He probably won't get down on his knees, but that fellow sitting near you during the Sunday church service just may be an atheist. And a scientist.
A new study out of Rice University has found that 17 percent -- about one out of five scientists who describe themselves as either atheists or agnostics -- actually go to church, although not too often, and not because they feel a spiritual yearning to join the faithful.
More likely, it's because of the kids.

What? Why would somebody who doesn't believe there's a god want his own offspring wasting their time in an enterprise he believes has no foundation in fact? Especially a scientist.

The study, by sociologists Elaine Howard Ecklund of Rice and Kristen Schultz Lee of the University at Buffalo, found that many atheists want their children exposed to religion so that they can make up their own minds on what to believe. In addition, church may provide a better understanding of morality and ethics, and occasionally attending services may ease the conflict between spouses who disagree over the value of religion to their children, the study contends.

The research, published in the December issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, was based on in-depth interviews with 275 scientists at 21 "elite" research universities in the United States. Sixty-one percent of the participants described themselves as either atheists or agnostics, and 17 percent of the non-believers had attended church more than once in the past year.

In general, their church affiliation followed a similar pattern -- most were raised in a family that was not deeply involved in religion, and they did not attend church during early adulthood but established a relationship with a church when they had children of their own. After the children had grown, they attended church less and less, if at all.

But why would someone who believes there is no god want his children exposed to doctrines that he clearly believes to be false?
"Some actually see it as part of their scientific identity," Ecklund said in a telephone interview. "They want to teach their children to be free thinkers, to give them religious choices, and so they take their children to religious organizations just to give them exposure to religion."
Let the kids make up their own minds, many of the participants told Ecklund.

Still, it may seem a bit odd for some atheists to perceive church as a desired "community" at a time when many leading atheists are calling on their colleagues to come out of the closet and take a public stand against religion. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, physicist Victor Stenger and others see religion as a source of evil in the world.

They contend that science has moved beyond a belief in the supernatural, partly because science has answered some questions that were previously left up to clerics. Evolution, for example, provides a naturalist explanation for how we got here.

True believers, by contrast, regard atheists as "among the least trusted people" on the planet, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia.

These scientists emphasized last month that the right word is "distrust," not "dislike."

But however you put it, atheists do have a bit of an image problem. If they feel uncomfortable attending church, that's nothing compared to entering some aspects of public service. They usually find themselves on the outside looking in.

Atheists Who Go to Church

Columnist Michael Kinsley confessed to being a "nonbeliever" in the Los Angeles Times last month. In an op-ed piece he conceded, "That puts me in the only religious grouping in America whose members are effectively barred from any hope of becoming president, due to widespread public prejudice against them. There will be a Mormon president, a Jewish president, an openly gay president before there will be a president who says publicly that he doesn't believe in God."

He contrasted that with the current run for the White House in which "four of this year's Republican candidates were personally recruited by God to run for president." That number has since dropped to three.

Ecklund, who has conducted several studies of science and religion, said in the interview that it's possible for an atheist to become a member of a religious community without feeling like a phony.

"I don't think they see it as a conflict," she said. That's partly because they've been out of the mainstream for nearly their entire lives.
"There's a good deal of difference between the science community and the general public," she said. "Scientists are less likely to have been raised in religious homes." When they were, she added, "they were generally raised in homes where religion was not practiced strongly. It was not part of the fabric of life."

So perhaps a scientist who happens to be an agnostic or an atheist sees no problem with turning to religion, if only for awhile, because it could open new avenues of thought for the children. After all, isn't that the heart of science?

"The children can decide for themselves what to believe," Ecklund said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/atheists-children-church-religion-lives-rice-university-study/story?id=15100001#.TuBE6WPhcqo

I think it is a nice idea.
Only then can the children become atheists like their parents after seeing for themselves the rot within organized cults called religion.
I take mine too. . .just to give them a reference point of what to believe. . .then they can make up their minds when they grow up.
Most atheists if not ALL where born and raised in one kind of organized religion or another.
It only took several visits to those churches or mosques abi?

As the saying goes. . . No education is wasted!

