faulker012

atheist blog In the past two days I've come to two very important decisions. Two subjects that I have an inordinate amount of thought into, both subjects that are both either/or, black/white, no middle ground. Those decisions are rare. Those decisions take time and I'm delighted to finally figure myself out. For my first major decision...drum roll... I'm pleased to report that I have decided to stop coloring or highlighting my hair. I've decided to just let the grey happen. I am lucky enough that the grey is happening slowly and it's just time to embrace the graceful grey once and for all. And finally, finally, I've decided to put myself fully behind Hillary. In the beginning of her serious presidential run I had to admit that I didn't trust Hillary Rodham Clinton and I was also certain that I didn't know exactly why I didn't trust her; was I one of the millions of victims of the so-called media smear? I was willing to acknowledge that I didn't k...

atheist blog A surprising number of adults that I know frighten themselves so much with belief in supernatural things. Demons and scary afterlives and ghosty things and evil doers. The fear of these things affects their lives so strongly that they have nightmares and anxiety and distress. And worse, these fears limit their ability to truly love people and to foster peace and connection. Belief in these things also make some beloved people seriously concerned about my complete atheism, thereby bringing themselves even more concern and vexation. I want to ask them one question: What if you are wrong? What if there is no such thing as magical realms and spooky spells? What if the only evil is intention ? What if the end of our physical life here on Earth results in our molecules rejoining the sublimity of nature and this infinite cosmos? What if all of the entities that you fear, every single one of them, is a figment of the fearful imaginings of Men? What if our species was more ennoble...

atheist blog Me, 1980 Getting older is not an option, yet so many of us fight it tooth and nail. And no wonder. Our country fetishizes youth. Photoshop and everything related to marketing and social media hypes us up to want to look thinner, younger, more perfect, inhumanly thin/young/perfect. It's weird and hurtful and I have no idea what to do about it. I've talked with the kids about the impossible standards that social media puts out there for appearance and the kids both seem to get it, but I would understand completely if either one of them felt inadequate, too fat, too natural, etc. The pull of the false images is unmistakable. Some adults even fall for the falsified images of what being human should look like. I'm so grateful the pictures during my youth were largely unretouched. But appearance was a huge issue back then too. (Back in the dark ages.) Maybe it always has been. But because of a number of personal experiences during my youth I have never had the desire...

atheist blog The minds of our children What is sacred? In the strictest definition of the word, or at least according to dictionary.com , sacred's primary definitions include: devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated, entitled to veneration or religious respect by association with divinity or divine things, holy . In that sense of the word, there is absolutely nothing sacred on the planet. However, in the secondary definitions of the word sacred , using the same dictionary means: reverently dedicated to some person, purpose, or object; regarded with reverence; secured against violation, infringement, as by reverence or sense of right, sacred oaths, sacred rights . And reverence: deeply respectful . Under that definition I would propose that there are, indeed, several sacred things on this planet, purposes and objects worthy of deep respect. First two important caveats: no one and nothing is automatically and universally deserving of worship and not...

atheist blog   Why am I an Openly Atheist Blogger?   I often get asked why my blog is so openly atheist and I have to wonder if the openly Christian bloggers get this same question... Anyway, this blog post was written in response to that question. I don't know why most people start blogging; I assume it has something to do with feeling they have something they need to work out or that they need to say. My own reason for starting my blog was fairly unclear to me in the beginning, though I knew that it had alot to do with my disappointment with Facebook. On Facebook, I found it impossible to post my real beliefs about our family’s lifestyle. I got so much negative feedback on Facebook and, yet, I felt the need to be honest about my beliefs. You see, I do not debate. If you have a differing opinion or point of view, I generally reply “Oh, okay.” But that’s not always enough. Some of my Facebook “friends” were putting me in positions where I had to explain what they would neve...

atheist blog I have loved two Lizzies in my life. My daughter Elizabeth is so very beloved to me; I would do anything for her. The other Lizzie that I would have done anything for is my great aunt, Elizabeth Marie Becker. When I was a  little girl, my d ear Aunt Elizabeth was just an old person we used to visit to me, you know, the type with weird candy and weird smells in the house. Our family would visit and while the kids explored the house and yard trying to occupy ourselves the adults talked. She wasn't really meaningful to me when I was a kid, really, but sometime during my twenties my Aunt Elizabeth became so very important and special to me. Necessary, even. Although there was a schism in my family of origin that I disliked intensely, Aunt Elizabeth was the first family member who didn't live under my roof to understand my need to heal that schism. She supported me one hundred percent in my desire to love everyone, in my desire to let go of the hurt. It surprised the he...

homeschool blog Are you involved in a homeschool co-op? If so you are probably required to offer a class or two each semester to the group. The idea of offering a class can be intimidating for some. Co-op classes are a wonderful way to share your skills and to benefit from the clever families around you.  A Co-Op means, Co-operative … sharing your passions and learning about the passions about others…for free or cheap. Exchanging strength for strength. For example, our family is heavy into the hobby of astronomy so we have often offered observing nights to our homeschooling friends, while they offer their skills to us. I am also a book lover so I have offered many years worth of reading groups to the kids in our co-op. If you are new to this form of sharing-the-love, you might be experiencing anxiety trying to think of something to offer your group. I know the fearful questions in your mind:  Do I have a skill? What am I qualified to teach? What can I do? LOL…listen, I've been...