Been slowly working my way through the CNN documentary series "This s Life, with Lisa Ling." She has tackled such interesting subjects as drug addiction within the Mormon Church, prostitution at truck stops, the
"genius spermbank" and its results 30 years later, gay rodeo, and others. The episode I just finished was called "Called to the Collar."
It was about the proliferation of young Catholic priests coming out of rural Michigan, farm boys (mostly virgins) who enter seminary in their late teens and commit to the celibate life (supposedly) of the priesthood. Lisa interviews several priest candidates, and their parents, and examines what causes Michigan to produce so many priests when worldwide the trend is shrinking.
It becomes clear that the whole environment is conducive to the priesthood -- priests are held in high regard, faith is held in high regard, boys are inculcated into the church as altar boys as soon as they can walk. The community pushes their young into it.
During seminary studies, most priest candidates expect to hear "a calling" and be told by god to become a priest. Apparently(!!) most of them enter seminary having no idea if they want to be priests or not! That's how strong the culture is there. Passed over VERY QUICKLY was the statistic that 2/3 of seminary students leave before becoming priests.
The rest pray for strength, pray for guidance, pray for a sign.
They are taught, if they begin to experience doubt, to question their faith, to falter in their desire to enter the priesthood then they should renew their devotion, double-down on their praying, and turn away from the temptations to give up the life.
In other words, banish doubt. In the face of all reasonable evidence. Turn away from reason and intellect and cling to unreasonable, unintellectual faith. Avoid curiosity. Avoid examining the true nature of what they're being taught (brainwashed).
They must realize, even the 33% that stick with it, that faith depends on willfully avoiding questions. Faith cannot survive examination, cannot stand up to the superior force of logic and reason and open eyes. Faith is very fragile. Faith is gossamer thin.
Yet the whole community willfully closes its eyes, and promotes belief in something that they KNOW, at some level, is false.
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