On God
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One Set of ‘Footprints in the Sand’ is Plenty for This Kid
By Wendy Thomas Russell | February 25, 2013
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When I was growing up — Missouri, 1980s — half the kids I knew had a framed copy of “Footprints in the Sand” somewhere in their house. Usually hanging in the living room. That poem was as meaningful to these families as Rudyard Kipling’s “If” was to ours. (My mom gave me a poster-sized copy of “If” right before I entered adolescence. I must have read it 500 times.) The point is, although it wasn’t in my own home, “Footprints in the Sand” was a part of my childhood. I have vivid memories of staring [...] Read more – ‘One Set of ‘Footprints in the Sand’ is Plenty for This Kid’.
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God’s (Alleged) Gender Proves Problematic for Some Parents
By Wendy Thomas Russell | February 18, 2013
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About a year ago — when my daughter was six — I noticed that she had been sitting in silence for a surprisingly long time. “Are you okay?” I asked. “I’m sad,” she said. “Why are you sad?” I asked. “Because,” she said, “God is a boy and not a girl.” “How do you know?” “I just know,” she said, glumly. “And why does that make you sad?” “Because,” she said. “I’m a girl.” I don’t spend a lot of time complaining about religion. Usually, I just don’t see the point. Religion is so big [...] Read more – ‘God’s (Alleged) Gender Proves Problematic for Some Parents’.
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5 Reasons Not to ‘Fake Religion’ for the Kids
By Wendy Thomas Russell | January 17, 2013
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‘I’m Not Religious, But I’m Considering Faking It For My Daughter.’ That was the headline over a blog post published yesterday on mommmish.com. Lindsay Cross, a regular contributor to the site, explained how she felt guilty about denying her 5-year-old “the chance for faith.” She wrote: “I feel bad thinking that she won’t grow up with the community and the support of a church. Even though I chose not to follow that path as an adult, I want her to be able to make that choice on her own and when she’s ready.” Cross, a [...] Read more – ‘5 Reasons Not to ‘Fake Religion’ for the Kids’.
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An Interview with the Guy Who Named the ‘Nones’
By Wendy Thomas Russell | January 10, 2013
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There was a time, in the extremely recent past, when Americans with no religion were “the others.” For decades, religious affiliation has fascinated researchers. Countless studies and surveys show document a painstaking analysis of each minor population shift. A switch from, say, Methodist to Baptist or Catholic to Protestant has been marked with great interest, year by year. Sure, the numbers of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists have remained relatively small next to Christians — but they, too, have been counted. Their numbers seemed to matter. Always absent from these studies and surveys was a specific [...] Read more – ‘An Interview with the Guy Who Named the ‘Nones’’.
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Learning to Ignore Religious Reactions to School Shootings
By Wendy Thomas Russell | December 20, 2012
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I’m on the freeway, heading back home from a doctor’s appointment, and feeling morose. For the last five minutes, I’ve been contemplating the Connecticut shootings, just as I have done about a billion other times since last Friday. Right now, I’m thinking: Life is unfathomably cruel. The human experience is an experiment in limitless love and staggering loss. To be blessed by one is to be cursed by the other. It’s not fair — it’s not anything, really. It just is. And it feels terrible. These thoughts are not helping my mood. I take a deep [...] Read more – ‘Learning to Ignore Religious Reactions to School Shootings’.
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My Last Will and Testament (Sort Of)
By Wendy Thomas Russell | December 13, 2012
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One thing about being a nonreligious parent is that I have no expectation of an afterlife. I believe that when I leave the universe, I leave it for good. And whatever “spirit” I have survives only in the memories of the people I love. Which is enough. Honestly, it is. But it also makes me hyper-aware of what I leave behind. And that is especially true when it comes to my daughter. For the first few years of her life, I couldn’t help but be concerned that I would die, and all of what we’d [...] Read more – ‘My Last Will and Testament (Sort Of)’.
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‘The God Talk’ Makes Prime Time
By Wendy Thomas Russell | October 4, 2012
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Any Parenthood watchers out there? A couple of weeks ago, the NBC series aired an episode involving a nonreligious couple who discovers their young son praying at his bedside, which leads them to confront the issue for the first time — not only with their son, but also with Grandma (who has, of course, inspired the prayer) and with each other. The story arc rings very true, and I was thrilled to see the discussion come up on Prime Time. If you’re interested, you can stream the episode on Netflix. The story line starts in [...] Read more – ‘‘The God Talk’ Makes Prime Time’.
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Why Secular Parents Should Do the Santa Thing
By Wendy Thomas Russell | June 25, 2012
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Does it seem a bit weird to talk about Santa in July? Probably. But that’s the chapter of my book I’m working on at the moment, so that’s the subject you’re getting today. My apologies in advance! I’m not sure how many of you have read Parenting Beyond Belief, edited (and partially written) by Dale McGowan, but it’s considered sort of a must-read in some nonreligious parenting circles. The essay-driven collection is a hodgepodge of ideas set forth by famous and not-so-famous atheist/agnostic parents on a whole range of topics. My favorite bit in the [...] Read more – ‘Why Secular Parents Should Do the Santa Thing’.
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How to Tell if Your Child is ‘Ready’ to Talk about God
By Wendy Thomas Russell | June 7, 2012
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I wish there hard-and-fast rules about when to have the “tough talks” with our kids. Like how preschool teachers do Kindergarten-readiness tests and then let parents know when their kids are ready to advance. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could give us a sign when the time for these conversations is right? “Yes, Mrs. Russell, feel free to discuss the 9/11 attacks; your daughter is mature enough to handle that level of evil.” “No, Mrs. Russell, she needs a more few months before she hears about the difference between vaginal and anal sex.” It’s [...] Read more – ‘How to Tell if Your Child is ‘Ready’ to Talk about God’.
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Where’s an Omniscient Policeman When You Need One?
By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 24, 2012
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Whenever my daughter starts talking about God, I try really hard to treat it like any other ordinary subject. But, inside, you can be sure I’m doing one of those Napoleon Dynamite “yesss” fist pumps — because, chances are, if one of our God conversations lasts more than a few seconds, I’ve got myself a blog post. You know where I’m going with this. On Friday, Maxine had a playdate with a good friend of hers (who I love dearly and whose mother happens to be a good friend of mine). Both girls are in [...] Read more – ‘Where’s an Omniscient Policeman When You Need One?’.
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