I can't remember a point in time where I could openly tell people what my religion is and how i choose to practice it, in fact there was never a point in time where I was able to choose a specific religion, rather I was 'force' to abide by the religion that I was formally given based on autocratic laws who made me what I am, in terms of religion undoubtedly. Being a Malaysian has it's perks, my parents and sister are in Malaysia, my wonderful girlfriend is in Malaysia, my Kaki Lima brothers, good food and i was practically born, bred and fed in Malaysia. Basically that's the only reason I call myself a Malaysian, however some perks are short-lived because the one thing about Malaysia that irks me is that there is no Freedom of Religion.
I mean sure, the Non-Malays are free to practice their religion, but how about the Malays. In my view, just cause you are a Malay, does that automatically makes you Islam? Coming from a mix marriage, it was very confusing time for me, to make matters worst the whole race thing added more to my confusion. I also never understood the reasoning behind writing down my race and religion on every single piece of form in Malaysia. I am a Malaysian, i have an IC and i damn well have a passport and birth cert to proof that. Why is it so important that my religion is highlighted on the form, do I get special privilege just because the Constitution said so? Well fudge your Constitution, it's because of your Constitution that the society perceive us and generalize us because we have special privilege, rights and are supported by the Government. Well just today while i was having lunch i over-heard 2 muppets talking about Malays in Malaysia, and their gross generalization how Malays are lazy but lead a good life cause the Government supported us. How i wish i could have gave him a lengthy debate on how stupid his generalization is and because of that 'one bad apple spoils the bunch' it just takes several cases to create a stereotypical society that we have today.
Why can we be like Indonesia? Fighting for the rights of religion. As far as news goes, at least Indonesians have a broad, mature thinking to pass a law that states 'Any person below the age of 18 is deem religion-less, and after the age of 18 are free to practice any religion they want'. Look at the simplicity of that, of course I am able to discern that there will be problem but give credit to them. For a country whose population is Islam, they sure know how to respect each other regardless of what religion they practice. That is one i call tolerate and not Hishamuddin's idea of toleration which surpass that of a 40 year old fascist bastard. Disgusting.
I was glad that for once, i could choose to write what religion i believed in, because religion is a belief, and though some might argue a way of life, i don't agree, religion is and always has been a belief. So you ask "Hey Karl, if religion is not a way of life, than what is?" Well to me the way of life is treating people like well Human, we don't need God to tell us how to treat other people, we just need to be Human and feel human. Differentiating between good and bad does not require a God as well.
That is exactly the reason why JAIS is smashing down doors of churches and dragging those poor 12 Muslims to court. So you want to play fair, so you want to argue that Malaysia does practice freedom of religion, and practice toleration amongst the variety of races. Oh but wait, yes there is a but; the fact that with have Islamic moral police breathing our neck contradicts freedom of religion, and the fact that red-neck Muslims marched around with a cows neck contradicts the fact that Malays are very tolerant.
For once in 20 years, i was able to not tick Islam under the religion box and chose instead to write Agnostic. Sure people will get angry at me, i for one think my parents and sister would find me a disappointment, sure my Malay friends out there will think i am a Kafir, a traitor and that i deserved to be stoned to death, but what I do is between me and whoever they call God. Not that i believe in God per say, but being an agnostic I don't fully rebuke the existence of a God. It's just that there is no evidence to support the notion of God, and there never will be. In order to believe in God, it requires faith, after all if you have faith in God you would believe of its existence. I merely feel that there is not just a God, but other higher celestial sort of power that governs us, but our human mind is yet to be able to perceive such things, hence back to the subject of faith.
How i just wish we lived in a world, well let's be a little optimistic and lower my expectation, how i wish we lived in a country that isn't govern by religion, whose rules and laws that are purely based on merits, and not from a book. Laws and enactments drafted free from the influence of religion, after all if that didn't happen the Church of England would still be gong around burning people to death, much like the riot in the UK. I don't see the importance of highlighting my religion in anything, i should be able to practice my religion and not having Abu down the street calling up religion officer for writing on my blog that i am an agnostic.
Religion to me is now is doing what Men tells us to do and not "God".
I end this with a lighter note is that, if you think you're a good Muslim, Buddhist, Christian or what not, you wouldn't judge what i wrote, because the good book says you can't. I have the power of freedom of religion, well just here anyway. Can't tell you what will be waiting for me at the terminal when i land in November, that is if this post goes AWOL on me. Not that i am worried because Hishammudin say if it's on the internet, he can't do anything about it. Not forgetting about my Freedom of Speech but that is for another day.
