In Reply to: Re: "Finally oneness in sight worldover"...(so much for the dreams) posted by Farmer on April 18, 2008 at 02:10:08:
In the early 70s when I was in middle and high school there was some experimenting going on in my school with different learning methods. For example, from grades 8 to 10 I was not in an individual classroom but in a large open area without dividing walls. Group learning was encouraged, but learning at your own individual pace was emphasized. I thrived in that environment, but then moved back into a traditional classroom for grade 11, the year I joined TF. One thing I was never taught, or at least never learned, was how to think critically. It would've helped if I had learned how to question authority too, and I don't mean just my parents.
In that humanities class I mentioned, I think the teacher brought her own collection of reading material to share with us and we could choose what interested us. I'm fairly certain the books were not part of any approved curriculum. I think the idea was to present us with a broad range of ideas and philosophies. A better idea would've been to teach us a comparative religion or philosophy course, as I think that would've prepared me better to fend off "wolves in sheep's clothing".
Yes, you're right. Making a different religious choice than I did doesn't mean my life would've turned out any better. It's hard to complain about my circumstances, though, because comparatively speaking, I've won the lottery just by being born a white male in Canada and having so many more opportunities than most people. I'm just glad I got out of cultic thinking while I still had a few years left to enjoy some of those opportunities and make up for lost years.
Speaking of the cultural milieu of the early 70s, Stephen Kent has a fascinating, award winning book called From Slogans to Mantras, in which he examines how many of the political activists of the 60s and early 70s turned from politics to religion. Religious "viruses" were in the air everywhere and as a young teen I was bombarded by religion from all quarters, and not just Christianity. That book I mentioned was one example, but I also read Ben Hur in grade 8 for a book review (actually, the book is so long I only finished about two thirds of it, not bad for an 8th grader).
Another example was George Harrison's highly spiritual All Things Must Pass double album, which I played over and over until I had memorized almost every song. Then there was Jesus Christ Superstar. I bought the album after seeing the play (during which I went up on stage when called to for the finale, I was so enthralled) and memorized that album too. There was also a presentation made at our school by the B'Hai (sp?) and in hindsight, it looks as if religious proselytizers were out in full force to capture the hearts and minds of young people like me. I was softened up by the time COG recruiters came to town, and I was easy prey to their love-bombing idealism and world vision. I suppose if someone else with a similar message of changing the world by living what you believe had come along, I could have just as easily fallen for them instead, regardless of their religion.