Monday, April 20, 2009

Brainwashing 101

Question: How do you get someone to believe a lie?
Answer: Keep telling it to them over and over again.

Don’t believe it? Then answer this: What document does the term “separation of church and state” come from? If you said the U.S. Constitution, you’re wrong. Nowhere in the Constitution or any of the amendments can the phrase “separation of church and state” be found.

So where does that phrase come from? It comes from an interpretation of the First Amendment which was then repeated again and again through the years until it became accepted as truth. Here’s what the First Amendment actually says:

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Not quite the same thing, is it? But while the guidelines in the First Amendment are very specific and finite in scope, the catch-all term “separation of church and state” can be applied on a much broader scale. And that can come in real handy for enterprising minds who might wish to apply it on a much broader scale.

When our minds are continually bombarded with something over and over, we eventually becomes desensitized to it. We stop questioning it. We accept it as fact; as “normal”.

And it makes no difference what it is that we are subjected to either. No matter how shocking, how vulgar, how blatantly false it may be to us initially; if we are hit with it again and again and again, it eventually – over time – becomes normal and inoffensive and true.

That my friends, is what you call brainwashing.

I read an interesting (and at this point, still shocking and vulgar) article this morning called: UMass faculty member argues for human cloning

You can read the whole thing if you like, but I would simply direct your attention to this one quote from the article:

Eddon acknowledged that the thought of human cloning is probably disturbing to most. But the “gut feeling” that cloning is immoral may be erased with exposure to it.

I agree with that statement. It might take awhile, but eventually, if we as a society continue to be subjected to the concept over and over again, it will take.

Ask yourself why you believe the things that you do. There’s lots to choose from: Evolution. Global warming. Terrorism. Food. Nutrition. Medicine. Insurance.

Regardless of what your views are on those topics – or any others – do you believe what you do about them because you gave them independent thought, study, and investigation yourself? Or do you believe what you do because it was told to you by someone else?

Over,
and over,
and over,
and over . . . .

1 comment:

CGrim said...

In fairness, I do think the general principle of separation of church and state is more beneficial to the church than it is harmful.

However, in recent years, the state has been expanding their own role, and quietly squeezing the church. Provision, penance, confession (who knows, maybe even salvation?) are things the state feels better suited to offer than the church.

They are mistaken.