The terms indoctrination and brainwashing may sound strong but my experience suggests that is what sometimes happens within the church.
During my first few months of involvement with the SDA Church I began to hear various teachings that were new to me. They primarily concerned the Catholic Church and a global Sunday Law. I was (and still am) highly sceptical of these teachings, but there was an intermediate period in my journey which is of particular interest.
The psychology behind the its us against the rest of the world victim mentality was very clear to me from the outset. I thought it acted as a strong enabler for a tight knit group that was suspicious of outside or unapproved ideas. Furthermore, I simply couldnt see any evidence that the Catholic Church or other denomination actually meant the SDA Church any harm (other than the evidence that emerged from the particular interpretation of biblical passages within the SDA Church). There was a fatalistic attitude, where no dialogue with the supposed enemy took place. I once asked whether any senior figures from the SDA church had ever checked the position officially with the organisations who the allegations had been made against. The response was scathing, and it told me all I needed to know.
I read and heard these teachings often, from many different sources. This was both in the course of official church activities, and also in casual conversations. My better judgement was telling me not to believe it, but subliminally I knew I was absorbing the doctrine and I could feel myself beginning to believe it, even though I actually didnt.
It was at this point that I began to question both the message and the methods used to perpetuate it. From then on I began to disengage from the teaching process within the church.
Two things worried me about this whole experience.
First the fact that a person can begin to believe something by hearing it a lot, even if they are sceptical on one level. The obvious parallel is the propaganda used by totalitarian regimes its how in 1930s Germany many people who were otherwise decent normal individuals learned to despise those of a different race, religion, political persuasion etc.
Second I first heard these views as an adult, I knew what was happening and the psychological reasoning behind it, and I was trying not to let it erode my critical faculty. Yet I was still getting sucked into the doctrine. If this was happening to an adult who was keeping a guard up, what hope would a person ever have of seeing the doctrine and methods for what they are if there is continual exposure to it from childhood?
You may be interested to read some of the other first impressions of my early contact with the SDA church. They are in post #47, last page of the thread called "Question about Seventh Day Adventist" started by loveandpeace25 back in August 2009.
During my first few months of involvement with the SDA Church I began to hear various teachings that were new to me. They primarily concerned the Catholic Church and a global Sunday Law. I was (and still am) highly sceptical of these teachings, but there was an intermediate period in my journey which is of particular interest.
The psychology behind the its us against the rest of the world victim mentality was very clear to me from the outset. I thought it acted as a strong enabler for a tight knit group that was suspicious of outside or unapproved ideas. Furthermore, I simply couldnt see any evidence that the Catholic Church or other denomination actually meant the SDA Church any harm (other than the evidence that emerged from the particular interpretation of biblical passages within the SDA Church). There was a fatalistic attitude, where no dialogue with the supposed enemy took place. I once asked whether any senior figures from the SDA church had ever checked the position officially with the organisations who the allegations had been made against. The response was scathing, and it told me all I needed to know.
I read and heard these teachings often, from many different sources. This was both in the course of official church activities, and also in casual conversations. My better judgement was telling me not to believe it, but subliminally I knew I was absorbing the doctrine and I could feel myself beginning to believe it, even though I actually didnt.
It was at this point that I began to question both the message and the methods used to perpetuate it. From then on I began to disengage from the teaching process within the church.
Two things worried me about this whole experience.
First the fact that a person can begin to believe something by hearing it a lot, even if they are sceptical on one level. The obvious parallel is the propaganda used by totalitarian regimes its how in 1930s Germany many people who were otherwise decent normal individuals learned to despise those of a different race, religion, political persuasion etc.
Second I first heard these views as an adult, I knew what was happening and the psychological reasoning behind it, and I was trying not to let it erode my critical faculty. Yet I was still getting sucked into the doctrine. If this was happening to an adult who was keeping a guard up, what hope would a person ever have of seeing the doctrine and methods for what they are if there is continual exposure to it from childhood?
You may be interested to read some of the other first impressions of my early contact with the SDA church. They are in post #47, last page of the thread called "Question about Seventh Day Adventist" started by loveandpeace25 back in August 2009.
