Shiva, Buddha, Jesus, Allah and many other names are given to the figures but they all represent an entity of what people believe in. Nobody needs the explanation of gods or their purpose or their influence in every common people’s life. But as someone who is raised around science and its teachings I ended up being identified as an atheist, although I personally would not want to put any tag on myself regarding this.
 

The reason why I say I would not like to tag myself as an atheistic or religious person is because I would not like to fall under one spectrum and move along with the idea of that. I would want to question my own belief if they are in the wrong.


As an atheist I’ve never found religion and the idea of believing in god unacceptable. I’ve never felt that people are wrong to do so because as I see and understand the world better, concept of god is far more than just a creator or a powerful being living up on the sky.

If there is a way to find a common ground by people of two different opinions, they should step in on that ground for this world to be a better place. That is the only way to show respect to one another .

I view “GOD” as a symbol of hope for people who need it. This point has to be emphasized because the main point why I believe that the idea of God might not be wrong is because of this point. Now this is also true that what the idea of god has given birth to over the course of thousands of years is not hopeful or blissful for maybe majority of the population.
 

It is true that the idea of God and in their name many unforgivable things have been done. Majority of the population has suffered directly or indirectly in the name of God but it has been talked about many times and this essay is not about that so if anyone feels like this essay justifies the wrong doings in the name of God, it does not. This essay is here to only provide a perspective of an atheistic person.  
 

Now, going back to the main topic, even though I do not believe in the idea of God, I at times find myself falling and in those times when I can’t believe in anything or anyone or even don’t have faith in myself I see a small part of me inclining towards the Gods.
 

This could also be the influence of my religious surrounding or anything but needless to say that when I find myself leaning towards the “Gods”, I feel hopeful out of nowhere and this forces me to think that when someone like me who does not even believe in them gets hope at times, to the believers the idea of god might be the only thing that keeps them going.
 

Even in the most hopeless like situation when there’s someone who people can believe in it gives them strength and that is in fact a very interesting perspective to take as a non believer especially in a time when not believing is so common these days. It is like a wise person once said, “Desperate people find faith, so now I pray to God in my desperate times.”
 

Just like the quote says, maybe the idea of Gods does help to keep people’s sanity. This is also the reason why people go to deep lengths to preserve or defend their gods. I believe that the idea of a figure sitting in the skies and giving hope to people in need has never been wrong, what was wrong is what was done for or with that idea.
 

Forming groups, laws, separations and hate in the name of God was what went wrong. Wrong interpretation or wrong use of anything can cause harm to oneself or other. This is what history has taught us. Invention of weapons was initially done for self protection but throughout years due to misuse and misguidance the same tools of defense have been weapons of death. It all depends on the use of what is given to us. 
 

Our world has always been divided in one topic or the other. No matter which century or whatever the era, people will always be disagreeing, so what I believe is that if there is a way to find a common ground by people of two different opinions, they should step in on that ground for this world to be a better place. That is the only way to show respect to one another.

(Atheist: A person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.)
 

-Ankit Poudyal