Christian Brain-washing
In the late 1940’s, there was war in Korea. U.S. soldiers fought against the North Korean Communists who wanted to extend their totalitarianism into South Korea. During this war, quite a few American servicemen were captured and “brainwashed” by the North Koreans. This was the first time the term “brainwashing” was used to describe the changing of a person’s mind by torture. These G.I.s were deprived of sleep and human contact, and were threatened constantly that they were to be shot the next morning. Even though it did not happen, the constant threat and the sound of gunshots every morning wore them down. In the end, they were in a state of complete dependence on their captors. They were ready to be told what to believe. They were told that America was the aggressor and that they should renounce their American citizenship and join the North in the war against the United States. Under a hundred men did so. They were paraded in front of news media and it was a great propaganda victory.
Can a Christian be brainwashed to believe doctrines which are contrary to the Bible? In some of the same ways, young people in the 1970’s and 80’s and, even probably today, were brainwashed by cults. One of the more famous incidents was the mass suicide of followers of a charismatic leader by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. This happened in Guyana, in South America. The leader was American. They lived in a compound and he was king. He was a “prophet” representing God to them. They obeyed him to the death.
There have been many other examples of cult influence and this gave rise to “de-programmers” who were skilled in bringing escaped cult members back to reality. Some of these cults were less restrictive than others, but they all had one thing in common: a leader, or leaders, who insisted on obedience to their teachings. If one member didn’t comply they were not expelled, oh no. They were put through ordeals that were based on the same elements of brainwashing that the North Koreans had perfected: fear, discomfort and more fear. This continued until they gave in.
I know this has been a long intro to what I have to say, but it is necessary to provide context and background for this statement:
Be careful that people in Christianity do not brainwash you.
But, you say, this could never happen. I agree that it would be difficult to find widespread cult-like activity in the Evangelical Bible-preaching churches we all know. There are subtle possibilities, though, for a form of this to occur. You see it if you back away. It is the emergence of a popular custom that permeates the culture of the church to where it changes the teachings of that particular church. I say you can see it only if you back away. If you are involved with it and it is all around, you accept it and you become part of it.
For example: Christian psychology. In Christian bookstores you see a vast selection of self-help books. Usually, these books far outnumber books on, say, the teachings of Peter or the Book of Judges. Christian psychology was not always so popular. Sometime in the 1960s, someone came up with the term and began to try to counsel people who had anxiety problems using psychological concepts in conjunction with scripture. Some did not actually use the concepts developed by Carl Rogers, or B.F. Skinner. They use only the Bible and were, really, true pastors. But others were far more tuned in on what Watson started and they mixed psychological concepts with Bible doctrines.
A whole new industry grew out of that. The leaders of Evangelical churches endorsed it and taught it. By shear force the endorsements of the leaders, and with it, the peer pressure from the masses of Christians that began to follow their leaders in this new direction, almost all Christians today accept Christian psychology. There are some people who think they are wrong but they do not dare to raise their voices.
Another, more subtle change in the beliefs of the Evangelical church is the role of women. If you are immersed in a church that embraces the liberated role of a woman, it is hard to see how it has permeated church and family life. Again, without the teaching and preaching of church leaders to back it up, this doctrine would never have gotten off the ground considering how it conflicts with scripture. But you can’t see it unless you step back and view the whole picture. It is very unpopular to say anything against the idea that a woman no longer has to be subject to her husband.
Have you ever considered why there are Baptists, and The CMA, E. Free and Calvary Bible Churches, and so many others? And among Baptists, there are many different kinds of them. Have you ever wondered why? Differences of opinion on doctrine have divided them. Usually, spearheaded by church leaders, these differences have caused splits so that if you believe one way you will prefer the CMA. If you believe another way you will go to the E. Free church. Is this Biblical? Did Christ want these different divisions in his church? If you ask a church leader why the differences exist between churches, what answer do you get? More importantly, whatever answer you get, does it have in it the assertion that “we”, the church you are in, the church this leader you are asking is in, WE are right. The others are wrong. Did you ever hear that?
For example, one doctrine that divides a lot of Bible-believing churches is baptism. There are some really hard feelings out there between believers about what baptism means, what it does, how we should do it or whether it is even something for Christians to do at all. What do you believe about baptism? Why do you believe it? The most common answer to the last question is that Pastor So-and-so teaches it. Where did he learn it? From his pastor and so on into the seminary he went to. He chose his Bible school by what it taught about baptism. You believe what he teaches you because you trust him.
