Recently, I had occasion to converse with a few young
atheists including my brother. Out of curiosity on them swimming against the
current, I asked them about their reason for being an atheist. Many of them, including
my brother have got exceptional intelligence and generous perspective,
nevertheless their reasoning for the decision of rejecting their creator seemed
inappropriate and childish. The fun factor is, most of them used to have
intense faith in God in their earlier days. Later when they studied religion in
depth, they found that God does not exist!!! As mentioned earlier, ‘the curious
me’ in me asked them what is the essence of that deep knowledge about God and
many of the great atheists intelligently avoided my question. When the
‘assiduous me’ in me repeated the same question, many atheist scholars bid me
good bye.
From their short answers, I made an abrupt picture about the
exact reason of them being atheists.
Let’s categorize them in the chronological order of ages of these great
thinkers.
First set- Teenagers
It’s normal for teenagers to have ‘told and untold love
stories’. They prayed hard for having their lovers as their partners. “Alas!!
This God!!! He never hears our prayers!!! God, do you really exist? If yes, why
don’t you listen my prayers? Why she/he left me? I loved her/him so much, yet
you never cared about my pure heart. I hate you. By the way, do you really
exist????” Finally, the intellectual reasoning of these great intellects comes
out, “that God does not exist, if he does, he would have answered my prayers.”
Second set- Youth
“I always considered me as the best personality in my
campus/ neighborhood. There are some low profile youth also dwell in my
neighborhood. No one in my area will deny the fact that, I have a higher range
of intelligence, education, beauty and personality than those low profile peers
of mine. Yet, they got better career, better life, better marriage and better
amenities. I still am suffering under poverty, dependence, drudgery and
frustration. Why am I into this? Why God is not listening my prayers? Can’t he
see my tears? God, do you really exist?
I don’t think you exist, if you do, you will never be able to allow this
injustice. So, God does not exist!!!
Third Set- Offspring’s
of rich parents
“I have everything I do desire. I never was in want. Then
why should I waste my time going to church/mosque/temple. If I could avoid
that, I can spend that time with new girls/boys. Or else, I can go on an
exploration of various adventures. As I don’t need a God, why should I worship
him? So, lets join the group of atheists where, I can come across with
different types of limitless amusements.”
Though, there can be other types of atheists, primary
classification finds these three common types I could find during my observation.
Once an atheist is born, he or she keeps themselves engaged in activities that
will grow the faith of atheism in them. In this stage of infancy, they will be
on a search of people with similar faith. They depend on ways like theological
group discussions, participation in extreme Marxist meetings, Social media
marketing etc. to form themselves as atheist groups. Once these groups are
formed, they will together share their intellectual knowledge to prove that the
God does not exist.
Forth set- So called ‘atheist’
leaders
“I was instrumental to add a lot of normal human beings to abnormal
atheism during my lifetime. Now, I have grown old and am not sure about the
events after death. Will there be a hell? If yes, will I go there after my
death? I really do want to go to heaven, but will God accept me now? But, being
widely respected as the leader of atheists, how will I publicly confide that I renounced
my faith in atheism? God, please help me to hide my faith in you. Please save
me from hell.”
Death being the ultimate reality of life, usually almost all
the atheists bid goodbye to their faith in atheism as they grow older and
older. The fear of hell is the primary cause for this great conversion and
renewal of minds. During my survey, I could find a lot of erstwhile atheists
visiting temples, mosques and churches. I must say, the rate of conversion of
atheists to Christian faith was comparatively higher than other faith streams. But
of course, atheist committee leaders were reluctant to attend these religious
worship in public.
An overview- It’s an
interview
As part of my data collection, I had occasion to speak to a
university professor whose name, I am not authorized to reveal. He is a
research scholar in sociology. I will quote the significant parts of our
interview here.
I -Good evening sir
Atheist -Good Evening
Jisha. How are you? How is your God? Is he still alive?
I -Well, I am cool sir, and my God indeed
is the coolest
Atheist - By the
way, why are you wasting your time on interviewing the ‘normal people’ like us.
Its better for you to converse with Mad worshippers of God whose disposition
will go very well with you.
I - I
understand your concern sir. But this is a part of my social research. I also
thought of having an idea about your reasons to reject God.
Atheist- Good Jisha. Enthusiastic people like you if
understand the reality about God, this earth will be a better place to live in.
(continues with Terrorism, polygamy, corruption, autocracy, anarchy, social
stratification, unequal status of women and other social dysfunctions) If there
was a God, he would not have let all this happen to his creation.
I - Then what do you suggest on the reason of existence
of this universe?
Atheist- It’s a very silly question. I didn’t expect such a
foolish question from you. Now, don’t tell me that your God created this
universe. Jisha, haven’t you read about the
big bang theory?
