My friend, a staunch atheist, once asked me if I pray. "Why?", I wanted to know, knowing fully well that an affirmation or negation to this innocent sounding question would inadvertently drag me into a full fledged argument. And for obvious reasons, I wanted to avoid it. But the friend persisted. Very cautiously I said that I may not be religious, but as a matter of upbringing, and also to drill some cultural sense into the kids, I do pray. Instinctively I knew that I had dug my own grave. So much for trying to sound intelligent!
"You know, when I was a kid", began the friend, "I believed that Santa Claus existed. But as I grew older I began doubting. And now of course I don't believe that he exists. So we can safely infer that when a child begins to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, he is maturing. But when a child questions the existence of god, why is it not considered maturity? Why is the child reprimanded for asking such questions and dismissed as being silly?". Fumbling for an answer, I said that maybe kids require belief in god to be moral, not knowing that this innocuous answer would spiral into something big. "Really? Oh come on now!" the friend continued, "I don't agree with you that kids need god to be moral. Morality can and does exist without god. I think that it is psychologically devastating for a child to grow with the belief that one needs to do good, not because it is good, but because god says so, or because god is watching or because god will punish. Now it is up to the parents to justify why something is good or bad. Parents, I believe, need god to escape this justification."
I did not know what hit me. Not the one to give up easily, I persisted that man requires god for solace and even if it is a primitive concept, god still has a very strong hold on mankind. The sermon became louder now. "I am not concerned whether primitive man required god or not, but in this century, we do not require god for morality or any other explanation. Rationality is the only key. Primitive men, to an extent, had an excuse. We don't!" I was standing there dumbstruck, not knowing where to look. Words were finding it difficult to flow out of my mouth. In a bid to change the topic, I muttered, "its looking cloudy. Do you think its going to rain?" The friend shoots back, "God knows!!"
"You know, when I was a kid", began the friend, "I believed that Santa Claus existed. But as I grew older I began doubting. And now of course I don't believe that he exists. So we can safely infer that when a child begins to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, he is maturing. But when a child questions the existence of god, why is it not considered maturity? Why is the child reprimanded for asking such questions and dismissed as being silly?". Fumbling for an answer, I said that maybe kids require belief in god to be moral, not knowing that this innocuous answer would spiral into something big. "Really? Oh come on now!" the friend continued, "I don't agree with you that kids need god to be moral. Morality can and does exist without god. I think that it is psychologically devastating for a child to grow with the belief that one needs to do good, not because it is good, but because god says so, or because god is watching or because god will punish. Now it is up to the parents to justify why something is good or bad. Parents, I believe, need god to escape this justification."
I did not know what hit me. Not the one to give up easily, I persisted that man requires god for solace and even if it is a primitive concept, god still has a very strong hold on mankind. The sermon became louder now. "I am not concerned whether primitive man required god or not, but in this century, we do not require god for morality or any other explanation. Rationality is the only key. Primitive men, to an extent, had an excuse. We don't!" I was standing there dumbstruck, not knowing where to look. Words were finding it difficult to flow out of my mouth. In a bid to change the topic, I muttered, "its looking cloudy. Do you think its going to rain?" The friend shoots back, "God knows!!"
Hmmm....quite thought-provoking, this.
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