Athée Canadien
Personal Story
re·ject
Jan 25th
As it’s Oscar season, I’m busy catching all the nominees for the best picture — which means I caught the critically acclaimed ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin‘ (which I was sure was going to be nominated in some way, but wasn’t .. and that’s a subject for another post).
Anyway, I enjoyed the film so much that I started to read the 2003 novel it was based on, of the same name by the author Lionel Shriver. As I read, there was a quote that caught my eye and caused me to pause — it’s a quote spoken by the mother/protagonist of the novel, reflecting back on her flaws as a parent. One shortcoming she muses about is the lack of a religious environment she exposed her son, Kevin, to:
Both of us were lapsed, so it made sense to raise our kids as neither Armenian Orthodox or Presbyterian. Although I’m reluctant to inveigh that youth today need to crack the Old Testament, it sobers me that, thanks to us, Kevin may have never seen the inside of a church.
The fact that you and I were brought up with something to walk away from may have advantaged us, for we knew what lay behind us, and what we were not.
So I wonder if Kevin, too, would have been better off had we spewed a lot of incense-waving hooey that he could have coughed back in our faces — those extravagant fancies about virgin births and commandments on mountaintops that really stick in a kid’s throat. [my emphasis]
As soon as I read this passage, I had to stop — if only because it resonated a little too much. Is my little girl — being raised in a happily godless home — at a disadvantage?
More >
A Personal Story (or Ramble)
Dec 21st
Even before I begin, I feel this one will not be easy to write. There seems to be a lot at stake, and I may not want to face the conclusions I draw. The short of it is this: there is someone I am extremely close to – we see each other and speak daily – who has strong opposing views. It pains me because I honestly do care what she thinks of me; and this is aside from any desire I may have to be correct or to win an argument. More >
Secular family resources
Nov 2nd
One of the bigger shortcomings in the Canadian atheist community (in my humble opinion, of course) is the lack of resources/groups for secular families. As far as I know, there’s only one secular parenting group in Canada (though I would LOVE to be corrected in the comments!). That said, I realize that the secular parenting movement is still fairly new, so I’m hoping in the next few years we can build some momentum and get some more groups going up here in the Great White North.
Until that time, here are some great resources I’ve been coming across over the last few weeks that I’d thought I’d share:
- SocraticMama: a new website/community started by Anne Crumpacker, the mom of 9-year-old Mason (who infamously asked Christopher Hitchens “What should I read?” last month at the Texas Freethought Convention). The SocraticMama site is meant to be a “a place where ideas are judged on merit alone, where questions are explored, and where adults and kids can come together to puzzle about life’s wonders.” It’s still new, so go check it out!
- Speaking of Mason, here’s an inspiring interview with her in this past Sunday’s Dallas Morning News. My favorite bit:
Why did you decide it was important to ask a question of Hitchens? Because I had just found out that he was dying, and he’s a brilliant man. And I felt that his knowledge of the world shouldn’t be wasted, and that someone should continue what he started.
Where will he go when he dies?
Nowhere.
Did he answer you the way you expected to be answered?
Yes. He was very honest to me and very, very nice. I think all adults should be honest to kids with their answers and take them seriously. They’re living people, too. I especially hate when adults dumb it down for me.
- Like Mason, I’m also always on the hunt for good books to add to my secular parenting shelf. Recently I’ve come across some good resources that will help me add more book titles to my wish list. Check out Children’s Books for Secular and Progressive Families: Part One (more parts to come this week!) and the two episodes of Atheist Talk on Children’s books on science and Children’s books on religion.
- Another site to check out for musings on secular parenting is the Parents Beyond Belief blog. This is a resource for secular parenting groups and religion-free parenting approaches — the blog features posts by a variety of contributors, with topics ranging from the perils of secular homeschooling to Camp Quest experiences to reflections on teaching your child critical thinking skills. [disclosure: I help edit the blog -- so if there are any Canadian secular parents who would like to contribute, contact me!]
- Here’s another good blog on secular parenting: Relax, It’s Just God by Wendy Thomas Russell. I really like her writing style, and it’s a place where “you’ll find suggestions and encouragement for modern, secular
parents ready to talk to their kids about God.” Check it out.
- Finally, there’s a newly-formed Facebook group that’s targeted to secular mamas: Mothers Beyond Belief. It’s only been around for about 5 days, in in that time, we’ve gotten over 500 members! It’s a private group, meant to be a resource/support for secular moms. I help to admin the group, and I can attest to it being a great group of women to interact with!
So, there you have it. If you have any resources/links you’d like to share, feel free to pass ‘em along.
Update – Prayer at City Council Meetings
Oct 25th
The issue of a Christian prayer being recited at the beginning of Peterborough city council meetings was not discussed at the October 24 meeting. I attended the meeting, despite my objection to prayer at a public meeting, because one of the topics on the agenda was the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s recommendation to close the only downtown public high school in Peterborough. The topic was successfully resolved:
Peterborough city council voted 8-2 to support the foundation’s request for an administrative review of the process by the Ministry of Education. . . .
