- Jan 2, 2019
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I am nowhere near having children, but I just find this to be an interesting question. I've heard many atheists claim that Christians who raise their children to do things such as memorize and recite Bible verses, go to church, etc. are indoctrinating or "brainwashing" those children into thinking a certain way, which they claim to be wrong. I agree that brainwashing is wrong, of course.
So my question: Can you raise a child to be a Christian without "indoctrinating" them? Are these two things synonymous? Is indoctrination inevitable (for any worldview) no matter what sort of environment a child grows up in?
As someone who grew up going to a private Christian school, I can say that ideas were drilled into my head that I no longer agree with. For instance, in the fifth grade, the school started teaching us that the Theory of Evolution was unquestionably wrong. We barely learned about the Theory of Evolution before we were told that it is a bunch of garbage. I used to reject the theory with a fiery passion as a result, but now I accept the possibility of its truth, still as a Christian.
So my question: Can you raise a child to be a Christian without "indoctrinating" them? Are these two things synonymous? Is indoctrination inevitable (for any worldview) no matter what sort of environment a child grows up in?
As someone who grew up going to a private Christian school, I can say that ideas were drilled into my head that I no longer agree with. For instance, in the fifth grade, the school started teaching us that the Theory of Evolution was unquestionably wrong. We barely learned about the Theory of Evolution before we were told that it is a bunch of garbage. I used to reject the theory with a fiery passion as a result, but now I accept the possibility of its truth, still as a Christian.