In the middle of a trip to England, in the middle of a Lake District hike, I found myself in the village of Grasmere, “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found,” according to the poet William Wordsworth, who lived there. It wasn’t as small as I’d thought it would be. I looked up the […]
Dale McGowan
Dale McGowan is the author of Parenting Beyond Belief, Raising Freethinkers, and Atheism for Dummies. He holds a BA in evolutionary anthropology and a PhD in music.
Posted inPolitics, Reproductive rights
Two red states go opposite ways on abortion—and the midterms pop into focus
On August 5, 2022, Indiana became the first state to approve an abortion ban after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade. The ban is near total, allowing a very narrow range of exceptions. Three days earlier, on August 2, Kansas had overwhelmingly rejected the first step toward such a ban. Seems like […]
Posted inEducation, Evolution, Parenting & Family
When science goes south
I’m sometimes asked by religious friends why I make such a big deal over evolution in particular. Some have suggested that secular types beat the drum for evolution only because it’s a sharp stick in the religious eyeball. The question itself is a good one. Fortunately the answer is even better. And it’s not just […]
Posted inCulture
Ayatollah Streisand: Your fatwas don’t do what you think they do
After my initial shock and anger over the barbaric assault on Salman Rushdie, an unexpected image came to mind: a glittering cliffside mansion in Malibu. Nearly 20 years have passed since Barbra Streisand sued a photographer for taking a photo that incidentally captured Streisand’s Malibu mansion. The photo was one of 12,000 images in a […]
Posted inGen Z Rising, Music
The deep playlist of Generation Z
I started teaching college music courses in 1991. I was 28, just five years out of college myself. On the first day of my music appreciation class, I asked the students to name a few songs or bands that they liked to listen to, that they found interesting. There was some Nirvana, Nirvana was big […]
Posted inEvolution, Parenting & Family
Children of the evolution
OnlySky · Children of the evolution | Dale McGowan When we lived in Minneapolis, our family used to take walks through an area called the Quaking Bog. On one fall walk, I spotted a fawn and waved the kids over. “Look, look. See the deer?” I said. “You can just barely see it against the […]
Posted inParenting & Family
The curious root of everything
Could I identify a single value at the root of my nonreligious parenting? I was curious.
Posted inParenting & Family
Raising curious kids
OnlySky · Raising Curious Kids | Dale McGowan There is a sentence that gets said a lot in our house. We’re watching a show and somebody asks Where else have I seen this guy? or, How do they do that special effect? Or we’re having a conversation at dinner, and somebody says If prunes are […]
Posted inResearch
Approval for keeping teacher-led prayer out of public schools
When asked if they approve of the 1962 SCOTUS ruling that teachers and school officials should not lead prayers in public schools 84% of religious nonbelievers approved. This is more than any other religious affiliation but not unusual for non-Christians. Christians are far more likely to approve of teachers being allowed to lead classroom prayer. […]
Posted inParenting & Family, Science
Curious science
OnlySky · Curious science | Dale McGowan Science is one of the first things that nonreligious parents want to share with their kids. I have multiple friends with kids whose first or middle name is Darwin or Sagan or Tesla. There are now board books introducing babies to quantum physics, relativity, and organic chemistry, I […]