True independence - Freedom from religion

We think we're free, we think we're unshackled, that most of the things in our lives are of our choosing.

The fact is that amongst other factors such as caste, gender and so on, it is our respective religions that have decided so much about our lives.

Our name comes from our religion. Our appearance is dictated by our religion. Where we stay, what food we have, sometimes even how much we study and what work we do comes from our religion. A major part of our mindspace is consumed by what comes from our religion. Our rituals, prayers, prayer places, even what is done to our bodies after our death is dictated by our religion. Who we marry comes from our religion and then the cycle we continue with our children comes from the religion we inherited.

As an atheist, as a rationalist, it is my belief that to be truly free, truly rational, you must fight and unshackle yourself from the hold of religion. From each ritual, each thing you're made to do just because you were given a certain name or born to a certain family that enforced their inheritance on you.

After Christianity and Islam, the third largest group of people on the planet now like to identify as atheist or irreligious. This is great progress but the need for this change is more urgent and important amongst the religions that are overtly religious. For example, I see a direct correlation between the rigidity of rituals, the suppression of opposition in the religion I was born with (Islam) and the fanaticism, socio-economic backwardness and lack of integration within it. Of course, discrimination by the majority has battered Muslims from all sides and the polity of this country has always and shall continue to either abuse or use the Muslims. But I haven't seen much effort to improve the condition from within.

And I find it hard to imagine it happening until religion is deprioritized and made a matter of personal belief v/s an organised, hegemonic tyranny of the mind!