u/OpinionDeep9882

I would get banned in r/Somalia if I even tried breathing there, so I’m typing this here instead.

As the title suggests, religion being a gamble is such a weird concept that I just realized. In a way, religion is just a massive bet on whether it is real or not, and you will only ever find out the results after you die. It is a very, very big, enormous bet. Because the stakes are that high, I feel like religious people should really just chill out and lay back a little.

Think about it… you have your entire life ahead of you to repent. Drink, smoke, snus all you want while you're young, since that's how you actually learn, grow, and move on as a human being. But instead, some religious people completely throw away all normal, human experiences because it’s "haram" or because they want to follow the prophet’s way (sunnah) down to the micro-detail.

Let’s do this, let’s do that, let’s read the whole Quran, let’s memorize the entirety of it, let’s get married immediately... oh my god. Isn’t that just an insufferable way to live?
Look at how that rush to get married for purely religious or cultural reasons turns out. So many of our parents got married just to fulfill a religious duty, and now half of them completely despise each other, are divorced, or are stuck living miserably in completely unhappy relationships. They threw away their own chance at real love or compatibility just to check a box.

The same goes for having a million kids "for God." Every time I meet a random habaryar, they look at me like I have two heads when I tell them I’m not having kids. They instantly hit me with the "You need to have kids, it’s a blessing from Allah" line. Like... excuse me? I asked God for financial stability and money, not a packed house. Why is God so worried about my uterus?
It’s just part of that over-familiar, judgmental Somali herd mentality. If you see a Somali drinking or smoking, everyone notices, comments, or makes it their business. Whether people want to admit it or not, Somalis are human beings with normal human desires.

And saying stuff like "Oh, I will get good deeds" or "I will get a milk and honey bath in heaven" is such a bizarre cope. You can literally bathe in honey and milk right now here on Earth if you desire it that much, you don’t need to die for it! It’s the same with people who desperately want to try alcohol but say they are waiting until they die to taste it in paradise.

Like, at least live your life first, and then start a life of repentance later on. That way, you didn't gamble your current life away, and you didn't gamble the afterlife away either. Life is supposed to be about balance.
To be honest, this text is mostly for those with religious anxiety, or non-Muslims dealing with anxiety in life. It’s kinda hard, but life really is about balance. God won’t punish you (well, depends on who you ask) for learning and growing as a human. If you tried some sinful stuff, it’s not the end of the world. What good God punishes his servants for a little mishap and sins that are literally there for the sole purpose of asking for repentance?