tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134483742024-02-20T09:47:06.985-06:00Martian AnthropologistA Martian Anthropologist is an outside observer of conditions on Earth. He posits questions that Earth people sometimes don't think to ask.Martian Anthropologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385484801520816010noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13448374.post-70672369574183953822010-09-20T17:21:00.003-05:002010-09-20T17:22:12.640-05:00This blog has moved! TO...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Please visit my blog at its new location:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.MartianAnthropologist.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>www.MartianAnthropologist.com</b></span></a><br />
<br />Martian Anthropologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385484801520816010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13448374.post-54711267494507135982010-07-03T17:52:00.001-05:002010-07-03T17:57:51.219-05:00A Summer Camp For Atheist And Agnostic KidsBeing an atheist parent can be tough in America. One reason is that
atheist parents are concerned with teaching their children to think for
themselves, and christian parents... well, aren't. If the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Camp">Jesus Camp</a> movie
scared the hell out of you (pun intended), cheer up: Now there's a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-06-30-no-religion-camp_N.htm">summer
camp for atheist and agnostic kids</a>:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Most of the time, the kids do normal camp stuff such as
hike, compete in relay races, sit around campfires. But the overarching
philosophy is that life without religion is a perfectly healthy, viable
option.</blockquote>
<br />
Really? You mean you don't have to scare your kids into believing that
if they misbehave or don't accept Jeebus, they're going to burn in hell
for eternity? That <i>does </i>sound like a healthy option!<br />
<br />
And no, it's not simply a place to bash christianity. They focus on
freethinking.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Katie Hladky, an atheist pursuing a doctorate in American
religious history, teaches daily lessons about world religions and their
belief systems. Hladky won't bad-mouth faith or tell the kids what to
think, she said.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<br /></blockquote>
<blockquote>
"I feel really strongly these kids shouldn't be
indoctrinated," she said. Many of the campers, who range in age from 8
to 17, "don't know what they are" yet when it comes to beliefs. But
Hladky doesn't shy away from controversial discussions. When talking
about Islam, she told the campers about the debate in France about
whether women are oppressed by wearing burqas or whether it should be
their personal choice. She detailed the diverse views within
Christianity on homosexuality.</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
Still, a little humor is a good thing:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Despite the emphasis on open-mindedness, poking fun at faith
isn't forbidden. Each day, the kids split into teams for competitions
such as the human-knot race, where teams form a circle and grab hands at
random in a tangle. They race up and down a field, then have to unwind
the knot without releasing hands. The team names included the Flaming
Messiahs, a nod to the incinerated "Touchdown Jesus" sculpture north of
Cincinnati struck by lightning last week, and the Dinosaur Jesus Riders,
whose cheer goes like this: "Yeehaw, ride that Jesus!"</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
Yeehaw, indeed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-06-30-no-religion-camp_N.htm">Read
the entire article here</a> at USA Today. And remember to <a href="http://twitter.com/johnjones42">follow <i>The Martian Anthropologist</i> on Twitter</a>!Martian Anthropologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07385484801520816010noreply@blogger.com1