Public Schools, Homeschooling, and IndoctriNation

Last updated on: August 10, 2012 at 12:46 am by Libby Anne

Public Schools, Homeschooling, and IndoctriNation 2012-08-10T00:46:34-04:00 Libby Anne

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Guess which movie won this year’s San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, put on by Christian Patriarchy leader Vision Forum? Here, I’ll give you the trailer:

Yep, that’s the one! IndoctriNation!

IndoctriNation explores the origins and social impact of America’s public school system and has sparked debate among Christians and atheists over the roles of faith, and government in education. “People are starting to wake up to the damaging effects of a government-controlled education monopoly,” says IndoctriNation co-director, Colin Gunn. He continues, “We now are facing all these problems in America — high taxation, welfare dependency, government debt — and as Christians and conservatives we have to see we can’t solve those problems until we solve the public schooling problem.”

At the Film Festival, Doug Phillips (President of Vision Forum) stated, “This [film] is the tool for which we have been waiting for the last 20 years.”

E. Ray Moore said, “We hope that this movie will help move several million more Christian children into K-12 Christian education and home schooling. Many Christian leaders and pastors are finally giving up on conservative public school reform.”

I hope I’m not the only one who senses the irony in the film’s title.

There are today lots of different people who homeschool their children for lots of different reasons. Unfortunately, however, a large proportion of homeschool parents homeschool their children for the reasons discussed in the above excerpt and in the film. My parents were among them. There is a belief that public schools are indoctrinating children into secular humanism or even atheism, and that the only solution is to remove their children from the public education system.

I grew up with a very stilted idea of what public schools were, because I literally believed the things stated in the film. When I went to college and met evangelical college students, especially through Campus Crusade for Christ, who had made it through the pagan public schools with their faith intact, I was taken aback. It didn’t make sense. It didn’t square with what I’d been taught growing up.

Nevertheless, organizations like The Exodus Mandate, which was one of the sponsors of IndoctriNation, speak of public schools as . . . no, I’m going to let them speak for themselves:

Exodus Mandate is a Christian ministry to encourage and assist Christian families to leave Pharaoh’s school system (i.e. government schools) for the Promised Land of Christian schools or home schooling. It is our prayer and hope that a fresh obedience by Christian families in educating their children according to Biblical mandates will prove to be a key for the revival of our families, our churches and our nation.

There is a strange mixture of fear involved in all this. There’s this idea that if children are exposed to outside ideas or influences they will be subverted, and that the only way to raise proper children is to remove them from all outside influences and ideas in what can amount to isolation and indoctrination. The thing is, if people are secure in their own beliefs then other ideas or people shouldn’t pose such a dire threat. To argue that the only way you can pass your views on is through isolation and indoctrination is conceding defeat. This thinking is also very much conspiracy theory thinking.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are susceptible to the ideas in this film. From the outside looking in a film like IndoctriNation may seem like a good laugh, but it’s taken very seriously by many and as such has destructive potential.

Previous Post

March 6, 2012

I don't understand willful ignorance

Next Post

March 7, 2012 Lydia Schatz, Michael Pearl, and CNN

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atheism Evangelicalism/Fundamentalism Family Feminism Homeschool Meta Parenting Patriarchy Politics Purity Quiverfull Social Justice Uncategorized Worthwhile reads

Select a Month February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, who accepts the invitation?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Only the king Priests Nobles Unexpected guests