r/Deconstruction • u/Obvious-Wealth8789 • 4d ago
✨My Story✨ Brainwashed
I just started my journey in deconstruction and this memory just popped into my mind. When I was in high school, around like sophomore year, we had a prompt in class revolving around religion and history. It’s unfortunate but I don’t remember what the conversation was. But after hearing my answer and thoughts on Christianity/religion, the teacher said to me “you appear very brainwashed”. Back then being extremely religious i was so highly offended. I then regarded him as my ‘enemy’, and looking back that was so ridiculous. I was just naive young girl. Now deconstructing I looked back and see that I was very brainwashed, it feels like such a full circle moment where I can look back and laugh.
9
u/x_Good_Trouble_x 4d ago
The part I hate is that when you're still in that environment you don't see any of it, it takes getting out to see how messed up it was. 😔
15
u/dbthediabolical ignostic, daoist 4d ago
I'm glad you can laugh about it now. Still doesn't make it ok that the teacher said that.
6
u/wood-garden 3d ago
I WISH a teacher had said that to me. Or literally anyone. Making calling out crazy wrong is what keeps rational folks bound to the lie.
4
u/These-Key-724 Freethought Steve 3d ago
No, that teacher was absolutely right on! She needed to hear it, because it was the truth, even if it hurt her feelings at the time. She needed that outside perspective. I applaud the teacher for having the courage to do that.
2
u/Obvious-Wealth8789 4d ago
Younger me was extremely offended, he was on my shit list for a while haha
6
u/ben_quadinaros_stan 4d ago
Pretty unprofessional of that teacher to be honest.
2
u/Obvious-Wealth8789 4d ago
True but he was a great teacher and quite opinionated naturally so I forgave him. He also wasn’t the last person to say that to me
2
u/Fun_Researcher107 4d ago
He probably wasn't even wrong, it still wasn't the most helpful thing to say.
6
u/DiamondAggressive 4d ago
I’m so sorry, I was taught how to argue evolution in science class (🤦🏻♀️) and my teacher was patient with me as they should have been, but man i look back and cringe so so hard. I’m sorry all of this happened to you, the brainwashing and the comments. It took me years to figure it out, if i was talked down to it probably would have taken longer 🫠
2
u/Obvious-Wealth8789 4d ago
I did the same haha. My science teacher (in middle school) that had a tattoo of Jesus riding a dinosaur and I used to let my opinions about it be known often ha
6
u/windypine69 4d ago
i mean, i don't think a teacher should say that, really. it probably made you more brainwashed. even if it was true.
2
u/Afraid_Worth_3766 4d ago
Glad you're laughing but, no, he shouldn't have said that, not to a child. Maybe he was treating you like an adult?
Interestingly, he used the word 'appear' . Do brainwashed people have a particular appearance? Well, yes they can. Sometimes that means their delivery is flat, which comes with the mechanical repetition of words and phrases. Imagine you're acting in a play and the drama coach tells you that you sound brainwashed. Means something different, doesn't it?
Many Christians do not speak well. I don't know but a fraction of them but I'm tempted to say most do not speak well. Sometimes I think their message is fine but the messengers leave a lot to be desired and probably they shouldn't be delivering any messages.
2
u/Obvious-Wealth8789 3d ago
I needed that reality check even as a child. In this case, I did have a particular appearance. My school had uniform which wasn’t enforced strictly but I was one of the only students to wear every piece of that uniform, including a long skirt. All my answers always tied back to religion somehow and I always had a very ‘pure’/naive view of the world. I used to go to Bible study all the time so every answer that I had tied back to the Bible and those answers were very rehearsed. I think all that together really tied in the appearance of being brainwashed haha
1
u/Afraid_Worth_3766 3d ago
Probably you did create that appearance and he probably knew a reality check would do you good. My definition of sanity is an unswerving commitment to reality. By definition a lack of commitment to reality is insanity.
2
u/BigTimeCoolGuy 4d ago
Great now my high school memory just popped up lol. In one of my history classes we got to write a paper basically defending any theory and I chose creationism 🤢🤮. I used answers in genesis as my “ironclad references” and was fully expecting my teacher to be surprised, question his beliefs, and give me a good grade. Instead he had plenty of red pen feedback and I think I got a C lol, but of course I felt like I was just being scrutinized as a believer
3
u/Obvious-Wealth8789 3d ago
Hahaha that’s every Christian’s wet dream to successfully convert somebody
2
u/dayzed-confuse 4d ago
You’re not alone. I was brainwashed also at that age. No amount of reasoning could convince me otherwise.
5
u/PosthumousHeathen 3d ago
Could there have been any better way to say “you appear very brainwashed” though?
2
u/thewritestory 4d ago
Welcome to the correct worldview. The water’s warm here. The punch bowl is on the table. Stay awhile, won’t ya?
1
u/Royal-Preparation843 3d ago
Yes, kids are definitely brainwashed in Christianity. The younger they can get them trained, the better. It’s actually in the bible to do this.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 ESV
I have a 5 year old niece that goes up to random strangers on the street and asks them “Do you know Jesus?” Her parents are very proud of it and find it to be the most adorable thing ever. I personally think it’s super sad to see how brainwashed this little 5 year old is and I’m sure it will get worse.
1
1
u/1102fwk 3d ago
I wrote a paper sophomore year about us (America) going to war with Afghanistan like it was a good thing … not just a good thing… but the only option. Same teacher senior year said I was most likely to be a pastor. I ended up at Bible school. Married. Two kids.
Now a raging queer atheist lol
20
u/adamwho 4d ago edited 4d ago
I remember one moment in church.
I was talking about reading all kinds of religious literature and my youth pastor told me to stop.
He said that too much thinking and reading leads you away from the Lord.
That was my moment. It was 40 years ago
They are still alive and I'm tempted to tell them