Discussions are two-way, usually. Debates are between two people that state their point of view and there is little attempt to understand the other side. The goal is to best them, verbally. Dialogues, on the other hand, are different. There is still the exchange of viewpoints, that there may be intense disagreement on, but there…
Read moreThoughts on ritual and mythology
I’ve been having a discussion with a Christian family member about my atheism and trying to give them a clearer picture of what led me away from Christianity in particular, and then away from religion in general. A lot of topics came up from this discussion and I plan to blog about a few of…
Read moreIntroducing the subject of religion to kids
I grew up going to a mostly African-American Baptist church, was baptized at a young age and all I knew was that Sunday was for Sunday School and then church service. It of course never occurred to me that by the time I became a parent, our Sunday mornings would be a whole lot different….
Read moreLetting children go to church with strangers
Ask an Atheist is a local (Pacific Northwest) radio show out of Lakewood, Wa. I listened to one of their most recent episodes in which the topic was parenting and atheism. They brought up the issue of allowing, as an atheist parent, your child to attend religious services. My take is the same as one…
Read moreHomeschooling: Two weeks into Kindergarten
It’s going pretty well! We’re focusing on many of the same subjects that I outlined for my oldest son’s last year of pre-K: science, math, reading/phonics, art, social studies, cooking and handwriting. We do two subjects a day, one in the morning and one mid-afternoon, after little brother’s nap. Structured lessons are for an hour…
Read moreA look at Ezekiel 16
One of the many books I am currently reading is called God against the gods: The History of the war between Monotheism and Polytheism, by Jonathan Kirch. In the first chapter, he quotes some passages from Ezekiel to illustrate the extreme fidelity the Old Testament Yahweh requires of the Israelites, and the pretty uncontrollable rage and resentment he…
Read moreReligion and freethinking in the Islands
This interview was a treat to listen to. Local podcaster Alan Litchfield interviews Joy Holloway-D’avilar, a Barbados native who has been living in the U.S. for 20 years. She talks about her experience as an atheist/freethinker in the Caribbean community. I was especially tickled because my maternal great-grandmother was from Barbados. One of the many…
Read moreBlack moms with biracial kids
I recently read an older blog post from Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. She brought up the issue of how black moms encourage their biracial (or multiracial) children to embrace their identity. What are their perspectives? As a side note, she published that post when I was pregnant with my…
Read moreAnnoying questions for atheists
This was a pretty good article from Alternet by Greta Christina on questions that some atheists may find annoying or downright insulting. Our family has only recently become secular. With the exception of my mother and brother, we haven’t had many discussions with our other religious family and friends about that change. I imagine it’s a…
Read moreCa school district sued over yoga classes
A family has brought a law suit against the Encinitas, Ca school district over a yoga program. You can read the AP article here. The lawsuit claims that these classes violate the separation between church and state. Why? Because yoga’s origins come from Hinduism; and this is true. So, the question is this: are the…
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