The offended, the religious and the atheist

Its now been almost five years since I’ve chosen my mode of faith, since I’ve taken that leap of faith, since I’ve visited a temple, a mosque or a church. It’s now been almost five years since I’ve started believing in people, and in science, in evolution, I am an atheist now. I came out, so as to say.

While growing up, I was never given stern commands to visit a temple, being born a Hindu. My father always educated me about the different religions and the different cultures. There was a choice, there was always a choice. As a young kid growing up, God comes to you as a super man. The only sole power, your soul guardian, but again someone who could punish you if you did wrong.

But there comes a time, when you take a moment to stop and think. There comes a moment when you realize that enough is enough, enough of the suicide bombings, enough of the random religious killings, enough of the fake God channels, enough of faith cutting us apart and preparing us for battle. Science, I believe has come to liberate us here, making sense to all the queries and the randomness. Evolution is my new savior. Richard Dawkins, renowned author and atheist rates himself only a 6.9 on a scale of 7, where 1 makes you a religious prick and 7 being a complete atheist. There is only so much science can prove, we are still evolving, we are still a young world when it comes to science. And science will show the way, sooner or later, of how such a wonderful thing as the earth came to being. It could be randomness, it could be God, but I rather wait. Like my dear evangelical Christian friend once proclaimed, I am a believer, Halleluah!

People often have misconceptions and stigmas attached to atheism. It’s not anti- God, its not anti- Christ, and it’s not a religion. Atheists are people who simply choose, not to believe in God. We are not brothers, we are not a clan, and we don’t congregate to decide how to convert the others. It’s just a feeling of being free, not restricted by society, not restricted by rules and misnomers, not praying to my imaginary friend.

The world in itself has become such a precarious place, with people electing to be offended. It’s the new thing; people find ways to be offended, they crave to be offended. Taking offense against religion, against country, against race, color, against jokes and country policies and what not. The opposite sex is no less guilty for this craving of being offended. The minority as so lovingly they are called. Being offended when being asked ones phone number, when being asked out, when someone professes their love. It’s a dangerous situation we are leading ourselves into; there will come a time when we would think twice about asking someone their name, would I offend her/him now?

I think to myself, I am any different, do I get offended? Sure I do, I get offended when someone ridicules my favorite football club, or my favorite players or my favorite actor. But would I be wiling to kill someone for my leap of faith?  Now, what offends me the most is stupidity. I just cannot identify with a person who chooses to die by his faith and someone who gives precedence to his faith more than anything. He refuses to be swayed by logic, facts and reasoning. I’m not just talking about religious people, this stigma is attached to everyone with a blind faith attached to it. But maybe its faith that pulls them through, that keeps them going, the thing that makes them yearn for more. Sure, but at what cost? But the more importance question is; can faith be offended? Faith by design stands a chance of being offended.

The most important argument that evangelicals post is that of the moral argument. Would we humans be moral if not for our religious teachings? I understand society, its values not because of my religious study, but because of how I was engineered (scientifically may I add).

Each day, people force themselves to move apart from each other. There is suddenly that invisible white line that separates all of us, pushing us apart. Where is the faith that we should put in another human being. Why is it so hard for us to trust another being? Why is everything so complicated, why are people so hard headed. We all just need to relax, take a back seat and listen. Spread the love, and live life. We need to open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts and embrace each other; not because he/her is a Christian or a Hindu or an Indian or a Pakistani, but because of his/her good heart.

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