If you believe in a god or doctrine, and you wish to be a truly loving and wise person and raise loving and wise children, do you have the courage to tell your children:

• that people with differing beliefs are still good people?
• that people may find different ways to find comfort and meaning and these ways are viable and genuine and worthy?
• if you "know" everything already, you will never learn anything?
• that thinking for one's self is a treasure?
• if what is "true" doesn't make sense, it may not be true?
• that people who do not share your belief system are still thinking, loving individuals?
• that people who have well-thought-out absence of religion are worth listening to and learning from?
• that there is more to the world than a hundreds-of-times rewritten and redefined collection of nomadic stories of questionable origin?
• that when people feel free to think for themselves, using reason as their guide, that they are best capable of creating behavioral guides that serve all human needs?
• that, if they try hard, there is so much wisdom to learn in the world?
• that guilt and shame are useless motivators?
• that it is wisdom to question and research and open their minds to what they didn't know that they didn't know?
• that a person can know what is right and wrong by exploring their own hearts?
• that is it more honest to answer "I don't know" to some questions?
• that no human is superior to any other because of their beliefs?
• that most people are well-meaning?
• if your world view demonizes anyone at all, no matter how unfamiliar, it needs changing?

To read more of this blog post: http://taytayhser.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/are-you-courageous-believ...