In a room full of relatives, all of whom were Indian -- which roughly translates into highly religious as well -- I decided to drop the bomb. "I don't think God exists."
About a dozen faces incline their chins towards me with their eyes wider and darker than any tunnel I'd ever seen. Trying fruitlessly to save myself, I mutter, "I don't think it's in the form of Bramha, Vishnu or Mahesh, but rather some energy that is in the atmosphere or within me but I don't think I would devote myself to a deity as Hinduism defines it."
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Expectedly, a few gasps leave some auntys' mouths while some kids giggle as if I had made a joke -- of myself? Anyhow, my mother excuses herself from the dinner table and takes me by the elbow and into the washroom. "You should always have faith in one god or the other; having no religion is like having no soul. Are you soulless?"
I try to refute her arguments with some rational statements pertaining to the non-existence of God and the lack of necessity of one in a world which can be understood by science. But, alas, nothing saves me from her coercion and I just end up saying, "Yeah -- maybe, maybe not -- who knows," and she is satisfied.
This incident got me thinking how we all are aware and can successfully list different religions, but can we do the same for different types of non-religions? If you cannot answer that question, do not worry, the following article is devoted to it so you won't have to browse Google for it.
1. Atheism
Unlike commonly believed, these people aren't pessimists on matters circling life and existence but they simply choose to maintain a disbelief in Gods or anything related to Gods.
2. Agnosticism
This includes skepticism concerning the existence of God wherein strong agnosticism refers to the belief that god is and will forever be unknown to man. On the other hand, weak agnosticism is when there is some optimism that the mystery of God's existence might be uncovered in the future, but presently it remains so.
3. Antitheism
The people who follow this belief assert that religion is dangerous and harmful and hence, are belligerent in all matters concerning it. This is usually championed by activists who tend to work towards protests and discoveries that contribute to negative publicity for various religions.
4. Skepticism
Unlike agnostics, skeptics don't just focus on God-based broad questions but rather on the whole system. They often fall into this category by questioning every ritual, meaning, devotion, blind beliefs, etc., of a religion.
5. Humanism
This set of people derives spirituality not on the basis of virtues as defined by a particular religion or to please God, but rather by taking actions that cause an innate sense of joy and feeling of purity. Humanists believe in equality, ethicality and equity.
6. Pantheists
Pantheists are individuals, who like humanists carry a belief of spirituality which is not rooted in a particular God. However, in contrast to humanists, pantheists believe that God exists all around us and not just in one manifestation or form.
While these categories of non-religions are a few I felt were important to elucidate on, there are many more with their own nuances. Maybe I will show this article to a family member and while the odds are not in my favor (only 6.6 percent of Indians are non-religious), it would probably give them a glimpse at the open-mindedness that is crawling across the globe.
