I was just invited to teach a Sunday School class about Atheism

[Taverner]

Granted this is a UU Church (the only church I will step into by my on volition)

What should I talk about?

Atheism obviously - but these are going to be middle schoolers, so talking about Bertrand Russell, Epicurius, Ayn Rand, Friedrich Nietzsche and other famous Atheists might be out.

So I'm thinking of making the center of my presentation Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot." It's not an Atheist piece, per se. But it is why I am an Atheist.

[Parche]

1. teach them how the bible is just a fantasy book

and should never be taken literally....:hi:

[Taverner]

2. I think, being Unitarians, they already know that

:)

[amdezurik]

4. more like folklore

with nuggets of truth buried in it, but mostly older stories modified and altered to reflect the story that was being told.

[cdb]

3. Plenty of material out there

my fave is God is Imaginary:

http://godisimaginary.com/

You could resent the 50 simple proofs -- or just the first 25, even...

[Ian David]

5. Don't bore the kids with names, dates and history.

Tell your personal story and share your thoughts and the thoughts of people like Carl Sagan.

Just don't show them the clip of Richard Dawkins fucking Mrs. Garison on South Park.

[ORDagnabbit]

6. how bout watch parts of this movie then open it for discussion?

http://www.thegodmovie.com/


The superb commentary tracks on this DVD are not the usual "making of" chat but instead consist of original material that director Brian Flemming crafted to deepen the experience of The God Who Wasn't There. The two separate tracks are:

* "The Atheists." This lively track features evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion). Topics discussed by this towering atheist figure range from the horrors committed in the name of God to the power of science to combat "religion and all other forms of superstition." Relevant audio from other interviewees is also woven into this timely and candid examination of irrational beliefs.

[YOY]

7. Teach the difference between Agnosticism and Atheism for starts.

Teach them the fact that non-believers are perhaps the most hated minority in the US and reason why this is so.

My reasoning is that organized religion doesn't like people who don't like to give them money.

[GodlessBiker]

8. Talk about diversity of belief. How there are so many different religious schools of thought...

that it becomes difficult to determine which is correct. And that many people have decided that they all miss the mark.

Talk about how religion once thought that God made earthquakes and thunderstorms, but that science has figured that out now. And as the ages progressed, more and more of what was thought to be in god's realm, actually was able to be figured out by science.

This is a great opportunity. Good luck!

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

9. Sounds cool.

I used to teach Sunday school to kids that age. I remember they a lot of them don't deal with abstraction very well. When I had to explain atheism to them, I told them that some people that the universe could be fully explained and understood through science and that they thought the idea of a god was an explanation earlier peoples used to explain why things happened (sort of like Classical mythology). Another time I said that some people look at the idea of a perfect, all-powerful god and compare it to our imperfect world and come to the conclusion that a truly good, all-powerful god wouldn't allow suffering/evil/illness/bad credit to occur. Therefore the idea of this god seemed to be flawed and thus rejected (both Theodicean and Buddha came to that conclusion).

Good luck. I hope that helps a little.

[stopbush]

10. It's amazing how many kids at my son's HS are openly atheists.

I have high hopes for his generation. They seem interested in dealing with reality, not fantasy. They get their fantasy through video games and movies, not through politicized mind-controlling activities like religion.

Middle school kids are another story. Many of them hold to the myths that their parents foist upon them. Still, my 11-year-old daughter doesn't seem to have problems at school with her open lack of belief. She just tells her friends that god is like Santa - imaginary.

You may be surprised by your audience. They could be very sympathetic. Don't talk down to them and you'll be fine.

[dmallind]

11. Oh you can make atheism fascinating even to kids

At that age they probably still remember - no doubt with some embaraassment - believing in Santa. You could explain the paralles and why the same critical thinking skills can apply not just to mythical beings but to any claims.

You can mention that three of the top 5 philanthropists in the world - people they have probably (almost definitely in the case of Bill Gates) heard of - are nonbelievers who manage to be able to find great charity in their hearts without doing so to brown-nose a god or get eternal rewards. That's a frequent canard they will have heard and may have internalized a bit even in UU circles.

Then there's the no atheists in foxholes challenge - a couple of tales of bravery under fire by nonbelievers might help.

You can list some founding fathers quotes that demonstrate Deism and irreligiosity if not outright atheism (but including that), mention some famous atheists in American history including some surprising ones like Edison, then finish with celbrities of today like Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves, Matt Groening (his name may escape them but they'll know his work for sure!)

