“To believe in God or in a guiding force because someone tells you to is the height of stupidity. We are given senses to receive our information within. With our own eyes we see, and with our own skin we feel. With our intelligence, it is intended that we understand. But each person must puzzle it out for himself or herself.” Sophy Burnham.
“Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be constrained by force.” Flavius Josephus.
My mother is uneducated and her religious belief is based on mere traditional, imitative family practices. When I was a child, she immersed me into her strong religious beliefs. Moreover, she expected me to copy her injunctions to the last letter. She introduced me to religion in the frame of heaven and hell. I was expected to follow this system otherwise I would be sent to hell; an awesome place is filled with unimaginably poisonous animals and everlasting burning fire. The major motive behind worshipping Allah was the fear of hell and the reward of heaven.
My mother used to wake me up before dawn to offer prayers. Sometimes when I was deeply engrossed in childish play, I had to stop to worship God. It was really heavy burden. Nothing angers a child more than spoiling its plays.
Often, due to childish negligence or on becoming tired of the strict expectations of my mother, when I refused to perform the religious practices or worship, I was scolded seriously. I was accused of being sinful; a child who deserved to suffer in hell. My family members would look askance at me or made fun of me. I was made to sit in a corner silently with a deep lump in my throat. Having a guilty conscience, I soon regretted my negligence. “Will Allah really send me to hell?” I asked myself.
I went deep in thought, fluctuating between fear and hope. I was only eight or nine and the religious issues were highly mind-boggling for me. Perhaps, many questions arose in my mind, which I was unable to express them openly. Picturing the angry face of God, which was depicted by my mother, filled me with fear. But my mother also explained that God is kind to those who obey His wishes. Finally, I would to apologize to Him for my disobedience. Wasn’t it a forced belief that I acquired?
This is the situation which many children encounter in our traditional society. Parents ram religion down their children’s throat and train them using the spur of force. Religion is introduced negatively and its fearsome and angry aspects are stressed. The uneducated parents are unable to argue the real philosophy behind an act of worship, other than talking about hell and heaven.
Many of us do not agree with this method of instilling faith and beliefs in children. Religion is not meant to be so strict, or God so harsh. Parents should encourage children by explaining religious philosophies in a graded fashion according to the increasing maturity of the child. Forcing religious beliefs will not have a lasting effect.
The problem is that why some children turn irreligious when they get mature, despite having grown up in a religious environment or having the correct religious background? Perhaps, the unexpressed negative feelings of their childhood burst as a strong volcanic eruption. To the sorrow and shame of their surprised parents, children discard religious principles and boldly become involved in all sorts of crime and corruption.
When children are deprived of freedom for years, as soon as the obstacles are removed, they will go to the other extreme trying to balance the years of restrictions. After experiencing deprivation in their villages, many families who immigrate to the cities, wear the most updated fashionable clothes. This is a natural reaction.
Our people suffered seriously at the time of Taliban’s regime. They were deprived of their rights and freedom. Women were not allowed to go to school or to work outside the home. These limitations were so strict that people developed mental stress. After the fall of the Taliban, the sudden acquisition of freedom and rights were not easy to live with. People crossed the religious limitations, embraced the cultures and customs of foreign countries. The sudden change of tune and culture was beyond imagination. Can the reason behind this reaction be other than strong deprivation?
Psychologically, children’s desire for play is natural in childhood and repressing them results in negative behavior in adulthood. So, it is advised by psychologists that children must not be prevented from playing during their childhood period. For instance, there are some families that prevent their children from playing, taking them to adult parties and meetings.
Religious beliefs are based on values in Islam. In addition, Islam emphasizes thinking and pondering about the creatures of God. In Holy Qur’an, we find many verses advising us to ponder and contemplate over the universe, nature and the systematic laws which they hold. Therefore, that faith which is based on a philosophical worldview can be considered to be most Islamic.
Unfortunately, on the one hand, there are some people, who copy the religious beliefs of their parents without giving a thought, and on the other hand there are some who attach no importance to religious instructions in their daily life. Which one will suit one’s needs, cherishing blind faith or being empty of religion? Both have disadvantages, however, lacking faith seems very destructive to society. Those who show no tendency to practicing religious guidelines also lack moral standards. Therefore, they see no boundaries ahead in committing crime. But those, who cherish their blind faith, albeit, go to extreme or practice some wrong instructions; at least they respect many religious values. It is still necessary for them to sharpen their beliefs so as to experience a more prosperous life.