Atheism is an acquired position and children are naturally inclined to have a theistic worldview.

[An *Academic* Thread]

One of the arguments made against the atheist position is that God as a concept is a self-evident truth. That means the concept is accepted without demanding evidence.

Some other examples of self-evident truths:

- human rationality is valid
- causality
- the past is real, etc.

These truths do not demand evidence to be proven but, anyone rejecting them would need to present their proofs.

'the past is not real' or 'the laws of nature don't apply in galaxy X' or 'God doesn't exist' etc.

Saying any of the above (denials) are claims needing proof

Of the many reasons why God as a concept is argued to be a self-evident truth, one reason is that the idea of God is untaught and intuitive.

Unlike tooth fairies, monsters, dragons, children don't need to be taught about the concept of God. Here is the academic proof for this:

Dr. Deborah Kelemen who is the professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, and particularly an expert in child cognition, described this phenomenon as "intuitive theism" based on her extensive research.

In the research "Intuitive Beliefs About Nature as Purposefully Created Among Different Groups of Non-Religious Adults" it is shown how even atheists subconsciously assume natural objects to be designed.

Three study groups were tested here. These results are very interesting

The study actually goes on to call atheism as being "cognitively effortful" and “the current findings suggest that there is a deeply rooted natural tendency to view nature as designed”. All of this shows how intellectually exhausting and unnatural the atheist position is.

In his book, Born Believers: the science of children's religious beliefs, the Oxford psychologist and anthropologist, Dr. Justin Barrett asserts that children believe in "the natural religion" where a non-human, and supernatural being created the universe.

In this book, the Oxford psychologist, Olivera Petrovich stresses on how children form understandings of God *independent of cultural input*.

She also stresses on how belief in a non-anthropormorphic God is natural, and atheism is an acquired position.

All of the academic evidence points to the idea that children intuitively grasp the concept of God without having to be taught. Atheism needs to be indoctrinated at an early age, which is mentally and cognitively taxing.

I'll conclude with this hadith by Rasulallah, salallahu alayhi wasallam:

All these brilliant arguments (and many, many more) along with references to the academic research can be found in the book "Divine Reality" by Hamza Tzortzis. All of these were found from Chapter 4 of the book.

One more study I had come across and forgotten to include is by Professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale university, Paul Bloom. He too affirms this view