A quick summary of the parallels between religions might remind them that there is no special religion that deserves more UNEARNED respect than any other. Typically for a US audience it's Christianity that is still seen as somehow special and original even when it is neither, and even by nonbelieving audiences. Without being a technical lecturer a quick "spot the god" interaction quiz may warm them up - something like "Who was born of a virgin on the Winter Solstice" "Which son of a god was crucified?" and so on.

[zbdent]

12. I would at least explain about how some of the cherished aspects of Christian holidays

are actually derived from the "pagan" rituals ...

a rabbit delivering eggs ...

decorating a tree in December ...

just to name two ...

Come to think of it, I always point out we have the transcript of what was said between God and Adam, before the invention of a stenographer, or written language ... and yet, one of the holiest days of the Christian religion depends on the phase of the Moon, since we don't actually have a DATE in which the savior was executed ... all those details jotted down about what was said and done when he was executed, and yet nobody thought to jot down what day it was ... other than it was a Friday ... (not exactly a good Friday for the savior, by the way ...)

[TygrBright]

13. That's a great start. You might also teach them a little about differentiating atheists from...

...anti-theists, and agnostics.

Agnostics they probably already know pretty well, though, being Uni-Unis.

The differences between atheism and anti-theism, not so much. A lot of people confuse the two. It's comparatively easy to do since a lot of people are unclear on the whole atheist/anti-theist thing and don't really bother with such specificity.

Still, I think it's a critical distinction. Atheists generally have a complex, nuanced worldview that focuses on creating useful frameworks for building ethical, moral, functional societies that nurture their members. It keeps them busy and tends to be their primary focus.

Anti-theists' primary focus is on opposing all forms of theism, so much so that (as far as I can tell) they haven't yet gotten around to grappling with the complexities of human progress, cultural and social evolution, dealing with the dichotomies of altrusim vs. self-interest and how they shape our societies and what's needed in the way of common knowledge and social compacts to reconcile differences and allow people who disagree to live peacefully and productively together.

helpfully,
Bright

[edhopper]

14. Make them think

to me critical thinking and rationalism are at the core of Atheism. Present them with the questions you asked that brought you to Atheism.
"Is there any evidence for God?"
"Can't only one religion at most be right since their doctrines are mutually exclusive?"
"If religion is shown to be wrong about facts (i.e. the Bible and History) why should we accept any of it?"

Don't present answers as much as engage their curiosity. Let them ask you what the want to know as far as Atheism.

[lurky]

15. I grew up Unitarian. When I was 14-ish, all the young people in the church

spent a year going to different religious services in the area every weekend - Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, Mormon, all the Christian denominations. It was a great experience, though atheists were not represented (maybe because they don't have churches). Anyway, I think it's really cool what you are doing, and I like the Sagan idea.

Two questions I would be prepared to answer from the kids are: What do you base your morality on, without having religious principles as a starting point, and without Hell, Karma, or some other divine justice system to enforce them? I would also expect them to ask about the afterlife... i.e. "How do you deal with the idea that death is the end? Aren't you scared?"

Good luck! I'm sure it will be really fun.
:hi:

[kwassa]

28. I also grew up UU, and did the same thing

I remember visiting a Russian orthodox church with icons and lots on incense, a reform Jewish temple that had seats like a classy movie theater and everything in shades of blue and green, and a black Baptist church, which had ladies dancing in the aisles and a jazz combo up front. The last experience was the most fun...

All of them made UU seem kinda dull.

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Two words: moral relativism

To teach the kids that many times situations aren't black and white, but rather shades and hues of gray. Not to sit in judgment of others. To listen to the other side. To first tolerate, then accept.

[MercutioATC]

17. Yes. Encouraging a child to think for themself and search for answers

is perhaps the best service one can do them.

[laconicsax]

18. Some ideas:

Atheism as the belief that gods do not exist:
-Dawkins' spectrum of belief from 100% certain that gods exist to 100% certain that gods do not exist.
-The move from Agnosticism to Atheism by reasoning against the likelihood of gods.
-We're all atheists about 99% of the gods that humanity has ever believed in.

Morals not coming from God/The Bible.
-By finding parts of the Bible reprehensible, religious adherents are admitting that their morals must come from non-biblical source and how 200 years ago, the religion-justified moral consensus was that slavery was fine and 100 years ago, it was fine that women couldn't vote and now both of those positions are considered immoral from the religious perspective.
-How reprehensible it is that, according to Christian theology, a serial rapist can go to heaven if they accept Jesus into their hearts in the final moments before they die, but someone who spent their lives doing good but wasn't Christian would go to hell.
-Introduce the idea that if you don't believe in life after death, then you need to do everything you can to make this life count because it's all you have, pivot to secular humanism.

