The problem with rearing children on religion

Indenturedebtor

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Thu May-08-08 05:08 PM
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The problem with rearing children on religion

There have been more than a few studies which strongly correlate presenting children with too many logically inconsistent paradigms and the development of mental disease. Furthermore, logic is LEARNED more than it is innate. You can permanently stunt reason by raising someone on a diet of 1+1 = 542,000.

The brain wires itself based on what you feed it in terms of information. It is doing so every milisecond of every day, but this is especially important during childhood. An important part of learning, especially during childhood, is culling. Your brain culls connections and even neurons that are out of synch with their associated neurons... another way of saying if you have a neuron that says 1+1=542,000 while the rest are saying 1+1=2, your brain may well kill the wonky one because it's afraid that it might be defective. It's a much more complicated process than that of course but you get the idea. People who develop schizophrenia are almost always genetically predisposed to it. But being predisposed doesn't mean that you will get it! So very much of it has to do with upbringing, and then stressful triggers.

But Schizophrenia (though quite common) is certainly not the only way that you can express an illogical improperly wired brain. Schizotypal disorders involve many of the same symptoms of Schizophrenia. Below is a link to I believe the first study linking parenting styles to the development of Schizophrenia. There have been many conducted since then.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9A02E6DD1238F932A25751C1A962948260

Thats a good primer on the studies.. that was one of the first. There are many more that basically boil down to a "no brainer": You can miswire a brain by feeding it things that don't make sense. Shocking I know :eyes: Kinda helps explain the Middle Ages a little doesn't it?

Here's some signs of schizophrenia -

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Delusions
A delusion is a firmly-held idea that a person has despite clear and obvious evidence that it isn’t true. Delusions are extremely common in schizophrenia, occurring in more than 90% of patients. Often, these delusions involve illogical or bizarre ideas or fantasies. Common schizophrenic delusions include:

Delusions of persecution — Belief that others, often a vague “they,” are out to get him or her. These persecutory delusions often involve bizarre ideas and plots (e.g. “Martians are trying to poison me with radioactive particles delivered through my tap water”).

Delusions of reference — A neutral environmental event is believed to have a special and personal meaning. For example, a person with schizophrenia might believe a billboard or a person on TV is sending a message meant specifically for them.

Delusions of grandeur — Belief that one is a famous or important figure, such as Jesus Christ or Napolean. Alternately, delusions of grandeur may involve the belief that one has unusual powers that no one else has (e.g. the ability to fly).

Delusions of control — Belief that one’s thoughts or actions are being controlled by outside, alien forces. Common delusions of control include thought broadcasting (“My private thoughts are being transmitted to others”), thought insertion (“Someone is planting thoughts in my head”), and thought withdrawal (“The CIA is robbing me of my thoughts.”).

Common signs of disorganized speech in schizophrenia include:

Loose associations — Rapidly shifting from topic to topic, with no connection between one thought and the next.
Neologisms — Made-up words or phrases that only have meaning to the patient.
Perseveration — Repetition of words and statements; saying the same thing over and over.
Clang — Meaningless use of rhyming words (“I said the bread and read the shed and fed Ned at the head.").
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http://www.helpguide.org/mental/schizophrenia_symptom.htm

Any of this sound familiar?

Personally i think that there is much that is of cultural and personal value in religion, but one has to be careful. Hallucinogenic drugs can also be useful as part of religious services, or for even personal development. But I am FIRMLY of the belief that you have to seperate fantasy/parable land from what we can test and prove.

You can't teach children simultaneously that gravity is immutable and that people can levitate if they believe enough in their invisible friends. You cannot wire a brain in two directions at the same time!!!!! To do so makes crazy people! 1+1=2 dammit! Believe in god all you want but for the love of the children help them understand that there is a difference between faith and reality. By definition they are two seperate things!