Introduction

Welcome to my blog! Here's a bit of information  in a question/answer format.

Question: Why choose 'Worldly Values' as the name of your blog?

Answer: Within the conservative, religious paradigm in which I was raised, the word 'worldly' carried extremely negative connotations. It was used to mean selfish, evil, and depraved. In reality the definition is:

world·ly 

1: of or relating to the human world and ordinary life rather than to religious or spiritual matters

2: having a lot of practical experience and knowledge about life and the world          

(Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

Basically, I'm using the word 'worldly' to indicate that my focus is purely secular and not tied to any religious belief.

Question: Does this mean you are anti-theist?

Answer: No, not at all. I'm personally doubtful about the existence of God, but I appreciate the beauty and tradition religion can offer. I oppose discrimination or oppression in any form, including religion-based, but I am not opposed to religion itself. I continue to identify as culturally Christian and am married to a believing Christian. Our family attends progressive Christian services regularly and celebrates Christian holidays. Regardless of what my children believe later on, I feel that learning about faith and tradition will enrich their life. I also believe that a basic understanding of the Bible is a valuable part of a well-rounded education in the Judeo/Christian society in which we live. As they get older, I will neither attempt to persuade them to accept nor reject religion. It is a highly personal decision and I will support whatever they choose.

However, I view religion and morality as completely separate concepts, and I do not use religious justification for teaching values to my children. For one thing, values that hinge on religious belief can be easily rejected if belief falters. Furthermore, while religion can be useful as a means to explain life's mysteries and attach meaning to the human experience, as a moral compass it often goes awry. It is my hope that regardless of their future beliefs, that they will be thoughtful and open-minded individuals who don't shy away from asking difficult questions.

Question: What's your plan?

Answer: My children are both very young (ages 3 and 6) and I've found that picture books can be a fun way to introduce new topics and spark discussions with them. I've decided that each week we will read and discuss one new book about an important issue. Because Sundays seem to be the most convenient day for this, I jokingly refer to it as 'Sunday School'. However, it's completely unlike the Sunday school of my childhood. The style that I prefer to use when teaching my children is to ask thought-provoking questions that encourage them to consider matters and form their own conclusions. Each week I'll post a brief review of the book we covered and the resulting discussion with my children. If you find this a helpful resource, I'd love your feedback. Or if you have book suggestions for us, please leave a comment with your recommendations.

Question: What topics do you plan to cover?

Answer: I live in an extremely non-diverse community, so I'd like to expose my children to as much diversity through reading as I can. We'll read about various cultures and religions as well as topics such as race, gender issues, non-nuclear families, ableism, and other types of discrimination. I also plan to cover other important issues too, such as caring for the earth, fighting poverty, or other world issues. Basically, any issue I deem important or inspiring is fair game, provided I can find an age-appropriate children's book to introduce it.