To Believe or Not to Believe

The viewpoint of a fifteen-year-old atheist in a closed Jewish community.

They say I grew up privileged, that I always had everything given to me. They claim it is now time to grow up and prepare myself for the real world: the world that awaits once my high school days are behind me. I would do anything to get out of here… so I wonder exactly what 'real world' they are referring to. Perhaps I live life oblivious to the fact that it is unlike the movies, but then again, quoting Edgar Allan Poe, how do we know that this is not all a dream within a dream? Life is only as real as you want it to be, although that might not be the case for those struggling to make ends meet or for those who don't know when their next meal may be. 

I have a hard time believing that there is less bad than good in the world, because there is terrorism, poverty and hatred everywhere we go. Everybody has a different reality, as it varies from person to person, but in the end, the human race is one and the same. But since things are never as they seem, one can never distinguish between those who are purposely wearing a mask, covering their intentions, and between those who are just waiting to be unveiled. The people around me, though, make me feel as though I am ungrateful for all that I have, even though I am fully aware. 

My lack of faith is not about that, and yet it is not respected among those judgmental, close-minded people, so I must be strong and hold my beliefs firmly and dearly. I have been brainwashed enough through the Jewish education I have received since the age of five. Those people are also the ones who claim I should feel blessed to be Jewish. Well, without labeling myself to be full-on atheist, I object to the fact we should live our lives for any being other than ourselves. That isn't to say we cannot volunteer and help those in need whenever we can, but if we try to please everyone all of the time, we end up feeling a whole lot worse than if we had followed our own heart. 

I indeed have had a very comfortable lifestyle. However, I have always been seeking more. It is not so much that I don't believe in God; simply put, his presence -- whether or not it is real -- simply doesn't affect me. Nobody understands (not that I expect them to), since I have a healthy family, I have my three meals a day (and then some), I travel, have a roof over my head, cozy clothes, and extra luxuries. Quite controversial, as I see less-fortunate people wandering through life calmly with full faith. To the contrary, studies have shown that money does not guarantee happiness; in fact, depression is common among those that are wealthy. I have reasons to my everyday agony, which is only partial to my becoming this way. My reasoning is not completely about logic, either, although logic does seem to defy a higher power in one too many ways. 

For example, the Big Bang Theory, although not completely proven, is a very plausible explanation as to why we are here. Another case in point is how corrupt the world has become and how corrupt it has been since the infamous tale of Adam and Eve. 

The religious Christians will claim that the devil is playing against God and that is why there is evil, while the Jews will claim that God gave us free will and we are therefore allowed to do as we please. But God, according to the Jews, supposedly also knows what is going to happen in the world, at any given moment during the day. If there is a God, this means one of two things: either God is not completely innocent, or our free will is limited to the fact that whatever happens, is fated to happen, and is going to happen, ultimately, regardless of what we say or do. 

But defending the Big Bang Theory, up until 1965, that idea was usually compared with another theory: perhaps the planets are not moving away from each other so much as new matter is being created. Plus mass can supposedly turn into energy, and vice versa. Everything begs to differ, because if matter cannot be created or destroyed, this hypothetical scenario isn't possible. So I suppose the Big Bang Theory is now the idea that remains standing. An explosion, so to speak, is said to have created the world, which means we basically raised and controlled ourselves. That would explain why the world is so corrupt from the broad atheist's point of view.

While it is true that some atheists become atheists because it is more simple than having to sacrifice for a higher power and such, in most cases, atheists get wake-up calls. Sometimes they were raised by atheist families, but more often than not, it is a process that takes research, experience and contemplation. It isn't like they wake up one morning and decide that they're atheists. In fact, atheists actually question the world in a deeper way than people of religion generally do. The irony is that atheists actually have to debate often, so if God is nonfiction, then he still gets most people and their lives to revolve around him. I personally find that if he does exist, he is quite greedy. 

Going back to atheists having a deeper level of thinking, they want to know the reason behind things and won't settle for things that have no logic or proof. Statistically speaking, atheists dominate one of the biggest populations in the world; after the three major religions -- Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam -- there are more atheists than any actual religion. I can certainly see how Buddhist beliefs are so dominant; I, myself, like to follow some of their core values. Their main goal, after all, is that letting go of material objects, will release you from emptiness and pain. The thing is, their core values are more important to their system than actual praise of a higher power. In fact, a big percentage of them are not monotheistic; some don't believe in God altogether. The cynics will always claim that society is negatively engined, atheist or not. What I like about Buddhism is that it is about meditation and digging deeper into yourself to feel at peace, not about God or a variety of them. 

Personally, I despise extremists and, mentally, I actually refer to my religious classes as inspiration for creative writing. Coming from the 21st century perspective, the bible is easily adaptable and can be considered a book of tales, what with all the talking animals and unrealistic scenarios. 

All of this isn't to say I am completely opposed to the possibility that God exists, but some people that do believe in God are followers. They are clearly too lazy to question things and are go-with-the-flow people who simply believe what they are told to believe. I am open-minded, unlike most religious people, but the thing is that I do not care for a God, so his presence -- or lack thereof -- doesn't affect the way in which I speak or the actions in which I take. I try to live each day to the fullest even though, given certain personal circumstances, it isn't easy. It's hard to make my case, but it's also hard for people to prove that God exists, so until one side or the other is proved, disputes will continue taking place. The world is unfair, cruel and will always disagree. The world, as we once knew it, has come to an end, even if it physically remains. War has been a part of daily life since the beginnings of time, so it's not likely to go away, but it is actually increasing. So I believe we should put our differences aside and stop trying to compel one another to share our beliefs. 

Once we learn to live in harmony with each other, or at least accept one another for who we are, that is when the meaning of life will be fulfilled -- which should be our mission in life whether or not God exists: to change the world. The generations to come should see better days, and we should create a better tomorrow. We all need something to believe in, and we have enough war as is, so we don't need to force others into believing otherwise. We should smile that we have made it through together.

To conclude, I am not naive enough to hope for world peace, but I strive to gain tolerance of all others, avoid meaningless drama and make those around me happier, one day at a time. Disbelief in God does not excuse anyone from being a good person, and that is the message in which I hope to convey. Be the change that causes more peace in the world, and accept everybody, regardless of their color, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference or race.

By Kate Parker

Author's Note

Would love any kind of feedback, just be respectful.

Reviews

[613]

This is an interesting point of view. Cool for sharing!

- Brittney

[lost girl]

I thought an atheist, was someone who believed in nothing at all? For example. I believe in many things but not specifically religion. I was raised Roman Catholic, but fancy myself as what I call a believer. some call themselves christian but I think I am a bit more into natural and spiritual occurance.