tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post453081146326991532..comments2024-01-27T06:40:41.709-05:00Comments on def shepherd: Ask A Humanist, Vol. 2: Aren't You Denying Your Children the Opportunity to be Religious?eshephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03484081625693013559noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-24151433725485529762012-01-23T14:30:26.531-05:002012-01-23T14:30:26.531-05:00"We don't know" and "nobody kno..."We don't know" and "nobody knows for sure" are disingenuous, borderline dishonest, answers. If your kids watch The Little Mermaid, do you tell them that "nobody knows for sure" whether or not mermaids are real? No, of course you don't, because we've been studying marine biology for a long time, and although we don't have a definitive and complete listing of aquatic life that exists (or used to exist) on the planet, the complete lack of evidence of mermaids makes it an unreasonable thing to entertain as a serious possibility.<br /><br />It is intellectually dishonest to treat the supernatural differently. Further, you strengthen religion by acting like a reasonable person on most accounts and then arbitrarily deciding to abandon rational thought and pretend that this one particular flavor of unsubstantiated, nonsensical bigotry "might be" right.<br /><br />You're not helping to fix the problem by sweeping it under the rug, and I can't think of a good reason why you'd want your children to have the opportunity to grow up believing bigoted garbage. Yeah, it's always tougher (at first) to go against the grain. But it's cowardly not to, and it doesn't help society to advance. Be a Winston, not a Neville.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-10776194424805078482011-10-03T11:31:50.456-04:002011-10-03T11:31:50.456-04:00The point being made above -- homeschooling does n...The point being made above -- homeschooling does not equal isolation -- is a valid one. It was not the intention to generalize about this large swath of the population. I know many homeschoolers who do a wonderful job in raising their children, and in teaching their children about the diverse cultures, ideologies, etc. that are represented across the globe. <br /><br />I do need to be more careful not to generalize homeschooling. I admit that, in writing this piece, I had in mind the large number of people who homeschool for the purpose of shielding their children from certain ideologies, or for censoring curriculum that they feel is at odds with their religious beliefs. Many of these children are indeed sheltered from experiencing the spectrum of ideas that a public education might provide. <br /><br />But to your point, there are many homeschoolers who do not fit the above description, and who are religiously literate and well-rounded.eshephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03484081625693013559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-59078208433486818762011-10-03T10:18:36.359-04:002011-10-03T10:18:36.359-04:00I had to come over from PBB too after reading the ...I had to come over from PBB too after reading the "homeschooled=isolated" line there. This article is great (and I'm glad I came over and read the whole thing) but talk about labeling kids.... especially since I know of far more (privately) schooled kids who aren't allowed to associate with kids outside their religion than homeschooled. <br /><br />It is a great series of articles though!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-4727113902012935772011-10-02T22:12:06.851-04:002011-10-02T22:12:06.851-04:00Emily - I wondered if I'd find another homesch...Emily - I wondered if I'd find another homeschooler reading here! (I came in by way of Parents Beyond Belief.) By the time you pile "homeschooling" on top of "non-religious" you get to a pretty small group. And for the record, my kids aren't isolated - I wish we stayed home more, it would make for a much less hectic schedule!Stephanie Ozennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16754230097226584081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-38709206563852472132011-09-23T22:55:39.155-04:002011-09-23T22:55:39.155-04:00Holy shit (not a religious statement)--you wrote h...Holy shit (not a religious statement)--you wrote here what my husband and I are constantly saying when we discuss the role of religion in educating our children, right down to the "We are not sure" and other responses. So, obviously, I think this is a great post. Our basis is what you've described: "Despite our lack of religiosity as parents, we believe that it is of utmost importance to raise religiously literate children," and for the same reasons.<br /><br />One thing we do argue about (it's not really an argument, but anyway)...is, is it possible to be a secular Christian, i.e., one brought up in and observing some of these traditions of Christianity without the underlying beliefs?