The Incarcerated Brain

The danger of religious belief systems

Many of the problems on our planet today can directly be traced back to religious belief being considered a legitimate way of knowing something. The primary reason that belief remains with us today is that religious belief systems are uploaded like software into the brains of children by well-meaning parents who had similar versions of the same religious belief systems uploaded into their own heads when they were children. The concepts within this belief system software are reinforced by parents, family members, churches, and society at large until the software is up and running on its own, typically relying on guilt and shame as the primary reinforcing mechanism to maintain its function. Also contained within the software are security features that prohibit one from questioning the belief system, train the brain to ignore evidence, teach the brain that imagination trumps reality, normalize divisions of groups of people, and engender a sense of superiority of whatever particular belief system is installed. The Judeo-Christian belief systems further make lots of promises: things like the eminence of a 2000 year old book that contains all the wisdom needed to live in a modern age--including lots of stories condoning genocide, rape, stonings, and magic; a basis for an absolute morality and a moral high ground platform from which to judge others; an eternal life living in a house made of what was the most precious metal at the time the book was written; a best friend that will provide comfort no matter what the situation provided you are not expecting any actual communication with this individual, and a pathway out of being burned alive in eternal torment. At the risk of causing offense, belief was fairly evidently a tool for primitive brains that were not used to functioning in the modern world and that were not adept at using reason. It is remarkable just how many people believe some or all of the ideas above, and it is nearly impossible to get an average believer to question any portion of their belief. It is not their faults, however, and those of us who have managed to escape need to remain compassionate and understanding. We should not blame them for the parents’ well-intentioned washing of their early brains any more than we would blame a 6 year old for believing in Santa. The reality is, if the idea of Santa was continuously reinforced at least once a week by millions of people that also believed in Santa, then it would be no surprise that the 6 YO became a 40 YO that still believed in Santa. Belief as a legitimate cognitive process has been normalized and accepted in nearly all societies for thousands of years. It is time to see past these leftover notions of our early human ancestors and recognize that there is a much better way to live, love, find meaning, prepare for death and help others. It is time we learn to help others escape from belief and embrace a faith-free future.