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From: laura@utzoo.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Sean McLinden on authority and brainwashing
Message-ID: <5052@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Feb-85 13:02:06 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5052
Posted: Sun Feb 10 13:02:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Feb-85 13:02:06 EST
References: <293@decwrl.UUCP> <398@pyuxd.UUCP> <237@cadre.ARPA> <241@cadre.ARPA> <467@pyuxd.UUCP> <249@cadre.ARPRe: Sean McLinden on authoriSun, 10-Feb-85 13:02:06 EST
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 29

Rich,
You have an operative problem here. In trying to remove brainwashing, you
are setting yourself up to the impossible. Let us set forth an ideal:

All our children shall be taught the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.

This sounds all right so far. The great problem is, ``who gets to bell
the cat?'' Since the whole story of human histry can be viewed as a
search for ``the truth'', this one is *never* going to be answered by
the time you get around to having kids unless there is some huge sort
of unexpected (hmm, maybe for some expected) Divine Revelation.

All one can do is allow a huge plurality of beliefs, encourage people to
think for themselves, and encourage them to TRAVEL AROUND so that they
can actually meet with people of varying beliefs. 

Will they ever get ``the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth?''. Nope. But at least they will have a chance to discover errors
in their existing beliefs. 

I feel very sad for the people who will not choose to look for errors in
their existing beliefs. They are missing great oportunities to grow and
learn. However the thought of forcing them to look for errors fills me
with very real terrors. Don't force them to think -- just make the
benefits of thinking apparant.

Laura Creighton
utzoo!laura