I am an unapologetic Atheist
My disbelief in God strengthened last year
This year on 11th January 2020 I went to delhi book fair
As usual people from various religions were selling their religions
But I got a free copy of quran(English translation) which i don't mind because I needed one for analysis
But as I was heading back home and towards the metro station there
Some muslims with a banner saying sabka maalik ek (everyone's god is one) were standing near the staircase of the metro station
So I decided to go and talk to them
I wanted to ask the meaning of "la ilaha illallah"(English translation- No God but Allah) as it was used frequently in the Anti CAA-NRC protests going on in India
First the person I interacted with talked with me in a group and then he took me to another corner separately
He then started telling me that God has sent various prophets to the world even to India but mohmmad was the last one
He then said something which was highly disturbing for me
He said Allah doesn't forgive two kinds of people
1st who are athiest
2nd who do shirk
he said these two people will burn in hell for eternity and cannot come out of it
I was furious but then I controlled my anger to hear this guy out completely
I asked him is there a way to come out of eternal hell(it was silly of me to ask but had to ask
He decietfully said yes but only if that person accepts Allah before dying with a muslim person as witness
I again asked him that is there a way to come out after going to eternal hell
He honestly said No
He then made me recite allah is the one true God and prohphet muhhamad is the last messenger of God
And he said he will be my witness when presented before Allah during my hearing
I honestly feel that person was a good person as he was in his own thought process helping me to escape eternal hell
But did this person really believed that 6.15 billion people will go to eternal hell if they don't convert to Islam( according to his thought process, he didn't actually said that)
I didn't argued with him and politely did whatever he said
He gave me few books on Islam and I said goodbye to him
After reflecting on this incident 12 day later I feel nothing but regret and guilt
I feel guilty maybe that I got afraid and selfish and politely recited what he wanted me to say
I shouldn't have been this polite to him and argued with him
I still am an atheist but i feel guilty that I wasn't true to myself that day
Regardless I was a very staunch supporter of the
Anti CAA-NRC protests going on in the country but after this incident I have become a little skeptic and don't really know what's really going on in these protests
I am still against CAA-NRC
Anyways,I think the post is going too long
So I will end here,so please share your thoughts on the incident and how can I reduce my regret and guilt
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Welcome to Atheist Republic NonApologeticIndianAtheist
The first thing I wish to discuss is that I hope that is not your true picture. Although this forum section is restricted to atheists, it is far too easy for a theist with an agenda to slip in here to collect information on infidels and apostates. For the sake of your personal safety, I urge you not to disclose any personal information in here.
Back to the topic, from your narrative it appears you engaged a good person who is indoctrinated in an evil cult. He was sincere, he meant well, but his beliefs lead him down a path of evil.
He was a messenger, and you do not attack the messenger, but the message.
Regret and guilt?
Do you believe you had any chance to change his position? Probably zero.
Do you believe that you lied in order to give a decent man a good feeling and a sense of worth?
Sometime we put our personal agenda aside to make others feel better. Just two days ago a gent I know (on Facebook and other social media) had a dear friend involved in a nasty car crash, one that placed his life in jeopardy. I knew he was a devout christian from the US bible belt, and he asked everyone to pray for his dear friend. When I met up with him in Discord chat later that same day, I told him I had prayed for his friend.
Yes, I lied, yes I was dishonest. But I did it to comfort a good person who was very concerned about his friend.
My position is not to lie if possible, but if you feel you must, make sure you know you are lying, never deceive yourself. Always be honest with yourself.
My baseball coach once uttered a profound statement.
Don't rain on another's parade.
David Killens, thanks for the advice
I feel good after thinking from this perspective
And yes I also believe that he was a good person who was just indoctrinated maybe thats why i didn't counter his claim
Really appreciate your response :)
Non, you asked, “But did this person really believed that 6.15 billion people will go to eternal hell if they don't convert to Islam”
My guess is, yes, he did. Folks tend to want to feel special. That he is in the special club that gets a reward for believing, is a big deal to him. I suspect that this is the case for a lot of folks who are deeply into their religion...it may be the only thing in their lives offering them the sense that they are important. It’s sad.
“But did this person really believed that 6.15 billion people will go to eternal hell if they don't convert to Islam”
Believe? Nah. They know it with absolute certainty.
When incidents like these happen, just follow Robert Downey Jr.'s quote, "Listen, smile, agree and then do whatever the fuck you were gonna do anyway"
RE: "He then made me recite allah is the one true God and prohphet muhhamad is the last messenger of God"
No! He did not make you. The regret and guilt you feel is for not having the balls to stand your ground. What are the consequences. If the consequences are such that a public scene would ensue. The decision was quite reasonable. If you just did not want to get into it there and then, then the decision was a good one. You do not have to confront every idiot you run across.
Not long ago, I went to a church service. When the people prayed, I stood politely as they all raised their hands to the heavens. When they sang religions songs, I did not sing. They did sing a couple of Christmas songs and I joined in. I am completely fine with my choices. I made them for good reasons. I had no desire to upset their rituals. At the same time, I am not a believer so I found ways to respect myself, my beliefs, and my boundaries while putting myself in that situation.
So back to your situation. You are the one feeling regret and guilt. I suspect the reason for this is simply not standing up for yourself, for not having a clear boundary. But then...... have you been in this situation before? What can you learn from the situation? How will you deal with a similar situation next time? Did you really want to have a conflict on the street? Were you forced to deal with feelings and ideas from your past that you assumed were no longer there but suddenly WHAM there they were?
Try not to focus so much on the regret, but rather, understand your actions. Learn from them. Have a plan for the next time.
Good Luck.