4 ms·

I love this, but there's one thing I'd point out. With few exceptions, there's little defection from secular society into fundamentalist religious communities.

I love this, but there's one thing I'd point out. With few exceptions, there's little defection from secular society into fundamentalist religious communities. Almost everyone in those communities was born there.

azemetre 3y ago
Reminds me of the period of people coming to America during colonial times. That there were stories and tales of people joining Native American tribes, completely leaving their old lives behind and becoming happier but you never heard accounts of the reverse. Native Americans willing joining the colonist, this rarely, if ever, happened.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  I don't think is a good comparison. Native Americans couldn't join the colonists because the colonists were very racist against them, whereas apparently the Natives were more accepting of colonists who wanted to join them.
  - YellOh 3y ago
    "...when white persons of either sex have been taken prisoners young by the Indians, and lived a while among them, tho’ ransomed by their Friends, and treated with all imaginable tenderness to prevail with them to stay among the English, yet in a Short time they become disgusted with our manner of life, and the care and pains that are necessary to support it, and take the first good Opportunity of escaping again into the Woods, from whence there is no reclaiming them."[0] I don't think "Natives were less racist" is a convincing explanation for how badly white colonists wanted to return to living with them (even when, according to Franklin, the white society they had returned to was as kind as possible to convince them to stay). It may be a part of it, but doesn't explain why everyone who lived in Native culture was so disgusted with white culture after. [0] https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-0173 https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-01...
    - midoridensha 3y ago
      >I don't think "Natives were less racist" is a convincing explanation for... No, it doesn't explain that part at all. It does explain why the Natives never tried joining and integrating into the white colonial society. Honestly, I'm curious why white people who had been taken prisoner wanted to go back so badly, but sadly, I doubt anyone ever asked them and then accurately recorded their testimony for people to read 250 years later.

azemetre 3y ago

Reminds me of the period of people coming to America during colonial times. That there were stories and tales of people joining Native American tribes, completely leaving their old lives behind and becoming happier but you never heard accounts of the reverse. Native Americans willing joining the colonist, this rarely, if ever, happened.

midoridensha 3y ago
I don't think is a good comparison. Native Americans couldn't join the colonists because the colonists were very racist against them, whereas apparently the Natives were more accepting of colonists who wanted to join them.
- YellOh 3y ago
  "...when white persons of either sex have been taken prisoners young by the Indians, and lived a while among them, tho’ ransomed by their Friends, and treated with all imaginable tenderness to prevail with them to stay among the English, yet in a Short time they become disgusted with our manner of life, and the care and pains that are necessary to support it, and take the first good Opportunity of escaping again into the Woods, from whence there is no reclaiming them."[0] I don't think "Natives were less racist" is a convincing explanation for how badly white colonists wanted to return to living with them (even when, according to Franklin, the white society they had returned to was as kind as possible to convince them to stay). It may be a part of it, but doesn't explain why everyone who lived in Native culture was so disgusted with white culture after. [0] https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-0173 https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-04-02-01...
  - midoridensha 3y ago
    >I don't think "Natives were less racist" is a convincing explanation for... No, it doesn't explain that part at all. It does explain why the Natives never tried joining and integrating into the white colonial society. Honestly, I'm curious why white people who had been taken prisoner wanted to go back so badly, but sadly, I doubt anyone ever asked them and then accurately recorded their testimony for people to read 250 years later.