Is Christianity a religion of “Indoctrination” or “Regeneration”?

Indoctrination is very different from regeneration.

Indoctrination is something that men do—it is the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs.  Regeneration is something that only God can do – it is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

Indoctrination does not create a Christian.  It can, however, create a puppet, a robot, a Pharisee or (often times) a very confused adult and even sometimes a God hater; but it does not create a Christian.   The Christian church was neither established, built, or maintained through indoctrination; but, by the power of God opening the eyes and hearts of spiritually dead, lost, sinners (both religious and non-religious; moral and immoral). 

Regeneration does create a Christian.  In fact, there is no “prerequisite” to God’s regenerating power and when He “creates” a Christian you are a Christian.

God established His church and continues to maintain His church today, as he did in the very beginning--by opening the eyes and hearts of people from all walks of life regardless of how they may have been indoctrinated growing up. 

The Church is NOT built or maintained by Christian parents living in “Christian Cloisters” having as many children as possible; with the idea that they can indoctrinate those children into the Christian Faith and in so doing build and maintain the Christian Church and make this nation a better place.

Christ builds His Church!  He does so (and has always done so) by calling people out of the world--even those raised in the Church. 

 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Before you get carried away assuming that I am saying something that I am not—Can a child who is indoctrinated by parents and/or a local church become a Christian?  Of course, they can!  But they are saved in the same way a person who is not indoctrinated by parents or a local church.

The one who believes that their child was or will be “redeemed”, “saved”, “born-again” (or however you want to word it), as a result of indoctrination is actually guilty of changing the truth of the gospel of Christ into a lie and is also guilty of believing and teaching a false gospel.