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[8/06/2010]
I have this friend who is an atheist.
Now, I have nothing against them. In fact, I think it's perfectly logical, moreso than actively having faith in God. This friend, however, has the odd habit of reassuring himself and the world around him that atheism is the correct choice, constantly making snide remarks about how not believing in God somehow makes him superior to most.
This irritates me.
Religious belief is not as simple as worshipping a divine figure. We are born into a world where God is a powerful symbol in many senses, and thus our upbringing will reflect that. Being told about a supreme figure since birth, oftentimes one could be brought to a divine path without even knowing another one, which is why some are so dedicated and irrational.
Such is not my case. My family, particularly my mother, is deeply religious. When I was born, mom made a point to return to her hometown and bless me in a church there, and ever since I was a kid we go to the church. Because of certain circumstances, she cannot go the church as much as she would like to nowadays, but her faith remains strong — and, sometimes, the only thing capable of making her stand. Mine, however, waned as our life declined. I started seeing contradictions in the holy book, I couldn't stand the hipocrisy of the church, but I remained faithful to Him, and I still do.
You see, it can't be as simple as believing there is a divine figure that watches above us. That would be shallow and meaningless. No, belief in God comes in a much wider spectrum that concerns most primordial questions — where do we come from, where do we go, what is our purpose and so on. I don't blame God, I blame humanity; similarly, I don't thank God, but myself, except when I am so desperate that praying for Him is the only thing I can think of. I know what some of you would say, that if I succeed after praying for Him it would still be my success, not His.
But, I did pray for His help, and so I feel obligated to at least say "thank you" regardless of whose success it is. The way I see it, praying could either have eased my consciousness or it could have made Him smile upon me. Either way, nothing would have been achieved if He didn't exist, either as a symbol or divine being. Which one, I will never know.
Of course, one could argue that I could simply stand on my own two legs instead of relying on some unknown figure, but if I chose to, in this world that stands before my eyes as a religious one, why would others need to criticize this decision?
The last two paragraphs could perhaps define me as agnostic, but I don't see myself as such. While I concede that He might not exist, that He might've been born precisely from this weakness that made me pray for His help, I do believe Him, because I chose to, because I need to. I've heard people saying that not believing in God makes them free to do whatever they please, but I don't see myself imprisoned; on the contrary, I've seen them reach the same depths that I did, but when I am at my worst, I do have God to keep me company and bring me up. To those that don't need so, congratulations.
Well, all flowers and butterflies, but I still haven't made my point, have I? I've just ranted and explained my own views to those interested, one of whom you might me since you are still reading. I have conceded that religion can be harmful, that a religious upbringing may affect who you are in a negative manner and can even be abusive. I have said that I can't stand the hypocrisy of both the church and the bible and that some believers are irrational, and that those who don't believe in God might stand on their own two legs more easily. Why is it, then, that this friend of mine makes me so angry?
Because atheism stands for reason.
I am well aware that there is more than one definition of atheism, but I disregard them in the same way many atheists I've seen disregard the positive aspects of religion, always aiming to "win" discussions instead of defending oneself with truthfulness, lecturing others about atheism in the same way they were lectured about religious belief. People might have reasons to believe, y'know? To me, they scream that they hate God instead of not believing Him, which isn't reasonable at all. In fact, it makes them closer to obsessive preachers. Now, this must mean I hate half of the world, right? Not at all.
People have every right to say what they think, as do I when I make a point against them. But this guy is a close friend, and the way he criticizes and trolls religion is disrespectful to me. It feels like he called my mother a whore, and while the world may think my mother is a whore, I don't want him screaming he had sex with her in my ear. Furthermore, he keeps trolling and instigating discussions in a place where they simply aren't possible, without ever stating his reasons.
It might not be logical, it might be weak. Hell, you might even lose the few bits of respect you still have for me — but please, try to be rational when you're about to criticize my choice. That you are a close friend doing that, knowing fully what I think and not even trying to explain your actions, hurts me.Labels: life
Por Allec Ribeiro às [8:34 PM]