Indoctrination: Is it Necessary for Organizational Survival?
Tagged with: religion
So there was some interesting conversation going on with my post on religion and the “A” in my sidebar. Basically one user’s comments brought up the question, at least for me, if indoctrination is necessary for any organization to survive, specifically religious organizations.
Religion that is imposed upon another, is not going to be true Faith.
While I agree with that statement, it made me think, “Can religion survive without indoctrination of others?”
I think indoctrination at any level, or for any system or organization is wrong. I would never grow a child up to believe in something. That just wrong for the development of a child. The learning process should never be hindered.
At the same time, can any organization survive without attempts to recruit? Is indoctrination a necessary evil? What do you think?
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May 1st, 2008 at 9:50 am
indoctrination = socialization. Depends on who sees the benefits and how they frame it.
May 25th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Short answer: no. I mean, yes. I mean, argh! Two questions, different answers.
No, it can’t survive without indoctrination. Which means yes, it’s necessary.
Now the longer answer: any human enterprise only lasts as long as other people are used to it. That’s why advertisers try to drum up interest in specific products, why charities try to drum up interest in specific good works, and why men try to get women dru - ah, I mean, drum up women’s interest in them (yes, I’m kidding on that last bit). People can be “religious” and “spiritual” without indoctrination. However, organized religion can’t survive without it.
Look at the poor Greek Pantheon. The Egyptian. Bunch o’ others. Setting aside the starry-eyed New Agey types trying to revive those religions, they’re dead, Jim. And I’d say it’s because folks stopped indoctrinating other folks, at least in part.
Sure, there’s other reasons for their decline. Absolutely. But if nobody recruits for the faith, the faith is going to wither. So will any other enterprise that doesn’t at least semi-actively go after new bodies, or make new bodies to replace old ones.
In my not-so-humble-opinion.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I think I would certainly agree Dana. Organized religion needs a system of indoctrination to survive. Without it people will lose interest over time and start to not care. But spirituality needs no system of any kind since it’s derived from within.