Atheism and the Family

Atheism and the Deeper Needs of a Family

In considering the six constituents of a strong family already considered, atheism would seem to be able to fill in the scheduled blanks that remain when religion is removed. Reason benefits from the attempts of atheism to do so, for in atheism trying to be a religion we strike upon the deeper properties of religion that truly provide the benefits a family needs. Atheism, by its very nature, cannot feign these qualities.

Faith

The fundamental precept of atheism is the denial of faith as a principle. Atheism embraces its notion of science and the empirical method and pronounces it foolishness to believe in that which cannot be seen. This opposes the first precept of most religion, which by definition cannot scientifically and exclusively prove the existence of the power it worships. Dealing with the admittedly incorporeal nature of religious belief, atheism might seem beyond reproof for their desire to rest on visible certainty. Their choice not to believe in a god seems harmless at first. However, the implications are deeper. How can a person who denounces faith in a higher power be believed if he claims capable of placing faith –or trust-- in a fellow human? The human desires and intentions are no more corporeal than any religious claims. And those who are incapable of issuing trust are likely the first ones to admit they should not receive trust. From the moment they leave the womb children trust solely in their parent(s) for survival. What good is a parent who holds this trust in disdain?

Humility

Families function much like the society whose building blocks they are. An effective member of a family must be willing to contribute to a good greater than simply individual welfare, displaying the same sentiment coined famously by John F. Kennedy:

“ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”

Likewise the useful family member must be willing to bear in mind the needs of the family. This is nowhere more evident than in the roles of the parents, who could choose to end a family instantly by deciding to withhold the money that puts food in front of the children or pays for their health and education. Children, too, gradually learn the needed qualities of sharing and obedience. Not only are these precepts taught in by many religions; they are necessary to the endurance of any social unit.

Contrast this with atheism. Although the declared religion of the communism that claims equality for all, atheism must needs be fundamentally ego-centric. Without belief in a continuation of life, this life must be the end-all, be-all. Without allowance for long-term consequences for actions, atheism must find ultimate meaning in instantaneous self-gratification at a minimum of cost. This cannot be thought a healthy perspective within a family.

The Need for Unity of Belief

Many atheists are spawned from within the environments of a family of incongruous religious belief (Stokes, 2009). This reveals a truth in the nature of religious practice and the family: in order for the family to benefit from any religious activity it is very important that the activity be uniform throughout the family. Stokes finds that teenage rebellion is a considerable problem in families where parents place higher priority on the religion than on their children. Interestingly, the inverse is not true; parent-child relations are much less strained by children who are more religion-oriented than their parents, at least during the time they spend in the same household.