Kumbaya

Kumbaya 

Religion. What a delicate subject to broach. I don't understand its premise, and so I do not believe in God. Contrary to the title of my blog, Kumbaya, I in fact do not believe that there is a higher, omnipresent being dictating the very fabric of time and space. Unless...you count Time Lords in which case, if there are British gentleman flying around in their Time And Relative Dimension In Space (TARDIS) capsule, I wouldn't mind devoting my faith to them because they have saved the universe multiple times. Its all documented as well! 

Alas, it is but a fictional show. 

I discovered the word "Kumbaya" only recently from Hopsin who published a song by the same title back in 2020. That said, I only bothered to research what the word only today. Don't ask why. The word "Kumbaya" is of African American origin, and is known to be sung in the Gullah culture which ties in with to enslaved West Africans back in the 16th Century. "Kum ba yah" or "Come by Here" is a transliteration for a prayerful plea to God, hence the phrase "Kumbaya my Lord".   

As an atheist, my faith can be a rather...difficult topic to discuss. Personally, I enjoy engaging in discussions where religion is the focus of the conversation because I take genuine interest in learning about other people's religious practices and stories, and hearing them enthusiastically sharing their own experiences makes me happy. However, what I absolutely despise is when others try and force their religious beliefs onto you, and when you present your side of the spectrum chances are you will, occasionally, get overwhelmed by bombardments of condescending remarks and discriminatory comments. I hate it with a passion. 

After all, the foundation of all religion is solely based on mere beliefs conjured up by ancient civilizations that, after generations of modification and changes, has now seeped into the very web that binds societal structure together, so much so that lacking any form of religion makes you a minority subjected to marginalization. Thankfully, Singapore is a rather harmonious place and I will always be grateful for that, even though I do receive the rare but very real negativism from an absence of worship practices. 

ITS LIKE I GOTTA WALK ON EGGSHELLS WHENEVER I TELL PEOPLE IM AN ATHEIST AND THEN I WIND UP ASKING THEM "DoEs It ofFenD YoU?"

That shouldn't even be a topic that I concern myself with because we should all chose to believe what we believe in and yet, I still find myself asking people that exact question. 

Its strange how, as the world advances itself to greater heights filled with unfathomable possibilities, it somehow manages to crumble and its inhabitants become less and less human. It is almost poetic how the majority of social injustices unfold. For example, Christianity is officially the largest religion in the world with over 2 billion followers, a figure that translates to over 31% of the human population. In The Bible, there is no shortage of verses describing how God does not demonstrate partiality and in fact accepts everyone. Now, you would think with such direct teachings that literally state that a higher being does not discriminate and so neither should his followers, such aspects can only pave the way towards achieving utopia built on conflict-free relationships. And yet, Earth is plagued with racial riots, mass shootings, and other obscene acts against various social groups who are merely expressing their identity. 

Its almost suffocating. The irony of it all. 

People describe God to have two defining characteristics - being all good, and being all powerful. And yet, the world is constantly tainted by so much catastrophes. Natural disasters, famine, disease, pollution, acts of violence and mass genocides. These are but a handful of obstacles that threaten the very existence of human race, problems that we need to overcome and prepare for. So, if God is truly all good and all powerful, why doesn't he do anything to prevent such unfortunate events from occurring? 

Sure, people argue that this is all part of his Grand Plan and by thereafter experiencing such hardships we can then, and only then, be saved. I just have a hard time swallowing it all. What about the hundreds upon thousands of innocent lives lost? Homes destroyed? Cities crumbled to oblivion? Is that all part of his plan then? 

With all this in mind, I believe that God cannot be all good AND all powerful at the same time. Given all that the human race had to endure over centuries, I find it questionable to determine that such a being exists. Alongside, of course, the blatant lack of any concrete and scientific evidence. I guess that is why religion is also called faith, which is defined as strong belief in doctrines of religion based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. 

In conclusion, religion to me will always be a gray area that has the potential to spark either really meaningful discussions or extremely heated debates. For those who believe in God and diligently perform religious practices, I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. To devote your life to something and carry it out daily shows a level of commitment I don't foresee myself achieving anytime soon. 

That said, I will still remain a stubborn atheist for many years to come, and will continue to live my life to the fullest. After all, with no afterlife in store at the end of the road, we atheists have everything to live for. 

- Molly