Website review: Sunday School for Atheists - TIME
daxdaway discovered this in Atheist/Agnostic
•22 reviews since Nov 25, 2007
atheist, religion
•time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1686828...
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daxdaway discovered 7 months ago- From the page: "o are coerced into renouncing their beliefs might not ac"
- Natural rated 7 months ago
- The article states that in the U.S. only about 20% of 18-to-25-year-olds are atheists. It is my hope that programs such as this Sunday school for atheists will increase the visibility of this 20% so that the other 80% can learn that atheism is a reasonable and respectable world view. Perhaps in another generation the ratio will be reversed, and only 20% of young adults will still cling to irrational beliefs. To solve it's many problems the U.S. needs all the rationality it can muster.
- Code46 rated 7 months ago
- Can I get an AMEN?! An estimated 14% of Americans profess to have no religion, and among 18-to-25-year-olds, the proportion rises to 20%, according to the Institute for Humanist Studies. The lives of these young people would be much easier, adult nonbelievers say, if they learned at an early age how to respond to the God-fearing majority in the U.S. "It's important for kids not to look weird," says Peter Bishop, who leads the preteen class at the Humanist center in Palo Alto. Others say the weekly instruction supports their position that it's O.K. to not believe in God and gives them a place to reinforce the morals and values they want their children to have.
- FrustratedWriter rated 7 months ago
- A previous reviewer said: "All this does is turn a good secular idea, Humanism, into just another religion on the pile". Sorry, but I can't see it myself. For instance, where in the article does it suggest that the groups 'worship' a supernatural entity? Where in the article does it say the groups are indoctrinating children into a set pattern of beliefs they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives. It doesn't. It says that the Sunday groups try to help children learn how to think critically, to accept only what is supported by hard evidence and to reject that which is based solely on myths. Sounds like the opposite of religion, to me - and therefore acceptable to someone who rejects religion and the supernatural. Good article.
- pinkfloyd85 rated 7 months ago
I like the idea. The country I live in makes kids attend compulsory "religion" classes (which brainwashes them into being polish-catholics) unless they have a written permit (sic!) from their parents not to attend. Like I said, the "freethinker"/atheist/agnostic alternative is much needed. Too bad it's going to take a while in this country...
- Baraeris rated 7 months ago
- All this does is turn a good secular idea, Humanism, into just another religion on the pile.
- JesseMat rated 7 months ago
- Wow. This is kind of crazy.
First, Atheism is not a lack of belief in the way your are thinking of it. There are many reasons why one may be Atheist. This doesn't sound like they are trying to "teach" kids to be Atheist, but are trying to teach them to be critical thinkers, humanists, and how to stand up to peer pressure.
There are many reasons why a parent may want this and many are given in the text:
"groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on,"
"learned at an early age how to respond to the God-fearing majority in the U.S. "It's important for kids not to look weird,'"
"gives them a place to reinforce the morals and values they want their children to have,"
and "felt socially isolated and even tried taking them to church. But they're all much more comfortable having rational discussions at the Humanist center."
Some religious people use every persuation technique in the book (in persuation books, not THE book) to try to convince people to turn to God, and some are not above hacking into little kidss minds to push their agenda. If I were a parent, I would do everything I could to protect my child. If they are free to be open-minded about God, and are able to make decisions on there own, and they decide to believe in God, then that is ok with me. But if some neighbor comes and tells them that there is this awesome thing that I won't tell them about, and, without it, they will go to this awful place, that is sick and cruel and totally inexcusable. But I cannot always make sure this doesn't happen, but I can take necessary steps to protect my child against it.
I feel that the protection part is what should be focused on here. A couple of people said things like, "I'm not entirely comfortable with telling my kid what to believe." or "I would prefer not to enforce any kind of religious beliefs onto my child." The problem with this is if you take no steps in instructing your child on what to believe, you leave them completely vunerable to people who spend their lives finding was to do so. I wouldn't advocate indoctrinating your child to "never ever" believe in God, but I would advocate what it appears these institutions teach: critical thinking, etc.
As for sterlingmx who said,"YOU (mom and/or dad) will teach them the values and morals you think they should have, theist or atheist," parents are not the only place where kids learn what to believe. You must think that peer pressure is a large factor, and without allowing your kids to be in peer groups where their beliefs are shared, or at least tolerated, no matter what you try to teach them, it will have a hard time sticking.
TaibhseAnam said, "The reason their(sic) is a void is because man is hardwired to seek God. If you ignore God or deny God, you will still have a void that needs to be filled." The void is called meaning, a God is but one way to fill it. It's usually the easiest, requires the least amount of objectionable perception, and is the quickest and simplest way to ease existential suffering. That in no way makes it true. I don't see God as being the most noble, beneficial, or ethical way of filling that void either. Those who can stand in the face of absurdity and meaninglessness, not hide behind a belief in God, and walk forward taking full responsibility for there actions, to me, appear much more so. - Wow. This is kind of crazy.
- imanxman rated 7 months ago
- There is a growing movement to raise children in a way that provides an alternative to religion yet still provides moral direction and values. about time
- patoloco rated 7 months ago
- As I've been told, atheism is the lack of belief. So now we have a "Sunday School" dedicated to teaching.....nothing? I didn't even read the article, the very idea is moronic.
- poorsod rated 7 months ago
- I'm not entirely comfortable with telling my kid what to believe.
