Indoctrination

There is no absurdity so palpable but that it can be firmly implanted in the human head, if only you begin to incubate it before the age of five by constantly repeating it with an air of solemnity.

Arthur Schopenhauer Cited in Meditations for The New Age

As human beings, living a multitude of cultures and circumstances, we are all capable of being or becoming indoctrinated. Propaganda and misinformation is everywhere to be found, and maybe never more than in our present day media distorted world.

Some would postulate that such training is necessary, and to call it indoctrination is far too harsh and unforgiving- after all, there are objective rules and behavioral expectations that we, as a whole society, want to impress on our youth. 

We attempt to teach what is legal, moral, reasonable, and just. We, as a society, collectively desire to see these reinforced actions expressed in their daily (automatic?) behavior as evidence of their validity and as proof of our cultural needs to uphold certain moral and ethical codes of conduct.

It appears to be inescapably true that there has to be a certain measure of agreement and conformity so that any society or culture can exist and perpetuate itself. Without some measure of universal agreement, no culture or country could exist and chaos is a likely result.

 While there are variations in what any particular culture would accept, would tolerate, would reject as legal, moral, or good, the tendency is to fall back on timeless codes of morality and ethics that are most often outlined in the teachings of the great world religions of humankind.

All well and good… except when these sources of wisdom become perverted, polluted, and perverse; when they are interpreted by the need for political power or wielded as agents of a strict and unforgiving moral code. 

The current and significant tensions around the historical patriarchy is aimed at questioning and eventually dismantling any use of moral and ethical teachings as being culturally preferable to males, caucasians, the rich, or any other historically designated group deemed to be superior, more favored by God, or in some way deserving of a privileged status in their world.

Briefly, I want to reflect on the pre-Vatican II upbringing I endured as a glaring example of Schaupenhaur’s observation. It was proudly exclaimed in some of those more militant and severe religious circles that emphasized obedience to religious dogma that “[If you give us your child for the first 7 years they will always be Catholic!]”

 For generations, especially among the European immigrants from Catholic countries to the USA, was this pronunciation devastatingly and powerfully correct!

Once my spiritual curiosity and religious explorations took hold, I seriously questioned everything that I was taught or indoctrinated to believe. Regardless of how adamant those religious sisters and brothers were about reinforcing the validity of one answer found in the Baltimore Catechism, and the sheepish reply they demanded from us, I often dissented.

 The result was to inculcate a burning resentment, and to foster a generation-wide angry rejection of almost all that the Church of those days and times had required of young souls.

The widespread erosion of the European Catholic immigrant population and their children from church membership is a glaring and obvious result. In many ways, it ironically led to the growth of liberal religious churches and communities all around the areas of the country that were heavily Catholic during the 1950-70’s.

 Simply put, indoctrination does not work; unless it is continually reinforced by a lack of education, dominating parental and social norms, or is continued by a spiritual laziness or an inert indolence that allows apathy to continue.

One of the major reasons for becoming a liberal minister and then adding independent Catholic credentials to my outlook and preparations was to serve the healing process of religious alienation and to assist people in redeeming the best parts of their religious heritage- not to keep them in the Roman church! (Heaven forbid!) it was  to allow them access to the rich and enduring wisdom of the Christian mystics, their passion for justice, and their reverence for the earth! 

Looking back, while my idealism and commitment to assisting others in this redemptive work has had marginal success at best, it was a very sincere and earnest attempt to be an agent of healing  and spiritual reclamation/affirmation.