Thoughts of a Random Nature

Happy Thursday!

Today I want to talk about an article I ran across. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum stated that “the Left” uses college to indoctrinate students. I’m not trying to use this blog to espouse any political beliefs but I found this statement to be utterly ridiculous. I even literally laughed when I read it. Santorum also went on to comment that governments only support colleges because they teach “radical secular ideologies” and argued that if Judeo-Christian philosophies were taught instead all federal dollars would be pulled.  He also advised people to stop donating to colleges due to these institutions indoctrinating “kids” everyday with left-wing beliefs.

It’s difficult for me to even begin with my issues with these statements.  Let me preface by saying I consider myself politically moderate, but probably more left-leaning. As someone who has attended college however, I never felt I was being indoctrinated. I do feel that through the people and ideas I encountered I was forced to examine myself and my beliefs because I was challenged. And I’m glad I was because I wouldn’t be the person today if I never had to think about not only what I thought and felt, but why.

Thinking about all of the professors I had, I would say that most of them seemed fairly liberal. At the same time I never felt they were trying to persuade me into a certain type of thinking. They had their opinion and we were free to disagree and debate with them. But isn’t that what education is about, stretching your mind and being open to new ideas? Santorum also argued that the majority of students who enter college with a faith conviction graduate without it. Whether that’s true I don’t know but it could very well be. College is the time when we question the belief system we’ve grown up with. That’s a huge part of becoming an adult and an independent thinker. Sometimes we agree with what we’ve been brought up to believe and sometimes we don’t. Such is life.

And as far as government not supporting schools that actively promote Judeo-Christian beliefs, Santorum’s right. There’s that little tidbit in the Constitution about separation of church and state. If you don’t want to pay for your children to learn “radical secular ideologies” then don’t. Send them to private institutions instead.

How do you feel about this article? Do you agree or disagree with Santorum’s position?

J