I have been to church a few times myself. I felt uncomfortable when the congregation began to speak in tongues and wave thier arms in the air but then nothing will change my views on religion

whatever spin anyone wants to put on it. . . . . . .

manmustwac:

I have been to church a few times myself. I felt uncomfortable when the congregation began to speak in tongues and wave thier arms in the air but then nothing will change my views on religion

you are simply an agent of satan in church. An unsuspecting brethren will take you as one of them only for you to be exhibiting characters that will make them fall into temptation and probably miss heaven if they dont repent. Its not every speaking in tongue that you see in churches that are from God so be careful not to lump all of them as the same. If you want to serve God na for your pocket If you dont want to serve God na for your pocket too. God has nothing to lose if you refuse to serve him and we his children has nothing to lose if you dont serve God. Its all about saving your own soul from eternal hell. Rpent now pls. Give your life to Jesus Christ.

Wow! I can imagine how hard it must be for those parents. How sad. The things we do for our children (Even if means hanging out with dolts and nut jobs)

Interesting article.

What? Why would somebody who doesn't believe there's a god want his own offspring wasting their time in an enterprise he believes has no foundation in fact? Especially a scientist.

The study, by sociologists Elaine Howard Ecklund of Rice and Kristen Schultz Lee of the University at Buffalo, found that many atheists want their children exposed to religion so that they can make up their own minds on what to believe. In addition, church may provide a better understanding of morality and ethics, and occasionally attending services may ease the conflict between spouses who disagree over the value of religion to their children, the study contends.

I feel I must applaud parents such as these. Rather than indoctrinating their children they have allowed them to excercise their God-given right of free will to conclude and choose which pathway is suitable for them and and not just be born-involuntary-converts of their parents beliefs.
Very big of them to put their beliefs to one side so that their children will have an array of options so will not be inhibited.

Another interesting claim in the article is that some send their children to these Ecclesiasticals for a better moral compass or guidance . . . interesting. I guess some people realise what the world offers is not always glittery.

But why only to "church" now? Why not also mosque, Babalawo/Ọṣun/Ogun/Ṣango/etc shrine or temple, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, Jewish synagogues, atheists' chaplaincies?

^^ you have a point there.

Enigma:

But why only to "church" now? Why not also mosque, Babalawo/Ọṣun/Ogun/Ṣango/etc shrine or temple, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, Jewish synagogues, atheists' chaplaincies?

Because the research was conducted in America and most of the people were former christians who grew up in the christian tradition and the christian religion happens to be the ONLY religion they were indoctrinated with and exposed to through their family tradition. Majority of Americans claim to be christians and that is the number religion in the country. . . .If  the research were conducted in Pakistan the Mosque is where they will send their kids to not a church. . .Nobody knows Sango or Ogun in the united states so asking why they don't send their kids there is a waste of time. . . .But then I know you will always try to promote your religion thinking its special any way you can. . .

emofine:

^^ you have a point there.

He has no point because of the reason I outlined above. . .

manmustwac:

I have been to church a few times myself. I felt uncomfortable when the congregation began to speak in tongues and wave thier arms in the air but then nothing will change my views on religion

A day will come when u will totally change ur Views. if u ve negetive views on Christ, i wonder why u will even go closer ay the first place.  but, it may also be that u may become one of us soon if u continue to recieve the word despite ur views. I pray God open ur eyes, its for ur own soul, help it. Jesus is Lord.

Insert Quote
But why only to "church" now? Why not also mosque, Babalawo/Ọṣun/Ogun/Ṣango/etc shrine or temple, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, Jewish synagogues, atheists' chaplaincies?

Becos Church is the only true place.

alexleo:

you are simply an agent of satan in church. An unsuspecting brethren will take you as one of them only for you to be exhibiting characters that will make them fall into temptation and probably miss heaven if they dont repent. Its not every speaking in tongue that you see in churches that are from God so be careful not to lump all of them as the same. If you want to serve God na for your pocket If you dont want to serve God na for your pocket too. God has nothing to lose if you refuse to serve him and we his children has nothing to lose if you dont serve God. Its all about saving your own soul from eternal hell. Rpent now pls. Give your life to Jesus Christ.

