"Parenting Beyond Belief"

Carrissa - posted on 03/23/2009

My husband got me this book for christmas....funny...... anyways really enjoyed it. I liked that it was essays from different people, so while reading you get a lot of different perspectives. I would highly recommend it to others.

Cara - posted on 03/23/2009

Read it, loved it, recommend it to all secular parents!

Jen - posted on 03/23/2009

exactly, i have to trust that she will see for herself. i cant force her to believe if its true or not, then i wouldnt be any better than a church telling her what to think about anything.

Deanna - posted on 03/23/2009

LOL that is sooooooo funny! And a good springboard to get her to think logically about santa...."Do you think it's possible that the guy at the mall can go over the whole world delivering presents?" And her critical thinking kicks in with a No! but if she's not already thinking santa does this then you are way ahead of the game anyways.
I just noticed Elyse posted a santa thread...maybe we should move this conversation to that thread and keep this about the 'book'
Someone recently said "the more conversations the merrier though" :-)

Jen - posted on 03/23/2009

well my little girl (4yrs) believes that the real santa clause is at bradley square mall! lol. he has a real beard and everything! as far as anything else about him goes, we dont say anything. santa is really the guy at the mall that she takes a pic with each year. i dont even think she got what she asked from him anyways, so she doesnt have much faith in him, haha. thats a great idea mom! get caught being santa lol. they figure it out anyways. i did!

Deanna - posted on 03/23/2009

Quoting Elyse:

I have been reading this book and I thoroughly enjoy it so far (with the exception of a few overly philosophical chapters). I especially liked the one about whether or not to invest in the Santa Clause lie... it really made me think! After reading it, I've seriously considered not lying to my son about Santa. What about you?

I'm definitely ready to quit investing...I just don't know how to go about it. Maybe 'get caught' being santa LOL.  let the kids accidentally see me gobbling up the cookies and milk.  I don't know. I might tackle that this year...after i get the book from Jen :-) my middle daughter who is only eight is already figuring it out on her own though....yay! logic and reason  LOL so maybe it's not that big a deal...and my smallest child will trail right behind her.

Deanna - posted on 03/23/2009

are you almost done with it? I can't wait to read it! I'm coming mid april, i hope you are done by then :-) ahhhh....i thought this was just a post, but you posted a link to the book!

awesome...i've been looking around the author's site and blog.



here is an excerpt of the interview from the page you posted:



Interviewer: Why do nonreligious parents need resources specifically for them?



Author: Religion has much to offer parents: an established community, a pre-defined set of values, rites of passage, a means of engendering wonder, comforting answers to the big questions, and consoling explanations to ease experiences of hardship and loss. Parenting Beyond Belief demonstrates the many ways in which these undeniable benefits can be had without the harmful effects of religion. It is also intended to show secular parents, who often feel isolated in their disbelief, that they are far from alone.



Q: I don't believe in the existence of a supernatural God, but I consider myself religious in a liberal sense. Is this book for me?



A: "Without religion" in the subtitle refers to the more commonly understood definition of religion as "belief in a divine or superhuman power to be obeyed and worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe" (Webster's New 20th Century). In short, it refers to theistic religion. The broader definition preferred by some denominations (including Unitarian Universalism) of religion as a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes is obviously not what we are parenting without. So if you are a parent raising children without ideas of a supernatural god, divine revelations, or holy scriptures, this book is indeed written with you in mind.



Q: You mention "the harmful effects of religion." What harmful effects?



A: Honest questioning is too often disallowed in monotheistic religion, the word "values" turned on its head, and an "us-vs.-them" mentality reinforced. Many feel that fear—of God, sin, doubt, and difference—is more prevalent with religion than without, and that children often learn to obey authority rather than develop their own judgment.



Q: Do these books intend to convert parents away from religious parenting?



A: Not at all. The books are resources to help parents who have already decided to raise their children without religion to do it well.







Here's a link to exerpts from the book:



http://www.parentingbeyondbelief.com/exc...



and from that page I noticed that there is a parenting beyond belief discussion forum that looks like it's actually pretty active. When i was online there were 4 other users online too! here a direct link to that.



http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/forum/

Elyse - posted on 03/23/2009

I have been reading this book and I thoroughly enjoy it so far (with the exception of a few overly philosophical chapters). I especially liked the one about whether or not to invest in the Santa Clause lie... it really made me think! After reading it, I've seriously considered not lying to my son about Santa. What about you?