text: anyone ever get the feeling that church is a brainwashing session? i sit in church services where congregations members repeat what the priest/pastor/rabbi what have you says.  they have a monotone voice and seem almost numb in what they are saying.  i swear people have no concept of what they are actually repeating out loud most of the time.  even the songs seem kind of robotic without feeling.  i just get that feeling a lot. no, i never had the feeling that i was being brainwashed; i knew i was being brainwashed so i left. why do you think people repeat "praise be to god" in a catholic mass? and most catholics follow their faith so blindly they'll defend it quite strongly. just look at the next few questions on this thread.