It has been opined by the atheists that the religion is harmful for society at large in general, and for young children in particular, who are force fed harmful ideology. Then the natural question is-why atheists send their children to Religious Centers? Why this contradiction?
I do not know about other religious communities, but I am talking about Muslim community. I personally know three families in Muslim community, who (one or both parents) do not believe in God and attack religion ferociously, but all three of them send their children to Islamic Centers. I am sure some of the participants also know some such families in their communities.
Let me suggest possible reasons behind it, and participants can write their comments;
1- They think it is ok to have atheist believes themselves, but not good idea for children?
2- They are hedging their bets?
3- They are afraid that the children and they themselves might get isolated from the community?
4- Under pressure from grandparents of children?
5- One parent (usually mother) wants to take children to Islamic Center, but other (usually father) with atheism views faintly grumbles but does not stop it? ( He usually fights with teachers and management)
6- When it comes to girls, no matter how strong atheism views of parents, mostly both parents’ wants to send them to Islamic Centers?
7- No matter how viciously they attack religion, the parents still believe Islamic Center is still good place for children to learn some morals and values?
If some atheist feel so strongly against religion, as the comments on our website suggest, then why compromise on any of the above grounds? Of course it is not true for all atheists in all Muslim communities, but it is true about all three families I am familiar with.
Happy New Year!
Fayyaz
The reason No. 1 and 2 seem very unlikely to me. Reason 3 is the strongest followed by reasons 4, 5 and 6, in my opinion. As regards reason No. 7, that happens to be a false pretext, as I have often observed regular female attendees of Islamic Sunday Schools, who morally behave slutty, worse than white trash, like children of totally dysfunctional families when not in the company of parents or parents’ peers.
Sunday Schools are not based on critical thinking and hence work against the spirit of atheism. In my opinion, Muslim parents send their children to Sunday Schools only to fit in with the Muslim society. The cultural bonds over ride ideological preferences. In China, Russia and North Korea and most of the Western European countries where majority of adults are virtual atheists, children are not sent to Church schools. Muslim diasporas do send their children to Sunday religious classes due to their sense of belonging and societal identity, despite parents contradiction of belief..
Mirza Ashraf
E-mail mirzashraf@hotmail.com
Comment I am so much intrigued by the bizarre behavior of the human beings that, whereas atheists send their childern to religious institutions, religious scholars–even the like of Maududi, Dr. Israr and there is a long list of so called scholars of Islamic Studies, send their childern to Yale, Columbia and many other institutions in USA and UK. As a matter of fact human personality, character, and behavior cannot be understood unless we look at him in his totality. Man for himself is different from man in himself. Mirza
I am so much intrigued by the bizarre behavior of the human beings that, whereas atheists send their childern to religious institutions, religious scholars–even the like of Maududi, Dr. Israr and there is a long list of so called scholars of Islamic Studies, send their childern to Yale, Columbia and many other institutions in USA and UK. As a matter of fact human personality, character, and behavior cannot be understood unless we look at him in his totality. Man for himself is different from man in himself.
Mirza