Bonus Blog: Responding to a Reader About the ‘M’ Word

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 18, 2011

A friend told me recently that the people who read my blog are really smart. Don’t worry, I thanked her on your behalf. She noted that the comments I receive are always so articulate and thoughtful, the commenters composed and respectful. And it’s true! Last night, was a great example. A reader named Derek offered his thoughts on our ongoing debate over whether we should call religious stories “myths.” I’ve written about this twice so far (Should Kids Be Told Religious Stories are ‘Myths’ and Respecting Things We Don’t Believe). And, although controversial, I stand [...] Read more – ‘Bonus Blog: Responding to a Reader About the ‘M’ Word’.

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Judge Not, for There are Few Things More Annoying than a Judgey-Ass Parent

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 17, 2011

On Monday, I’ll publish my highly anticipated 10 Commandments For Talking to Kids About God. Yes, I said anticipated. Maybe not literally anticipated, but anticipated in a greatly-exaggerated-so-as-to-build-hype sort of a way — which is also important. Just not literally important. Anyway, in the meantime, I thought I’d preface my list with a gentle reminder: No matter how you choose to handle religion (or any other subject!) with your own child, try not to go all judgey on parents who have chosen different paths. This is a tough one. We parents are, by nature, so damn [...] Read more – ‘Judge Not, for There are Few Things More Annoying than a Judgey-Ass Parent’.

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Survey Says!

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 13, 2011

As part of my book research, I’ll soon be conducting a formal survey of nonreligious/not-very-religion/quasi-religious parents on the subject of religion and kids. That is, people for whom religion is just not a major factor in their life decisions. Please note, this survey is not just for atheists, but for parents who don’t feel a need to raise their children in a certain religion. The survey shouldn’t take too long. Most of it will be multiple choice and focus on four main areas: •  How have your beliefs (or non-beliefs) been influenced by your own [...] Read more – ‘Survey Says!’.

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‘I Love God, Even Though God Is Not Real’

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 10, 2011

The best part about writing a parenting blog? Sometimes your kid composes the blog for you. Remember the time she drew a picture of God, and it turned out looking like a yellow cyclops with male pattern baldness and a handlebar mustache? Good times. Well, it happened again this week when Maxine walked into my room while I was getting dressed and showed me this little goody. If you’re not familiar with kindergarten composition, it’s meant to say: “I love God, even though God is not real.” See what I mean? Silver platter. So here’s the [...] Read more – ‘‘I Love God, Even Though God Is Not Real’’.

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Quick! What the Hell is Eid al-Adha?

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 7, 2011

There are certain religions that seem to wear their differences on their sleeves. Stand a Hasidic Jew next to a Sunni Muslim, for example, and I know immediately which is which. The headgear, the clothing. One is praying to God, the other invoking the name Allah. It’s kind of a no-brainer. But if you remove the clothing and the terminology, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are so darn similar. Allah is just the Arabic word for God, after all. Both the Qur’an and Torah have their roots in the Old Testament of the Bible. And, in all three religions, [...] Read more – ‘Quick! What the Hell is Eid al-Adha?’.

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Respecting Things We Don’t Believe

By Wendy Thomas Russell | November 3, 2011

First of all, thank you all for your great comments on Monday’s blog! You made my day. It’s clear, of course, that I’ve got some ‘splaining to do — if only to clarify my position. But I truly think that, although we may be taking slightly different routes, we’re all headed to the same place — a place of open communication with our kids. And that’s all I’m really on about. So the way I read the comments, many of you disagreed with my contention that we, as parents, ought not be adopting the language of atheist [...] Read more – ‘Respecting Things We Don’t Believe’.

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Consolation (Without Religion) for a Grieving Child

By Wendy Thomas Russell | October 20, 2011

Last week, an 8-year-old boy in Seal Beach, Calif., was orphaned in one of the worst ways I can imagine: His mother was shot to death and his father charged with capital murder. In a case that has gained national attention, Scott Dekraai is accused of killing his ex-wife in a murderous rampage — fueled, at least in part, by a custody dispute over their son. As police tell it, Dekraai armed himself with guns and stormed the salon where his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, worked as a stylist. He allegedly shot her, then turned the [...] Read more – ‘Consolation (Without Religion) for a Grieving Child’.

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Cheers! God Can Kill You With the Push of a Button

By Wendy Thomas Russell | October 17, 2011

My 6-year-old likes to talk about God. She delights in the idea that the Big Guy upstairs made everything she sees around her. And she’s eager to explore why some people believe this, and others don’t. I do my best to explore along with her, but sometimes my best isn’t great. I misspeak and have to backtrack. Or I complicate matters more than necessary. But Maxine never seems to hold it against me, and our conversations usually fluctuate between amusing and downright enchanting. Below is an example of one of our recent chats. I should [...] Read more – ‘Cheers! God Can Kill You With the Push of a Button’.

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Kick This Ass for a Man

By Wendy Thomas Russell | October 14, 2011

“I’ve got no timing, I’ve got no timing.  I’ve got NO timing. You know what I want you to do? Will you do something for me? Do me a favor, just kick my ass, okay? Kick this ass for a man, that’s all. Kick my ass. Enjoy!”                                  — Artie Fufkin (Paul Shaffer) in This is Spinal Tap So my husband says to me last night that, although he liked yesterday’s blog, he was confused by the timing of it. He [...] Read more – ‘Kick This Ass for a Man’.

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Thou Shalt Give Away Free Stuff

By Wendy Thomas Russell | October 10, 2011

I apologize in advance. This is not so much a blog as a call to action. Over the next few months, I’ll be compiling a list of my cleverly titled 10 Commandments For Talking to Kids About God. And I’m eager to get your input. I’m not going to lie to you, I’ve got 10 commandments lined up and ready to go. But they’re not — ahem — set in stone. (Sorry. Lame.) So, before it’s too late, please write and share with me your own, personal commandment(s): your best advice for introducing children to [...] Read more – ‘Thou Shalt Give Away Free Stuff’.

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Relax, It’s Just God

A Blog for Secular Parents
For parents who aren’t religious, the task of talking to children about religion can be daunting. So daunting, in fact, that the entire subject often gets glossed over or ignored completely. Relax, It’s Just God is a blog (and soon a book) intended to help parents break their silence without breaking a sweat.
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