Brain Belief – Common Questions, 8

How does a belief turn into oppression and what do you mean by authoritarian pressure? Authoritarian pressure refers to any person or organization or government, or body of theology that you perceive to be an “authority.” In order to continue to be linked or associated with an “authority” you need to be acquiescent to what that “authority” says you need to believe and do—at least to some degree. There are consequences for bucking a “party line” (family, culture, politics, religion, race  . . .) and those who do so may risk some form of oppression including: unemployment, persecution, expulsion, imprisonment, and even death. For example, history contains many instances of governments or religions or cults expelling or killing anyone who was perceived to be “educated,” or “a threat,” or aligned with a non-approved “theology,” or with a different sexual orientation. Historians suggest this may have been strong motivation for individuals leaving (or trying to leave) a culture or belief-system they perceived as oppressive — in favor of immigrating to the “new world” or to another country or region that was less proscriptive. How do beliefs function negatively? (more to come)