September 21 — Dale McGowan explains whether you can raise your kids to be ethical beings without religion
Think it’s easy raising children without religion? Try explaining basic things such as mixed beliefs, death and consolation, values, holidays, community, and critical thinking.
When: Sunday, September 21, 2:00 pm
Where: UPUI Student Center CE Room A (4th floor), 420 University Boulevard, Indianapolis.
Part of CENTER FOR INQUIRY INDIANA, FALL SPEAKER SERIES 2008. Presented by Center for Inquiry Indiana in partnership with IUPUI Freethinkers
Admission charge: $10.00 per person/$15 per family; Friends of the Center free (show membership card); Students free (show valid student ID). A reception will be held after the program at Center for Inquiry Indiana, 350 Canal Walk Suite A, Indianapolis. Reservations for the reception must be made a week in advance of each program with a payment of $10.00 for each person/ $5.00 for children 5-12/ younger children free. There will be enough food for a light evening meal.
From the Center for Inquiry Indiana’s blurb:
DALE MCGOWAN is an author, editor, and critical thinking advocate in Atlanta. A former conductor and professor of music, he holds degrees in physical anthropology and in music from UC Berkeley, UCLA, Cal State Northridge, and the University of Minnesota. He and his wife, Becca, have three ethical, caring kids. His latest book is, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion. Check out his blog at http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/blog/
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
Many of the serious interfaith discussions of education and childrearing in Central Indiana emphasize whether and how to treat all faiths with equal respect. The issue of the un-faithed are often left out of these discussions, which is a mistake.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
You might understand the intensity of McGowan’s concerns if you’d attended the Center for Inquiry Indiana talk by former Christian pastor John Loftus on why he became an atheist September 14. For many, there is a belief that religious faith can be positively wicked. A question for McGowan might be how to raise religiously literate children without God … this is the concern of Stephen Prothero, author of the bestseller Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — And Doesn’t, who’ll be speaking November 14 (attend a pre-discussion of “Religious literacy” November 10). Another question might be how to teach Bible stories, with at least some of their their values, without God. For this, attend the Bible Storytelling Tent October 11.
And for your listening pleasure …
