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Devout theists tend to indoctrinate (brainwash) their children into whatever religion they follow beginning at a very young age. This indoctrination may last for many years. Eventually the child grows up and is exposed to information from other sources and may begin to question what they have been taught. They discover that there is no evidence for it, so they begin to deprogram themselves. It is very difficult to deprogram a indoctrinated person with help, doing it alone is even more difficult.
I believe my journey towards atheism began with a childhood prayer my mother made me repeat every night that scared the daylights out of me, gave me sleepless nights and stress.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take
No offense Gldn, but do you think we could have a conversation without all the NOGADAH! / Godunnit and such? That's not me.
I'm an adult. You're an adult. I would just like to have a normal conversation with you. Thanks.
Thank you. The gratuitous ellipses could go, too. I skim over most of Gldn's posts because they are so difficult to read, plus I don't even know what his NOGADHAH and HOWBADAH are supposed to mean. I feel as if I was absent that day, lol.
Thank you. The gratuitous ellipses could go, too. I skim over most of Gldn's posts because they are so difficult to read, plus I don't even know what his NOGADHAH and HOWBADAH are supposed to mean. I feel as if I was absent that day, lol.
I'm guessing they are maybe a throwback to Gldns conversations with Transponder?
Devout theists tend to indoctrinate (brainwash) their children into whatever religion they follow beginning at a very young age. This indoctrination may last for many years. Eventually the child grows up and is exposed to information from other sources and may begin to question what they have been taught. They discover that there is no evidence for it, so they begin to deprogram themselves. It is very difficult to deprogram a indoctrinated person with help, doing it alone is even more difficult.
I believe my journey towards atheism began with a childhood prayer my mother made me repeat every night that scared the daylights out of me, gave me sleepless nights and stress.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take
I know, what a twisted little prayer. I always wondered why I would die before I woke up and where will I be taken? It didn't scare me but it could have been sort of the beginning of my questioning too. You described the journey out of indoctrination very well. THAT'S what I meant when I said it's complicated. Talk about taking something out of context.
It's hard to have any type of conversation like this when there are those trolling around looking to attack. Thanks for your input Sanspeur. It's refreshing.
Devout theists tend to indoctrinate (brainwash) their children into whatever religion they follow beginning at a very young age. This indoctrination may last for many years. Eventually the child grows up and is exposed to information from other sources and may begin to question what they have been taught. They discover that there is no evidence for it, so they begin to deprogram themselves. It is very difficult to deprogram a indoctrinated person with help, doing it alone is even more difficult.
I believe my journey towards atheism began with a childhood prayer my mother made me repeat every night that scared the daylights out of me, gave me sleepless nights and stress.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
I once asked my mother why she had us say that because it scared me, too.
She said it was a throwback to the times when many children DID die. They knew their friends and siblings had died, and so it was a comfort to them that if death came or them, God would take them to heaven.
I ended up with more complicated feelings about my nighttime prayers because my mother had me say prayers for my cousin Kathy to get better. Being a small child, I really believed that praying would make her get better. I knew she was sick, but I didn't know what leukemia was. She died when we were both six, and I was sure she died because I didn't pray right. Sometimes during bedtime prayers I'd be goofing off and kicking my sister under the covers or something, and well, God obviously killed Kathy because of my failure to pray the way I should have. It was only a short hop to realizing that God might just kill me, too. I knew Jesus was watching everything I did and reporting it back to God, and even knew when I THOUGHT bad things. I lived in state of terror.
Exhibit A on how religion can screw up children.
I did not become an atheist. Instead, I developed OCD. That Dark Thing that God sent to get me could not follow me into my room if I took exactly 18 steps down the hall, or if I said certain words or prayers or counted to certain numbers it would keep it away.
I saw something similar happen. I don't remember if my daughter was six or if her cousin was, but the cousin died as a result of head injuries sustained in a car accident. The pastor recited that prayer at her funeral. Then we had to explain to my daughter that she wasn't going to die when she went to sleep at night.
It would have been better if the pastor hadn't done that.
I saw something similar happen. I don't remember if my daughter was six or if her cousin was, but the cousin died as a result of head injuries sustained in a car accident. The pastor recited that prayer at her funeral. Then we had to explain to my daughter that she wasn't going to die when she went to sleep at night.
It would have been better if the pastor hadn't done that.
I believe my journey towards atheism began with a childhood prayer my mother made me repeat every night that scared the daylights out of me, gave me sleepless nights and stress.
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the lord my soul to take
I am sorry that prayer scared you so much! I think it is a common Christian prayer and wonder if it had that effect on others as well. Perhaps not considering the number of Christian children who did grew up and stayedChristian, probably teaching their children the same prayer!
As a non Christian without any bias either way, i find that prayer rather innocuous. I know many people wish if they were to die that that die in their sleep. That would certainly be my preference rather than die slowly from some dreadful and debilitating disease or accident.
But i can see how that might scare a child who does not know what death is yet.
I am sorry that prayer scared you so much! I think it is a common Christian prayer and wonder if it had that effect on others as well. Perhaps not considering the number of Christian children who did grew up and stayedChristian, probably teaching their children the same prayer!
As a non Christian without any bias either way, i find that prayer rather innocuous. I know many people wish if they were to die that that die in their sleep. That would certainly be my preference rather than die slowly from some dreadful and debilitating disease or accident.
But i can see how that might scare a child who does not know what death is yet.
Or a kid who does know what death is. My grandather died when I was about 5 years old. I remember it affecting me badly and being terrified of dying for a while. It was my first realization that death was a thing. I'm glad nobody recited that prayer to me! I have 3 children turning into adults and none of them have experienced a close loved one dying yet. They don't ever seem to have ever got hung up on death, so maybe they were lucky to miss that phase at a young age.
I am sorry that prayer scared you so much! I think it is a common Christian prayer and wonder if it had that effect on others as well. Perhaps not considering the number of Christian children who did grew up and stayedChristian, probably teaching their children the same prayer!
As a non Christian without any bias either way, i find that prayer rather innocuous. I know many people wish if they were to die that that die in their sleep. That would certainly be my preference rather than die slowly from some dreadful and debilitating disease or accident.
But i can see how that might scare a child who does not know what death is yet.
It's certainly a stupid prayer...asking a little child to understand the concept of 'a soul'.
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I'm guessing they are maybe a throwback to Gldns conversations with Transponder?
