Comments on: Say Hello to Rational Moms http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/ by Hemant Mehta Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Dale McGowan http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-236226 Dale McGowan Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:02:56 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-236226 Yep, we've got a genuine nonreligious parenting movement going now. This is my kind of proliferation. (And thanks for mentioning the next book!) Yep, we’ve got a genuine nonreligious parenting movement going now. This is my kind of proliferation. (And thanks for mentioning the next book!)

]]> By: Beijingrrl http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232846 Beijingrrl Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:23:51 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232846 Cool! As a rational mom myself, I'll definitely be checking out the blog. Cool! As a rational mom myself, I’ll definitely be checking out the blog.

]]> By: C. L. Hanson http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232820 C. L. Hanson Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:37:31 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232820 Thanks for the plug for Rational Moms!!! I'm one of the contributers there as well (though I've only written one piece so far, I've got some more in the works). I looks like it's going to be a great blog, and I hope people here will stop by and join in the fun! :D Thanks for the plug for Rational Moms!!!

I’m one of the contributers there as well (though I’ve only written one piece so far, I’ve got some more in the works). I looks like it’s going to be a great blog, and I hope people here will stop by and join in the fun! :D

]]> By: Gullwatcher http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232677 Gullwatcher Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:00:33 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232677 It may be true that adults have no choice in what they believe - although it is also true that they can choose never to examine or question their beliefs and to turn a blind eye to anything that contradicts them. There is some choice involved. But kids? Young kids believe what they are told. They don't have enough framework yet to see that <em>this</em> fits and <em>that</em> doesn't, they just believe it all. So a big YAY! to the rational moms, doing their best to give the kids a good framework. For what it's worth, I grew up both hearing bible stories and not believing them, classifying them with fairy tales. It is possible to expose children without indoctrinating them, just as long as they know what they are hearing is fiction. Some of those bible stories may actually be the best defense against religion, considering what horrible things happen in them. It may be true that adults have no choice in what they believe – although it is also true that they can choose never to examine or question their beliefs and to turn a blind eye to anything that contradicts them. There is some choice involved.

But kids? Young kids believe what they are told. They don’t have enough framework yet to see that this fits and that doesn’t, they just believe it all. So a big YAY! to the rational moms, doing their best to give the kids a good framework.

For what it’s worth, I grew up both hearing bible stories and not believing them, classifying them with fairy tales. It is possible to expose children without indoctrinating them, just as long as they know what they are hearing is fiction. Some of those bible stories may actually be the best defense against religion, considering what horrible things happen in them.

]]> By: mikespeir http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232592 mikespeir Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:44:33 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232592 <blockquote>amz, help! I have spent the last hour trying to convince myself that my dog is an apple. It’s worked, and now I can’t convince myself that it’s a dog.</blockquote> Just be careful what you bite into, Autumnal Harvest! :)

amz, help! I have spent the last hour trying to convince myself that my dog is an apple. It’s worked, and now I can’t convince myself that it’s a dog.

Just be careful what you bite into, Autumnal Harvest! :)

]]> By: Autumnal Harvest http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232543 Autumnal Harvest Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:51:52 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232543 The idea of planning how to teach your child about atheism seems overly defensive to me. Unless you live in a small, fundamentalist, community, I don't think it's necessary. My parents were both atheists, and they didn't dedicate any time to explaining to me why there wasn't a God, for the same reason that they didn't dedicate any time to explaining why there aren't any unicorns, or alien UFO's. They thought God and unicorns were both so implausible that there was no reason to teach me about their nonexistence. They just taught me general critical thinking skills, and the scientific method. Of course, living in America, at some point I heard the Jesus story (and about Roswell), but given that I was raised with no religious beliefs, my gut reaction was "Wow! That story sounds crazy! Why do you believe that?" Then people explained why, and their explanations just didn't seem like they made a lot of sense. Probably at some point I went home to ask my parents questions, but it wasn't a big enough deal that I remember any conversations with them about it. amz, help! I have spent the last hour trying to convince myself that my dog is an apple. It's worked, and now I can't convince myself that it's a dog. The idea of planning how to teach your child about atheism seems overly defensive to me. Unless you live in a small, fundamentalist, community, I don’t think it’s necessary.