I - Sir, I didn’t
give any statement on the creation of this universe, Instead I asked for your
idea about the beginning of this universe.
(It took a few minutes for me to make him understand that my
intention was not criticism. When the ice broke, there was a flow of knowledge
in abundance.)
Atheist- Jisha, life is not created. It is originated. Let
me explain it with the example of a virus. Out of a resource pool like a human
body, a virus is just a chemical compound or we can say a chemical element.
Once it enters a resource pool like blood, it becomes a living being and starts
to reproduce. This is the norm of life.
I - So, in
your opinion any chemical element can become a virus?
Atheist- Yes, you said it!!......
I - But sir,
Sorry for the intervention!!! if my science teacher was not wrong, outside a
resource pool, a virus cell is a protein coated nucleic acid. It could be either
DNA or RNA and it is named as virion.
Atheist- Yes, it could be!!! But, Don’t you know, it’s a non
living cell out of the human body. Similarly, any non living cell can have life
if there is a constant source of resource to provide it with life.
I - I do
agree with you, sir, Even the resource available in a dead body can be a source
of energy for the virus to reproduce. Meanwhile, can I have permission to ask
two doubts regarding your idea about life on earth.
Atheist -Yes, Jisha, go on….
I - You
took the example of virus to prove the irrelevance of God in the creation of
life. As I said, virion is a protein coated amino acid molecule. Its true that
we can develop such an amino acid molecule in the laboratory conditions, now my
doubts
1. how does it form
without the presence of an external force in the beginning?
2. what resource pool would have been assisted it to
reproduce?
Atheist- Jisha, you know, I am not a science scholar. My
subject is sociology and philosophy. Yet, I will answer the question. I hope a
scientist can give you a better answer…Now, your question
First question- These laboratory conditions could have been
created by the after effects of the big bang that produced a lot of heat energy
and light. The physical conditions required for the formation of these amino
acids could be the after effects of the big bang.
Second question-. The subject of resource pool is applicable
only after the formation of chemical. Now we are discussing about the formation
of the non-living chemical. Not about life. So, its an irrelevant doubt for
time being.
I -first answer - I do agree with the argument sir. If the
intense amount of heat and light were the pre-requisites of the formation of
amino acids, now how is it formed in the nature without releasing any such huge
heat and light.
Second answer -
Suppose if I agree that your argument is right in terms of the formation
of amino acids, what about the resource pool that helped it to reproduce?
Atheist- I know you don’t agree with the argument. As I
said, I am not a science scholar. A scientist may explain it without flaws.
There is a key term behind it. That is energy. Recently, you might have read
about the discovery of gravitational waves. A gravitational wave that is formed
during the collision of two space objects before several million years was
identified recently. Such a movement could have been the source of this energy.
I - I don’t think
that a movement can produce any energy. The chance is the conversion of mechanical
energy into static energy, which in reality is very unlikely.
Atheist- Whether mechanical or static, you are agreeing the
involvement of energy in the formation of life, don’t you?
I - I don’t. Normally,
the mankind accepts the involvement of God in the mystical formation of amino
acids and the required conditions for it to reproduce. Those who do not want to
agree with it will ask the same question in a different attire” which one
existed first: egg or chicken?”
Atheist- Jisha, I already told you about my lack of
knowledge in this subject- But, I would
never accept the notion of the existence of an invisible God. If God was
existed, we could have been able to see him or her with our naked eyes. In
fact, God is a feeling of tensed human mind. This feeling consoles human being
that there is a life after death where, I will never have any pain or tears. Of
course, I must agree that many god fearing people controls themselves from
committing big mistakes. You, being a god’s woman may name it as a sin. But for
me, there is nothing in the name of sin. Let me be clear once again. I believe
only in visible and tangible things. Not in invisible notions.
I - I really don’t
want to argue, yet would like to express my idea in this regard. For that, I
would like to ask a few questions.
Question- Can you touch the wooden chair you sit? Answer -Yes. I believe its existence.
Question – Are you sure, you can sit on this chair after 50
years Answer- No
Inference- The wood keeps on dying. Its decaying.
Question- Are your parents alive? Answer – No
When did they breathed their last? Answer- It’s almost 10 years
Question- Do you remember them now? Answer- I do remember
them though they are not tangible, but this is different……continues
Inference- emotions like memory, love etc though not tangible, do
exist.
Conclusion about “reality”
The main argument I heard while speaking to a large variety
of people was that ‘God is not real because he is invisible’. Now, let’s see
what is meant by reality? The visible, tangible and the real chair decays and
may vanish within the next few years. Invisible, intangible and spiritual feelings
exist without any decay. If you can
touch something, it is less real than spiritual. Everything we touch and
see…its not exactly as it will be…everything is decaying…. there’s less hope in
real…