Before the October 24 meeting, and after I wrote and posted “Prayer at City Council Meetings,” I emailed the URL to the mayor and my city councillor. Mayor Bennett replied that while the Lord’s Prayer is on the agenda, those in present in the council room are invited, not required, to recite the prayer. I replied to the mayor’s message by asking if Peterborough Council’s Procedural Bylaw complies with Ontario’s Court of Appeal decision of 1999. The mayor replied that it does.
While it was difficult for me to see all the councillors because they and the audience were sitting down, it appeared that all the councillors recited the Lord’s Prayer when invited to do so.
In a comment under my first post on this topic, Randy asked, “[D]o they refer to your mayor as ‘Your Worship?’” Yes, Randy they do, and every time a councillor asks a question of a person making a delegation, the councillor says “through your worship to . . . .” As DavidH pointed out, this practise certainly has “religious undertones.”
I remain convinced that reciting Christian prayers in a public meeting is illegal. I have contacted CFI Canada/Ontario for help and advice, and I hope the members of the Atheist Community of Peterborough will get together very soon, so we can address this issue.
Prayer at City Council Meetings
Oct 23rd
Larry Moran at Sandwalk posted on this topic on January 18, 2007 and January 27, 2007. Moran says, “The practice [reciting the Lord's Prayer at city council meetings] was declared illegal following an Ontario Court of Appeals ruling in 1999.” However, the members of the Peterborough City Council have chosen to ignore the ruling. The agenda for October 24 reads
Remembrance Day Observance
The Lord’s Prayer
Thirty Seconds of Silent Reflection
National Anthem
Why the Peterborough City council is observing Remembrance Day more than two weeks before November 11 is not the focus of this post. Reciting The Lord’s Prayer and the thirty seconds of silent reflection are. I intend to attend the October 24 meeting because one of the topics on the agenda is the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s recommendation to close the only downtown public high school in Peterborough. I can’t avoid The Lord’s Prayer and the thirty seconds of silent reflection because the school closing is a hot topic, and the chambers will fill up quickly. I will use the thirty seconds of silent reflection to reflect on why the mayor and the council feel it is necessary to call on the Christian God for help as they perform their secular duty.
Religious Captivity
Sep 13th
As I was slowly making my exit out of my lifelong connection to the Christian faith, one afternoon I remember having coffee with a friend and expressing my frustration over much of the close-mindedness and ignorance I kept encountering in the church. It was all starting to add up for me.
My friend reminded me of a scene in Yann Martel’s novel, The Life of Pi. In the book, the main character’s family were zookeepers, and one of the early chapters challenges the held belief that zoos imprison and deny freedom to the animals kept inside. The character defends the use of cages, saying that there are certain “illusions about freedom” that set people against the captivity of animals, but that having animals behind bars in zoos provides a type of security that they are unable to find in the wild.
After reminding me of this section in the book, my friend then made an analogy to many people in the church — he said, “some animals need their cages,” implying that for some in the church, having the security of bars separating you from the world (particularly metaphorical ones that dogma can supply) is more important than having the freedom to be out in the wild on their own.
Security (read: certitude) — but at such a high cost.
I remember feeling so dumbfounded by his analogy — my friend, someone who I considered intelligent and compassionate, conceded that it was better to let some in the church be kept in captivity than to set them free into the unknown. [Thinking back, I suppose it was a nice way of him telling me to shut up with my challenging questions, and just accept the mental imprisonment of some in the church.]
I thought about this past episode of my life when I read Greta Christina’s latest essay: 9/11 and the Shallow Comfort of Religion. I’ve been a years-long fan of Greta, and I think this may be my favorite essay of hers yet. More >
I’m an atheist because . . .
Aug 28th
The We Are Atheism website asks atheists
“to stand up, speak out, and be counted.”
The people who write for and comment on Canadian Atheist have already demonstrated their willingness to do just that. However, until today, I have not been able to formulate a short but succinct sentence about why I am a vocal atheist. Today, while reading Eric MacDonald’s post “Here We Go Again!” I came across a statement by the Church of England which emphasizes the C of E’s
need to counter attempts to marginalise Christianity and to treat religious faith more generally as a social problem. This is partly about taking on the ‘new atheism’.
Eureka! I found it; I am a vocal atheist because I consider religious faith to be a social problem.
I am not going to make a video to explain to the world why I am an atheist. I don’t know/remember exactly when or why I became an atheist, but I do know when I became a vocal atheist: the day I was willing to use my full name when I commented on atheist websites.
Are you a vocal atheist? Please tell us why.
Oh, hell.
Apr 14th
Oh, I'm *choosing* to burn for all eternity. Good to know.
[we interrupt these political posts for a quick interlude on fire and brimstone]
The latest Thinking Atheist’s podcast is entitled “My family thinks I’m going to hell” — and after reading its title pop up on my iTunes, just like that, I was once again reminded: hey, most of *my family* thinks I’m going to hell.
How should I feel about that?
When the thought doesn’t really count
Mar 18th
What is the world’s best package to find in your mailbox? BOOKS! So when the other day I found a very book-like package waiting for me in my mailbox, of course I was excited. But when I looked at the return address and saw that the books were from my very Southern-Baptist aunt and uncle from Alabama, my excitement quickly turned to trepidation. More >
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