- Joined
- Jan 21, 2005
- Messages
- 317
The Atheist version of the Xian Summer Camp is now in full swing so perhaps in the great tradition of rational questioning and clear thinking we all subscribe to it might be good to look at it from a philosophical angle.
The question that strikes me is this: we all know Xian Fundie camps brainwash hapless kids into accepting things contrary to logic and that they do this through a form of indoctrination to varying degrees.
BUT is it the indoctrination itself that is 'wrong' or do quasi-brainwashing methods become 'right' depending on the nature of the content?
Put another way: is it ok to indoctrinate someone if the thing you are conditioning them to is 'true'? Or is all indoctrination wrong by definition?
Interesting to hear people's views...
Two other points re this camp...am I alone in finding the following disquieting:
And on a final Fortean note I cannot help but find the following hilarious but also I think, it is a vital lesson for - to borrow an unfashionable wisdom - "him who has ears to hear":
The question that strikes me is this: we all know Xian Fundie camps brainwash hapless kids into accepting things contrary to logic and that they do this through a form of indoctrination to varying degrees.
BUT is it the indoctrination itself that is 'wrong' or do quasi-brainwashing methods become 'right' depending on the nature of the content?
Put another way: is it ok to indoctrinate someone if the thing you are conditioning them to is 'true'? Or is all indoctrination wrong by definition?
Interesting to hear people's views...
Two other points re this camp...am I alone in finding the following disquieting:
The children are told to imagine that the camp is surrounded by unicorns which cannot be seen or touched, but which are there because there has to be 'faith' that they exist.
They are then encouraged to develop rational arguments to prove that the unicorns cannot and do not exist, with anyone who manages it awarded a prize - a £10 note signed by Richard Dawkins.
:?: :!: :?
And on a final Fortean note I cannot help but find the following hilarious but also I think, it is a vital lesson for - to borrow an unfashionable wisdom - "him who has ears to hear":
There is, however, one final irony. Camp Quest founder Edwin Kagin has a son who not only grew up to reject his father's philosophy, but has become a Born Again Christian minister.