"Well you only need the light when it's burning lowOnly miss the sun when it starts to snowOnly know you love her when you let her go"
Let Her Go (2012) by Passenger
Today, we learned that the missing flight MH370 is assumed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean with no survivors. 17 days of a worldwide prayer campaign for the errant jetliner seemed to have failed to generate a miracle to reverse the accident that had happened 17 days ago. And the call to prayer was everywhere. Just this weekend, I went to the Borneo Highlands Resort with my wife and kid, and I noticed that they had erected a ceiling-scraping banner in the reception foyer for their guests to sign their prayers on for all the lost souls aboard MH370. The outdoor activities director there handed me a marker - expecting me to add to it - but I handed it back, saying politely that I don't pray. Suddenly, he was a lot less warm to me, as if I just told him that I don't breathe or that I don't see my own reflection whenever I look into a mirror.
It's like the other day when I saw a bumper sticker on a car in front of mine that told me, "Seven days without God makes one WEAK." This is the sort of every day discrimination I face as a non-believer. If I don't subscribe to the beliefs of the majority, I am an acceptable target of scorn and terrible puns.
When one receive such pricks on a daily basis, one tends to develop an equally prickly demeanour - and that can make me sound like an asshole on my best days. So, when I found out about the fate of MH370, I tweeted sarcastically: "So God ignored ALL your prayers for so many days? Sounds like a jerk. Or nonexistent. #MH370"
So God ignored ALL your prayers for so many days? Sounds like a jerk. Or nonexistent. #MH370 http://t.co/LckMmuqOAK
— Kok Sen Wai (@KokSenWai) March 24, 2014
I regretted it almost as soon as I clicked "Tweet" but I stopped short of outright deleting it. I dared write it, so I supposed it would be craven of me not to own it. I wanted to see if anyone would call me out on it.
Sure enough, within minutes, a colleague of mine wrote to me on Facebook. He said,
Classy Kok very classy.. Perhaps not the best time to argue the existence of god
I find myself agreeing with what he said. In fact, I found his words so apt that I "Liked" them. Then, I wrote this in reply,
Or perhaps it's the best time.
Everyone have gone through some sort of tragedy in their lives, as did you and I. In the period it took for this report to come out saying that none of the 239 passengers survived, 500,000 children have died in the world before their time. Where are their prayers? Where are their hashtags, signature-riddled banners and Facebook statuses? If 239 people dying in a day is not the best time to question the existence of God, then are you saying that I should just shut up forever because every day, far more that 239 people perish in untimely and tragic circumstances?
The world is filled with senseless suffering. In my last call [at the hospital], they brought in a woman who was sexually assaulted and no one cared because we hear the same story every day. Many more died in our wards all over the country in the seconds I took to write this. I recently talked to a 12 year old girl who was raped - was God watching it as it happened? Did God just look on as millions of children in the world continue to suffer in slave prostitution rings while He makes a note to self to punish their pimps in hell LATER?
I couldn't find peace with all of these until I finally let go of my delusion that there is some sort of impossible father figure who takes care of things - that bad things just happen and there's really no greater meaning than that. I see many people on Facebook offer their form of condolences, in prayers, in "they are in a better place now" wishes. That's their prerogative and I left them to it. But have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, some people need the sort of solace I found in accepting the chaos of life, that no one upstairs is responsible for their pain?
Because what are all their prayers if not arguments and assertions of the existence of God themselves? Is that classy? Are the loved ones of those aboard MH370 all believers?
Why don't you go on their prayer statuses instead, in their promises of an afterlife, and tell them "Classy, very classy. Perhaps not the best time to argue [for] the existence of god"?
There's really nothing more I can add to this.
Kind of a jerk,
k0k s3n w4i
8 comments:
Hi Sen Wai. Some of the things uncover the fact that our society is very much an ignorant bunch. Me included. Many people are fighting to bring into light the injustice and sufferings which had happpened in the past, even now. This incident clearly shows that we put more weight on sensationalism rather than reality.
Having said that I do have to echo your friend's sentiment and to add that religion is something personal. It's a relationship between an individual and God. Everyone has their own way of understanding their relation to God so by saying, God ignored their prayers and he is a jerk you are basically commenting on their relation with God on a personal level. So it was kind of offensive as you do not know how they relate this incident to their God. IMHO, if it was you questioning your own relation with God as in if u would have prayed and it didn't work or you validating a point that you didn't pray because you don't believe in God then it would be about you, your belief and it's totally fine.
