Such dogma, original or not, is unproven by empirical evidence and to adhere to it “is a matter of faith rather than knowledge” (Hand Philos. 93-94). To educate a child in any field, one must either compliment their reason with empirical evidence or indoctrinate them. Religious ideology cannot be confirmed with “rationally decisive evidence” so a child’s reason must be dodged in order to “psychologically” force these beliefs upon them (Hand Relig. 550). Therefore knowing that “all religious propositions are doubtful in this sense is sufficient to indicate that teaching for belief in them is always indoctrination” (Snook 74). If, in fact, religious propositions were rationally supported, the many Christian denominations in the U.S. would be unnecessary. In this case, the unifying structure of doctrinal practices would be undisputed and result in one denomination.

While the indoctrination of any unknown proposition can have negative results, there are benefits to introducing children to biased religious training. For example, in the pamphlet 10 Reasons to bring your child to Sunday School, Tony Kummer makes a point that children need to receive “Biblical instruction” that is “age targeted.” Parents may want their children to learn the beliefs of the family religion in a fashion that is geared “toward the developmental ability” of adolescents. Most parents lack the ability to properly indoctrinate their children, so religious training is a great way to take over where parents fall short. A child who attends Sunday school will be mentally stimulated because the “teachers do work hard to teach the Bible in ways that are relevant and fun for kids” (Kummer). Kummer also suggests that, by attending indoctrination class, “your child will build positive friendships with their peers by discovering God’s Word together”.

Spiritual mentoring is another attribute of indoctrination class. Along with friendship and fun, parents might also want a “positive role model” for their children. Sunday school can offer “dedicated spiritual mentors that are great Christian role models who will support and help to inspire your child’s faith” (Kummer). With positive role models and a strong faith comes confidence. A study on “health, religion, and spirituality” has shown that religion and spirituality is perceived by indoctrinated children as helpful when it comes to battling illness (Barnes, Plotnikoff, Fox and Pendleton 900).