Today is a valentine's day. Nothing really special, especially since I've been single since last Christmas Eve. The night before, I received a text from a dear friend mentioning that Valentine's Day is an annoying day for single men like us. So far, it never really bothers me at all. I never really found the real spirit of Val's Day. I've celebrated it since elementary school with my best friends by exchanging chocolate. And since then, the stamp for Val's Day is not to celebrate love, but a chocolate party.
But I saw a video link by an ex-student. It's a new Indonesian song about forbidden love. And why it is forbidden? Simply because both of them confess different faith. A foolish matter for me, but still I cannot help it. Being born as Indonesian, I cannot deny that religion has become a supreme power over people's life. Hell, I had to confess that I once was a church activist, right before I got fed up with people's hypocrisy over their religious dogma.
I once fell in love with my junior in High School. She was totally my type. Careless, tomboy, reckless, but smart and critical. (Sigh, I know my type is so weird! Don't give me a refine girl, I would reject her!). People kept saying that we would make a nice couple, since we carried the same traits. Rebellious, careless, direct, frank, rule breaking, and many others. (Another sigh!) But one obstacle lied before us. It's a different religion. It is supposed to be only one, but quite significant.
Still being very naive, I thought that I could overcome the problem. No, no! I was wrong! We drifted apart mainly because she learned more about her religious belief. She lives to it, and started to develop eccentricity. That was then the end.
Another story was with my ex. Again, we confess different faith, which was actually not a problem with me. I've been dismantling my belief in any religious rituals. We got no problem during the whole relationship. Interestingly, the disturbance came from outside. It was my family that kept warning me about the different religion among us. My mother even threatened me, "If later you get married in the mosque, I will not bother to come! You can have your wedding without me!" It was something that made laugh. (Some of you might know the reason why. :p) FYI, I broke up not because of the faith......
But one thing that concerns me is the fact that my parents interfered with my own love life. What it is with their interference? Can love be divided only between people of the same religion? Well, so far the classic argument is the children. When the children are raised by parents with different religion, they will be confused with the differences. But then, why should they bother? For confessing any faith is a human right in itself.
If we put religion as personal matter between us and The Almighty, then why should people interfere with our own happiness? With the choice of lover? Does it guarantee that people will have a happy life when they marry person within the same faith? Does it guarantee the inseparable bond when marrying people of the same faith? I still cannot help but wonder about that. Why is the freedom limited by the concept of religion?
Closing this scribble, I want to quote the translated lyric from that song.
"I am for you, you are for me
But is thing possible, for our different faith
God is indeed one, we are the ones being different"
PS : If love is indeed God's greatest gift, why should people divide it?
1 comment:
I've heard. I'm sorry to hear that.
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