There is no shame about telling people that I am an atheist, but I often skip this topic, because I learnt that no matter what you say, people will never listen as they will still believe in what they want.
I learnt my lesson in a hard way, as I had a big discussion with my best friend, Ricky, when we were both 21; two young men who were still in college, and believed that they could achieve anything they wanted.
A big discussion turned into a big disaster, as we both got emotional about Christianity and Atheism, in the end, nobody won, but we both got hurt from each other. That discussion was brutal, and our words were sharping than pens.
Since then, I never spoke to people about religions; it was a forbidden topic on my speech list. Fortunately, I haven't lost Ricky; he is still my best friend, but we never get back to our "fight" about religion. However, that was not the end of my journey towards atheism, and here is why.
Some people may say "atheism" is the same as the religion because they "believe" in "No Gods", and I disagree. I think there is a difference between believing in something, and disbelieving in something, just because I don't believe in God, doesn't mean I believe there is no God.
Although not all atheists are scientists, most people who disbelieve in God because there is no reliable evidence showing its existence. As a scientist, I determine facts, and I ask for proof before belief, not an unreasonable request.
Science works because it is evidence-based, even though science cannot explain everything, its contribution and application are all over our place. Our cell phone, our cars, our internet, our medicines would not be possible without science and engineering.
Science works with limitations, and it doesn't answer all questions. I agree with that statement, and I am happy with its flaws because that means we still have rooms to improve our knowledge and understanding of our physical world. Science brings us knowledge, the more we explore, the more we learn; and that is the beauty of science; there is no limitation to our knowledge as long as we keep educating ourselves.
Maybe one day, when science can show us the evidence of our God's existence, I will change my mind. But until then, I don't think I will believe in God. If that is a sin, then it is one that I wouldn't regret committing. After all, I believe in no afterlife.
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