In Hebrews 13:7 & 17, it says something that most Bible believers hold strongly to. That is to revere and obey church leaders. Definitely, to regard them as experts in what the Bible teaches and to accept their explanations of the subjects of its passages. If you accept what your pastor teaches, chances are that the trust you have in him is related to these verses or others like them. And, there is nothing wrong in that.
BUT, (and you see there is a very big but here), there is a caveat. First of all, be sure that the people who are pressing a particular opinion on you are actually those who “have the rule over you”. Are they your legitimate leaders or do they just try to convince you they are and in truth they are not.
I once had a person who was prominent in my church tell me that if I didn’t confess that I believed the baby Jesus in the manger to have an adult mind in a baby’s body, that maybe I should be dis-fellowshipped. I have to say that it put fear in me. To be put out of fellowship with my family and so many other people I love made me want to believe his way. This is a mild form of brain-washing technique and it almost worked on me.
In Acts 17:11, we find that there was a group of people who lived in a town called Berea. After a church leader called “The Apostle Paul”, a man of no small reputation, preached to them, they still searched the scriptures to compare what he had taught them, with what God had said, to verify it. This is the proper attitude.
“Question Authority”. I saw this on a bumper sticker once. Just those two words, and I was repelled. As a school teacher I was finding that my authority was being questioned so often that I didn’t really want someone going around promoting it. But later I thought again. The only progress civilization has made has come from questioning authority. Otherwise we would all be drones living under some despot. If authority is valid it will stand the test. Now, please, I am talking about honest investigation. Not rebellion. I am even saying that we ought to never question the authority of God or his Word. Our attitude has a lot to do with this. I think you know what I mean.
In general, church leaders and authorities have good hearts. Their intentions are honorable. They take the responsibilities in Hebrews 13 very seriously. But it is easy for them to have been brain-washed and to pass that on to you. It is easy for them to be wrong because they were inculcated by parents who were wrong. Usually this inculcation is a mild form of the elements of brain-washing (constant repetition and the threat of disapproval) and it works. “I am a Baptist because my father was a Baptist and his father before him. Our whole family is Baptist. I will never be anything but a Baptist.” Is that a valid reason to be a Baptist?
Look around. See all the division in the church? Read what Jesus prayed in John 17. Step back. See how something unscriptural can become popular? What is popular now in the Church? Worship teams? Throwing out the old hymnals? Christian rap? How do we decide if such things are right or wrong? If we are serious Christians wanting to carry out the Great Commission (it says “…teaching them to observe ALL things which I have commanded….”) we have a big job. We can’t afford to be sectarian. We can’t do our job if we are members of a “school of opinion” (12th item in Galatians 5:19-21). We need to have God’s mind and not the mind that is forced upon us by peer pressure or any other pressure. Amen.
Can a Christian be brainwashed to believe doctrines which are contrary to the Bible? In some of the same ways, young people in the 1970’s and 80’s and, even probably today, were brainwashed by cults. One of the more famous incidents was the mass suicide of followers of a charismatic leader by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. This happened in Guyana, in South America. The leader was American. They lived in a compound and he was king. He was a “prophet” representing God to them. They obeyed him to the death.
There have been many other examples of cult influence and this gave rise to “de-programmers” who were skilled in bringing escaped cult members back to reality. Some of these cults were less restrictive than others, but they all had one thing in common: a leader, or leaders, who insisted on obedience to their teachings. If one member didn’t comply they were not expelled, oh no. They were put through ordeals that were based on the same elements of brainwashing that the North Koreans had perfected: fear, discomfort and more fear. This continued until they gave in.
I know this has been a long intro to what I have to say, but it is necessary to provide context and background for this statement:
Be careful that people in Christianity do not brainwash you.
But, you say, this could never happen. I agree that it would be difficult to find widespread cult-like activity in the Evangelical Bible-preaching churches we all know. There are subtle possibilities, though, for a form of this to occur. You see it if you back away. It is the emergence of a popular custom that permeates the culture of the church to where it changes the teachings of that particular church. I say you can see it only if you back away. If you are involved with it and it is all around, you accept it and you become part of it.
For example: Christian psychology. In Christian bookstores you see a vast selection of self-help books. Usually, these books far outnumber books on, say, the teachings of Peter or the Book of Judges. Christian psychology was not always so popular. Sometime in the 1960s, someone came up with the term and began to try to counsel people who had anxiety problems using psychological concepts in conjunction with scripture. Some did not actually use the concepts developed by Carl Rogers, or B.F. Skinner. They use only the Bible and were, really, true pastors. But others were far more tuned in on what Watson started and they mixed psychological concepts with Bible doctrines.
