Indoctri-Nation: Faith, Politics, and our Children

How do you teach your children about Christianity?  And how do you teach them about politics?

"Never let someone say, ‘We [Christians] don’t want our education to be indoctrination.’  Of course Christians want their education to be indoctrination…" -Stanley Hauerwas, The Hauerwas Reader, 530

How do you teach your children about Christianity?  And how do you teach them about politics?  My spouse Jennifer-who is an Episcopal priest-and I have been worrying about the first question ever since our first son was born in September 2003.  And we’ve been thinking a lot about the second question in the last year or so, particularly when the primaries got started and as the election has approached.

So how do you teach your children about Christianity, and how do you teach them about politics?  Let’s take those important questions one at a time… We’re teaching our children Liam and Graham (ages 5 and 3) about Christianity-and, to put a fine point on it, progressive Christianity-by teaching them the stories and the values we think are most important to our Christian faith.  We have a few good biblical storybooks, one of my favorites written by a former professor of mine and his spouse (David and Carol Bartlett) called Adam’s New Friend, and Other Stories from the Bible.  So they know the basics: creation (but not creationism), Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, and of course Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Their facts may be a bit off-the other day I called something trivial a "miracle" (like the fact that they had our favorite pickles in at the local Trader Joe’s) and Liam said, "It’s one of the miracles Jesus did"-but they have the gist right.  Part of this has to do with the fact that they are PKs (pastor’s kids), but part of it also has to do with the example we set of our faith.  Liam and Graham know what praying is, for instance, because they have seen us do it and we do it with them.  But not only are they starting to learn what Christianity is, they’re also learning a particular form of Christianity.  They not only know the importance of prayer, but the importance of being aware of where your food comes from as well.  As a consequence, these days, every time we eat meat, Graham says, "This was a chicken [or cow or pig] that they killed," and Liam says, "Mama, can we say a prayer for the chicken [or cow or pig] that died?"  Liam and Graham are progressive Christian kids because we are progressive Christian parents.

And then, on to politics.  When the primaries started, we began talking to Liam and Graham about the candidates and explaining to them what it means to be president.  This has led to some funny moments: during the primaries, Jennifer’s father Jeff took the boys to a restaurant where a man was making balloon hats, and Liam promptly named his balloon hat "Mrs. Clinton" while Graham named his "Mr. Obama."  Two weeks later, Jennifer was telling this story to her staunch Republican grandmother, and in an effort to appear bipartisan Jennifer said to Liam, "Isn’t there someone else running for president, too?"  Liam looked puzzled for a moment, and then said, "You mean Mr. McCain?"  "Yes!" Jennifer said happily, looking to her grandmother’s reaction.  "Well yes, Mama," Liam interjected, "but Mr. McCain doesn’t stand a chance!"  Clearly, they are absorbing what they hear around the house.

Like religious belief, our children are getting an earful about our political views.  Yes, we are indoctrinating our children.  As shocking as Stanley Hauerwas’ words may be (particularly for people on the left who tend to be squeamish thinking or talking about their faith), ultimately we live by them because we know that children must and will learn somehow.  And they can either learn about faith and politics by listening to their friends or watching television or looking at frightening images in the newspaper, or they can see religious belief and political action modeled by their parents.  Call it indoctrination, okay.  Call it brainwashing, I don’t mind.

Part of the reason this election is so important to me, as a Christian, is that I am tired of seeing Christianity defined by the vocal and conservative Right.  As a father I don’t want my children to grow up thinking Christianity is a frightening religion.  Although Barack Obama really won me over with his "A More Perfect Union" speech, his speech on religion and politics at the "Call to Renewal" gathering in 2006 was equally inspiring.  As a parent, I need helpful public role models like Barack Obama who claim a deep faith but still reflect many of our progressive values.

In Deuteronomy, God proclaims through Moses: "Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (6:6-9).  This election season, our views about Christianity (first) and politics (a distant but significant second) are bound as a sign on our hands, fixed on our foreheads, and written on the doorposts of our house and our gates.  And you had better believe we are reciting them to our children.