Resisting religious indoctrination

I feel concerned by any testimony about intensive indoctrination accompanied by the exploitation of feelings of guilt. In my personal experience, I have been plagued from within by moral conflicts in which I felt trapped. I had to find a way out. I started by developing my critical mind, which resulted in a multitude of thoughts that I put down in writing, often a simple sentence whose themes, inspired by daily life, jump from one subject to another. The solution was within me - it was to be coherent with oneself - but it still had to be freed from the social straitjacket by resisting traditional ways of thinking about life. Much later, I grouped these "thoughts" by theme, and I realised that they formed a fairly coherent whole, provided I filled in the gaps and composed linking texts. And there I felt the immense satisfaction of having been able to express myself, of having left the zone of obscure and confused feelings, of having resolved my inner conflicts and of finally f

practising religion, baptising children, getting married in the Church, having a religious funeral ceremony, etc. The state has greatly reduced the social control it used to exert so that individuals are subject to religion, especially in education. Nowadays, it is the family and relatives who are in the front line, using their influence and, at times, exerting pressure in a shameless manner. Guideline In an adult relationship, you should not accept an asymmetrical relationship in which a third party imposes conduct on you. Demand a dialogue between equals, as well as balanced relationships that respect the other's freedom. Mail, extract made anonymous Can one "hide" one's exit from the Church from one's relatives, for example one's parents? Answer It is necessary to inform any person who might - if necessary - be called upon to organise your funeral. Depending on your family situation, this may be your parents, spouse, siblings, children or other close relati

Subsidising the lobbies of religious communities? There are alternatives. A few years ago, the Faculty of Theology, associated with the bishopric and the conservative party, reigned over Fribourg society. It was the golden age of true values: children went to Mass in columns in pairs under the guidance of the teacher, and women knew how to stay in their place. Society has evolved by distancing itself from religions. No longer do all citizens campaign for religious truth. We have finally begun to follow the message brought by the Enlightenment. But believers persist: in order to solve society's problems, the state needs to strengthen the role of religious communities: a stronger Faculty of Theology, more religious ideologues, more imams, and so on. The danger: young people are becoming radicalised on the internet. The remedy: the creation of a "Swiss Centre for Islam and Society" within the Catholic Faculty of Theology, partly financed by public funds. There is no connecti

Religion in search of power How can power and authority be established on an unshakeable foundation? The following parable explains how this can be achieved. A decision without certainty One of our distant ancestors, the chief of a hunter-gatherer clan, is thinking about tomorrow. In order for his people to have food, he must take effective action. What to do? Go hunting on the western plain? Go fishing in the southern river? Go picking in the northern forest. Whatever his choice, there is no guarantee of results. He cannot rely on any certainty, but he is forced to make a decision. This decision is informed by reason, since each option has a good chance of being profitable for him. His experience will help him to make, if not "the right" choice, at least a sensible and defensible choice in front of his clan. The magic pact He also knows that he is taking an unavoidable risk for which he bears a heavy responsibility. If he comes home empty-handed, his authority will be challe

« Fill the earth and subdue it », and other biblical injunctions. Ecological awareness will only be able to progress once mankind has truly understood and accepted that nature is not limited to our environment, but that we are an integral part of it. Humanity is a conscious part of the universe. Giving humanity a future on earth We have a problem: water pollution, soil pollution, lack of drinking water, lack of water for irrigation, deforestation, soil impoverishment, near depletion of non-renewable resources such as coal, oil and metals, increase of CO2, global warming, extinction of animal species, etc. We cannot be proud of the traces we are leaving: plastic particles and chemicals are everywhere, in the oceans, on land and in the air. In order to make the future look less bleak, principles based on sustainability must prevail. What does the Bible say? To solve an existential problem of humanity, it is natural to have recourse to a wisdom reputed to be eternal. « God blessed them an

An institution which, throughout its history, has flouted human rights cannot be "the" moral benchmark. Progress has not come from a movement of the Church itself, but has been snatched from it by the demands of modernity. The Church vigorously combats relativism, the thesis that all religions are equal. In order to do so, it should have been superior to other religions as an institution. Unfortunately, this was not the case. We will see that the Church has never respected human rights, neither in the past nor today. It is said that history is written by victors. I would rather say that it is rewritten by each power for the people under its influence. The role of the Church has often been presented with partisan benevolence. Believers, generally not very curious, are so one-sided that they are ready to excuse all turpitudes. All religions are exposed to slip-ups because, rather than cultivating moderation, they incite people to do more and more, in an endless bidding war, and

In Western Europe, we see that age-old religions are crumbling while others are infiltrating. Certainly, we are far from finished with the zealots of True Revealed Faith, which has the oddity of being plural. From it emerges the image of a God who hides, delivers contradictory messages and presents a dissociative identity disorder. The diversity of beliefs reveals that they are cultural constructions devoid of objective foundations. It is unreasonable to obey the propagandists of such an ill-defined God. Why does man cling to so-called beliefs about the afterlife that are in fact beyond all plausibility? The answer is to be found between our two ears - O revelation -, that is to say in our brain. To be content with arguments of authority is a capitulation of the mind. Religions work to dramatize existence: the eye of God that observes us, sin, Judgement Day, hell (or reincarnation into an inferior being), eternal life, ... Religion does not provide access to inner peace, as it develops

The right constitution For Kant, in Critique of pure Reason , the just constitution is the one that gives the greatest possible freedom to individuals. For the partisan of a residual clericalism, would the just constitution be the one that incites individuals to save their souls, with the help of the Church? Where are the intellectuals of Fribourg? The queen of science has gone from theology in the Middle Ages to economics today. Like the Fribourg radicals who have changed sides (yesterday's anticlericals now support the residues of clericalism), intellectuals have little criticism to make of the clerical regime. Are they satisfied with a simple attenuation of clericalism or are they usurping their title as intellectuals? For those who are concerned about their careers, the opportunism of those who know where the places of power are is more profitable than the critical spirit. To be recited piously every day: " Religion, Catholicism in particular, is an excellent thing to supp

 What is the role of the state? Let's set up the elements of the decor: crucifixes are hung in the classrooms and the Council of State has an official place in the Corpus Christi procession. Businesses are subject to church tax, and all taxpayers contribute to the financing, through ordinary taxes, of the Roman Catholic Faculty of Theology. Does the State consider agnostics and those who are indifferent to religion to be lost sheep that it should, if possible, bring back into the right flock? When Christians proclaim their hope that the coming century will become religious again, do they hope to revive indoctrination? Just as there is a reason of state, can we invoke a reason of Church that prevails over respect for people? Do we live in a crypto-confessional state, i.e. non-confessional in its statements and appearance, but confessional in its interior and functioning? Do supporters of a residual clericalism give their support to Muslims who, in their respective countries, demand

About the collusion between the Catholic Church and the State of Fribourg Diminished, but still very present: clericalism in the style of Fribourg In 1978, when I was hired as a teacher in a high school in the canton of Fribourg, it was imperative to have an approved denomination, even to teach mathematics. As I had deliberately omitted the religion section of my curriculum vitae, the headmaster demanded that I add it. In 1980, suspected of having links with a sect, a fellow French teacher was dismissed. The state took care of the teachers' private lives to ensure their ideological conformity. A characteristic feature of intolerance is the demonisation of those who do not share the pseudo-truths of the community. In this context, I had to hide my atheism. This is how I was deprived of religious freedom for many years. As the situation evolved only slowly, I never knew when I regained my freedom of belief. Clericalism has diminished, but it remains very present. Even today, essent