A perfect lie

This is a story about a perfect lie.
It is perfect because MOST people believe in it.

It piss me off. Everytime I gotta fill a form in Indonesia, I gotta pick a religion. All of them are listed, *moslem/christian/catholic/ hindhi/buddhist (*cross the unecessary). You really don't give much choice do you? On our ID card too, a religion must be listed. Once I intentionally skipped the religion part blank in a form, the lady returned it to me. She said "Here, you forgot to fill the religion box", and I said "Oh I did that on purpose, I don't have any religion." Her expression was a bit surprised, then she grinned as if I was butt naked in front of her "You have to choose one, the religion column must be filled."

Such a pusher! Don't force me to be religious okay, I never forced anybody to quit a religion. I'm not immoral, I'm irreligious! Why's that everytime I state in this country I don't have a religion I become less moraled, I automatically become the sinner, the rebel and the shallow-head? I am spiritual, but not religious okay. Spirits do not have religion. Human mind do.

Who still believes the kid tell-tale when you leave food behind on your meal, the food will be sad and cry? Ok, who still believes the kid tell-tale if you don't cover your belly button the devil will bite it? Now, who still believes bad kids go to hell? Get the idea? Papa told u the food will cry if u dont eat them, so you'll eat ur plate clean. Mama told u the devil will bite ur belly-button if u dont cover it, so u dont go round naked. And they told u you'll go to hell if you're bad, so you'll be good, not so you'll be religious.

I'm happy to see people be religious just to have something to live by, something to guide them. I'm happy to see people use religion as a basis in leading a nice happy family. But in a lot of bad case, religion mostly CLOSES one's mind and make people seclude themselves from others. Like it's very sad to see people:

• Join religion because they want to go to heaven
• Join religion because they fear death and hel
• Think their religion is the only right one
• Drag other people to join their religion (or any religion at all)
• Live and talk about nothing but their religion
• Think that the religion have CHOSEN them instead of the other way around (As if they're so special, they're chosen. And so they'll devote their life just to it because I suppose they're no special in other things)
• And the saddest is: when they use it to JUSTIFY themselves, and condemn other people

If one religion's better than the other, or being religous is better than not; how come we all breathe the same air, live under the same sun, live the same rich or poor lives, cry the same tears, and die the same reasons? Do u really think god - or whatever name u call the creator by - wanted human to live so we can all be holy? Or so we can devote and sacrifice ourselves for god, praise and thank endlessly? Such classical human thoughts. You really think god is so human that the important things for you are those important for it? You surely don't equalize yerself to god do you? God don't need praises, thanks, devotions nor sacrifices. Those are human things. God don't attach to no emotions or needs. It needs NOTHING, from you or from anybody.

So if some human many years ago CLAIMED that god demanded those things done, it was just a human exclamation no diffrent than other things human have exclaimed. That explains the diversities of religions don't it? Because human are so diffrent, they invented diffrent religions. Their gods come from their race, their color, their gender etc, which explains why most god are men cause they were invented by men. If religions really come from god itself, dont you think god would've made it much simpler by universalizing everyone to one same un-chooseable religion; much like the way you cannot choose to be black or white? To be tall or short, to be man or woman, to be human or dog etc.

God didn't do that because it gave us freedom. A freedom to feel, a freedom to believe. And then, HUMAN created religions as something to believe in. Yes, again it's so human.. we just have the need to believe in something don't we? In something at all. Just gotta believe in something to find security. Because it makes us feel so fragile to know there's higher power so foreign to us that we don't know who we are or where we come from, so lets create a story where we can feel like we belong someplace. The story's called god and religion. Believe in a story long enough, the story will turn into reality in your head.

Now, good for you if you've found that security. Well you know how successfull sales marketing can be. That's how successfull this free-offered-security (called religion) can be bought by people's mind. Why not buy it? It costs nothing and it gives you peace in mind. And i respect that decision. And I'm happy for you. BUT, when someone dont buy the same thing - like i dont - please respect that too.

The greatest war that happened had religious reasons behind it. Countries become allies and enemies based on the religion they believe. People call strangers 'sisters' and 'brothers' when they are fellow believers. See here, the positive effect is there: religion gives people a common ground to relate to each other and become allies or brothers or sisters. But at the same moment there, followers have just secluded themselves from the rest of the world, the fellow religioin believers become so exclusive to themselves. There's where religion CLOSE one's mind.
Why can't we all be allies? Why can't we all be brothers and sisters? Our common ground is because we're all human. NOT because we have the same religion. Is'nt that way we will all be similar? We will believe in one same thing and don't go against each other? Isn't that way we're all friends and family? Why do you have to be so exclusive? Why do you have to be so prideful, that it has to be what you believe that's righteous.

Stop for one second.
Stop and cease the flow of time. Take a deep breath.
Now take one step back from life.
And view it from above.
Think how limited we are in understanding everything.
Don't let the brain takes control, for it's full of pride and memories.
Memories that have fooled you, of how you were told to believe.
This isn't about you, or what you believe in.
This isn't about who's right or who's wrong.
This is just about living the same playground, playing the same game.
Aiming for the same goal: Just to exist.

Someone murders because something made them kill. Someone prostitues because the circumstances forced them to do it. Someone robs because they have to make a living. Someone hates because there was something to hate. Someone lies because they fear the truth. To everything - good or bad - there is a reason. They never wanted to be the bad guys, circumstances made them that way. And they never claimed what they do is right. But I know, they are the people who are least likely to condemn others. And that's the good in them you don't have.

How many times have you heard 'the good people' condemn those bad guys, most of the time in the name of religion? Perhaps you've done it yourself. Condemn, condemn, condemn. Religions also happen to bring arrogance to people. It makes people think they and their fellow believers are 'the chosen ones' so they have the right to decide what's right and what's wrong, including for other people. Tell me, god didn't come to you and tell you "In my name, I made you god." Did it? What I see is: with religion the wrongs become exiled, the rights become hippocrites. And where's the good in that?

Some of you may think "Well yeah? I have lived a life damn hard enough okay, yet I still have the dignity to 'not go the easy way' and end up as the bad guys! So those pussies who end up in the wrong side of the world can eat their consequences and go to hell, unless they wanna right themselves up! Like me, I joined this religion and that helps me." First, you're lucky enough to have the strength it takes to stay put, not everyone has it. Second, whatever solutions u found were not yours to choose, it were set, and not everyone has the same solution. You didn't earn your righteousness, you were given it. For that, you can thank whoever or god all you want in any way you want. But don't brag about your righteousness as if god thinks you're the special one.

If this is all so difficult for you to accept, maybe the next time you're born TO BE wrong, you'd understand what I mean.