The Pharaoh, Exodus, God, and the Meme that started an argument

[GMDino]

(09-21-2016, 12:55 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: What you describe is religious indoctrination. But religious indoctrination is different than actual faith. Even when someone has been indoctrinated by a religion, there still comes a point where they are compelled within to decide "Am I going to believe this?". They have to make a choice. Indoctrination may influence that choice, but the choice is always there. Someone may outwardly appear to 'go along' with a religion, but no human knows their inner thoughts. A human soul will always be free, even if the person is not. You are living proof of that, my friend.

This hits upon a couple things that I think are widely misunderstood (and abused):
1) You cannot force/coerce/manipulate people into believing something. You can force them to pretend to believe something, to 'play the part'.
2) Faith is a personal thing. It is not a group thing. Religion is a group thing. But not everyone within a religion has faith (i.e. actually believes what the religion ascribes itself to).

Exactly.  But far too many never get to that point BECAUSE of the indoctrination.  And those that DO choose to question their faith are presented with...more indoctrination in the form of religious "facts".

I'm totally cool with each person's faith being their own.  Mine has ebbed and flowed for years now.  I have different ideas about what to believe from time to time.  But let's be clear, I didn't have a choice.  Left to my own devices with no religious education I may have reached a "there must be something bigger" moment when I was younger and then abandoned it as I grew and became more educated.  But that was not an option.  It was believe or burn.  And if you get that put into your head long enough even adult doubts can get squelched.

And that's not to bash anyone who still believes what they were told/taught.  But it WAS what you were taught...and now you still have faith that it is true.