Aug 30, 2024 |
WLSU, Indoctrination
| The Rev. Philip DeVaul![The Rev. Philip DeVaul](https://www.redeemer-cincy.org/uploads/images/philip-devaul_215_small.jpg)
WLSU, Indoctrination
Sometimes I hear people say that they don’t take their children to church because they don’t want to indoctrinate them. They want their children to make up their own minds about religion when they get older. So I think this is the place for me to say that I want to indoctrinate my children. I believe indoctrination is normal and good, and I am done pretending otherwise.
I believe in indoctrinating my children. And I’m going to take it a step further and say that whether or not you even have children, you believe in indoctrinating children too.
If you insist that children go to school, you are indoctrinating them into the idea that education is important. If you insist they try hard, you are indoctrinating them into the idea that effort matters. If you ever stop a child from hitting someone and say something like, “We don’t hit,” that’s indoctrination. Can you imagine a parent saying that a child should decide for themselves whether or not they want to learn?
So when we make our kids go to church, that is indoctrination. And when we stay home, that is also indoctrination.