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When I was a wee lad, my parents mostly every Sunday would pack us in to the rusting Buick wearing the best clothes we had to head for the church in our small town. I listened to the sermon (or more accurately fiddled around with the hymn book and looked around at all the other families, occasionally glancing up at the minister whenever he muttered "and Jesus replied...") and then went with the other kids off to Sunday school to do fun things like learning the Ten Commandments only to promptly break one by taking my buddy's crayons. It was not stunning fun, but the people were very pleasant and most people had a smile on their face when they made their way out to shake hands with the minister. It was a feeling of community.

I don't believe I was indoctrinated, or dictated to by an evil, repressive, retrogressive faith that had absolutely no bearing on the real world. My parents never themselves forced us to believe exactly as they did. In fact, they rarely talked about their beliefs explicitly. There came a time when us kids entered into our teenage years that they gave us a choice - go or don't. It wasn't made to secure a judgement on us. Years would go by, life would play out, but I always maintained an interest in Christianity.
Some people might argue that teaching children religion is basically a form of indoctrination and brainwashing. That's a little comical, since even elementary school teachers may sometimes harbour a ideological persuasion that they push onto their students. I remember reading a news article about a teacher in the northeast U.S. who, when informed by a child in the class that this kids parents were in the Army Reserve, basically called them killers. I always think it a wise move to step back when dealing with these questions and try to find what the ancient Greeks called 'The Golden Mean'. It is the center, the rational middle in any conflict or argument. It is pragmatic, acknowledging good points from both sides before deciding on a judgement that seems best.
On the other hand, small town churches are not really hotbeds of fanatical, violence-oriented, mind-manipulating garbage that could be found in other places. If the parents or parent of the child wishes their child to be taught at least the basic belief system of the faith in which they are cultural inheritors, then so be it. I know of a few instances where a person of anti-religious sentiment has gotten married, had a child and then proceeded to have that child baptized into the same church that they had belonged to when a tot. Although not a regular churchgoer myself, when I walk down the street on Sunday morning I always smile at the well-dressed adults and children as they gather at the steps to their church after the service. You might say I'm just nostalgic for my own youth experiences, and maybe you would be right. But there is a hell of a lot of us that didn't turn out so bad.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Broadworth.
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