Skip to main content

Cognitive Dissonance: The Backbone of Religious Belief Systems

Before the Internet, and even before the widespread availability of public libraries,
it’s understandable that people didn’t question what they were taught. Most didn’t have the luxury of comparing their teachings to alternative perspectives or verifying what their faith claimed to be true. For generations, people accepted religious teachings as unchallenged truth, not because they were inherently logical, but because they didn’t realize there were other explanations to explore.

Now, fast forward to today. Information is everywhere, yet so many people remain locked in belief systems they were born into. Why? Because indoctrination works. When you are raised in a strict religious environment, questioning the rules, the doctrines, or the very nature of the belief system is forbidden. Faith becomes not just a choice, but an obligation enforced by fear; fear of rejection, punishment, or eternal damnation.

Religious leaders, such as pastors and priests, play a crucial role in maintaining this dynamic. They don’t just guide; they instruct. They interpret ancient texts for the congregation and dictate what to believe, how to live, and who to judge. Critical thinking is not just discouraged - it’s outright suppressed. The church doesn’t want you to think for yourself; it commands you to follow, to obey, to conform.

And here’s where cognitive dissonance thrives. Take a moment to consider some of the absurdities that form the foundation of Christian beliefs. The idea that the Earth is only a few thousand years old despite overwhelming geological and archaeological evidence to the contrary. The belief in a talking snake, a global flood that somehow spared penguins, and a virgin birth. These stories defy all scientific understanding, yet they’re defended as literal truths. Why? Because cognitive dissonance demands it.

When a person is deeply invested in a belief system - emotionally, socially, or financially - they experience intense discomfort when confronted with contradictory evidence. To resolve this discomfort, they’ll often double down on their beliefs, rejecting facts and clinging to the familiar. This is why, even in the face of evolution, astronomy, and basic logic, millions of people continue to believe in religious doctrines that crumble under scrutiny.

But let’s not just focus on the absurdities. Let’s talk about the dangers. Organized religion has been one of the most divisive and destructive forces in human history. It has justified wars, colonization, slavery, and countless human rights violations. Even today, it perpetuates inequality, fuels discrimination, and impedes scientific progress. When people are taught to prioritize blind faith over evidence, they become easy targets for manipulation and control.

Here’s the truth: humanity thrives on curiosity, on questioning the unknown, and on seeking answers. Science doesn’t ask you to believe; it asks you to look, to study, and to think. It’s through this process that we’ve eradicated diseases, landed on the moon, and unraveled the mysteries of DNA. Meanwhile, religion still insists on holding us hostage to ideas written by men thousands of years ago, before humanity even understood the basics of the natural world.

We must recognize that belief systems like Christianity are not just outdated, they are obstacles to progress. They condition people to see the world through a narrow lens, to distrust anything that challenges their faith, and to surrender their autonomy to the very institutions that keep them in chains.

Labels:
Location: Santee, CA 92071, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I’m Not Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Traditional Sense

Thanksgiving, as widely taught and celebrated in America, is a myth wrapped in feel-good lies. The narrative of harmonious meals shared between Pilgrims and Native Americans ignores the brutal reality of colonization. This holiday, as it’s traditionally framed, sanitizes the genocide, displacement, and cultural erasure inflicted upon Indigenous peoples by European settlers. The land we occupy was stolen. Treaties made with Native tribes were repeatedly broken, their sovereignty trampled upon. Entire nations were decimated through violence, disease, and forced assimilation. The so-called “First Thanksgiving” was not a celebration of unity but part of a broader history of exploitation and bloodshed. Even the eventual institutionalization of Thanksgiving as a national holiday came at a time when Native communities were being systematically stripped of their land and rights.  Celebrating Thanksgiving in its traditional sense feels like celebrating the theft, murder, and oppression...
Post a Comment
Read more

The AI Paradox: Real Minds Under Scrutiny

How do you work, compete, and succeed in a tech world where the very systems we've created tell us that we - and our work - are not human enough? I’ve literally had my own writing flagged as AI-generated more than once. There’s nothing quite like pouring your heart and soul into something, laboring over every single word, and then being told by a machine, "This doesn’t feel human." A human-designed AI tool telling a human they’re not human enough. We use AI to "detect" AI as if the circle of irony couldn’t tighten any further. Humans create AI, and then AI turns around and questions whether we are capable of doing what we literally taught it to do. These tools are not magical truth-tellers. They rely on patterns, word choices, syntax, and tone. Write something too polished? AI. Use big words? Definitely AI. Add sarcasm and personality? Oops, still AI. Apparently, we’ve forgotten that humans can also write thoughtfully and with depth. So... writers have their wor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who Am I?

I am a  freelance virtual solutions specialist , which is a more sophisticated way of saying "virtual assistant." I offer a myriad varied services, many of which I try to accomplish from the comfort of my home, or from a local coffee shop, or while sitting on a blanket with my dog under a shade tree in Mission Bay Park. I am one of MANY who are determined to break free from the shackles of a 9-5 "job" where I am not only lining the pockets of other people while mine are hemorrhaging Benjamins, but also giving away 960 HOURS out of EVERY YEAR simply getting ready for and commuting to and from the workplace. Unpaid. Thus, I strive to find - or create - multiple streams of income that yield the highest return for the least amount of time invested. So, what sets me apart from other freelancers? I don't think of myself as "unique," per se. I admire all freelancers for their individual talents and their contributions to society. However, while many spe...
Post a Comment
Read more