Dale McGowan esplora l'intersezione tra secolarismo e vita familiare, concentrandosi sull'educazione di bambini etici e premurosi senza dogmi religiosi. La sua scrittura offre una guida ponderata per i genitori non religiosi, enfatizzando lo sviluppo del pensiero critico e del ragionamento morale. Il lavoro di McGowan è caratterizzato dal suo approccio compassionevole, volto a costruire una comunità e fornire strategie pratiche per le famiglie secolari. Approfondisce le complessità delle relazioni a credenza mista, cercando percorsi verso matrimoni solidi e famiglie amorevoli attraverso diverse visioni del mondo.
Three days have passed since the fire that reduced the College of St. Bernadette to ashes. Everyone with useful skills is up and gone. The rest are wandering in a fog, trying to make sense of the death of their beloved Father Scott the same night. Right before his national televangelical debut he goes skydiving, what sense does that even make, and embeds himself in the Minnesota prairie, just outside the town of Good Thunder, a perfectly good parachute still strapped to his back. But when his casket arrives at the mortuary, it's clear that something has been lost...and found.
The easy way to understand atheism and secular philosophy For people seeking a
non-religious philosophy of life, as well as believers with atheist friends,
Atheism For Dummies offers an intelligent exploration of the historical and
moral case for atheism.
Interfaith marriages fail more often than same-faith partnerships. So what are the chances of survival for the ultimate mixed marriage--one between religious and nonreligious partners? Nearly 20 percent of Americans now self-identify as nonreligious, including millions who are married to religious believers. Despite the differences, many of these marriages succeed beautifully. In this landmark book, popular author and secular humanist Dale McGowan explores some of the stories of these unions, whose very endurance flies in the face of conventional wisdom, including his own marriage to a believing Christian--a loving partnership that remains strong after three kids and 22 years. Drawing on sociology, psychology, and real-life experience, he shares: ● Negotiation tips that set the stage for harmonious relationships ● Strategies for dealing with pressure from extended family ● Profiles of families who have successfully blended different world views ● Insights for helping kids make their own choices about religious identity ● Advice for handling holidays, churchgoing, baptism, circumcision, religious literacy, and more The first book of its kind, In Faith and In Doubt helps partners navigate the complexities of their situation while celebrating the extraordinary richness it affords their relationship, their children, and those around them.
There's only one real taboo left in 21st Century America, and Jack Kassel's got it bad. He doesn't believe in God. And even that might be all right if he didn't teach at the College of Saint Bernadette, but he does. Nothing is more important to Jack than the triumph of truth over comforting fantasies. But St. Bernie's is the land of created realities, where critical thoughts go to die.When his oldest partner in disbelief shows up as the campus priest, Jack edges nearer the abyss, finally plunging over when his ex-wife enrolls their brilliant young son in a Lutheran school and the boy starts quoting Scripture in response to Jack's questions.Back against the wall, Jack starts to come out as a nonbeliever at what turns out to be the worst possible time -- as a vision of the Virgin Mary turns the college into a holy pilgrimage site.
Religions are a natural outgrowth of the intuitive ways of knowing that evolved with human culture. Though many people continue to find value in religious identity and community, intuitive knowledge has been eclipsed by a more effective way of knowing--the scientific way. A better way of relating religion to politics called secularism is gradually replacing theocracy. Once you understand and accept the scientific way of knowing and this preferred relationship of church and state, you become agnostic and secular--even if you continue to identify with and participate in religion. As Jeff T. Haley and Dale McGowan argue in this volume, this isn't some abstract dream--it's happening right now. Religions are in a continuous state of evolution, changing beliefs, values, and practices over time. All religions, including Christianity and Islam, can evolve to accept the scientific way of knowing and secularism, becoming agnostic and even atheistic without losing their essential value. Haley and McGowan explain how you can help this natural process, sharing reality with your friends and family in a way that encourages religions to embrace the best of humanity's knowledge and values.
