Atheism and the Family

Atheism for Mental Health and Structured Life

At first sight, atheists have no reason to tie the afore-mentioned six elements of a strong family to religion. What practice can religion provide that the “Free Thinker,” as many atheists like to refer to themselves, can't find an alternative for? If the assumption remains that religion is for the stupid and invites a type of ignorance, it would seem that atheism must be the superior alternative for mental health. To this end medical studies have been conducted, testing the resilience of atheists in critical situations. One such study, examining subjects suffering depression, found that atheists are at considerably more risk to attempt suicide when depressed than are faithful and religious subjects in similarly distressed states (Dervic, 2004). This indicates that atheists may suffer from the absence of context and meaning that religion can provide. While atheists may not reach states of depression more frequently than others, this fact must rule out the possibility that atheism in any way improves mental health.

The structure of organized religion, with its worship services and rote practices, can be offensive to a Free Thinker. Nonetheless, it seems that this is of use to children, who benefit from having set structures in which they can grow. In a presentation given at the 2001 World Family Policy Forum professionals asserted that children have a right to traditions, which will give them depth and perspective to their lives and a cloak of emotional stability (The Howard Center for Family). Atheists who wish to avoid religious traditions will need to draw on family traditions, which likely have roots in earlier religious practices, or create their own observances. In either case it is ironic that the atheist who refuses religious traditions would feel no qualm about peddling traditions of his own.

Mormonism: Everyday routines

Everyday routines
Everyday routines are another way to strengthen a family, and becoming a Mormon will add structure to your family. Research shows that, “Families that tend to have regular routines and roles usually have children who do well in school and have greater self-control. Keeping these everyday routines (like eating together and doing household tasks) is associated with positive outcomes for adolescents. They are more likely to avoid delinquent behavior and less likely to use drugs.”[i] What parent wouldn’t want those great outcomes for their child[ren]? Mormons practice something called daily family scripture study and prayer. These are great daily routines because they provide opportunities for family members to develop certain roles. For example, the father who gathers everybody for prayer/scripture study, and the children who follow along and help read. Mormonism is also a great religion because it promotes a strong work ethic. Their own religious text says that they, “[Should] be anxiously engaged in a good cause…”[ii] Children learn to work hard with church orchestrated community service projects. Because Mormonism has such a strong practice of everyday routines, it will create a more unified family.
Aren’t having too many activities harmful to a family because they become too busy? Imagine a mom’s schedule where she picks her child up from school and runs him to his baseball game while the daughter wonders what she is going to do for her science fair project. Next she is at the grocery store, picking up the dry cleaning, and before dinner she has to not only cook the meal, but also make sure the dog is taken care of. After dinner it is baths and story time. How on earth are you to fit all the additional activities which Mormonism provides into your already hectic schedule? Practicing a religion does add more “To Do’s” to that already busy list but those religious activities can be incorporated into the activities you already perform. This way you are still doing the things you love, but with a religious twist you are adding more structure and unity to your family. Take the mom’s schedule described earlier as an example. Instead of looking at the day as a list of errands, the family tries to make the busy schedule an effective use of time by incorporating the Mormon lifestyle. The mother still drops her son off at baseball but they decide to go to the game together as a family for Family Home Evening (FHE) -with the dog. While the son is playing, the family is providing loving support as they watch from the stands. They continue their family night by picking up the dry cleaning and groceries. At home they work on preparing dinner, and use the potato skins and corn husks to start the daughter’s compost pile for her science fair project. They conclude their Family Home Evening with a family prayer. Next it is baths, and as the kids settle into bed, they read together from the Bible. Being Mormon didn’t replace what the family did or make their lives too busy; it added structure and routine which enhanced the strength of the family.
[i] http://missourifamilies.org/features/parentingarticles/parenting25.htm (Accessed June 12, 2009)
[ii] Doctrine and Covenants, section 58, verse 26-24