Fundamentalism Runs in the Family:

Fundamentalists often attack Catholics because they don't use the bible as their primary teaching resource. Of course, any objective examination of that “fact” proves that it is laughable. Although Catholics do not obsess over ancient irrelevant passages, Catholics lace all of their rituals with heavy doses of Biblical wisdom.

My fundamentalist friends have a very real sense of loyalty. They are loyal to their families. They are loyal to their tribe. Fundamentalist beliefs are tied in with familial love. They confuse their admiration for their parents or spouses with their faith. And their parents often make the acceptance of their faith a condition of their love. They make independent religious thought virtually impossible.

So how can a loyal child possibly spurn the faith of a beloved parent? That parent or spouse needs desperately to see their religious ideas confirmed by their family. It is a warm, safe cocoon for them. It is little wonder, therefore, that ancient beliefs survive beyond the logical confines of progress.

What ends up happening is an accidental partitioning of the brain. The religion centers are sequestered from the practical ones. This creates a tug of war between logic and fundamentalism.

Bright children will eventually realize that Santa Claus is a ruse. But they will also willingly participate in this deception because of the promise of reward. The same thing happens when logic tells them they are mortal but tribalism promises them immortality. Not only is it best not to make waves in the family, choosing fundamentalism promises a huge reward!

The bright child sees no future in straying from the belief system of the tribe, so sharing doubt with another family member becomes impossible. The very act of praying about this dilemma reinforces self delusion. The brain is seeking harmony so it settles back. The natural philosophical curiosity about immortality is thus suppressed.

There is no better example of this familial coercion than the yoking metaphor. Couples are warned that both must believe fully in the program so that they behave as a team, like evenly yoked oxen. In this way, they insure that the bloodline will remain inbred and free of “dangerous” ideas.