Recent Posts

Quick! What the Hell is Pentecost? By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 16, 2013

From a historical perspective, Christianity didn’t start with Jesus’ birth, his death, or even his storied ascension to heaven. It started with Pentecost — the day the “Holy Spirit” entered a room holding Jesus’ apostles and entered each of them, an event which — as my minister uncle tells me — “makes the church the church.” Although Pentecost is chock full of religious significance, it is a holiday not widely celebrated. Sort of the opposite of Hanukkah, which is widely celebrated but not religiously important. My uncle says Pentecost is a bigger deal in liturgical churches, which [...] Read more – ‘Quick! What the Hell is Pentecost?’.

Daddy, Daughter Discuss God (Again); More Cuteness Ensues By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 13, 2013

My husband and 7-year-old daughter had another totally awesome conversation about God a few days ago. They used to do that from time to time, but it’s been a while since the subject has come up in much detail. I sure love it when it does. The talks are always fun, insightful, thought-provoking and, frankly, cute as hell. They also present Charlie with golden opportunities to teach Maxine about honesty, diversity  and the importance of kindness. Anyway, this one’s particularly good, so I wanted to share: Maxine: Where do you think God is? Like, which house or school… [...] Read more – ‘Daddy, Daughter Discuss God (Again); More Cuteness Ensues’.

Benefits to Being a Secular Parent? Let Us Count the Ways By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 9, 2013

Nonreligious parenting has its challenges. Being honest with our kids without indoctrinating them. Addressing conflicts with our religious parents and in-laws. Dealing with “hell” talk on the school playground. Talking about death without the possibility of heaven. Knowing when to bring up religion, how to bring it up, and what language to use. Dealing with our own religious baggage without heaving it onto our kids. Struggling with the knowledge that religious children really do fare better in certain areas than nonreligious children. Yes, there’s a lot to consider. But sometimes it’s important to remember: Parents who decide [...] Read more – ‘Benefits to Being a Secular Parent? Let Us Count the Ways’.

Want Your Kids to Have An Easier Time Dealing With Death? Don’t Send Them to Their Rooms to Cry By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 6, 2013

People never “get over” the death of a loved one. Sadness comes and goes, and that’s natural. But  they can, according to Russell Friedman of the Grief Recovery Institute, ”complete” their grief. That is, they can grieve in a way that allows for happy memories to reign over painful ones. For life to overshadow death. Despite intermittent waves of sadness, people can recover from their grief and move on with their lives. But grief completion doesn’t just happen, Friedman contends. People have to make it happen. Grief recovery, he says, requires that people be fully present and engaged [...] Read more – ‘Want Your Kids to Have An Easier Time Dealing With Death? Don’t Send Them to Their Rooms to Cry’.

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