Yeah, let’s.

In other words, when the house alarm was set, the thief was already in.

Indeed, I think that is one of the most common ways blind spots are cultivated. And a good list.

Let’s be those “inquisitive friends”.

Yup, I think that’s a pretty comprehensive list.

And once the critical thinking starts, it’s like a crack in the dam; it just keeps getting bigger all by itself.

The religion’s job seems to be to inhibit critical thinking from rearing its head, to kill it at its roots. But many factors, I think, ultimately determine the degree at which critical thinking will be inhibited.

- genetics (some people are just born to be rebels)
- friends (you may have inquisitive little friends that help you think outside the box)
- home environment (if kid loved very much, he may still learn to think for himself)
- learning opportunities (an involved teacher, a smart uncle, a good book lands on your lap)
- quality of education (good science or literature teachers can be extremely helpful)

As for age, I would say that it will happen whenever any of the above shows up in your life to make the cognitive dissonance unbearable. For me, it was as an adult in college. I know people who’ve experienced it at 5.

Perhaps critical thinking blooms for the deeply religious only when the cognitive dissonance becomes more shrill and loud than could possibly be ignored.

Most smart folks I know who are also believers came to faith as children, before their critical thinking skills had developed. When critical thinking finally developed, belief was already deep-seated as an unquestionable fact.

In other words, when the house alarm was set, the thief was already in.