re: #88 Justanotherhuman

I was exposed to that kind of religious thinking as a small child in the south. I still live among them as an atheist. For too many, it’s easier to be a passive receiver of dogma in church than an active pursuer of knowledge in school.

I would offer an alternative explanation, based on my experience here teaching in China. Dogma, or traditional belief systems, kill any sort of ambition or curiosity in the young. It narrows their horizons and tells them, “You can only think this and you can only do that. It has always been this way, and it always will be.” My college English majors seems to have only two career goals: be a teacher (especially for girls) or work in foreign trade. A few realize they can become entrepreneurs or find other lines of work. No matter what, parents put a lot of pressure on both boys and girls to find a mate, get married, live close to home and produce kids. There is a growing trend of women finding fulfillment and success in their careers, which is still considered scandalous by the more traditional minded here.

Seriously, I see a lot of parallels between traditional Chinese culture and the kind of world conservative Christians espouse.