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Last night I experienced how brain washing starts at a very early age. I was talking to a very bright young girl who is 11 y.o. and possibly my future step-granddaughter. When I told her that Trump is an evil man and a pathological liar, she rebuked me by saying that what I think of him is not true. I asked her: who told you that Trump is a great person? My dad, she responded. Obviously her dad is a rabid Trumpist and considers Trump a messiah who is going to fix all the problems of middle class white Americans with no college education. Then we switched subject to religion and she was very upset when I told her that I am atheist. She asked me: "you don't believe in the bible?" and I replied: "of course not, that is a story book that historically and archeologically has not been verified". She was visibly upset and told her mom in secret: "this guy is going to hell when he dies". Then her mom told me what she said and I replied: "I have no problem in going to hell when I die. If hell exists, I am going to meet much more interesting people than in heaven". Finally I told this bright girl: when you learn Science, you will change your mind, I am sure this will happen to you like it happened to me when I was 16. Then she added: "but I cannot guarantee you that this will happen because I may choose to believe in god" I replied: "of course you have the freewill to believe in god, I will never convince you that god does not exist". The universe by being 13.8 billion years old like many brilliant scientists have measured, is extremely old to have been "created" and we, the inhabitants of the Earth are pretty much nothing, a little blue marble out of trillions of planets, hundred of billions of stars and billions of galaxies that exist in the universe. I hope she will learn Science because she has the inquisitive mind, curiosity and intelligence to stop believing in magic.

Condorandino 5 June 29
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5 comments

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Yeah, I agree with a few others. You ignited her curiosity by providing a perspective on Trump & that's completely different from what she's been taught so far. Continue encouraging her to question everything, look at things critically, be skeptical, realize everyone views the world through their own unique lens, the roll of devil's advocate against herself, realize the goal is not to change someone's mind but to expand it, and in so doing, expand her own. Perhaps she'll learn from you and rather than view the world negatively, she'll follow your example by not judging or condemning, instead allowing for a great diversity of thought & possibility beyond the human mind's ability to comprehend. To remain relentlessly curious & open-minded.

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Since she already has questionable information sources the best thing you could do would be to teach her how to think.

That's exactly what I am doing but obviously I don't want to create a feud with her dad who as I said before is a rabid Trumpist.

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keep us updated

btroje Level 9 June 29, 2018
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Some times they never learn !

1

If she is smart, she will abandon childish beliefs... like god.

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