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Unlock This CourseIn Reasons to Believe: First Cause, Design and Experience you met the idea of religious authority, and in Agnosticism and Atheism: Reasons for Doubt and Unbelief you met doubt and a non-religious upbringing. This lesson shows how Sikhs respond to those ideas.
Many Sikhs say that belief in God grows partly through nurture. Sikhs also believe that God's grace and a person's own effort matter, so nurture opens the door but does not force anyone through it.
Key terms:
Many Sikh families say set prayers each day, often in the morning and the evening, and some keep a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib or its hymns at home. Children who grow up hearing God's name every day come to see God as part of normal life.
Parents and grandparents tell sakhis. These stories show the Gurus living out their faith, so children learn Sikh values such as honesty, courage and service through people they can admire.
Many families choose a baby's name with the help of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is opened at random, and the first letter of the first word of the hymn on the left-hand page is used to begin the name. This starts a child's life with the Guru's guidance. (The ceremony is studied in Paper 2.)
Families take part in sewa (selfless service, also spelt seva) together, for example helping to cook or serve in the gurdwara. Children learn that belief in God shows itself in helping others.
The gurdwara is where the Sikh community, the sangat, meets. It supports belief in several ways:
Nurture gives a young Sikh knowledge, habits and a community that all point towards God. It is an influence, not a proof. Some Sikhs say nurture alone is not enough: a person must come to know God for themselves through prayer, remembering God and service.
Sikhs treat the Guru Granth Sahib as their highest authority. Its 1,430 pages hold the words of the Sikh Gurus, along with hymns by some Hindu and Muslim saints, such as Kabir, Ravidas and Farid. In 1708 the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, declared that after him the Guru Granth Sahib would be the living Guru for Sikhs. How it is treated in the gurdwara is studied in Paper 2.
Why is it an authority for belief in God?
A non-Sikh might reply that this only works if you already believe, and Sikhs know that. Many say the Guru's words prove themselves when someone lives by them and finds peace.
Many Sikhs say science explains how the universe works while their faith explains why it exists, so the two can sit side by side. Others stress that God's creation is greater than we can fully know.
Sikhs say God is not found by argument alone but by experience, through remembering God's name and through the Guru's teaching. For them belief is not about winning a debate.
Some people doubt God because of suffering. Sikhs reply that God's order (hukam) and human actions (karma) are part of the picture, and they respond by helping those who suffer. (See Evil and Suffering: Sikh Teachings.)
Sikhism teaches that there is one God for everyone, and it includes the words of Hindu and Muslim saints in its scripture. Sikhs can therefore say that different religions are different paths to the one God, while Sikhs still follow the Gurus' teaching.
A non-religious upbringing: Sikhs believe anyone can turn towards God. Gurdwaras welcome people of every background, and the langar is open to all. A person raised without religion can still be moved by the sangat, by kirtan, or by service and begin to follow the Guru.
Not all Sikhs agree on how much weight to give each reason. Some stress family and the gurdwara. Others stress personal experience and the words of the Guru.
(a) Identify three ways a gurdwara may help young Sikhs to grow in their faith. [3 marks] (AO1)
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two ways the family may influence belief in God in this religion. [4 marks] (AO1)
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why the holy book is an authority for belief in God in this religion. [6 marks] (AO1, AO2)
(d) "Growing up in a religious family is the best reason for believing in God." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks] (AO1, AO2)
(a) 1. Kirtan classes (1) 2. Langar (1) 3. Punjabi classes (1)
(b) In Sikhism families pray at home each day (1), which makes the name of God a normal part of a child's life (1). Parents tell stories of the Gurus (1), so children learn Sikh values from people they admire (1).
(c) Sikhs treat the Guru Granth Sahib as the living Guru, so its words have the highest authority (1). It contains the Gurus' own experience of God (1), so Sikhs believe it shows them the truth about God directly (1). It gives guidance on how to live, so a Sikh can turn to it in times of doubt (1). Sikhs believe the words come from God, which is why they bow to it and listen to it in worship (1). Because of this, their belief in God is supported by the Guru's teaching, not only by their own opinion (1).
(d) Plan. For: family prayer, sakhis, sewa and the gurdwara give Sikh children knowledge, habits and a community from the start; many people only know a faith because they were taught it. Against: Sikhs also stress personal experience, grace and the Guru's words, so nurture is not enough on its own; some people from non-religious homes become Sikhs, and some raised as Sikhs lose faith; a non-religious view could say upbringing explains belief but does not prove it. Conclusion: upbringing is a strong influence and often the starting point, but the best reason is the one a person has tested for themselves, so the statement is only partly true.
In a "Choose one religion" question, name Sikhism in your first sentence and use Sikh terms, such as sewa or sangat, in every point.