Let's say you teach a child something, by repeating it daily, by having
others in your family and circle of friends support it, and then by
instilling fear in that child if they do not follow that teaching, how
hard would it be for that child as an adult to say,
I don't believe that anymore? Even when their parents, siblings, family
and many friends, still believe it and my shun you for saying "I don't
believe that anymore". How hard?

AND - do any of you hold to any such beliefs?

I think a lot depends on the individual circumstances of the child
within the context of the family -- how insular are they? How strongly
do they stress the beliefs they are trying to instill? Can these ideas
be supported with other kinds of extrafamilial input (i.e., a popular
prevailing view in the media, or other people in the surrounding
environment who are preaching the same beliefs -- you would see this in
a cult setting, for example) that would help the child see the belief as
a "universal"?

I was 9 or 10 before I ever really questioned anything my parents taught
me, and I was around 13 before I actually detected major flaws (in the
form of unjustifiable biases and prejudices) in their belief systems.
Turns out a lot of what they were teaching was based on things they had
been "brainwashed" to believe when they were children. So I suppose you
could sometimes see a generational cycle to the process as well.

How hard was it to shun those old beliefs? For me, not hard at all. It
required some research, some learning, a willingness to look at aspects
of issues that had not been ingrained in childhood. But I think it's
important to realize that there is no perfect, infallible source of
information. I question everything, and some people have issues with my
conclusions! And that's OK because I could be wrong, too.

HA ha
I come from a Dark Tree Of Life
where in I Am Surrounded by those
who don't believe Not a man woman
or child ever gave me the CRAZY
Ideas...And for one in the world
to say There's Not such a thing here
in Earth makes me smile even Bigger,,,
there are many forms Of Religion which
are You chosen' to speak of
Just Because You feel abandoned
doesnt mean the world will Hold AWE
over you...Find Your Muse

Jonathan, would you like to discuss? Can you be more specific in what
discussion you would like to open in this vein? Would like to hear in
more basic to the point english what's on your mind.

Thanks!

well if i get you right if not im sorry your asking if you train your
kid a certain way and they reject it, you find it hard to believe. my
mom was raised with strict relious beleifs but raised us to choose our
own faith. i think we came out ok, we knew god loved us, i believe in
jesus, just not any religon. dont think i have to. dont have to go to
church, god is everywhere. im a good person, i do the best i can. if i
misunderstood this question im sorry. but deep down we all have bad and
good in us, some of us just fight the bad better than others... but we
all go to the bad place every now and then