Atheist parents take on Christian ‘Good News Club’ with ‘Better News Club’

[rug]

By Kimberly Winston | Religion News Service
January 8 at 1:43 PM

A group of atheists in Rochester, N.Y., has bad news for the Good News Club, a Christian after-school club for children.

The group, consisting of atheists, humanists and skeptics, announced its own after-school program: a Young Skeptics club featuring science, logic and learning activities.

Young Skeptics is being sponsored by a volunteer-led group calling itself “The Better News Club.” Its members come from the Atheist Community of Rochester — the same group whose leader offered the first atheist invocation before a town meeting in Greece, N.Y., after the Supreme Court ruled in May that public meetings could begin with sectarian prayers.

Both clubs are based at Fairbanks Road Elementary School in Churchville, N.Y.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/atheist-parents-take-on-christian-good-news-club-with-better-news-club/2015/01/08/3487b884-9766-11e4-8385-866293322c2f_story.html

http://www.atheistcommunityofrochester.org/

[cbayer]

3. Do you have anything to support your statement that kids will

gravitate to alternative programs that aren't religiously based when they are offered them?

Or is that just your belief.

[cbayer]

10. No, see when you make a definitive statement like that

the burden is on you to provide the data.

If there is tons of it, it shouldn't be hard for you to find.

Try the google.

[cleanhippie]

16. Pay no attention to her.

Post all you like, you'll get better conversation by ignoring her responses, which are always the same.

[uppityperson]

19. she'sssssss baaaccckkkkkkk

[cleanhippie]

20. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[cbayer]

17. When you come into a thread and make statements that

are based on your beliefs, you can expect to be challenged, right? You are voicing support for a club which is going to have as it's emphasis critical thinking and evaluation and steer away from emotion based beliefs without basis in fact.

If you support that, then you should recognize it here. When you are challenged, that's not a circle jerk.

[rug]

21. It is now.

[cbayer]

23. Hmm…. stirring up religion and guns.

And apparently being embraced rapidly by those who are so blinded by shiny objects that their judgement gets all befuddled.

And in such a short time.

[rug]

8. Do you think a child in elementary school can properly be called a skeptic?

It seems a word, and a term, that would be alien to them unless someone taught them.

[rug]

12. And why can not children be taught their parents' values, including religious beliefs?

[rug]

15. Is that what you taught your children religion is?

[rug]

24. That, my soon to be lamented friend, is indoctrination.

[cbayer]

2. Why would the author deem this as "bad news" for the Good News Club.

It's aimed at a group that is not their demographic.

And why would the new group call themselves "better". They aren't better and that can do nothing but provoke others.

It's really a shame that two groups working with kids in different ways are being set up to be adversarial. If that weren't the case, their might be lots of parents who would want to enroll their kids in both programs.

But I doubt that's going to be an option. The lines have apparently been drawn.

[rug]

4. I'm waiting for a fight to change the name of the town.

[cbayer]

5. Lol, did not even notice that.

Maybe they could name it after the Saint Claus? Everyone should be ok with that.

[cbayer]

9. Make no mistake, they are both proselytizing.

Just read the mission statement.

The statement you make about "rational thought" when it come to children is very vague and I think you would be very hard pressed to find a scintilla of evidence that it is true.

Good is an adjective that does not require a comparison. Better clearly does, and they are clearly saying that they are better than the good club.

Oh, but the "better" club says it's not at all about atheism, but about science and stuff. Are you saying it's about atheism? And then going on to claim it's not proselytizing? You can't have it both ways.

Look, I'm not a fan of the good news clubs. I think they are essentially bad and should not be held in schools. There are many, many issues with them that I take exception to, but I don't think taking this adversarial approach is very effective.

The parents that want an alternative should put up an alternative and get kids to come on the programs merits.

[Shrike47]

27. 'Better News' to rebut 'Good News' makes sense, if that is what you are really offering.

The problem is, those who believe are not likely to feel kindly about those who make not believing the goal.

[cbayer]

30. I think that's a two way street.

Unfortunate that this is some kind of competition, as opposed to just different opportunities.

[blkmusclmachine]

25. "Good News" is bad news.

[MADem]

26. When will some wag open the BEST NEWS CLUB, I wonder?

The "best" news in that club will be the rule that no one discusses religion or lack of same in the damn club, and they do what little kids LIKE to do after school--play video games, get into mischief, and eat sweet or salty snacks! A little exercise would be nice, too...but no religion! Or religion - hating!!!!!!

So there~!!!

[shenmue]

28. Make it 'the bestest'

[edhopper]

29. Very weird

reading this thread with "name removed" deleted.

About the OP, teaching critical thinking is something all children could benefit from. I wish them luck.

[pinto]

31. Something rubs me wrong about this whole situation.

Seems unfair to the elementary school kids for parents to set up obviously "competing" after school groups. The kids spend the whole school day together. Why stick them in the middle of an intentionally competitive stand off among differing parental groups.