Divine origin of the Bible.
-You could use the Skeptics Annotated Bible sections on science and history and contradictions as a reference.
-How if the Bible got so much flat out wrong, then how could it come from an omniscient being?

There's more, but some of the points I would use in such a lecture aren't that great for younger audiences. I'd recommend summarizing chapters from The God Delusion if you get stuck since it's the most lucid atheist text I've read.

[Taverner]

20. I don't want to attack Xianity as much as I want to Explain Atheism

That's why 'Pale Blue Dot' is so tempting.

[laconicsax]

23. You don't need to attack Christianity.

And pointing out bad things in a religion's holy book or doctrine is hardly attacking.

[Random_Australian]

21. Note: "We're all atheists towards 99% of the gods" doesn't work so well on UU's.

At least, nothing like the effect on most other religions.

I think quite a few UU's subscribe to the view that most religions are correct, at least partly.

[Silent3]

19. The phrase "I don't know".

Talk to them about what it really means to say "I don't know", and how an atheist doesn't see "I don't know" as a reason to fill in the void of knowledge with either fears or wishful thinking. Make sure they know that many (perhaps even most) atheists simply lack belief in God rather than making a strong, positive assertion that God does not exist. How many appeals for mysticism start with "Well, know one really knows", spoken as if that truth makes all possible fantasies used to fill our void of knowledge equally valid with each other and equally valid with skepticism about those fantasies.

Try to find a way to present "infinite regress" without relying on the scary sounding phrase "infinite regress" -- how answering "God did it" only leaves you with more questions about how and why the alleged deity did something, without really giving you any usable answers which would increase your understanding.

Bring up the notion of "package deal" thinking -- that even you buy the "argument by design" or "argument from first cause", that there's absolutely no reason that a Designer or a First Cause has to be anything like any particular god from any Holy Book or other religious/spiritual tradition. In other words, "proving" a particular idea of God doesn't mean that your favorite ideas about that God -- that He's "got a plan for us", that He cares if we're good or bad, that He hands out rewards and punishments like eternal life or eternal damnation -- automatically get to go along for the ride.

This will bring you to the very good question "What do you mean by God?". You could use this quote by Stephen Henry Roberts: "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours."

[Random_Australian]

22. Yeah, I can see Ayn Rand not going so well, but for people like Epicurus it might

be a good idea to mention a couple of people like that and breifly what they believe to show something important to atheism: people can sit down and think up their own ideas about right and wrong, and often can think up pretty good ideas. Then, you can point out potential flaws in each one, or situations where it might go wrong, to highlight how we need to talk to each other and learn and such in order to do the right thing.

It's a lesson in atheism and a powerful point for multiculturalism and tolerance in one.

Just to clarify, when I said Epicurus, all I was referring to was his ideas about avoiding pain, not his atheism per se. However, mentioning the atheism of some of these figures (and including some non-atheists and so on) would also be good for demonstrating what atheism is about - thinking about what is right and wrong for yourself.



Note to pedants: I know "thinking about what is right and wrong for yourself" is not technically what atheism is about, and I don't mean to imply that other religions don't. It is, however, central in promoting ethical behaviour, which is what the OP wants to do along with showing people what atheism is about, as far as I am aware.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. Sort of fitting in with 'Pale Blue Dot' is this, from Douglas Adams, on the idea of 'design':

(following on from "Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light"):

Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in, an interesting hole I find myself in, fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams

And that leads into thoughts about environmentalism, which might get a good discussion going with school children.

[John Gauger]

25. Do it.

There needs to be more science. Always. Also, show them Sagan's "Baloney Detection Kit."

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/tps-seti/baloney.html

Focus on teaching them to think critically and ask important questions.

[PassingFair]

26. Robert Ingersoll.

Take pictures of Thomas Edison...Thomas Jefferson...
Mark Twain...Albert Einstein...ZAC EFRON!

[cosmik debris]

27. The Obama way, not the McCain way

Be positive about your message, not negative about the opposing POV.

There are plenty of good things to say about atheism. Don't waste your time talking about the other guys. You don't need to compare and contrast. Just present your side of the story and that's good enough.

[YankeyMCC]

29. Perhaps the History of Doubt or Secularism in America

Talk about the secular leaders that helped contribute to the woman's suffrage movement, civil rights movement, labor etc...

In other words give real examples of moral atheists and the important role it has played in history.

[Deep13]

30. Tell them the truth.

There is no reason to believe in something that almost certainly does not exist.

They asked.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

31. I say talk about Pascal's wager.

And the problems with it.

[Evoman]

32. Bring some human babies, and show them how we feast.

Yum...you never forget the taste of your first baby.

Now I'm getting hungry...off to the adoption center.