Source: The Sacramento Bee
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2023517.html?storylink=lingospot_related_articles
At Camp Quest, campers may not believe in God, but they do have faith in their community.
On Sunday evening, 49 children from across the western United States arrived at the camp nestled in the hills outside Nevada City. It is one of five summer camps in the country for the children of atheists and other nonbelievers.
In a campground in Malakoff Diggins State Historical Park, the campers have many of the traditional summer experiences. They practice archery in the meadow, participate in team competitions and gather around the campfire at night to sing.
Their activities, however, have a decidedly secular twist.
Campers play games that encourage critical thinking such as one called Evolution and another where they are asked to prove something invisible doesn't exist.
Before meals, they learn about freethinking heroes such as Margaret Sanger and Isaac Asimov. Many of their camps songs promote rational thought such as their version of this children's classic:
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
You're a ball of gas that's very far
32 light years in the sky
10 parsecs which is really high...
Here, it's all about celebrating their belief in not believing.
"It's important for them to have a place to learn how to investigate the world and to not accept what they hear," said camp director Chris Lindstrom of Los Altos. "Plus the kids enjoy meeting other kids from similar families."