Should the educated be doing more to get the public to realize the dangers of indoctrinating children?

Question

I have been neutral to all religious beliefs, sharing my knowledge of their culture and origins when I can, and have constantly reinforced that i will love and respect them whatever they choose.

Unfortunately, many don't realize how psychological the indoctrination of young children is.

That's just it freedom, it is not our job to choose a faith for our children, and I use choose lightly, as when a child is indoctrinated, even later in life, it is no choice.

Indoctrination = notice the word doctrine.

Answer 1

I ABSOLUTELY 100% AGREE WITH YOU.
Children should be brought up learning about different cultures and beliefs, it would be a step ahead toward having better human beings, tolerance and respect would be encouraged by allowing the children to be exposed to not JUST one religion or belief but all of them. Only When reached an adult age , upon studies of all the religions , beliefs ,science ,history they should be allowed to make a choice and determination whetever or not they want to follow this or that religion.
Indocrination is WRONG, it is phycological harmful and should be banned.

Answer 2

We're all "indoctrinated." To indoctrinate simply means to instruct in a body of doctrine or principles. Whether a person is raised by a christian or an atheist, a republican or a democrat, or an athlete or a couch potato, that child is going to be indoctrinated into the culture and ideology of their environment. Indoctrination is an inescapable fact of socialization.

The term "indoctrination" is most commonly used by those who tend to believe that they are somehow less guilty of the act than others, whereas the opposite is more likely true. For example, an atheist who claims that christian children have been indoctrinated is really just expressing his bias against faith and religiosity, which bias will invariably be part of the indoctrination of his own children.

The act of indoctrination, whether incidental or intentional, is not inherently dangerous. It is only the specific body of teachings that is potentially harmful. The fact is that most people who decry indoctrination are so firmly entrenched in their own views that they cannot accept that another person could reach a contrasting view by any means but active coersion. Thus the opposing view must be the result of indoctrination. It's the old "Everyone's wrong but me" mentality. Where they fear indoctrination by others, they should actually fear zealotry and extremism in themselves.

Perhaps instead of worrying about whether other children are being indoctrinated, we should worry alot more about whether our own children are being taught respect and tolerance for others and whether they are given the confidence to share those values with their peers.

Answer 3

Serena nailed this question.

I agree wholeheartedly with you that indoctrination / proselytizing is bad for kids. That "in a better world, science teachers would teach creationism along with evolution as an exercise in critical thinking." (Katha Pollitt)

"The great trouble is that the preachers get the children from six to seven years of age and then it is almost impossible to do anything with them."
— Thomas Edison, (1847-1931)

"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt."
— Clarence Darrow

"It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so."
— Ernestine Rose

But that said, if we can't even convince the adult theists of the danger/damage of their own religious beliefs, how are we going to convince them that their kids shouldn't be exposed to something that they think is kool-aid-riffic? That's like trying to teach the Palestinians it's wrong to glorify suicide bombings to their young children, when the parents are the biggest proponents.

Answer 4

The indoctrination of what exactly? Many things can be indoctrinated.
I guess if we didn't indoctrinate our children with education, we wouldn't have to worry about the educated doing anything! Would we?

Answer 5

So,the 'educated' are the non-religious (who total around 1 billion) ,and the 'uneducated' are the religious,who number about 5.5 billion.
if 'indoctrinating' is bad,then teaching kids to go to school is bad,teaching your kids that veggies are healthy is bad,teaching kids that the Armenian genocide happened is bad,discussing politics and your preferred candidate is bad,making them go to piano lessons is bad (after all,what right do you have to tell your kids that the piano is good! That's offensive to people who believe that the flute is good,and children should not be forced!)

And what are you going to do with the millions of children born to religious parents? Take them away? Then what ? Are you going to sterilize religious parents so that they can't have kids?
That sounds suspiciously like another period in history........

Bottom line,if you want to have the right to raise your children as atheists,then you also need to respect the right of religious parents to do the same.

Answer 6

Why do people think they have ANY right to suggest how others raise their children? Even if children are raised by agnostic parents, they are STILL being "indoctrinated."

I don't see how it's anyone's business how people raise their children, unless there's actual abuse going on.

Would you like it if there were laws created that stated that a person HAD to raise their child to be religious (pick a religion, any religion), and it was taught in school as well? Would that be fair? Because I don't think so.

See my last question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmIvhLsSYlUp_Kf86.5Iz7jsy6IX?qid=20070622062610AA9qkCZ

Answer 7

Of course the so-called educated should be doing more to prohibit Christianity from being spread. (Tell me that's not what you meant...) Hurry up gosh darn it! The sooner they start telling us we can't raise our children the way we choose, the sooner our Savior will return. It's all in the Bible. If you are truly educated, you would see that.

Answer 8

Yes, I agree.

I was once indoctrinated by schools.

I was TOLD positively that PLUTO was a planet.

I think until SCIENCE absolutely, postively figures it out, they shouldn't be allowed to say BOO to anyone in school.

If you can't prove it with a test tube and litmus paper, it doesn't belong in an elementary school.

And that applies to everything evenly!

Answer 9

It is nice idea. pl do it for your children only. Other parents /children may not like.

Answer 10

No matter what we do we indoctrinate our children. By what we show them we think is and isn't important. How would one not indoctrinate?