A whole new industry grew out of that. The leaders of Evangelical churches endorsed it and taught it. By shear force the endorsements of the leaders, and with it, the peer pressure from the masses of Christians that began to follow their leaders in this new direction, almost all Christians today accept Christian psychology. There are some people who think they are wrong but they do not dare to raise their voices.
Another, more subtle change in the beliefs of the Evangelical church is the role of women. If you are immersed in a church that embraces the liberated role of a woman, it is hard to see how it has permeated church and family life. Again, without the teaching and preaching of church leaders to back it up, this doctrine would never have gotten off the ground considering how it conflicts with scripture. But you can’t see it unless you step back and view the whole picture. It is very unpopular to say anything against the idea that a woman no longer has to be subject to her husband.
Have you ever considered why there are Baptists, and The CMA, E. Free and Calvary Bible Churches, and so many others? And among Baptists, there are many different kinds of them. Have you ever wondered why? Differences of opinion on doctrine have divided them. Usually, spearheaded by church leaders, these differences have caused splits so that if you believe one way you will prefer the CMA. If you believe another way you will go to the E. Free church. Is this Biblical? Did Christ want these different divisions in his church? If you ask a church leader why the differences exist between churches, what answer do you get? More importantly, whatever answer you get, does it have in it the assertion that “we”, the church you are in, the church this leader you are asking is in, WE are right. The others are wrong. Did you ever hear that?
For example, one doctrine that divides a lot of Bible-believing churches is baptism. There are some really hard feelings out there between believers about what baptism means, what it does, how we should do it or whether it is even something for Christians to do at all. What do you believe about baptism? Why do you believe it? The most common answer to the last question is that Pastor So-and-so teaches it. Where did he learn it? From his pastor and so on into the seminary he went to. He chose his Bible school by what it taught about baptism. You believe what he teaches you because you trust him.
In Hebrews 13:7 & 17, it says something that most Bible believers hold strongly to. That is to revere and obey church leaders. Definitely, to regard them as experts in what the Bible teaches and to accept their explanations of the subjects of its passages. If you accept what your pastor teaches, chances are that the trust you have in him is related to these verses or others like them. And, there is nothing wrong in that.
BUT, (and you see there is a very big but here), there is a caveat. First of all, be sure that the people who are pressing a particular opinion on you are actually those who “have the rule over you”. Are they your legitimate leaders or do they just try to convince you they are and in truth they are not.
I once had a person who was prominent in my church tell me that if I didn’t confess that I believed the baby Jesus in the manger to have an adult mind in a baby’s body, that maybe I should be dis-fellowshipped. I have to say that it put fear in me. To be put out of fellowship with my family and so many other people I love made me want to believe his way. This is a mild form of brain-washing technique and it almost worked on me.
In Acts 17:11, we find that there was a group of people who lived in a town called Berea. After a church leader called “The Apostle Paul”, a man of no small reputation, preached to them, they still searched the scriptures to compare what he had taught them, with what God had said, to verify it. This is the proper attitude.
“Question Authority”. I saw this on a bumper sticker once. Just those two words, and I was repelled. As a school teacher I was finding that my authority was being questioned so often that I didn’t really want someone going around promoting it. But later I thought again. The only progress civilization has made has come from questioning authority. Otherwise we would all be drones living under some despot. If authority is valid it will stand the test. Now, please, I am talking about honest investigation. Not rebellion. I am even saying that we ought to never question the authority of God or his Word. Our attitude has a lot to do with this. I think you know what I mean.
In general, church leaders and authorities have good hearts. Their intentions are honorable. They take the responsibilities in Hebrews 13 very seriously. But it is easy for them to have been brain-washed and to pass that on to you. It is easy for them to be wrong because they were inculcated by parents who were wrong. Usually this inculcation is a mild form of the elements of brain-washing (constant repetition and the threat of disapproval) and it works. “I am a Baptist because my father was a Baptist and his father before him. Our whole family is Baptist. I will never be anything but a Baptist.” Is that a valid reason to be a Baptist?
Look around. See all the division in the church? Read what Jesus prayed in John 17. Step back. See how something unscriptural can become popular? What is popular now in the Church? Worship teams? Throwing out the old hymnals? Christian rap? How do we decide if such things are right or wrong? If we are serious Christians wanting to carry out the Great Commission (it says “…teaching them to observe ALL things which I have commanded….”) we have a big job. We can’t afford to be sectarian. We can’t do our job if we are members of a “school of opinion” (12th item in Galatians 5:19-21). We need to have God’s mind and not the mind that is forced upon us by peer pressure or any other pressure. Amen.
posted by Biblical Christianity at 6:42 AM
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