I do believe by praying they are definitely not arguing on the existence rather their faith is already there. It is for certain. Assertions, perhaps but not arguments. So perhaps if you choose not to dwell in the religious realm and standby not believing in God you can always assert your belief in say... science? Rather than arguing the existence of God.
Another thing I find interesting is that you trying not to believe in God. I say that because you must have been a strong believer in the past to justify that by believing in God it gave you so much distress and sadness as he let so many bad things happen so much so that you rather choose not having him around. I may have interpret your statements wrongly if so I apologize in advance if not I do sincerely hope your faith be renewed someday somehow. Have a good day!
A real piece of work you are, Kok. You have a witty reply to almost anything. Hah!
You're not an asshole or a jerk. You're just one loud minority taking on the rest of the world, telling them to their faces that its okay and normal for you to be, well... you.
You call them out from time to time about their beliefs and for some, that tend to rub off the wrong way. Its no surprise the outdoor events director acted coldly to you. You just painted yourself as an unsympathetic heartless prick in his eyes. Why not just take the marker and bloody sign it get on with your life, but no, you had to rub it in do you ?
Like I said, you're not an asshole or a jerk. You're just trying to hard to be one.
Anonymous: "Having said that I do have to echo your friend's sentiment and to add that religion is something personal. It's a relationship between an individual and God. Everyone has their own way of understanding their relation to God so by saying, God ignored their prayers and he is a jerk you are basically commenting on their relation with God on a personal level. So it was kind of offensive as you do not know how they relate this incident to their God.
I think the existence of the Bible is offensive. Psalm 14:1 says "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." If something being offensive is a good reason not to do or say something, then by that logic the Bible should all be banned and destroyed for saying such an offensive thing about atheists such as myself.
"IMHO, if it was you questioning your own relation with God as in if u would have prayed and it didn't work or you validating a point that you didn't pray because you don't believe in God then it would be about you, your belief and it's totally fine."
IMHO, everyone's beliefs and conduct should never be sacrosanct and should always be open to criticism. Hitler said this in volume 1, chapter 2 of Mein Kampf: "I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator." That is his personal relationship with God. It's his belief that God approves of his genocide of the Jews. The 9/11 terrorists? What they did was due to their personal relationship with God too. So, I feel that your opinion is ridiculous. OF COURSE people's faith and their "personal relationship" with God should be examined, judged and criticised!
"Another thing I find interesting is that you trying not to believe in God."
As the most reliable authority on what is going on in my own mind, I have to disagree 100%.
"I say that because you must have been a strong believer in the past to justify that by believing in God it gave you so much distress and sadness as he let so many bad things happen so much so that you rather choose not having him around."
I was a so-so believer. I was indoctrinated by my family and by people around me that there is a God. It distressed me in the sense that it made no sense to me. I cannot reconcile the idea of a good God and the reality I see, and the only solace believers can offer is "God is mysterious" or "We can't know God's purpose". Of course, one is always reluctant to challenge the entrenched belief of one's friends and relations but once I take God out of the picture, EVERYTHING suddenly makes sense for me.
"I may have interpret your statements wrongly if so I apologize in advance if not I do sincerely hope your faith be renewed someday somehow. Have a good day!"
Yes, you were wrong. Apology accepted. I sincerely hope that one day, you'll return to being an atheist - the way you were when you were born before your loved ones or society fed you all the fairytales you now cherish beyond questioning.
Patrick: Trust me, I don't have to try very hard to be one.
I thank God Kok was not on MH370 and I pray to all my gods that he shall live to the full extent of his natural life so as to speak truth to power with fortitude everlasting and grace abundantly for he is a Malaysian Original our very own Bart Simpson ... ok when can you post the rest of your Laos trip? I lust for food porn shots!
Little Mary is so thankful to God for answering her prayers for helping her to obtain straight As in her SPM.
Meanwhile little Aishani in India picks up food on a hill of trash for her breakfast.
Of course, God works in mysterious ways.
Kok, ur a shining beacon among us athiests..thank you for being the voice we've nvr had..keep the good words rollin, knowing you're in good company.
Darshan: Bart Simpson? I'm offended. I'll get back to the Laos posts this weekend. Want to blog about my hike up Penrissen first.
Anonymous #2: God is so mysterious that Damon Lindelof must have written him.
Anonymous #3: Hey, I'm just some asshole who can't keep his mouth shut ;)
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