Recently in Indoctrination Category
One of the things I am really trying to muddle my way through is this dicotomy I feel between raising critical thinkers and indoctrination. I think it would be an understatement to say that it would be difficult to raise critical thinkers while indoctrinating them in belief of any kind. DaddySkeptic and I don't offer up our beliefs to our kids unless probed for them. When asked, we would reply; "I believe...", not "There is or isn't", nor "We believe" (including them in the general 'we'). We give them info, and more info, and even more. We try to teach them tools to research, analyze, explore... to think, and to choose for themselves. We recognize that our kids are still young enough that we are the most impressionable people in their lives. I see more value to their learning to think for themselves, then believe like us. Alas, it feels the rest of the world does not give them, nor us near that degree of respect.
I have not even told my own kids that there is no god, let alone had the audacity to tell someone else's child that there is no god. What on this great big earth makes people think it's ok for them to espouse their beliefs as facts to my children. Strangers, let alone family feel they have the right to forcibly indoctrinate to children who are not theirs. I can not tolerate people telling my kids their beliefs as facts and stand idly by.
If you feel the need to force your religious beliefs onto my children, expect to hear something in return. There will be no polite nods, no half-smiles, no shrugs, no quiet walk-aways from this corner. If you feel the need to tell my children "god bless you" (when they haven't sneezed!) I will respond. I will tell my child that some people believe in god, and some people don't. I will continue to inform you when you tell my children 'what pretty church dresses they are wearing" that we do not go to church, sometimes we get dressed up to go to the park. I ask politely... please, please respect that everyone in the world does not believe as you. To think so is presumptive, disrespectful and incredibly arrogant. You might find one day that you happen across a stranger, an acquantance, a family member who pronounces to your children that there is no god. Let me know what you think when it happens again, and again, and again.
So, while we are not indoctrinating our children with our beliefs, many other people around us are attempting to do it with their beliefs. It is tempting to want to counter this, and to inundate our children with atheist propoganda, I hope critical thinking will be enough. But sheesh, are these people trying to force our hands or what?
