This recent article in Time magazine made me so mad and frustrated. A part of me just kept thinking “This can’t really be happening – obviously this judge is insane and it will be struck down at the New Jersey Supreme Court.” I’m hoping that’s what will happen but I’m not convinced.
This is an argument I have heard from believers before, “How could you not allow your children the privilege of religion in their lives?” I usually have two responses to this type of question:
1. The Outloud Response: Well, parents choose religion for their children all the time. Christians raise Christians, Muslims raise Muslims and atheists tend to raise atheists. And while I could argue that in principle they are the same, I think raising a secular child is even less offensive. Indoctrinating a child to believe one story over another versus teaching them to think critically and evaluate each “story” they come across. While it’s true that religion won’t receive much intellectual respect in our household it will be discussed openly with each religion being equally treated. I will not simply teach my kid to listen to me and trust me and believe in something. I want her to learn how to weigh evidence, critically evaluate things and think rationally. These are skills she will need throughout her life and if she applies them to religion, she will come to her own conclusions.
2. The Inside Voice: Well, I plan on keeping her from the “privilege” of experiencing addiction, abuse and pain so why not religion?
The recent article is dated Monday, Dec. 07, 1970.
I was mad at it at first too. Then I saw the date. Still mad, but less so.
Thanks – yes, I realize now that it was printed over thirty years ago. I have looked for a follow up and can’t find anything. It’s sort of weird that it would suddenly appear from the archives – wonder what happened? Anyway, I’m not entirely convinced that this couldn’t happen today but I could be wrong.
I was in complete disbelief that this was possible even 40 years ago…I went looking for follow up as well. It looks like the decision was overturned on appeal…
http://www.americanadoptions.com/adoption/article_view/article_id/2435?pg=1
That article seem to have resurfaced within a couple threads on a couple atheist blogs. I stumbled upon it myself yesterday. I’m not sure whether it is the source, but I found it there: http://wp.me/ppp0a-gh
It was quite an odd thing I ended up on it, since moments earlier I was writing a comment on another making a point about atheists being able to marry freely vs. gays being denied it.
That said, I’m not entirely convinced myself this could happen today. Yet, as we know, stranger things have happened, huh? :)
oops… I meant […] comment on another BLOG but I must have butchered the code to insert the link.
I hate computers. They hate me back. Fair enough, I guess.
Here’s the link anyway: http://msccc.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/defense-of-marriage-act-under-fire/#comment-98
It’s so funny (well, and sad) to think about how that term “atheist” sends shivers down some people’s spines. I find it so … innocuous. But even I remember it first being defined for me by my religious-but-reasonably-able-to-chill-the-f-out parents as “someone who doesn’t believe in god.” A very simple answer – but I remember being five or so and asking them what it was because the person who had used the word was in a frenzy, foaming at the mouth. I honestly think it’ s a more loaded and scary word for many people here in the U.S. than “terrorist” – which is frighteningly loaded these days. (I sometimes shorten it to “the T-word” to try to shake people out of their zombie-like stupor about it.)
My point (and I do have one) is: thinking about the Scary Atheist Threat of the 1970s reminds me of All in the Family. I watched it even before I could understand it because my parents loved it and now that I’ve grown up to be like Mike (and a little bit like Gloria) I think we should all watch it again on DVD.