Indoctrination or faithful upbringing.
Is Christian parenting indoctrination or faithful upbringing of their children?
In his book The God Delusion, atheist Richard Dawkins claims it’s child abuse to indoctrinate children into religion. In a typically inflammatory style, he also said that teaching children to accept religious beliefs is a more devastating and crippling form of child abuse than sexual abuse.
Is he right?
Non-Christian views.
The standpoint of most non-Christian (Western World) parents is that it’s okay to raise children outside of a religious tradition, and when this happens, it doesn’t preclude children from being part of a faith community if that’s what they want to do.
A secular father said, “I definitely don’t want religion forced on my children. If they decide to follow a religion, they should do this later in life.” An agnostic mother said, “Children need open minds. They need to have different perspectives, be exposed to different religions, and come to conclusions on their own.” A couple who consider themselves spiritual said, “Faith is a very personal choice born out of free will. We don’t want our children to think that only one religion is right.”
The dominant or prevalent views of society inform the perspectives of non-Christian parents.
Christian views.
Indoctrination or faithful upbringing? Christian parents believe God’s given them an explicit command to diligently and faithfully raise their children “in the training and instruction of the Lord” Ephesians 6:4. Their emphasis is on families keeping “the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (Genesis 18:19) and on helping children take hold of His Word and keep His commands (Deuteronomy 6:7-9, Proverbs 4:3-4).
Christians also believe that teaching children the fundamentals of their Faith is actually in their children’s best interest (Proverbs 16:20, Proverbs 4:10-12). The goal of Christian parenting is thus to develop another generation of believers who will trust God and live for Him (Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 11:19-20, Psalm 78:4-7, Joel 1:3).
God’s Word essentially informs the perspectives of Christian parents.
Definition of indoctrination.
In the early 17th Century, when indoctrination entered the English language, it meant “teach doctrine.” In the 19th Century, indoctrination meant to instil a sectarian or ideological point of view. More recently, indoctrination can mean forcing partisan ideas or opinions on someone who isn’t allowed to question them.
Reality check.
So, is Christian parenting indoctrination? According to the 17th and 19th Century definitions of indoctrinating, it is. But it’s not child abuse.
What about non-Christian parents? Do they indoctrinate their children? If every parent has an ideological point of view, which they do, then every non-Christian parent indoctrinates their children, too.
A middle-of-the-road parenting approach is a pipe dream. Every mother and father have a biased perspective. There’s no impartiality – we all have worldviews. Each parental interaction is a moral enterprise shaping a child’s faith development. Everything we say or don’t say is ultimately a form of indoctrination.
Even if it were possible for parents to be philosophically and ethically non-aligned, someone or something would influence their children’s understanding and beliefs. A child’s faith development can never be independently organic. Short of denying children all human contact, the religious, educational, social and political stimuli in their environments will make them think and act one way or another.
According to neuroscientific research, the bottom line is that children have no control over how or why they desire what they desire. Free will and free choice are an illusion. There are no neutral values – no neutral views. Preferences and beliefs are constantly downloaded into our children. You may not like this, but a child’s faith development is informed, in large part, by how they’re indoctrinated.
Application.
A home can’t exist without principles that permit family members to relate and work together for common goals. So, Christian parents should enthusiastically teach a Christian worldview and invite their children to love and live wholeheartedly for Jesus.
What’s crucial is how we do this. Christian parents must find ways to dialogue about faith in Christ without closing lines of inquiry or critical reflection. When we instruct our children, we must do so to encourage them to ask questions and test what we say to see if it’s true (Acts 17:11).
Brainwashing is unbiblical and antithetical to Christianity. The irreligious assertion that Christians don’t teach their children to question the merits of the Christian faith is blatantly untrue. God instructs us to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV), “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits” (1 John 4:1), and “to be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless” 2 Peter 3:17-18.
A child’s faith formation should never be coercive. It’s always wrong for parents to force, dictate, or pressure their children into a relationship with Jesus. Learning doctrine should be a fair-minded process. When we disciple children in the way of Christ, we should do it gently with bucketloads of grace.
For or against Jesus.
Finally, we must recognize that if Christian parents don’t indoctrinate their children to take a stand for Christ, the world will indoctrinate their children to oppose Christ!
There’s no such thing as a non-religious child. They’re either with Jesus or against Him (Matthew 12:30).
So don’t deprive children of God’s Word. Invite them to repent from their sin and be saved. Tell them about abundant life in Christ (John 10:10). Train them to live God’s way. Encourage them to evaluate the Scriptures for themselves. And be committed to a faithful upbringing. Take every opportunity every day to “direct your children onto the right path” so that “when they are older, they will not leave it” Proverbs 22:6 (NLT).
Is Christian parenting indoctrination or faithful upbringing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Related Articles
Summary
The article explores the debate about whether Christian parenting is a form of indoctrination. It contrasts the perspectives of non-Christian and Christian parents, highlighting that while non-Christian parents may emphasize open-mindedness and exposure to different beliefs, Christian parents view teaching their children faith as a divinely mandated responsibility. The article also challenges the notion that any form of parenting can be entirely neutral, arguing that all parents shape their children’s worldview regardless of their beliefs. Ultimately, it emphasizes that Christian parents should guide their children in faith while encouraging critical inquiry, avoiding coercion, and remaining committed to nurturing their spiritual growth.
© Scripture Union, 2024
One Response
Spot on. We must be intentional in indoctrination of our children otherwise the world will do it for us.