Dale McGowan
Auteur de Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
A propos de l'auteur
Crédit image: Dale McGowan
Œuvres de Dale McGowan
Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion (2007) — Directeur de publication — 321 exemplaires
In Faith and In Doubt: How Religious Believers and Nonbelievers Can Create Strong Marriages and Loving Families (2014) 14 exemplaires
Sharing Reality: How to Bring Secularism and Science to an Evolving Religious World (2017) 6 exemplaires
Parenting Beyond Belief- Abridged Ebook Edition: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids without Religion 3 exemplaires
The Lucky Ones 1 exemplaire
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Date de naissance
- 1963-02-28
- Sexe
- male
- Nationalité
- USA
- Lieux de résidence
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Études
- University of California, Berkeley (BA|Anthropology|Music Theory|1986)
University of Minnesota (PhD|Music Theory and Composition|1999) - Professions
- author
professor
speaker - Organisations
- Foundation Beyond Belief
- Prix et distinctions
- Harvard Humanist of the Year (2008)
- Agent
- Uwe Stender, TriadaUS
- Courte biographie
- Former college professor, currently freelance writer and educator specializing in nonreligious parenting.
Membres
Critiques
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Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 13
- Membres
- 624
- Popularité
- #40,357
- Évaluation
- 4.2
- Critiques
- 15
- ISBN
- 24
Parents in this collection think of themselves as raising children as freethinkers, not atheists. Their goal is to teach children to ask questions and follow where the answers lead. They want children to make up their own mind — even if that might lead to religion.
Since many of us live in a religious society, we have to learn how to live with religion. Essays explore parenting in a mixed religious/non-religious marriage, making sure children are religiously literate, standing up for your principles when your children are discriminated against because of their lack of religion, and keeping religion out of schools.
All people need celebration and ceremony to mark the passing of time and important milestones. Secular families do not need to give ceremony and celebration just because they do not believe in the religious underpinnings that often come along. Ceremonies and celebrations can be adapted to fit the values and beliefs of secular families.
Being religious or secular doesn't actually make a big difference in terms of moral development. Although religious belief can provide some reasoning about morality, morality in practice is about learning how to see and treat each other as fellows deserving of dignity. Beyond that, religion doesn't solve many of the most challenging philosophical problem: e.g., the problem of evil is confounding regardless of belief.
How do we think about values and virtues, meaning and purpose as secular parents? We see an essay which discusses the complimentary values of self-respect and respect for others. One that discusses virtues that are meaningful for secular families (humility, empathy, courage, honesty, openness, generosity, and gratitude). Another acknowledges that there's no inherent purpose to life; we must support our children in their quest for their own purpose and meaning in life. We see how the arts help us find meaning and understand the human condition.
Every family will need to eventually grapple with death. It is important to help children through this time period, creating ceremony and rituals to help them through their grief. Without the comforting thought of an afterlife, parents need to help children focus on the importance of remembering the deceased. Parents can help do this by acknowledging the reality of death, validating a child's sadness, acknowledging what we don't know about death, celebrating the individuality of the deceased, and affirming the continuity of life.
How can we help children question and think for themselves? We can help them to observe the world, including their own mind and the minds of others, and ask questions about it. The key thing is to always encourage questioning, not to discourage it. It's often believed that being non-religious means that there is no space for wonder. However, this world is such a wonderful place that there are ample opportunities for wonder, especially in science. The natural world is more amazing and wonderful than any fictional story. When children learn the scientific explanations behind phenomena, they often find those more fascinating than the often-simplistic pre-scientific explanations.
The book finishes with a discussion of the importance of building a community of freethinkers. Although the specifics are a bit dated, the core message is sound: we are social animals and we — especially children — need to find community. Without structured religious communities, freethinking families have to be more intentional about building community.
Overall, this was an interesting read but probably one you can skip if the you already feel comfortable blending non-belief and parenting.
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