Topics Education

Question I recently found out that a cousin of mine, about 15, is being brainwashed by his parents into accepting all sorts of religious dogma and nonsense. Now, personally I don't have anything against religion in principle, and I even think the Intelligent Design argument is, well, intelligent (or at least clever). But for a 15 year old to be indoctrinated like that bothers me. Is there anything I can say (or books I can recommend to him) to him that would not be insensitive to him or his family but would at least get him thinking about things in a slightly more independent manner? Thanks!

Accepted:
October 1, 2009

Comments

I believe you when you say you don't give a fig what educational agenda is being pushed on the cousin. I think your objection speaks to a long standing debate in the philosophy of education: just where is that line between indoctrination and education?

The purpose of an education is to help you to lead an autonomous life. Autonomy, simply put, is the ability to govern your own life: to make decisions about the kind of life you would like to have, and then implement the necessary steps to get there. (Note: autonomy is not about being a lone wolf!)

Good religious or spiritual education will produce people who make spiritual decisions genuinely and autonomously. We stray into indoctrination (or cultishness, or brain-washing) when we pervert the process of education to deliberately reduce autonomy. Cults, for example, reduce their members' autonomy by making them afraid of leaving (as in "If you leave us, you will have nothing!"). Good spiritual education, on the other hand, says, "If you leave us, we hope you find the peace you seek. The door is open if you wish to return."

If you can get a hold of just about anything written by the invaluable contemporary thinker Anthony Padovano (priest, activist, playwright, philosopher) it will likely be of great aid to all parties involved - yourself, cousin, and parents. I particularly like his book Dawn Without Darkness (1971).