Fantasy
Atheist died
and found himself before God. God smiled
at him more affectionately than any human being had ever done while he was on
the earth.
“I never
imagined you existed outside human illusions and delusions.” Atheist said with his usual candour having
overcome his surprise.
“On the
earth,” God said slowly as if he was pondering over each word he uttered, “I
don’t exist much except in human illusions and delusions.”
“Oh!” God’s reply was another surprise for Atheist.
“Do you think
if I actually existed on the earth as I really am there would be so much evil
perpetrated in my name?”
“Evil,” said
Atheist. “And that too in your name. That
is exactly what me lose faith in you.”
“I know.
Because you had no faith in me, you were a good human being. What if you had also started fighting in my
name?”
“Where am
I?” Atheist looked around.
God
laughed. “In the presence of God.”
“Heaven?”
“Call it what you wish. Names matter little here.”
Atheist
hesitated for a while and then asked, “I’m not sure I’d be happy here.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure
I’d like to be with religious people.”
“There are no
religious people here. Very few reach
here after death and most of them are atheists, agnostics and other genuine
seekers. Even here they go around
finding their own ways of existence. You
are totally free here to do what you wish.”
“What about
religious people then? All those who
fought, killed and died for you?”
“Everyone
reaches the kind of hell or heaven that they have created for themselves.”
“Didn’t you
create hell and heaven?”
God
laughed. “Illusions.” He paused and then said, “Hell or heaven –
it’s the individual’s choice.”
Atheist
pondered a while. “Why did you create
human beings?”
“Creation is
not a choice. Creation is an unfolding
of what lies within one.”
Atheist felt
sympathy for God.
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Atheist Before God was my suggestion for Indispire Edition 139. The topic found only one taker. The topic lingered on in my mind and here’s the result.
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The moment I noticed this prompt, I wanted to write on it, though I am not sure what I would have written.
ReplyDeleteGood that you wrote on it. Good that I got to read a nice post on this.
Recently I read something and saw some videos suggesting that the life, the world, and our consciousness itself , is just a virtual reality. The word "illusion" suddenly reminded me of that.
First of all, Saket, I'm grateful for that single vote. Thank you also for commenting here. After all, nobody else commented. Probably a sensitive topic :)
DeleteMy firm belief is that there's nothing after death except the funeral fire and its ashes or the maggots that will feast on your body underground. That fate is terrible. Hence we need fiction. We need illusions.
My take. Life is just a dash between two dates, that's all. We create our own understanding and projection of existence as if we are the centre of existence. Perhaps, the cosmos doesn't much about us. We are not even a minute speck in the dust of the universe!
ReplyDeleteThe real seekers go on searching, Farouk. They have no egos. The infinity belongs to them.
Delete[This is no claim that I have no ego. On the contrary, this is an effort to keep my ego under control.]
:) :) :)
And it is a beautiful and thought provoking encounter
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear that.
DeleteSir you believe that god is just an illusion.good keep that. But surely there will be a day when everyone seek the help of god.
ReplyDeleteWhat is life without illusions?
DeleteSolipsism gives us the meaning to everything including this illusion of life and god or does it?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would love to read your posts on Quora.