As I reflect upon my life, there is one personal truth that I have adopted in my mind; this truth is that I believe that God is nonexistent. My personal truth has dramatically changed from when I was a child to my formative adolescent years. As a child who strongly believed in the existence of God, I now identify as an atheist. The belief in God may provide hope and reassurance to some people, however, I find it to be a naive mindset. There have been a multitude of factors that have made me adopt this truth that God is nonexistent, such as my personal life experiences and the recognition of science in evolution.
Life is not like a box of chocolates, instead, it is filled with trouble, challenges, violence and turmoil, which I do not understand why God would allow. In the world, wars and natural disasters often kill innocent people, including young children, and displace many people. My own family was displaced from their home in India, due to war, losing their homes, belongings and even relatives. In my life, I faced troubles and challenges, especially after the loss of my grandparents; both did not have easy deaths, despite being good, loving people. Despite countless nights praying as a child, crying, and feeling as though my heart would break into a million pieces, the pain my family and I felt was not relieved from God nor were my prayers answered. It is incomprehensible as to why God would allow such pain and suffering in the world and among individuals, especially young children. Additionally, I believe that humanity’s existence is best explained through a scientific lens; Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, and the Big Bang Theory, have impacted my truth in the belief of God.
Although I consider my truth to be that God is nonexistent, it is important to understand that this ideology is subjective. The stance on this truth will vary among people from different locations and time periods, as one’s position in time and space affect what they believe. For example, living in Canada during the 21st century has given me the opportunity to express my opinions, value freedom of religion and speech, and question the information that I am being taught. In the past few centuries, the concept of religion and God was very much part of society, law, and daily life. Therefore, the truth for many people was that God exists. The concept of God began to be questioned during the Scientific Revolution and Age of Enlightenment, with these ideas becoming more widely accepted at a much later time. Freedom, education and a secular society has allowed me to find my own conclusions about the existence of God, whereas those with different exposure to science and education will have different information with which they will formulate their beliefs about God. Overall, it is important to identify that truths can simultaneously be yes and no, with one’s own truth depending on their position in time and space.