Foreword by Michael Shermer, Ph.D. Contributors include Richard Dawkins, Penn Jillette, and Julia Sweeney. A large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion. In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Parents on both sides of the culture war will find this book a compelling read.”
-Newsweek, July 16, 2007
“…Parenting Beyond Belief provides engaging anecdotes about the challenges of raising children without religion.” Humanist
“Parenting Beyond Belief serves not only as a guide to families who choose not to make that identification, but it also made me feel that those of us who are struggling with these issues are not so alone.”
--PunditMom (blogspot.com)
“The editor, Dale McGowan, a writer, educator, husband and parent of three, has pulled off the difficult task of weaving together diverse parts into a very cohesive whole. It sure helps that most of these parts (the individual essays) are simply terrific! … Parenting Beyond Belief is not only an interesting and enjoyable read, it is also stuffed full with good information and pointers to other sources.”
--John Logsdon, "Sex, Genes, & Evolution" and the Iowa Secularists Newsletter
Book Description
Foreword by Michael Shermer, Ph.D.
Contributors include Richard Dawkins, Penn Jillette, Julia Sweeney, and Dr. Donald B. Ardell
It’s hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion.
In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children.
With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
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More About the Author
Author, editor, and Harvard Humanist of the Year Dale McGowan teaches nonreligious parenting workshops across the U.S. and serves as executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a non-profit putting compassionate humanism to work for a better world. His books PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF and RAISING FREETHINKERS are the first comprehensive resources for nontheistic parents.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
285 of 295 people found the following review helpful
By Eliza
Format:Paperback
This book fills a definite void in parenting literature. It contains a collection of perspectives from people who are dealing with raising children in mixed or nonreligious households. It covers topics like dealing with mixed beliefs, death and consolation, values, holidays, community, and critical thinking. It is not prescriptive in that you won't find a set answer for any topic but rather a variety of viewpoints and shared experiences from those who are dealing with them now or have dealt with them as they were raising their own children. It provides the background and resources to adopt those strategies that you feel are right for you or adapt your own. It has been great for me in thinking about issues and developing ideas with my husband as we are planning to start our family.
263 of 274 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Finally, SOMETHING!
My wife and I are about to bring our first child into the world and were happy when we found a book that discusses ways to deal with the issue of holidays, belief in Santa/Easter Bunny, moral development in children without the threat of eternal punishment, how to tackle the questions kids are bound to ask about life/death, and so much more. Overall, it is a great resource for humanist or atheist parents (or wannabe parents) who wish to raise rational, freethinking children with the skills to make up their own minds as adults.
The essays are from a wide variety of people with viewpoints, backgrounds, and ideas not always similar. It was the contrast of ideas that helped my wife and I form a game plan on how we can raise children who will never stop asking "why?" for the right reasons. Our favorite sections are Does God Exist, which is written in a wonderfully and easy to understand conversational style by Stephen Law, and Dealing with Death in a Secular family by Kendyl Gibbons. Although the piece that I'm sure we'll go back to over and over is the list famous freethinkers. Ahhh resources, magnificent, beautiful resources...
My only complaint, and it is to be unavoidable, is that this book didn't come sooner. It was my hope to find a solid community to immediately fall into, but it was not meant to be. And even though there are over 20 million of us in the US, it IS hard to rally secular people around that single ideal. So I send my heartfelt thanks to Dale McGowan for helping to foster our community.
Read the book, raise intelligent, freethinking children, and the next generation will not have to work so hard to find a common identity.
Edit: I also wish that more of the books suggested were still in print.
My wife and I are about to bring our first child into the world and were happy when we found a book that discusses ways to deal with the issue of holidays, belief in Santa/Easter Bunny, moral development in children without the threat of eternal punishment, how to tackle the questions kids are bound to ask about life/death, and so much more. Overall, it is a great resource for humanist or atheist parents (or wannabe parents) who wish to raise rational, freethinking children with the skills to make up their own minds as adults.
The essays are from a wide variety of people with viewpoints, backgrounds, and ideas not always similar. It was the contrast of ideas that helped my wife and I form a game plan on how we can raise children who will never stop asking "why?" for the right reasons. Our favorite sections are Does God Exist, which is written in a wonderfully and easy to understand conversational style by Stephen Law, and Dealing with Death in a Secular family by Kendyl Gibbons. Although the piece that I'm sure we'll go back to over and over is the list famous freethinkers. Ahhh resources, magnificent, beautiful resources...
My only complaint, and it is to be unavoidable, is that this book didn't come sooner. It was my hope to find a solid community to immediately fall into, but it was not meant to be. And even though there are over 20 million of us in the US, it IS hard to rally secular people around that single ideal. So I send my heartfelt thanks to Dale McGowan for helping to foster our community.
Read the book, raise intelligent, freethinking children, and the next generation will not have to work so hard to find a common identity.
Edit: I also wish that more of the books suggested were still in print.
175 of 181 people found the following review helpful
By Kelly W.
Format:Paperback
I had been waiting for this book for a long time. As a secular parent, it is always nice to read about other parents in the same situation and the various stumbling blocks we may run into. The collection of essays in this book outline most of those-religion and education, fostering a respect for religious people, the Santa question, teaching children to stand up for their beliefs, etc. The group of writers in the book focus on the many different viewpoints of secular parents. It isn't preachy in any way, and offers valuable insight into the big tent of secular belief. I highly recommend this for all secular parents, or anyone who follows a philosophy outside the mainstream.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Different Look On Parenting
I think when it comes down to it, this book is simply about good parenting. Yes, the book is arguing that parenting can be just as effective without the likes of religion, but it... Read more
Published 1 month ago by The Prof.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really loving this book
Written from a variety of viewpoints and touching upon and exploring a variety of concerns that come up in raising a child to desire discovering their own answers rather than... Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Harmon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the different perspectives
This book is great on giving me ideas on how to raise our children in a humanist household, especially since we live in a very religious place. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Pauline
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Collection
I loved this guide for parenting without religion. I didn't even know Unitarian Universalists worked the way they do. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kit Fry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
There aren't too many books on being a good parent without religion. This book is not The Bible on Parenting. It simply gives you ideas & a way of looking at things. Read more
Published 3 months ago by W. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what I was wanting
This book was just what I was wanting. I was raised in a faith-based home, and as an adult atheist I was lacking a roadmap for raising my children without that carrot and stick... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jennifer Erwin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Such a boost!
We have been raising our children without religion and it was very helpful to hear other families that are doing the same thing. Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Herrera
5.0 out of 5 stars
wanting more freethinking citizens in the coming generations
After greatly enjoying books like Richard Dawkin's God Delusion, Carl Sagan's Demon-Haunted World, Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution is True, it comes as no surprise that I would... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Arun Mahendrakar
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank You
I am very grateful for finding this book. I understood in my head and in my heart the way I was aiming to raise my son, but I don't think I realized how many others were trying to... Read more
Published 13 months ago by E113
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book!
As a "reformed Catholic," I find this book very helpful in dealing with so many issues...holidays, death, relationships, values, "being good," etc. Read more
Published 13 months ago by MPH
