Indoctrination is a strong word to use against anyone who is in the position of teaching. According to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, to indoctrinate is “to teach (someone) to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs.”
Indoctrination doesn’t change
definitions based on events in the past, present or future. The meaning was the same in 1933 as it is in
2015. It is imperative that we fact
check to ensure that someone is not unjustly classified into a category that
can ruin their reputation and/or career.
Indoctrination also has the same connotation as: Programming,
propaganda, brainwashing, and proselyting.
After reading the Pearson’s “My World
History and Geography” book that the seventh grade students use as part of
their overall education, there was not one shred of evidence that caused me to
accuse the publisher, school board, teachers or administrators of
indoctrination. It is true that anyone
can take anything out of context if they oppose an idea or thought that is
written in a book. For example: There is one bible, yet there are hundreds of
different views of what the Scriptures says just in White County alone.
What I love about a group of people in
the “history” section of the bible, the book of Acts, a people called the
Bereans who listen to what the Apostle Paul and Silas were teaching didn’t take
what was being taught as indoctrination, rather, they compared their message
with what the Scriptures says to ensure it was true. (Acts
17:10-12)
The same must be said of all of
us. The solution in our community is not
to take sides. Accuse. Chastise. Criticize.
Rather to compare what each
group is saying is true.
I have lived in White County over two
years now. I have come to love the
values, standards, and the simple way of life.
I have learned that the citizens of White County are a people who can
work out differences in house, shake hands and move on being the loving
neighbors they have always been.
White County can lead the State in
problem solving and working together in unity to accomplish the greater good
for the greater cause, which is the future of our communities in our County.
Now is the time to drop the petitions. Stop the arguing and unite as Warriors who at
heart are kind, gentle, loving, compassionate, forgiving, merciful, God led
people.
Remember, Be God Controlled!
Brian
BUT, have you read the Quran? You might disagree a little if you read it. Were you not at the meeting the other night?
ReplyDeleteI have read some of the Quran. I was not at the meeting the other night, however, I have read the talking points about it and saw news clips. The issue is not the book chosen. A couple other counties are having similar issues, but have a totally different book. There is nothing in the book that would have one iota of indoctrination. What did you see in the book after you read it that raised questions about indoctrination?
ReplyDeleteBrian, thanks for your level headed essay on this. I have found that those who are arguing against having a curriculum have absolutely no evidence other than their personal beliefs that the Quaran and Islam are false religions. I am not a Muslim, but I am smart enough to distinguish between proselytization and education. The first attempts to win a convert, the other discusses ideas in an academic setting. What people are afraid of here is academia.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post/article!
ReplyDelete