<<<’What I do believe is that when they do so it’s because someone, or others, along the way stepped into their life while they were growing up... enough that they saw the difference and or taught them otherwise.’<<<
Agreed. But that can be luck or some say destiny too. And, whoever steps into their life has to be sufficiently trusted or held in high esteem to make a difference, at the right time & right place...
>>>’They are taught to “obey” rather than “think”.<<<
Yes
The impact of others on ones life does not have to have a trust element....especially for children....who see “nice/kind people” as good enough to engage with them.
A child rarely has developed the understanding of trust...even into the teenage years and beyond. I’ll give you an example how easily they can be mislead.
(Though teens and children are taught not to go with strangers....a TV group went into a Mall announcing they were looking for potential models, all they had to do was step outside into their van parked outside. 100% of the teenage girls went with them. The possibility and thrill of being a model was like candy to a small child.)
It really isn’t so complicated...a kind word or a small lesson taught, such as how to tie your shoes...can make a huge difference in a child’s mind when their home life is so disfunctional. It’s more being “cared” for, if only for a moment, rather than trust....even though the child may not be able to define the experience the inner sense registers that this is “good”.
I have known so many people who had serious abusive childhoods who came out on the other side because these small jesters from others which mattered and made such a difference from what they had known.
The Mosques that are in our country were established to prevent those coming here from being influenced too quickly by Western culture......they teach how to “properly” view Americans and indoctrinate them further of the ‘dangers’ of becoming “Americanized”.....Even so , and as we have learned, many Muslims are becoming marginal Muslims...but if the crap hits the fans they will indeed draw closer to their Mosques and Islamic ideology rather than align with Americans.