Teaching Reason (to Children)

[thesummerqueen]

Fuck that book. And fuck its author too. Abuse glorifying witch.

[Magnum]

Take the fun out of superstitions. Expose the tooth fairy etc.

You have some good suggestions, but I was kinda "eh" on this one. I'll help my child understand that they're just superstitions, but I won't take the fun out of them.

For instance, I will help my daughter understand that at our house during Christmas, Santa is just pretend. Daddy is the tooth fairy because I'm the one putting the money under her pillow at night.

I think tradition can be fun, and I wouldn't want her to feel excluded from the rest of her society. I want to find ways to integrate her into society while still being able to express herself and rationalize the world better.

Take the fun out of superstitions. I did not say take the fun away. In fact, there can be more fun without superstitions. It makes the brain grow faster as well.

[Bad Writer]

K, I see what you're saying.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Don't you know it's all or nothing, Sparty? NO SHADES OF GREY ALLOWED! A person is either all rational or all irrational!

And it's funny becuase Kool-aid believes he is one and not the other.

[thesummerqueen]

Don't you know it's all or nothing, Sparty? NO SHADES OF GREY ALLOWED! A person is either all rational or all irrational!

And it's funny becuase Kool-aid believes he is one and not the other.

Most crazy people do.

[Koolay]

I do think there is an irrationality about Spiritualism. But I don't think believing in a deity, Santa Claus, or poltergeists makes a person irrational, as you seem to imply that it does.

Well, the only way you can judge someone is by their behaviour. If you are not judging someone by the merits of their actions and choices, what are you judging them by?

Some of the most renowned scientists are Christians, and these are VERY rational men and women.

You can be an expert in a field, but not be completely logical. If I understand 2+2=4, but I think 3+1=5, then clearly I am obviously not getting a certain principle or purposefully avoiding the answer.

If a scientist can be religious, then that person either doesen't get the principle of reason and evidence, which is highly unlikely. Or that person is purposely making up answers to maintain their anxiety about something.

If someone can not apply reason and evidence to the basics, to the point were they believe in God, then that person clearly is not getting something fundamental.

[thesummerqueen]

Well, the only way you can judge someone is by their behaviour. If you are not judging someone by the merits of their actions and choices, what are you judging them by?

You are judging someone else's wife by her beliefs without knowing her actions. We call that "thought crime."

You can be an expert in a field, but not be completely logical.

Absolutely you can. Doesn't make you any less an expert.

If a scientist can be religious, then that person either doesen't get the principle of reason and evidence, which is highly unlikely. Or that person is purposely making up answers to maintain their anxiety about something.

Probably very true, but that doesn't make them entirely illogical.

If someone can not apply reason and evidence to the basics, to the point were they believe in God, then that person clearly is not getting something fundamental.

Only in your black-and-white sort of world, which probably exists in your mother's basement. Go troll about someone else's wife, jackass.

[Bad Writer]

NO SHADES OF GREY ALLOWED! A person is either all rational or all irrational!

This, Koolay. This is you. We have nothing more to discuss.

[Fruity]

I'm late to this thread. Still, I want to share my experience as a mother. I have a seven year old and a one year old. This is regarding my oldest.

I'm raising my children to be free thinkers. There is nothing wrong with that and it's not brain washing. I'm simply saying if you're going to accept something, first you have to question it, study, research, investigate, and play with it.

My mother in law makes him pray before sleeping when he spends the night. She says he asked her (when he was six), "Why do I have to pray to the air?"
She said, "You're praying to God up in heaven."
He said, "No, it's the air. Nobody is listening and I can't hear anybody. All I see is air." He waved his arms around. He questioned it and tested it.

Later that week he said (after he lost his ipad and found it again)," Thank God that I found my ipad!"
I forgot to control myself and blurted out, "Why thank god? Your dad helped you find it."
He said, "Mom, you said I could believe anything I want."
I reminded him, "Yes, but I said you need to know why you believe in it. You need to have a good reason. You need to study it."
He said, "But, mom! If God doesn't exist, then where did we come from? You said we come from one mom and another mom and another mom and then there were other people that looked different. But, mom. Where did the first person ever come from? Where did the world come from?"
He's six when he said this. Granted if good ol' jstrodel asked this I would smack my face with a dildo in desperation that people assume that everything they don't understand means God did it. But my son was in kindergarten when he was asking questions, countering a position in an argument, and thinking. I was proud.

So, now he's seven. He lost a tooth a few weeks back and put his tooth under his pillow. My husband waited until he was asleep and put a five dollar bill under his pillow. Why the heck would I want to teach him to be skeptical, but allow this? Because he won't be put in risk of believing this forever and I have to pick my battles. So he wakes up and jumps up and down with his money. When his cousin is visiting he shares his story," Hey! Guess what! I lost a tooth! I put it under my pillow and when I woke up there was money there!"
Kid says, "The tooth fairy!"
My son drifts off. I thought he forgot about it and then I heard him saying, "Hey, dude. I think it was my mom. If a fairy was real she could make her own teeth. She wouldn't need mine." He had this look in his face with a smile that read, "Damn, I'm smart." And he is. I'm one proud momma.

[thesummerqueen]

You and Neil deGrasse Tyson have the best tooth fairy stories. :-)