Religion
Related: About this forumAtheist parents take on Christian ‘Good News Club’ with ‘Better News Club’
By Kimberly Winston | Religion News Service
January 8 at 1:43 PM
A group of atheists in Rochester, N.Y., has bad news for the Good News Club, a Christian after-school club for children.
The group, consisting of atheists, humanists and skeptics, announced its own after-school program: a Young Skeptics club featuring science, logic and learning activities.
Young Skeptics is being sponsored by a volunteer-led group calling itself The Better News Club. Its members come from the Atheist Community of Rochester the same group whose leader offered the first atheist invocation before a town meeting in Greece, N.Y., after the Supreme Court ruled in May that public meetings could begin with sectarian prayers.
Both clubs are based at Fairbanks Road Elementary School in Churchville, N.Y.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/atheist-parents-take-on-christian-good-news-club-with-better-news-club/2015/01/08/3487b884-9766-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html
http://www.atheistcommunityofrochester.org/
Response to rug (Original post)
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cbayer
(146,218 posts)gravitate to alternative programs that aren't religiously based when they are offered them?
Or is that just your belief.
Response to cbayer (Reply #3)
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cbayer
(146,218 posts)the burden is on you to provide the data.
If there is tons of it, it shouldn't be hard for you to find.
Try the google.
Response to cbayer (Reply #10)
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cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)Post all you like, you'll get better conversation by ignoring her responses, which are always the same.
Response to cleanhippie (Reply #16)
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uppityperson
(115,677 posts)cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)are based on your beliefs, you can expect to be challenged, right? You are voicing support for a club which is going to have as it's emphasis critical thinking and evaluation and steer away from emotion based beliefs without basis in fact.
If you support that, then you should recognize it here. When you are challenged, that's not a circle jerk.
rug
(82,333 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)And apparently being embraced rapidly by those who are so blinded by shiny objects that their judgement gets all befuddled.
And in such a short time.
rug
(82,333 posts)It seems a word, and a term, that would be alien to them unless someone taught them.
Response to rug (Reply #8)
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rug
(82,333 posts)Response to rug (Reply #12)
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rug
(82,333 posts)Response to rug (Reply #15)
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rug
(82,333 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)It's aimed at a group that is not their demographic.
And why would the new group call themselves "better". They aren't better and that can do nothing but provoke others.
It's really a shame that two groups working with kids in different ways are being set up to be adversarial. If that weren't the case, their might be lots of parents who would want to enroll their kids in both programs.
But I doubt that's going to be an option. The lines have apparently been drawn.
rug
(82,333 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)Maybe they could name it after the Saint Claus? Everyone should be ok with that.
Response to cbayer (Reply #2)
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cbayer
(146,218 posts)Just read the mission statement.
The statement you make about "rational thought" when it come to children is very vague and I think you would be very hard pressed to find a scintilla of evidence that it is true.
Good is an adjective that does not require a comparison. Better clearly does, and they are clearly saying that they are better than the good club.
Oh, but the "better" club says it's not at all about atheism, but about science and stuff. Are you saying it's about atheism? And then going on to claim it's not proselytizing? You can't have it both ways.
Look, I'm not a fan of the good news clubs. I think they are essentially bad and should not be held in schools. There are many, many issues with them that I take exception to, but I don't think taking this adversarial approach is very effective.
The parents that want an alternative should put up an alternative and get kids to come on the programs merits.
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)The problem is, those who believe are not likely to feel kindly about those who make not believing the goal.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Unfortunate that this is some kind of competition, as opposed to just different opportunities.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)MADem
(135,425 posts)The "best" news in that club will be the rule that no one discusses religion or lack of same in the damn club, and they do what little kids LIKE to do after school--play video games, get into mischief, and eat sweet or salty snacks! A little exercise would be nice, too...but no religion! Or religion - hating!!!!!!
So there~!!!
shenmue
(38,506 posts)edhopper
(33,587 posts)reading this thread with "name removed" deleted.
About the OP, teaching critical thinking is something all children could benefit from. I wish them luck.
pinto
(106,886 posts)Seems unfair to the elementary school kids for parents to set up obviously "competing" after school groups. The kids spend the whole school day together. Why stick them in the middle of an intentionally competitive stand off among differing parental groups.