Does Peer Pressure stifle the acceptance of the obvious?

It sounds like you are saying that there is more peer pressure in a religious group than in other groups.Suppose you were a member of an atheistic group and one night you had what seemed to you a religious experience. What there not be equal peer pressure in such a situation?

We are speaking of history? Because the Catholic Church engaged in the Inquisition, then modern Catholics feel (unconsciously) intimidated by peer pressure?

If they are worried about their standing with God, they can't have moved all that far from their former beliefs. Maybe you are referring to ancillary doctrines: "I still believe in God but I think it's ok to have an abortion." If they come to that belief, I don't think they are worried about what God thinks: they think that God agrees with them.So the pressure, I would say, comes from their peers and their bosses (including parents).I'm not really qualified to comment, since I never had any pressure to believe anything as regards religion, and we see the sorry result. I'm incapable of believing much of anything for more than about an hour.To be frank, I find it hard to believe that the situation is very traumatic for most people. The OP makes it sound like there are all these agonized people out there, being bullied from outside and tearing themselves apart on the inside. I suppose it's possible. I personally don't know any such people, but perhaps I live in a sheltered world.

I think I'll pass on that. I definitely lead a sheltered life.

One could easily imagine a atheistic group with a political agenda. It is true, the atheistic part of their dogma might be only one element--nonetheless they would all be atheists.I seem to recall some rather large groups of these from history.

This would be a coincidental similarity. But thinking that religion is the opium of the people is not a coincidental feature of a group of atheistic communists.

Are you suggesting that my sheltered world is not a good place to be?I admit I do shelter myself from Jehovah's Witnesses. When they knock on the door, I don't answer. I hide away in my study.

I like your comment. Thanks.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's ugly. I try to stay away from ugliness. "I have my books and my poetry to protect me."--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was giving you an example of an atheistic group. But we need not go so far as communists. There are atheistic groups that have agendas--such as pushing for taxation of churches. This agenda is directly related to their fundamental beliefs. That's funny.

Was this change a traumatic event? I'm just curious.

That's interesting. I've been thinking about Schrafinator and I am beginning to think that God was talking to her when He put that thought in her head about how good the chicken salad was.There's a lesson there, I think.This message has been edited by robinrohan, 11-04-2005 03:42 PM