NorthboundZax wrote:... while I respect the idea behind rites of passage in general, I can't help but think that rites of passage like baptism in Mormonism behave like a cement for the actual indoctrination that takes place. Personally, I think 8 is about as insidious of an age as possible, and maybe why it works so well. The child is beginning to come into their own, but still a long way from meaningful independence - so it is easy to convince them that it is 'their choice' when it never really was.
A young girl of 8 recently baptized, shared her testimony in church this month. She KNOWS Joseph Smith is a true prophet, the church is true and she loves her mom, dad and brothers. This Sunday, FT-meeting, I fully expect her to get up again and probably include a thanks for Santa for bringing gifts to her house on Christmas.
Telling our children that there is a Santa Clause is a good thing, because it hopefully teaches our children that even their own parents are going to lie to them about some things.