Boy I hope this was a parody
http://www.biblelife.org/brainwashing.htm ... my reaction was 'Ya What?'. There are many, many times I fear for the human race, usually when religion gets involved. It's not just the fundamental irony of a fundamentalist (of any stripe, I'm an equally opportunities hater) talking about brainwashing, or what could laughingly be called 'evidence' used to back it up but that the fundamental supposition of the article is 'unless you believe in everything I believe you've been brainwashed', let's hear it for intelligent and informed debate.
Actually in some, small, way there is a point here, a lot of what people take as 'fact' isn't and we believe it because it's been repeated many times and counter-arguments research has often been quashed. Just look at issues with global warming (scientists in the US and probably elsewhere disuaded from publishing 'inconveniant truths'), or drug companies (always follow the money when evaluating research, you'd be amazed what you find), for example. Enquiring minds, critical thinking and use of multiple sources of evidence should all be encouraged in educating not just accepting what teacher says as fact. Of course this would probably screw over the fundamentalists, so it's unsurprising these solutions aren't suggested
And for those of you assuming I am of course a militant atheist, I'm not. I'm actually of Pagan belief, and we can be just as bad (Gods save us from Fluffy Bunny Wiccans) and New Agers: http://www.book-of-thoth.com/article1603.html for example. There's more than enough pseudo-science and insanity to go around.
On a related point: http://www.thepaincomics.com/weekly041229.htm so wonderfully sums up much of the creationism/evolution debate
Actually in some, small, way there is a point here, a lot of what people take as 'fact' isn't and we believe it because it's been repeated many times and counter-arguments research has often been quashed. Just look at issues with global warming (scientists in the US and probably elsewhere disuaded from publishing 'inconveniant truths'), or drug companies (always follow the money when evaluating research, you'd be amazed what you find), for example. Enquiring minds, critical thinking and use of multiple sources of evidence should all be encouraged in educating not just accepting what teacher says as fact. Of course this would probably screw over the fundamentalists, so it's unsurprising these solutions aren't suggested
And for those of you assuming I am of course a militant atheist, I'm not. I'm actually of Pagan belief, and we can be just as bad (Gods save us from Fluffy Bunny Wiccans) and New Agers: http://www.book-of-thoth.com/article1603.html for example. There's more than enough pseudo-science and insanity to go around.
On a related point: http://www.thepaincomics.com/weekly041229.htm so wonderfully sums up much of the creationism/evolution debate