Seven youths in Ephesus (which was then part of Greece, now part of Turkey–conflicts between these two nations go back centuries), during a time of persecution for Christians, all declared their unshakable commitment to their faith. The end result is that they were walled up in a cave, where they died. It is unclear from the historical record if these seven–named Maximian, Malchus, Martinian, Dionysius, John, Serapion, and Constantine–lived in that cave to begin with, hid in that cave from the persecutors, or were forcefully taken to that cave. Whatever the case, they were essentially bricked in, ending their lives together there. Tradition refers to them as the “Seven Sleepers”–a sweet euphemism that the Church has chosen, given the tender age of these boys (we are told that they were “beardless”).

So many of those in today’s world who have great fervency in their faith and are willing to lose their lives are among those under the age of majority. At the same time, studies utilizing MRIs have demonstrated that the brains of males are not fully developed until the age of 25. To me, this argues against so many things that we call upon our young males to do–as soldiers for the country, as soldiers for their faith or for some ideology, as surrogate soldiers on football fields, and much more–while their own bodies and brains are still in the formative stage. We MUST acknowledge how susceptible male youths are to manipulation. Of the 9/11 hijackers, 14 out of 19 were 25 years of age or younger, two were 26, one 28, one 29, and one 33. And who knows when their religion-steeped indoctrination began?

The Hitler Youth Movement began in the 1920s, and by 1933, its membership numbered over 100,000. Thus, when Hitler came to full power in 1933 and when World War II began 6 years later, there were any number of True Believers ready to lay down their lives for the Vaterland. With them as well as the “Seven Sleepers,” just where does the glory of their deaths rest? Did the Seven Sleepers go straight to Christian heaven? Did the 19 Muslims get their 70 virgins? Did the Hitler Youth help bring the Aryan paradise to earth?

I don’t know what things would look like if, worldwide, we withheld ALL military, nationalistic, AND religious training from our males until they reached the age of 25. Indulge me, rather than tell me about the impossibility of it all. Consider what it would like to present these ideas of “our nation is all-important” and “martyrs for the faith are the most blessed” and “nothing matters more than God (Allah)-and-country combined” to male brains only once they are fully formed!

Similarly, female brains, in the study cited above, appear to be fully matured by age 21. Again, what if all attempts to indoctrinate women in religion, patriotism, and other socio-politico-economic ideologies were withheld until that age? How many women would actually affirm the ideas presented to them about what priorities and beliefs they “should” hold?

This is not an argument about doing nothing to stimulate the intellectual life of humans prior to full brain development. Rather, I am raising the question of what our world might look like if indoctrination and pressure to adopt particular world views were deferred until that point! What if, instead, our children were encouraged to be curious, to test ideas, to discuss viewpoints, to learn critical thought, to develop at their own paces, and to be without pressure to become confirmands, soldiers, church or mosque members, participants in bar or bat mitzvahs, or sign holders at political and religious rallies? What if one was never asked to pledge allegiance to a flag until age 21 (female) or 25 (male)? What if all prodding to choose any allegiance had to wait until full-brain maturation?

Thoughts?