If he needs us to repent he should learn to make public appearances like appearing in wembley stadium just before the FA Cup final or in the U.S.A just before the start of the superbowl etc. So please tell your friend called Jesus that the next time he appears to you on a purely one to one basis in your imagination.

Oh and pleae by the way i hope you haven't forgotton this link https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-445085.0.html.

GOD IF YOU EXIST AS THE CHRISTIANS WANT US TO BELIEVE , THEN LET ME BE BLIND FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS FROM NOW

The only time i lose my eyesight is when am asleep

manmustwac:

If he needs us to repent he should learn to make public appearances like appearing in wembley stadium just before the FA Cup final or in the U.S.A just before the start of the superbowl etc. So please tell your friend called Jesus that the next time he appears to you on a purely one to one basis in your imagination.

He does watch the superbowl!! Matter of fact, he watches football every sunday. First he listens to Nigerians b#tch and moan in churches and perform miracles through the MOGs, then he turns is attention to his favorite team. The Dallas Cowboys!! But he's always INCOGNITO in his sky box.

plappville:

A day will come when u will totally change your Views. if u ve negetive views on Christ, i wonder why u will even go closer ay the first place.  but, it may also be that u may become one of us soon if u continue to recieve the word despite your views. I pray God open your eyes, its for your own soul, help it. Jesus is Lord.

You just think and reason from the religious perspective that you were born and bred into. Let me tell you something. You don't know me so all this crap you talk about your God opening my eyes will never happen. Fire is real but the other fire called hellfire is imaginary. To prove my point we all know if you play with fire you get burned. So we don't play with fire. But then the other fire called hellfire Politicans Pastors our Police play with it all the time. Have you seen the picture with Pastor Chris and suspected Delta State Governor murderer Emmanuel Uduaghan at Pastors birthday party. The fact that the Governor can kill his political rivial and Pator Chris even entertain him proves that they're both not afraid of imaginary hellfire.

An unsuspecting brethren will take you as one of them only for you to be exhibiting characters that will make them fall into temptation and probably miss heaven if they dont repent

hmm, interesting.

plappville:
. . .

But why only to "church" now? Why not also mosque, Babalawo/Ọṣun/Ogun/Ṣango/etc shrine or temple, Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, Jewish synagogues, atheists' chaplaincies?

Becos Church is the only true place.

I feel you, jare! Even in America, they have the choice of the mosque, Scientology place of worship, Jewish synagogue, Kabbalah place, Buddhist temple, Hindu (including Hare Krishna) temple, Jehovah's Witnesses kingdom hall etc etc etc ------ nah, but na church them choose! 

The opening post says:

"They want to teach their children to be free thinkers, to give them religious choices, and so they take their children to religious organizations just to give them exposure to religion."

If the case is to avoid "indoctrination", make the children "freethinkers" (I laugh!) and to give the children "freedom of choice", the intellectual and honest thing to do is to "rotate" e.g. some weeks/months to church, some to mosque, some to Scientology, some to Kabbalah, some to Hare Krishna etc.

Unless maybe it is something else ----- the wiser , nah, the less foolish among the atheists know inwardly what is good for them and their children --- though duplicity, among other things, prevents them from open admission of the fact.

Meanwhile on this very thread we have one apparent atheist (almost certainly of Nigerian extraction) saying he takes his children to church. We also have a self-avowed atheist (certainly of Nigerian extraction) saying he has been to church a few times. But I bet they will not hastily go or take their children to Babalawos (they are in London and US too) or to the shrines/temples of Ogun/Amadioha/Urhobo deities/Ṣango or maybe even to the mosque. 

The report was on just 17% of those who described themselves as non-believers. Note how they arrived at that figure. They selected people who havd been to church more than once in a year. What a way of picking people to consider as being somehow seriously motivated to go to church. And note once more that it was only 17% of the total.

Then there is the fact that this study was funded by the Templeton foundation which somehow seems to have biased a lot of Ecklund's previous research findings.

This short article does a good job in pointing out the other reasons why these non-believers may go to church.