<br /><br />By the way, I homeschool two of our children (secular homeschool, very science heavy), and we're currently studying world religions.EJ Willinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07333507287598525182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-28150897865749247232011-04-26T00:09:01.238-04:002011-04-26T00:09:01.238-04:00These are both truly beautiful posts! Thank you fo...These are both truly beautiful posts! Thank you for expressing this all so well. And for whatever it's worth, the way you are raising your children is the way that I was raised (and that I, in turn, am raising my children) and it has never left me feeling empty or that I lost anything. On the contrary, I have enjoyed learning about different religions and participating in cultural rituals that connect me with my ancestors. My morals and ethical codes are in full working order and I am in daily awe of the wonder of the natural world. I have watched people who were raised in very religious homes struggle with what might "wrong" with them that they didn't believe and it's very sad. Though I guess not sadder than people who never stop to ask questions or think for themselves. <br /><br />We never had a label for it, it was just what was normal for us, but I think raising your children to be free-thinking compassionate people can only be a good thing.Hannahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-67948270707277305632011-04-25T20:58:22.789-04:002011-04-25T20:58:22.789-04:00wow...so much of what you said resonates for me as...wow...so much of what you said resonates for me as a child of a church of christ minister...where not only was being a christian the only option, but actually church of christ being the only option for christians...as a young child i embraced it and was baptised at the age of ten of my own volition...or was it??!! i began to question when my parents divorced at the tender age of 13..the church of christ did not accept ministers who were divorced so in one fell swoop my family fell apart and we had to suffer rejection from our church family...church made me feel "dirty" from that time on and it affected my personal development on so many levels...thankfully my brother, 10 years my elder had begun his questioning much earlier..he had followed tradition and became a church of christ youth minister, then hospital chaplain with rigorous training in THEOLOGY not just christianity...it was a brutal break, but he decided that his truth was different from what we had been indoctrinated with as children...he in fact is a UU minister...my own experience as a young single mother was confusing for me since i had to struggle with the feeling that i had alienated myself from my family in many ways, but all the while trying to raise my son to be a thinker and not burden him with the closed world of religion that i had to endure...i too tried to expose him to alteranative views to my own undefined beliefs (we all but "grew up" together spiritually)...at the age of 46 i still struggle with what i see as truth and my belief or non belief in god...my son has not had to suffer as i did the feeling of shame and rejection that i have felt and i feel thankful for my ability to help him to develop his own belief system free of guilt and shame...i still struggle with what to believe...the biggest kicker for me was the complete deletion of any mention of jesus' life from 12-30 in the bible...wtf??!! suffice to say that i appreciate the opportunity to participate in discussions that don't make me feel like a dirty sinner...thank you for sharing your perspective and experiences eric...cherijofreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-7268723465249371162011-04-24T21:03:53.212-04:002011-04-24T21:03:53.212-04:00Great post. Seriously. So many points here exactly...Great post. Seriously. So many points here exactly what I've found myself explaining to people. Right down to having visited UU services and being on the same side of the Red Sox/Yankees divide. My additional *shudder* moment is the thought of my kids growing up to be Duke fans, a legitimate concern in this area. I won't love them any less if they don't go to UConn (my alma mater) ... but if they come to me one day with Duke applications, I may have to pull a Redd Foxx and feign the Big One.cdogzillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10329502756815335672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055871156862762353.post-22659704907396934852011-04-19T16:01:52.113-04:002011-04-19T16:01:52.113-04:00Yeah, if my children were Yankee fans or *shudder*...Yeah, if my children were Yankee fans or *shudder* Michigan fans, I'd certainly think less of them. <br /><br />I know that kids are going to learn from the example you set, not the things you say or make them do. Most kids will rebel against whatever orthodoxy is hoist upon them. But they tend to fall right back in when they have kids, because they have no real understanding to begin with. <br /><br />My goal is to provide a foundation of critical thought and skepticism, which they are free to do with as they choose. To build the desire look for an explanation, and never to accept magic as a viable one. Of course, that they know to question everything, means they too often question me. But that's a side-effect I'm willing to live with. :)<br /><br />I do not fear them going to church, because I know I've inoculated them against superstition. Reason shall win out in the end.Dan Isaacshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15549033128356188621noreply@blogger.com