Cara Small
Janick. I think you asked a great question about raising children to not be programmed. It is something I have struggled with for the whole of my motherhood. One thing I can say is never stop them from asking questions and if you can't answer something, with facts to back it up or real knowledge on the subject, then say "I don't know." Sometimes I tell my daughters what I THINK and then we look into it. But I try to never assert something that I was only "taught" or "told" was so (now). There was a while in time when I DID teach them what I believed. Erasing all belief, ALL, is the only thing that has helped me be a better mother.
I don't know I am ever going to get ALL belief to stop rearing it's ugly head, but I no longer use the word and anytime it creeps up in conversation I get annoyed at the waste of time. If I can erase beliefs and encourage my daughters to keep asking questions, only settling for verifiable fact, at least I am not forcing MY stupid programming down their throat.
My one daughter is still in the fool system and the other is doing her own thing at this point. They were never told they had to accept whatever the teachers were spewing and were allowed to question ANY (including my own) posing authority. Of course this sets them up for some "attention". We stand behind them at these times as long as they didn't harm anyone and feelings don't really count. At the least they don't warrant discipline. Discussion, but not discipline.
I would like to hear what some one like Scott thinks about this subject, but I don't blame him for not delving into that area. I DO know that he will agree that ALL BELIEF is evil.