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Do you think it's an accurate description on how people become religious? From Childhood or any other time in life? Should it have a negative connotation? General thoughts?
At the same time, we can see many forms of education, including publicly funded ones, as indoctrination as well.
I was indoctrinated to believe that capitalism, patriotism, and democracy were the only acceptable ideologies way back in elementary school.
As for the term, it may or may not have negative connotation depending on use.
noun
1.
the act of indoctrinating, or teaching or inculcating a doctrine, principle, or ideology, especially one with a specific point of view:
religious indoctrination
Do you think it's an accurate description on how people become religious? From Childhood or any other time in life? Should it have a negative connotation? General thoughts?
At the same time, we can see many forms of education, including publicly funded ones, as indoctrination as well.
I was indoctrinated to believe that capitalism, patriotism, and democracy were the only acceptable ideologies way back in elementary school.
As for the term, it may or may not have negative connotation depending on use.
Interesting. Those very examples of your "indoctrination" are also good examples of how things like democracy, patriotism, and capitalism have been twisted.
The House Un-American Activities Committee McCarthy hearings come to mind. Looking at religion with that end really does make sense.
At the same time, we can see many forms of education, including publicly funded ones, as indoctrination as well.
I was indoctrinated to believe that capitalism, patriotism, and democracy were the only acceptable ideologies way back in elementary school.
As for the term, it may or may not have negative connotation depending on use.
I'm not talking about any other type of indoctrination. I realize there are plenty of other examples. Thanks for the reply.
Also.. Some or most? Through childhood religious indoctrination?
Interesting. Those very examples of your "indoctrination" are also good examples of how things like democracy, patriotism, and capitalism have been twisted.
The House Un-American Activities Committee McCarthy hearings come to mind. Looking at religion with that end really does make sense.
But looking at all expressions or introductions to religion to that "end" would be just as bad as doing to all other ideologies universally. When looking at it objectively, religion is just like any other ideology; it is adapted to the needs of the group and the individual.
What one sees as the "true" teaching, another will see as "twisted", and vice versa.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amazing Moves
I'm not talking about any other type of indoctrination. I realize there are plenty of other examples. Thanks for the reply.
Also.. Some or most? Through childhood religious indoctrination?
I'd say some. Most of the people I know were introduced to religion through their families, but never to the exclusion of other worldviews. While they were expected to follow the family's traditions, they were typically free to question and doubt all they liked. And many people come to religion, whether a new one or back to the one they were raised in, after a lot of questioning and doubt later in life.
And that's not really indoctrination as we typically use the term.
Of course it does happen; we all can tell stories either of our childhoods or of those we know where the only adequate term to describe their religious education would be indoctrination. But I wouldn't say it "most", especially today.
I dunno. I regard indoctrination as having no inherent moral bias. I indoctrinated my kids not to fight with each other. At the level of a 3 or 6 year old, there is not much reason or even superstition that can be applied to get siblings to treat each other with respect; it has to be concrete. Behave, you two, or you have ME to answer to. That, and I modeled the behavior with others.
I also indoctrinated them with the absolute certainty that I loved them unconditionally.
It is the prerogative of parents to decide what to inculcate in their children; the real question is, what constitutes poor, okay, better, or best choices for the content of your teaching. I would argue that one should value dealing in reality, empirical measures of benefits vs harms, respect for others, a default mindset of curiosity and skepticism (always question everything, do not mindlessly follow authority). Others would argue, teach them about an invisible man in the sky who watches your every move and will burn you forever in hell if you don't love him.
It's indoctrination either way. I don't think indoctrination is the problem, it's the content that is what we should be concerned with.
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