Tolerance

Should Kids Be Told All Religious Stories are ‘Myths’? By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 20, 2013: I’m facing some deadlines over the next few weeks that are going to make it very tough to generate new blogs of any merit. But I’m hoping — PRAYING! (but not really) — that you guys will stick around anyway. Subscribers, I’m talking to you here. BEAR WITH ME. PLEASE DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE. IT’S ONLY THREE WEEKS. Starting today, I’m going to run six of my most well-read and/or controversial blogs of the last two years. I’ve chosen them based on number of page views, number of comments, or the level of contentiousness within the [...] Read more – ‘Should Kids Be Told All Religious Stories are ‘Myths’?’.
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’.
Brief Tribute to Obscure Children’s Book (P.S. #Giveaway) By Wendy Thomas Russell | September 10, 2012: I’ve got a book recommendation for you. It’s not religious in nature, but it’s funny and quirky and carries a really great moral that certainly dovetails with some of my blogs about children and belief. The book is called “No! That’s Wrong!” and was written in 2008 by Japanese author Zhaohua Ji and illustrated by Cui Xu. It tells the tale of a bunny who finds a pair of underpants blowing in the wind. (See now, that’s what you call a solid premise.) Anyway, this particular bunny has never seen a pair of underpants before, [...] Read more – ‘Brief Tribute to Obscure Children’s Book (P.S. #Giveaway)’.
Girl Scouts Flap Rears Its Silly Head Once Again By Wendy Thomas Russell | August 2, 2012: After reading yet another story on the flap over the Girl Scouts book I wrote, I’m reminded once again at how irrationally freaked out some parents become when their kids are exposed to ideas different from their own. Whether it’s nonreligious parents instructing their kids on what to think about Catholicism, or conservatives instructing kids on what to think about gay marriage, the short-sightedness involved in both is the same. Push too hard in one direction and you brainwash your kid, crush their self-esteem and damage your relationship with them in the process. Instead of [...] Read more – ‘Girl Scouts Flap Rears Its Silly Head Once Again’.
Is a Lack of Vomit the Best We Can Offer? By Wendy Thomas Russell | June 4, 2012: Did I ever tell you about the time my husband told me hated the word tolerance? I was sure I’d misheard him. I was all, like, what? Huh? You can’t hate the word tolerance! Everybody LOVES the word tolerance. Simon Wiesenthal and the Museum of Tolerance and all that. Remember? Yes, he assured me, he did remember. But he still hated it. See, in my husband’s view, tolerance was a word used to relate something bad, not good. A guy ate a piece of rancid beef but was able to tolerate it; that is, he was [...] Read more – ‘Is a Lack of Vomit the Best We Can Offer?’.
Where’s an Omniscient Policeman When You Need One? By Wendy Thomas Russell | May 24, 2012: 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?’.
What Happens When You Don’t Tell Your Kid About Religion? Only Really Terrible Things, That’s All. By Wendy Thomas Russell | April 5, 2012: Let’s say you’re a secular parent who doesn’t feel the need to talk about religion with your kid. Maybe you don’t like religion, or understand it, or even care about it very much. Maybe you tried once to broach the subject with your kid, and it was pretty awkward and confusing and you were sure you screwed stuff up. Maybe you decided, after careful consideration, to table the whole thing for another time. And by “another time,” you mean in, like, 20 years. “So what?” you ask. “She’ll get the information she needs eventually, right? And [...] Read more – ‘What Happens When You Don’t Tell Your Kid About Religion? Only Really Terrible Things, That’s All.’.
The God Book: A Tale for Children By Wendy Thomas Russell | March 26, 2012: If you’ve never read a Todd Parr book, you might want to check one out. Parr is a wonderful children’s book author whose work heavily emphasizes inclusiveness and self-confidence. His writing is sweet and simple, his illustrations vibrant and kid-like. His first book, The Okay Book, is my all-time favorite — and my daughter’s. She loves that little board book just as much today (age 6) as she did when we bought it for her at 9 months. In “The Okay Book,” Parr writes: It’s okay to be be short/ It’s okay to be tall/ It’s okay to [...] Read more – ‘The God Book: A Tale for Children’.
Stereotypes Broken, A Winner is Chosen By Wendy Thomas Russell | March 15, 2012: On Monday, I asked the fine readers of this here blog if a religious person had ever surprised them. Not a jump-out-and-say-boo sort of surprise, but rather the kind where a religious person acts or believes in a non-stereotypical way. I also told you that one lucky commenter would be chosen at random to win a copy of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths by Michael Shermer. By “random,” of course, I meant that my assistant, Isabella Bird, would draw the name. Because, frankly, [...] Read more – ‘Stereotypes Broken, A Winner is Chosen’.
There’s a Word for That, and the Word is Bigot By Wendy Thomas Russell | February 16, 2012: I don’t much care when extremists attack other extremists. Fundamentalists can duke it out with other fundamentalists all they want. I’m barely paying attention, much less joining in. But when people with extreme religious viewpoints manage to break through to the rest of us and pelt us with their fear-mongering messages, my hackles go up. All of a sudden it’s not just fundamentalists saying stupid shit. It’s normal people, too. And, oh, the shit people say. Take Mitt Romney and his Mormonism. By a show of hands, who doesn’t think a Mormon should run the country? Anyone? No? Good. [...] Read more – ‘There’s a Word for That, and the Word is Bigot’.