I never even imagine that it will happen but it did: Atheism in Indonesia. In a Muslim predominant nation, a 27 year old student named Karl Karnadi stand up for reason.
Indonesia has its shares of religious fundamentalism that is deemed to be dangerous. Fundamentalism give birth to extremist and you know what these extremists care capable of. But now, some of Indonesian’s educated youths like Mr. Karnadi are starting to voice their stance against what they perceived as an “archaic and repressive system.”
Rational thinking doesn’t have any boundaries. So kudos to Karl, Qosbil Alc and all the members of South-East Asian Atheist.org. May we all live in a secular community free from archaic religious doctrine and dogma where reasons prevail.
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The Rise of Indonesian Atheism
Marcel Thee | December 05, 2010
Embedded within Indonesia’s constitution are the following two lines: “all persons have the right to worship according to their own religion or belief” and “the nation is based upon belief in one supreme God.”
Placed side by side, it’s almost as if those two lines take on a new meaning. Feel free to worship however you choose, but make sure you choose to worship.
However one interprets it, there is no question that inter-religious conflict is on the rise in Indonesia.
Recent confrontations over faith have been allowed to turn the ideal of tolerance on its head with violent and ugly results.
And while finding common religious ground among those of different faiths has always been a delicate dance, it seems there are some people who are interested in changing the tune entirely. I
n greater numbers than ever before, they are standing up and doing the unthinkable: they are proclaiming that they no longer have any religious faith at all.
They are members of a small community of non-believers, otherwise known as atheists, and it seems that many of them are no longer content being silent.
More and more Indonesian non-believers are taking a stance against what they perceive is an archaic and repressive system.
Of course, this being Indonesia, these outspoken non-believers are still relatively few and many choose to mull their rational queries quietly in their own minds rather than submit themselves to becoming outcasts and freaks in their own neighborhoods, communities and even among their own families and friends.
Still, despite the overwhelming odds, the rank of non-believers is growing — largely thanks to the Internet which offers an anonymous meeting place where non-believers can gather without the fear of reprisal.
By utilizing social networking tools such as blogs and Facebook groups, Indonesian non-believers are discovering that there is a considerable amount of like-minded people in the country.
Some of these social networking-based collectives include Indonesian Atheists, Indonesian Freethinkers and Indonesian Atheist Community, just to name a few.
For more of the article, click HERE.
Interested to know more about these Indonesian atheists? Visit their Facebook Page: South-East Asian Atheists (SEA-Atheists.org)
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- If you have some questions or comments on the article, send the author an e-mail at pinoy_atheist@yahoo.com. Thank you.