My parents were both atheists, and they didn’t dedicate any time to explaining to me why there wasn’t a God, for the same reason that they didn’t dedicate any time to explaining why there aren’t any unicorns, or alien UFO’s. They thought God and unicorns were both so implausible that there was no reason to teach me about their nonexistence. They just taught me general critical thinking skills, and the scientific method. Of course, living in America, at some point I heard the Jesus story (and about Roswell), but given that I was raised with no religious beliefs, my gut reaction was “Wow! That story sounds crazy! Why do you believe that?” Then people explained why, and their explanations just didn’t seem like they made a lot of sense. Probably at some point I went home to ask my parents questions, but it wasn’t a big enough deal that I remember any conversations with them about it.

amz, help! I have spent the last hour trying to convince myself that my dog is an apple. It’s worked, and now I can’t convince myself that it’s a dog.

]]> By: Larry Huffman http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232524 Larry Huffman Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:32:36 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232524 I agree as well amz...but I also see what Mike is saying. I think the problem is that it is not as easy as choosing. Religious faith is a unique beast. People in a religion are not choosing to believe...they know...therefore they believe. They know throough faith...unreasonable, yes...but to someone who has faith it is knowledge. As for Rational Moms...wonderful! The view of choosing to believe aside, the idea and principle is great. It is vital to teach kids how to be ethical atheists. (On a side note...choosing to believe is famously the crux of the arguement against Pascal's Wager. The wager wrongly assumes that we can actually choose to believe something. In fact, we believe something based on our knowledge, facts obtained, our experiences and a whole myriad of data that builds the belief. Of course, you can say that you believe something when you do not...hehe) I agree as well amz…but I also see what Mike is saying. I think the problem is that it is not as easy as choosing. Religious faith is a unique beast. People in a religion are not choosing to believe…they know…therefore they believe. They know throough faith…unreasonable, yes…but to someone who has faith it is knowledge.

As for Rational Moms…wonderful! The view of choosing to believe aside, the idea and principle is great. It is vital to teach kids how to be ethical atheists.

(On a side note…choosing to believe is famously the crux of the arguement against Pascal’s Wager. The wager wrongly assumes that we can actually choose to believe something. In fact, we believe something based on our knowledge, facts obtained, our experiences and a whole myriad of data that builds the belief. Of course, you can say that you believe something when you do not…hehe)

]]> By: mikespeir http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232482 mikespeir Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:30:16 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232482 Oh, and as to the Rational Moms: Wow, what a wonderful thing! Oh, and as to the Rational Moms: Wow, what a wonderful thing!

]]> By: mikespeir http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232481 mikespeir Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:28:38 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232481 In principle I agree with you, amz. However, I know from my own experience that you can want something to be true so badly that you'll interpret everything as evidence in favor of its truth. Not everything is quite so clear as the color of the sky, etc. It is possible to deceive oneself. I think "choose to believe" is just a shorthand for that process. In principle I agree with you, amz. However, I know from my own experience that you can want something to be true so badly that you’ll interpret everything as evidence in favor of its truth. Not everything is quite so clear as the color of the sky, etc. It is possible to deceive oneself. I think “choose to believe” is just a shorthand for that process.

]]> By: amz http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2008/10/06/say-hello-to-rational-moms/#comment-232472 amz Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:37:11 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/?p=4986#comment-232472 IN MY OPINION, people do not choose to believe anything. I didn't choose to believe that the sky is blue, or that the Earth is (roughly) round, or that gravity attracts bodies towards the center of the planet, or that God does not exist. We believe things based on the information that we have available at the time. Choice is merely an illusion, but even if free will was real, we would still not "choose" to believe anything. Do you think that you could believe that a dog is an apple? No matter how hard you tried? IN MY OPINION, people do not choose to believe anything. I didn’t choose to believe that the sky is blue, or that the Earth is (roughly) round, or that gravity attracts bodies towards the center of the planet, or that God does not exist.

We believe things based on the information that we have available at the time. Choice is merely an illusion, but even if free will was real, we would still not “choose” to believe anything.

Do you think that you could believe that a dog is an apple? No matter how hard you tried?

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