Reactions on my Atheism !!

Much like in many other cultures, religion was force-fed to me and my brothers by my devout Hindu parents and all our relatives. Praying everyday was highly encouraged, and most festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Krishna Janmashtami, and Navratri, were celebrated with a fair dose of reciting shlokas in the morning after taking bath, where the entire family would sit with hands firmly clasped in prayer, as all of us would recite Sanskrit verses that we never understood the meanings for. Somehow, we were made to believe that reciting those shlokas would win the favour of the numerous deities whose images in framed pictures were hung on the wall before us in a room called the 'Puja Room' (a room whose sole purpose is to hold pictures of gods). 

 And then I started reading. And more reading. And then, internet happened ... in a big way. I began to view things rationally and to not take things for granted, merely because they were incorporated into my life by my parents, family, and the vociferously vocal, theist society around me. I read and heard likes of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, watched several documentaries, debates, discussions and finally science made the most sense to me for the worldview. Its methods and validations were the most reliable and sensible. And even though it's difficult to pin it down to a specific date, I became an atheist and shunned all belief in the several supernatural deities and associated rituals.

Here is a testimony of how everyone around me reacted or is reacting on this  ---



Mum and Dad

  


Society, they say, begins at your home. So, it's only fair I write about their reactions first. My mum, till date, doesn't understand where I drew my 'misguided' inspirations from, and probably believes that much like many other people in India, I believed in atheism for the wrong reasons, which includes 'being cool'. According to her, I am just an ill-informed rebellious kid. Even yesterday, she wanted me to organize a pooja at home for welcoming her grand-daughter. In short, my mum lives in a state of delusion, where she completely ignores my atheism. My Dad couldn't comprehend the very concept of "Atheism" as he don't believe in the existence of any 'human being' who don't believe in the existence of 'The Supreme Lord' who had created and now maintains this world.
  



Brothers

Being the youngest one, my brother/s strongly believes that I am an immature infant or I'm just trying to be a rebel or cool. They think that my 'atheism' is just a  passing fad which will go away with my deeper indulgence in my family life, and hence don't give much heed to my views and arguments. They are not a hardcore ritualistic people, but at the same time they don't shy away from celebrating all Indian festivals and its associated rituals (with all its absurdities).  They will listen to my arguments, show their acceptance in my point of view and then end the discussion with - "All is Fine. But don't say 'no' to mom and dad for praying or for any rituals they ask you to perform. That will hurt them !! There is no harm folding your hands just to pay respect to your parents."

Well, all I could respond to that is -- "This is how it all starts !! " Plus, I have many more avenues to resort on in order to pay respect to my parents other than accompanying them in their delusion !!



Wife

My wife is an agnostic. Although I love to get into debates with my wife on the veracity of religions and the existence of God(s) and she agrees with me in most of my rational point of views, but she just don't want me to get indulge in any arguments with anyone on this topic (when this topic comes, even she considers discussions as arguments).

I have a sneaking suspicion that she would like to believe in some God to find out why on Earth she married me !!




Friends
 
As an atheist with differing opinions about many issues related belief in God, I occasionally get into discussions and arguments with my friends (if not them, who else?). Few take it pretty personally some times, and sometimes get annoyed that something they hold so preciously doesn't find a taker in me.

Some of my friends are pretty strong with fundamentals of religion and its intricacies (I have not even read Bhagwat-Geeta or any other scripture for the matter of fact).
I have had some arguments with these fundamentalists and my opinions were so blasphemous (but convincing) that it ended like this -

Some of my friends have another way of looking at life. They preach - Just dont think about anything. Just live your life. Just don't think of how this world operates. Just worry how your life operates.  Just enjoy your life. Don't try to draw connection between our ignorance and surrounding atrocities. Close your eyes for what's going on around you. If you question anything, I mean 'anything', you are just 'overthinking'. Period !!

Society

On the whole, I try not to deliberately flout practices that'll land me in trouble. Wearing sandals to temple, having loud conversations when somebody's praying, frowning when a colleague mentions that he's recently gone to a temple, having theist vs atheist debates at work ... you get the idea. I try not to be condescending of their beliefs, as delusionary as they may seem to me, and I notice that nobody goes out of their way to force their beliefs on me.
 
When it comes to other sections of society like uncles, aunts, family doctors etc., as of now nobody knows about it, but I know how their reaction would be like if they discover it somehow -
"Aaj kal ladko ka kuch nahi ho sakta hai ... 2-4 kitaab kya padh lete hai apne ko bhagwaan se uppar samjne lagte hai"

On the whole, the urban society that I live in lets me be, as long as I let them be.

However, you're constantly aware that people think you'd be finer if you were a theist, instead of being an arrogant, ill-informed atheist.


Atheist vs New Atheist

In western world, New Atheism is in rise. What is New Atheism ?
Its nothing but atheists coming out of their closet and openly accepting and declaring their new religion i.e. Atheism. They no more want to keep this fact with themselves and keep passing the falsehood about God and Religion to next generation. Some generation has to stop all these absurdities, then why not ours !!

Why I have chosen to be part of "New Atheism" and not "Atheism" ?
As I strongly believe, that existence of God is a man-made concept invented some thousands of years ago, and spread through word of mouth, generation after generation, and made this falsehood appear so real by making everybody around believe in it.

Hence I believe that this falsehood can be reversed by the same process in opposite direction, to convey the truth to next generation so that generation after generation the word is spread and maybe after few hundred generations, this falsehood is completely curbed and people again start living and stop relying.

I just want my generation in my family to be the last generation to grow up with "The God Delusion" !!