Over nine million parents in the U.S. are raising children without theistic religion. The PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF SEMINAR, a unique half-day workshop with author and educator Dale McGowan, offers encouragement and practical solutions for secular parenting in a religious world.
Based on the freethinking philosophy of the book Newsweek called "a compelling read," the PARENTING BEYOND BELIEF SEMINAR is empowering secular parents across the country to raise ethical, caring, confident kids without religion. Participants will learn effective ways to:
Encourage religious literacy without indoctrination; Help kids interact productively with a religious world; Help kids develop active moral reasoning; Weigh church-state issues in the public sphere; Address sensitive issues with religious relatives using the principles of nonviolent communication; Help children develop a healthy understanding of death and a joyful love of life; Build a family atmosphere of fearless questioning and boundless wonder; ...and much more.

I was fortunate enough to attend this presentation a few weeks ago at the beautiful Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. I was very excited as the topic is on that is important to me, but also thought perhaps it would be an opportunity for me to meet some like minded parents and make some connections. While the speaker was excellent and the presentation empowering, it wasn't the time or place for the connections I was hoping for. The audience was mostly members of the Brooklyn Society and as intelligent and kind as they were, without a car, Brooklyn is too far away to make connections work.

I did come away with a renewed sense of the need for a community. Years ago, when I lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I belonged to the New York Society for Ethical Culture and enjoyed that very much. I attended the Sunday morning meetings with some regularity -- which was easy as I lived less than 10 blocks away. I moved to Queens, and later to Jersey City, the idea of getting up and into Manhattan by 10:30 on a Sunday was just too much and I fell out of the habit.

I'm thinking its a habit I need to get back into. We are certainly up early enough to get there. They have a Sunday School that Adam will be eligible for at age 4, so that gives me a little time to get my act togther. I got really excited when I read the description of the Sunday School Program:

Sunday School: An Exploration of Ethics for Children
As a parent, you may find yourself uncomfortable with a traditional religious upbringing, yet recognize a need for your children to develop a moral/ethical "compass." In our Sunday class, we focus on the values that humanity has always held high. Each week, children explore these values and celebrate the joys of life through discourse, song, story and deed.
The Goals of the Sunday School Program are:

To explore values such as integrity, honesty, responsibility, courage and commitment.
To affirm the value and uniqueness of each individual.
To promote knowledge and celebration of the diversity among people.
To inspire social responsibility towards individuals, groups and our environment.To develop a child's identity as part of a community.
To learn about those ethical teachings which are common to the world's religion.

Our prime concern is development of the moral reasoning process, something our children can use in myriad ways every day. Through stories, service projects, and art activities, we encourage the exploration of ideas and issues in a safe, inclusive environment. We also encourage FUN!

I think it will be good for both of us!