WORD OF THE WEEK -INDOCTRINATE 3-10-24

Mark 12:30-31

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’

James 1:22-24

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

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Transcript

Definition: the process of repeating an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question:

Scriptures: Mark 12:30-31Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
James 1:22-24Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

THOUGHT
  Many “conservative” politicians are working ridiculously hard to convince their constituents that teachers who educate our children about the historical realities of man’s inhumanity to man are not teaching history.  Instead, teachers who teach the truth of history are being told to stop “indoctrinating” our children.  Isn’t the truth of the American struggle throughout history important? 
Can parents decide what truths would be beneficial to their children? Would there be less indoctrination if the parents who make those decisions are Anglo-Saxon, Christian, economically impowered, conservatives?  Or would parents who are people of color,   atheists or native-born liberals who have been the victims of inhumanity be better able to decide? 
In the absence of truth, either group could be guilty of benefiting from indoctrination.  Indoctrination is the process of repeating an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question.  Indoctrination is used to control the narrative to the benefit or advantage of someone or something else.  
For example:• We indoctrinate soldiers so that they will be more patriotically willing to surrender their lives for the benefit of their country. • We indoctrinate our teachers, so that they will teach the lessons that will benefit or support the power structure as society wants it to be when the students graduate from school. • We indoctrinate our medical professionals so that pharmaceutical and medical supply companies can make astronomical profits at the expense of providing natural healing and medicine practices that provide more economical relief, healing and comfort. 
During the time of Jesus, the religious leaders of God’s chosen people were using indoctrination.  The Jewish leaders were only reading and reciting those portions of God’s Word that would result in the people’s adherence to their personal interpretation of the Word.  Or they would use the scriptures to make those under their influence do what they wanted them to in support of their personal economic or political gain.  Jesus came to present the truth. 
Each of the following groups of God’s chosen people had their reasons to indoctrinate those under their influence.  • The Sadducees were the well-connected wealthy conservatives who believed in the authoritative power of God. They protected their status.• The Pharisees were elevated from the common people who believed in the afterlife and other spiritual manifestations of God.  They were spiritually astute.  • The Essenes were the radical, non-traditional believers who were chaste, lived in the desert, while eating wild food and living communally.  They were the ones who lived piously righteous lives. • The Samaritans were considered estranged, foreigners and outsiders who believed in the exclusivity of the Pentateuch as their spiritual and religious guide.   They were authorities on living a godly life.  
They were self-righteously competing against each other for power and control. God’s people had neglected the basics of living the Ten commandments that Jesus spoke  (as written in Mark 12:30-31). ”Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’” 
Their leaders had been distorting their history.  Jesus reminded God’s chosen people that they were to live the Word of God according to the truth that had been enshrined in their history with God.   
Indoctrination is a tool that can be used to change, distort or destroy history and is unnecessary when the truth is taught.  
History is truth and is the will of God… As such, it is divine, it is fair, it is honest, it stands, it educates, and it will never change.The truth, like God, will never fail.