worry about their children playing in the middle of the street (which I rarely see now-a-days; my neighborhood was a breeding ground for athletics; now it seems it is just a ghost town; granted technology does not help much but still; we had video game but we played outside until we could not see anything anymore; and our parents had no worries); people would be more inviting to strangers; we would be able to just BE.

You are wrong about the “balanced exposure to other religions” because the Catholic Church has many times stated that there are many truths to be found in other religions, however obscure. Sometimes a heresy is just a misunderstanding rather than a deliberate one. We have many customs and practices from many other religions (however, I would imagine atheism to not fall into this category) including paganism and Buddhism. There is exposure here, just not the exposure you are looking for.

You are right about one thing though: Catholics are no different in raising their children but only as far as believing what they know to be Truth, but as other people here have mentioned, every single duet of parents falls into this category. They teach this to their children because they believe it to be Truth. But unfortunately, modernist education does not teach the students to search for Truth for themselves. (Teachers that teach this are very very rare). Modern education is the culprit that is brainwashing the students with facts and figures and completely obliterating, if not nullifying, even the idea of imagining (as opposed to imaginary), wondering and creating which are capstones to Christianity.

 

[GreggAlvarez]

One brother…brought up Catholic…now foursquare

Just curious. What is foursquare? I spent 8 minutes trying to figure it out!!