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Posts Tagged ‘brainwashing’

THE NEED TO WASH YOUR BRAIN

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2026| 2 Comments »

So the charge commonly made against spiritual people — most often, followers of Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) — is that they’re brainwashed into believing ignorant, dangerous lies.

I’ve tackled this subject before (read it here, if you’re interested: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-nb), but now it’s time to to agree: we Jesus followers are definitely, absolutely BRAINWASHED. But it’s not a superficial, unthinking “declare it and move on with your life” matter, so stick with me for a few minutes to understand it fully and why it can make a difference to YOU.

I know that my mind has been washed clean from believing that:

  • The 70+ years of sleeping, eating, working, having kids, vacationing and going to bathroom is all there is, so earn all you can, do all you can, purchase all you can to live as luxuriously as possible.
  • I have no soul so, when I die, ALL that I am becomes NOTHING more than rancid worm food (sorry to be so blunt, but it’s necessary).
  • Most spiritual people are ignorant, frightened and deluded.
  • There is nothing behind all we see and experience.
  • Right? Wrong? It’s all relative and those words don’t actually mean much.
  • Spirituality is a crutch for weak people.
  • Science is all that matters; if science hasn’t proven it, then it’s probably a lie.

If even one or two of these secular, anti-spiritual claims cause you to at least feel uncomfortable, then check out how they’ve been replaced in my brainwashed mind. As a Jesus follower, I’ve used reason, evidence and faith to arrive at these beliefs:

  1. This life is just the opening sentence in the book of all eternity. As important as our lives are on this planet, what comes after is far more important. In fact, it’s a whole lot more permanent than whatever we experience here.
  2. There absolutely IS a creator and this creator is absolutely interested and involved not just in this planet, but in my life. And YOURS.
  3. This creator wants the best for us, but we’ve turned our backs on Him, gone our own way and lived our lives as if He doesn’t exist. Even the most optimistic person must admit that as a result, humanity is not doing very well.
  4. Jesus of Nazareth existed and was put to death by Roman authorities (even a majority non-spiritual historians believe this).
  5. Jesus’s death paid the price for ALL the wrong things done by His followers and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do.
  6. ANYONE who accepts the gift of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection — and who makes Him Lord, Saviour and best friend — gets a free pass to Heaven when this life ends, because God sees Jesus followers as perfect, just like His Son.

I regard all this as good news. What do you think? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.


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UNPACKING THE TRUTH

Posted in Me & The World, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2019| 3 Comments »

A few months ago, I found an entertaining blog that listed “32 Reasons to be an Atheist (as Opposed to a Christian),” by someone calling themselves ‘Violetwisp’.

I responded to some of them — you can read the response here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-rT — but Violetwisp’s content is so rich that I’m revisiting it to tell you more about the truth of following Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son). So let’s check out four more of those 32 points:

22. You can look at natural wonders and be amazed by them instead of thinking an all-powerful deity made them on a whim or plan.

Fascinating how this is presented as an “either-or” thing. Why can’t I be amazed by natural wonders AND think about their creator? Is it really wrong or backward to simply say “thanks for making this, God,” when I experience a mountain lake or a prairie sunrise?

23. You don’t have to worry that every political shift in the world is a sign of the inevitable end times.

Yes, there are Jesus followers who fixate on the end of the world and how this or that event is leading us to it.

I feel bad for those folks. They seem to forget that even Jesus didn’t know when the world would end. He says “No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when it will be. Only the Father knows.”

That statement alone should be enough to stop people from wasting time on the unanswerable question – especially when Jesus spent far more of his time telling us the best ways to live in the here and now.

24. You don’t have to worry about dying because there’s no sense that maybe you didn’t make it with your brand of faith (what if the Mormons are right?).

Sadly, there are some people who, despite having accepted God’s gift of His Son (and assurance of eternity in Heaven with Him) still worry about what happens after they die.

Sometimes, I’m one of them. I get caught up in this world’s superficial, ultimately meaningless concerns. I forget that I have nothing to worry about – and you won’t either, if you decide to follow Jesus.

25. You can let your children make up their mind about life, and not brainwash them with a specific belief.

It’s my firm belief that everyone, including me, is brainwashed in some way. (I explain that belief here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-nb). I also know that as they grow up, children will receive a tsunami of brainwashing about our culture’s likes and dislikes.

Based on that, every parent should equip their children with a solid anchor when that brainwashing takes place. That’s why I write that Jesus followers who don’t tell their children about the benefits (and challenges) of following Jesus are seriously shirking their duty.

These parents are allowing others to twist and shape their children’s beliefs on something of utmost importance. After all, what happens after this life ends is gonna last a whole lot longer than the 70 or 80 years most of us have on planet earth.

So, what do you think about these four reasons and my responses? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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