IndoctriNation - a Crew Review

Not everyone we know chooses to educate their children at home. In fact, even among the Christians in the US, about 90% choose to send their children to Public Schools. How is this choice affecting our children? How are we as Christians affecting our culture? Colin Gunn and Joaquin Fernandez from Great Commission Films created a documentary in 2011 entitled IndoctriNation. This movie is a critical look into how the Public Schools are shaping the children of our nation. We received a copy of the 102 minute DVD to review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew. Choosing to watch this movie will most likely challenge your thinking, and hopefully give you a direction on how God calls us to raise and educate our children. Note: do not watch this movie with your children without first previewing it yourself as parents. There are some intense scenes, like the one with a father who lost his son in the Columbine school shooting that you may not wish your young children to view.

The tagline for IndoctriNation is “Public Schools and the decline of Christianity in America.” This documentary digs deep into the history of public schools in America, and what is happening in the schools today through interviews with both current and retired teachers and administrators. The Gunn family travelled the USA on a used school bus as Colin interviewed pastors, teachers, and leaders. These segments are interspersed with clips from TV programs, both current and past, that show the struggles teachers have endured while in a hostile work environment, and also clips that show just what IS being taught to children throughout their days.

One of the most telling interviews is with a young woman who has recently graduated from one of the public school districts that consistently ranks in the top 200 nationwide. She points out that even though her parents had her removed from class during the sex education lessons, it didn’t really make any difference because she was with those same student s the rest of each school day and they told her everything that was taught while she was away.

There is a disturbing clip that shows how the LGBT movement has been teaching our children about their lifestyle since the late 1990’s. That was unheard of when I was in elementary school in the 1970’s and early 80’s.

I could identify with Colin Gunn when he shared about how many of those working on this movie had endured bad public school experiences. My school experience was not horrible by today’s standards, but it wasn’t good either. My husband and I both went through the public schools. We saw the good, the bad, and the ugly… a lot of the ugly. At first, I watched the movie myself, then we watched it as a family. Our daughters are 16 & 14. I would not recommend it for those under 12 unless Dad or Mom has the remote and selectively fast-forwards through certain segments.

Many people believe that the public schools were formed to provide education for a literate voting republic. However, as you watch the documentary, you will see the many instances over the past 150 or so years where socialism had reared its ugly head again and again in its effort to turn the hearts of the children away from their parents and to the government as the supreme authority in their lives. If you think Common Core is the first instance of the schools wanting to take over your children, you will be shocked at how long and how deep the ties of secular humanism have been controlling the schools. Too many people think the public schools can be changed for the better. Perhaps it is time more people wake up and realize that the NEA is running the schools today. They do not wish to change the schools to align with conservative values or one-on-one teaching. The NEA is all about power and money. How much money do you need to effectively educate a child? Right now about $7000-$12,000 in tax money is spent on each child in the public schools. How much of that is spent on administration instead of on educating the children?

As we look at the recent studies that show how many children who grew up in Christian homes are leaving the faith of their parents, we should  be alarmed. One of my favorite quotes from the movie is from R.C.Sproul, Jr., when he clearly states “We don’t loose them, we give them away!” In the interview with Ken Ham, we are reminded that the Bible teaches you are either for Christ or against. As these children are daily shuttled away from their families and into places of indoctrination, why are we surprised they do not believe what their parents believe. How much time each week are they spending with their parents? We as Americans have forgotten our role as parents. In Malachi 2 we are told that God has put a man and wife together for the purpose of producing Godly offspring.

Voddie Bauchman, Jr., is shown in the movie talking about how Christians will duke it out over which translation of the Bible to use, or which  denomination to join, but 90% of Christians send they children to the public schools, and “no one can point to book, chapter, or verse to justify it.” In 2002, the Southern Baptist Convention did a study that showed that 88% of those raised in the church would leave the church within the first few years after graduation. Is this a coincidence? The makers of IndoctriNation do not believe it is, and neither do I.

We have been home educating our daughters their while lives, yet this movie still challenged us as a family. It reminded us to be aware of all that  we are being taught in the world around us. It showed our teen daughters just exactly what they had been missing by not attending the local public schools. FYI- our local High School was commended in 2012 for improving its graduation rate to 59.4%. A current web search shows the graduation rate hovering at 54%, its per-pupil spending at $10,420, and its overall ranking? 345th out of 362 High Schools in the state.

Regardless of where YOUR local school falls, in the top 5% or the bottom 5%, I challenge you to watch this compelling documentary. IndoctriNation is a clarion call to the church. Wake up! Take back your parental responsibility and ask God how He wants you to educate your children. Home education is not an easy calling, but once you watch this movie, I think you will agree it is a necessity.

You can rent or purchase the movie to view with your spouse. The DVD retails for $19.95, or you can rent the download for $4.95, or purchase the download for $12.95. Money well spent.

Visit IndoctriNation on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndoctriNationMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indocmovie
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/indoctrination
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IndoctriNationMovie