At what point

does teaching your children what you believe to be right become brainwashing? This was the question I asked after I saw a lenghty news article about how it appears that a group of polygamists have plans to set up a community in Northern Idaho. Before I go further, allow me to say that if you think polygamy is the key to everlasting life, by all means, go for it; it's certainly not the strangest notion of salvation I've ever heard. What I do oppose is the practice of marrying young girls (15, 16 years old) to older men; to me, that smacks of exploitation. Also, if you choose to have a dozen wives and several dozen children, you should not be eligible for certain welfare benefits, such as food stamps. That, too, is exploitive, but in a different manner.

Anyway, this segment had statements from some of the polygamist women and men, saying that this is how they have chosen to live, that it's not abusive, they are happy, etc. The counter argument, from other citzens and some kind of expert was the only reason these people are saying they're ok is because they've been brainwashed into accepting their lifestyle, hence my question.

From a certain point of view, everything everyone teaches their kids is brainwashing. I plan to teach my children that, despite it's flaws, democracy is the best form of governance yet devised. Meanwhile, some shild in China may be learning that, despite it's flaws, communism is the best form of governance yet devised. It's all brainwashing, according to an ardent advocate of feudalism and Divine Right. These polygamists are merely teaching their children to adhere to a doctrine that, while non-standard, is every bit as valid as people teaching children to pray to Baby Jesus, or follow the 8 fold path, or to revere their ancestors. Before anyone points out that Christianity is an accepted religion the world over, I would remind them that, once upon a time, Christianity was considered a dangerous and subsersive sect.

That's about all my thoughts on that, really. I think I had more, but had to step away from this post for about two weeks and now I can't rmemeber where I was going with all this.