Brainwashing and belief
I'm sure that at least once in every teenager's life one starts to consider the life's meaning and in turn, what religion means to them. I am at that stage at the moment, and it becomes especially trying when we are called to go to church on Sundays. For once in my life, I ask "why do I go to church?" I soon realised that I was the only one that asked this question, and when I bring this question forward nobody seems to have a good answer. I realise that a lot of people are often robotic: we do things in routine without reason, and it caused such a shift if you have the mind to think individually and say "no" or "why do we go to church?". If that's the case, is religion something more than life, or some idea that someone gives to you? You can't say that you find Jesus on your own, because you can't generate knowledge on your own about a person who actually existed 2000 years ago: someone has to tell you who he is and what he did. Nobody has the same idea, and if people have the same idea it is only because it is given.
So is religion brainwashing or a belief that people take up? And if so what's the difference?
I brought this question to my family members, who reject this idea as stupid but for some reason are unable to find a proper argument that satisfies my craving for the answer. Some just take it on as fact with little thought that, after hearing my arguments, belief and brainwash is one and the same.
My father ultimately solved the question by attacking the definition. "It is called brainwashing only if the fact has negative connotations" he said. For some reason this satisfied my curiousity, although this brings about as many questions as it had answers. What is defined as bad then? And is my father's definition between brainwashing and belief correct?
This question still circulates in my head, and I think about it every now and then when my mind is not occupied on something. However I want to bring it up with you readers. What do you think is the difference?
As silly as this picture may seem, it does hold its meaning, making me question religion and its function. These are one of the questions that everyone has to ask.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
So is religion brainwashing or a belief that people take up? And if so what's the difference?
I brought this question to my family members, who reject this idea as stupid but for some reason are unable to find a proper argument that satisfies my craving for the answer. Some just take it on as fact with little thought that, after hearing my arguments, belief and brainwash is one and the same.
My father ultimately solved the question by attacking the definition. "It is called brainwashing only if the fact has negative connotations" he said. For some reason this satisfied my curiousity, although this brings about as many questions as it had answers. What is defined as bad then? And is my father's definition between brainwashing and belief correct?
This question still circulates in my head, and I think about it every now and then when my mind is not occupied on something. However I want to bring it up with you readers. What do you think is the difference?
As silly as this picture may seem, it does hold its meaning, making me question religion and its function. These are one of the questions that everyone has to ask.
Cheers,
Matthew Tan
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