What I’m Reading: Articles on Atheists; CP, Comedy, and Oprah; and Teaching Kids to Play

Last updated on: April 7, 2011 at 5:08 pm by Amy Julia Becker

What I’m Reading: Articles on Atheists; CP, Comedy, and Oprah; and Teaching Kids to Play 2011-04-07T17:08:17-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My husband, a Christian, volunteered to be the faculty sponsor of the atheist club on his school campus. Although he believes that Christianity is true (not just true-for-me but true with a capital T), he also believes that everyone has the right to express ideas and to think through their implications. The atheist club didn’t get very far, whether due to his leadership or something else, I don’t know. But I was reminded of it when I read in the New York Times, Atheists Speak Up at Bible Belt School. I was particularly drawn to the detail that leaders of the Christian club and the atheist club regularly got together as friends to talk about their respective beliefs. I’d much rather teenagers (for that matter, adults too) respectfully argue about what they believe than not believe anything with enough passion to talk about it.

According to the New York Times, a man with cerebral palsy has just won a comedy TV show on Oprah’s new network: A Comedic TV Talent Turns the Tables on Oprah. That he has CP is rather beside the point as it seems he’s really funny. And yet the fact that CP is not the emphasis of the show or the reason he was hired speaks to the need for people with disabilities to be in the public eye not as “people with disabilities” but as people. In this case, a funny, talented person.

The New York Times called it Hard Times for Recess, and the Atlantic Leave Those Kids Alone. But the bottom line is that schools have less time for recess, partially due to budget cuts but also because kids are so over-programmed by the adults in their lives that they don’t know how to play anymore. Yikes. Makes me nostalgic for my own childhood of running around the block with friends, largely unsupervised by our parents. And makes me question how to let my kids be kids and figure out how to play all by themselves.

Previous Post

April 7, 2011

In Memory of Francis or Outgrowing Their Clothes

Next Post

April 8, 2011 Creation and Evolution: What Must Christians Believe?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz