| Advocating progressive values and equality for humanists, atheists, and freethinkers |
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| Advocating progressive values and equality for humanists, atheists, and freethinkers |
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The Center for Naturalism is devoted to increasing public awareness of naturalism and its implications for social and personal well-being. Through local activities, publications, research, conferences, educational programs, and policy development, the Center seeks to foster the understanding that human beings and their behavior are fully caused, entirely natural phenomena, and that human flourishing is best achieved in the light of such understanding. For additional details, see: www.centerfornaturalism.org/
One of the most significant aspects of their work is the development of the “Youth Curriculum on Naturalism.” The site, while still under development, includes two very valuable lessons. Both begin with thought-provoking background information and discussion questions. For example, in Lesson 1: Cause, Effect, and Connection, the questions include: Do you think we’ll ever understand the world and where it comes from? Does god exist? What is god? If god exists, where does he come from? f god doesn’t exist, where did everything come from? What’s a cause? What’s an effect? What sorts of things do you cause to happen? What are some things that cause you? What are some things are you connected to by causality?
In Lesson 2: Science and the Self, the questions include: Why are we so curious, anyway? What is science? Where did the world come from? Where does god come from? Where do I come from? What caused me to exist? Who am I? What am I? What makes me me and you you?
An extensive list of other topics and values to be covered in the curriculum include: compassion, critical thinking, evolution, fairness, logic, mind and body, pain and pleasure, right and wrong, self—personal identity, skepticism and questioning dogmatic authority, and a number of others. This is a resource cite not to be missed.
The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth (2003) completes the quartet that includes The Winter Solstice (1994), The Autumn Equinox: Celebrating the Harvest (2000), and The Summer Solstice (2001). Each of these books describes the events and how they have been celebrated by various culture. They are published by Milbrook Press in Brookfield, Connecticut.
See also The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer. New York, NY:
Dutton Juvenile. 2003) and A Solstice Tree for Jenny by Karen Shragg. Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books. 2001. Jenny's secular parents explain their beliefs.
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