Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion [Paperback]

Dale McGowan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2007

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.

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (April 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814474268
• ISBN-13: 978-0814474266
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Reference

More About the Author

DALE MCGOWAN left a 15-year career as a college professor in 2006 to pursue writing full-time. Reviewers called his satirical novel CALLING BERNADETTE'S BLUFF "an undoubted triumph of satire" and "a riot." In addition to editing and co-authoring PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF ("irresistible...a compelling read" -- Newsweek), Dale co-authored RAISING FREETHINKERS, released in January 2009. He writes the secular parenting blog THE MEMING OF LIFE as well as parenting columns for Humanist Network News, and edits the Humanist Parenting website for the Institute for Humanist Studies in Albany, New York. In December 2008 he was named Harvard Humanist of the Year.

Dale holds degrees in physical anthropology and music theory from UC Berkeley as well as a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Minnesota. He and his wife Becca live with their three children near Atlanta, Georgia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

276 of 285 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Happy To Have Found This Book, July 12, 2007

By 

Eliza (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion (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.

255 of 263 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, thank you, thank you!, April 20, 2007

By 

Brian Hamilton "brianhamilton.com" (Anderson, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion (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.

171 of 176 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful resource!, April 17, 2007

By 

Kelly W. (Cincinnati, Oh United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion (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.