Why religious literacy is important (Parenting Beyond Belief #2)

The second in a series of videos on nonreligious parenting. Hosted by Dale McGowan, editor and co-author, "Parenting Beyond Belief" and "Raising Freethinkers" http://parentingbeyondbelief.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• parenting
• nonreligious
• humanist
• atheist
• Dale
• McGowan
• Parenting
• Beyond
• Belief

[teacherninja1]

I agree--great stuff. But id it just me or is the sound out of sync towards the end? Thanks for doing these!

[PBBChannel]

Yes, it is out of sync near the end. This was part of my learning curve -- one file format lags the video, another is low-quality, another loads too slowly. With video #4, I've finally found the format that works right across the board.

[PBBChannel]

@wimvendenberghe

I'll be highlighting one in the next video -- Virginia Hamilton's "In the Beginning," which presents creation stories from around the world, including the Judeo-Christian.

[americanmuslimgirl]

Sometimes when a person converts to Islam, it's partly due to a political awakening about the reality of Muslims not being what everyone assumes they are, and they become angry about the real injustices Muslims around the world face, and that can help to make them ignorant, angry Muslims. They take on a Islamic identity framed by what they've heard about it in the media. It becomes west=bad, Muslims=good equation instead of the more nuanced reality. I'm glad I knew Muslims before 9/11.

[davyjones21122]

well done sir. compliments and regards. i made my choice at 11 or 12. there was a moment in my early 20's working overnite at the grocery store . long hair and rock and roll t shirt. doing my job. on the clock. customer , friendly enough, till i said i did'nt believe in mankinds various religions after he asked if i believed in jesus. he started screaming " do you want to live a lie?" i simply said " do you? foolish that i had to be confronted in such a manner. AT MY JOB. WORKING. peace.

[Shavarnarak]

@Shavarnarak

But you know me... I'm a staunch rationalist. Freethinkery is all fine and dandy, but it goes into the whole 'I'm okay, you're okay' pile of nonsense for me. I don't buy into that. The correct thing to do is to be rational. And religions are demonstrably irrational, and thus undesirable.

And fact is, not everyone is okay. Types like the Phelpses are a great example of not okay. And those guys are mental defects too if you ask me.

[Shavarnarak]

@AlwaysReadTheLabel

Not surprised by that at all. Their schooling system is inferior to ours. And I think even most Americans would admit US public schools suck.

[Shavarnarak]

If I had kids, which I don't and do not want to have, I think I'd just teach them what I think of religion. Which is extremely negative, but hey, I have justifications for it. But where I live I could raise them atheist, which I would, and they wouldn't meet toxic religious people, because those don't really live around where I live much.

Actually I think if they got particularly curious about religion I'd just show all the ridiculous and contradictory parts in the holy books. Not hard to do.

[ahronzombi]

Wow, i wasn't sure about this. thanks for helping me. i hope to be as good a non believer as you one day :)

[LeafHuntress]

Not so much intrigued as shocked...

I thought that those who were heading for a theocracy would actualy know their own book. For half not to know the names of the gospels or genesis is really ignorant. If one forgets obscure books like Amos or something, but then again, that might be a too shocking book for todays materalistic citizens. ;-)

Thanks for this channel. Parenting a little budhist here, not my choice, but hers.

[codysmom99]

I tell my 10 year old that his choice is to learn about religion at home, or to attend religious education classes. Works like a charm!

[ann998]

Thank you

[teacherninja1]

That's cool. Videos are tough. Podcasting might have been an easier start, but these will probably get much more exposure, so I think you made the right choice.  I'm at the library now picking up the Prothero and Hamilton books they've held for me! Thanks again.