Tar Tar! (Ignore the ginormous amount of spelling error, i will fix it but a higher celestial power is beckoning to sleep, and she happens to be my sweet Merri)
I mean sure, the Non-Malays are free to practice their religion, but how about the Malays. In my view, just cause you are a Malay, does that automatically makes you Islam? Coming from a mix marriage, it was very confusing time for me, to make matters worst the whole race thing added more to my confusion. I also never understood the reasoning behind writing down my race and religion on every single piece of form in Malaysia. I am a Malaysian, i have an IC and i damn well have a passport and birth cert to proof that. Why is it so important that my religion is highlighted on the form, do I get special privilege just because the Constitution said so? Well fudge your Constitution, it's because of your Constitution that the society perceive us and generalize us because we have special privilege, rights and are supported by the Government. Well just today while i was having lunch i over-heard 2 muppets talking about Malays in Malaysia, and their gross generalization how Malays are lazy but lead a good life cause the Government supported us. How i wish i could have gave him a lengthy debate on how stupid his generalization is and because of that 'one bad apple spoils the bunch' it just takes several cases to create a stereotypical society that we have today.
Why can we be like Indonesia? Fighting for the rights of religion. As far as news goes, at least Indonesians have a broad, mature thinking to pass a law that states 'Any person below the age of 18 is deem religion-less, and after the age of 18 are free to practice any religion they want'. Look at the simplicity of that, of course I am able to discern that there will be problem but give credit to them. For a country whose population is Islam, they sure know how to respect each other regardless of what religion they practice. That is one i call tolerate and not Hishamuddin's idea of toleration which surpass that of a 40 year old fascist bastard. Disgusting.
I was glad that for once, i could choose to write what religion i believed in, because religion is a belief, and though some might argue a way of life, i don't agree, religion is and always has been a belief. So you ask "Hey Karl, if religion is not a way of life, than what is?" Well to me the way of life is treating people like well Human, we don't need God to tell us how to treat other people, we just need to be Human and feel human. Differentiating between good and bad does not require a God as well.
That is exactly the reason why JAIS is smashing down doors of churches and dragging those poor 12 Muslims to court. So you want to play fair, so you want to argue that Malaysia does practice freedom of religion, and practice toleration amongst the variety of races. Oh but wait, yes there is a but; the fact that with have Islamic moral police breathing our neck contradicts freedom of religion, and the fact that red-neck Muslims marched around with a cows neck contradicts the fact that Malays are very tolerant.
For once in 20 years, i was able to not tick Islam under the religion box and chose instead to write Agnostic. Sure people will get angry at me, i for one think my parents and sister would find me a disappointment, sure my Malay friends out there will think i am a Kafir, a traitor and that i deserved to be stoned to death, but what I do is between me and whoever they call God. Not that i believe in God per say, but being an agnostic I don't fully rebuke the existence of a God. It's just that there is no evidence to support the notion of God, and there never will be. In order to believe in God, it requires faith, after all if you have faith in God you would believe of its existence. I merely feel that there is not just a God, but other higher celestial sort of power that governs us, but our human mind is yet to be able to perceive such things, hence back to the subject of faith.
How i just wish we lived in a world, well let's be a little optimistic and lower my expectation, how i wish we lived in a country that isn't govern by religion, whose rules and laws that are purely based on merits, and not from a book. Laws and enactments drafted free from the influence of religion, after all if that didn't happen the Church of England would still be gong around burning people to death, much like the riot in the UK. I don't see the importance of highlighting my religion in anything, i should be able to practice my religion and not having Abu down the street calling up religion officer for writing on my blog that i am an agnostic.
But that doesn't mean that I am anti-Islam, god no...ironically. The fact is the ideal Islamic teaching doesn't fit for me, there's too much contradiction, to much ridiculous rule, to much of a governance. I am happy to practice what I do, and although they said religion is a way of life, the way i lead my life is good parenting, environment and the fact that i am logically enhanced to be able to perceive good and bad. The fact that I am able to reason first, think ahead and not just do it.
Religion to me is now is doing what Men tells us to do and not "God".
I end this with a lighter note is that, if you think you're a good Muslim, Buddhist, Christian or what not, you wouldn't judge what i wrote, because the good book says you can't. I have the power of freedom of religion, well just here anyway. Can't tell you what will be waiting for me at the terminal when i land in November, that is if this post goes AWOL on me. Not that i am worried because Hishammudin say if it's on the internet, he can't do anything about it. Not forgetting about my Freedom of Speech but that is for another day.
Tar Tar! (Ignore the ginormous amount of spelling error, i will fix it but a higher celestial power is beckoning to sleep, and she happens to be my sweet Merri)
2 comments:
just a question, would you rather live your life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live as if there isn't and die to find out there is?
for the record, this is a question, not a judgement.
I didn't realize i got comments, well at least i answered eh.
I rather just live life with what I can see/touch/smell/feel/sense, why bother trying to fight with one another to proof that there is or is no God. All my life, i lived trying to figure out if there is a God, and up to a certain point i told myself that I don't see the point of living as if there is a God. Why lie to myself?
Believing if there is a God or not doesn't benefit me nor does it affect my moral compass, and generally it doesn't affect me as a Human Being, so i live my life as if there isn't one.
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