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Atheist before God


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.

 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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  1. SaketOctober 15, 2016 at 2:43 PM

    The moment I noticed this prompt, I wanted to write on it, though I am not sure what I would have written.

    Good 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 16, 2016 at 7:29 AM

      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 :)

      My 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.

      Delete
  2. rifle range boyOctober 16, 2016 at 8:36 AM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalOctober 16, 2016 at 10:03 AM

      The real seekers go on searching, Farouk. They have no egos. The infinity belongs to them.

      [This is no claim that I have no ego. On the contrary, this is an effort to keep my ego under control.]

      :) :) :)

      Delete
  3. Durga Prasad DashOctober 16, 2016 at 9:55 PM

    And it is a beautiful and thought provoking encounter

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 17, 2016 at 6:38 PM

    Sir 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.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pranju chakrapaniNovember 6, 2016 at 12:14 AM

    Solipsism gives us the meaning to everything including this illusion of life and god or does it?

    Also, I would love to read your posts on Quora.

    ReplyDelete

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