How It Feels To Be A Moralist In A Religious Country

"Imagination is the eye of the soul -Joseph Joubert"
Source: "JOSEPH JOUBER – FRENCH MORALIST UND ESSAYIST" by Natalie Hush < http://nataliehush.wordpress.com> Retrieved : 11/06/204

It feels terrible. Not many people can get you. 

Indonesia is one of the populous countries in which most of the people embrace one of the official religions available*. For us, acknowledging one of the religions is important. Your religion is your identity. It tells who you are, where you come from and what kind of conversation people can share with you. You will not find any forms that do not request the access to know what your spiritual belief. Your religion information is on your official ID/ documents (except your passport**). Anyway, have i sounded racial yet?

However, now, more and more young people*** are trying to separate themselves from the religious identities. Many reasons drive this social change. However, I do not want to talk about the social change at a macro scale here but I am one of them. I would like to call myself a moralist. Aside from the good notion that you might get, still many people can't get me. 

What is a moralist?

Principally, the term moralists are associated with the French Moralists. Again, what is this "French Moralists"? Are they French and they have such good moral situations? Well, actually they are. So they are a kind of nerds who really love the ideas of  Michel de Montaigne. They have like Blaise Pasca, Jean de La Bruyère, Nicolas Chamfort, Joseph Joubert, François de La Rochefoucauld, Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues (cool names, huh?). 

Mons. Montaigne mostly wrote about how to live life at the best, through his own perspective. In fact, the way he wrote his works in such bubbly anecdotes makes him one of the most relateable thinkers from his era. Not to mention it's in French. 

The more I read about the French Moralists, the more I get fascinated by them. Why wouldn't I? They're kind of people who investigate - ask - people as moral beings. As La Rochefoucauld (Henri Chamard, 1930) explains moralists study human beings in such a broad sense. Not only a moralist observes the way someone thinks, feels, wills or act as a moral being, but also other things that constitutes his real life. However, the idea of a moralist as an observer of humans as a moral being and things that constitutes them are not constant. A moralist has a great favor to frame moral ideas and put guidance how to live it up. Somehow, they both can work in two ways and support each other. 

Hey, and these are other moralists' work ... in visuals. 

"Nicholas Chamfort"

"Jean de la Buyere"

Who Else?

This guy!

 "Louis C.K" 

* I don't know the best way explain it in academic sense

**That's a good thing

*** They don't have statistics for this. I could just make it up, but if you're interested in funding that kind of research, I am available. 

How Pope Francis Restored My Faith In Marriage

I have a great marriage phobia, which makes my family question why would I date my boyfriend this long. A good question, actually. Since me and my boyfriend have been together for the last five years. During these years, we've talked about our future but never mention marriage. Probably because we're just scared, or the fact that we can never be married in Indonesia. The Indonesian marriage law has been interpreted as prohibiting marriage between people who follow different religions. The only practical alternative is for one of the two to convert to the other faith. Another option is that the couples get married in another country that legalizes inter-religious marriages.

This brings me to my obsession: to against marriage in young age. I,whatsoever, sum up that there is no good to get married in such young age - especially in your 20's. For me it is much better to pursue my career, or travel, or even get involved to humanitarian acts...rather than get married. No wonder, I always laugh my ass off every time I read about "celebrities who get married and want dozen of kids" on the magazine. That's the silliest opinion I've ever read (besides my own opinion--to some people), why would you want a dozen of kids? Are you sure you can take care of them all? Providing them with sufficient love and care? Will you be able to pay they schools? Toys? Diapers? Oh well, to quote Pope Francis, "Who am I to judge?". For I know, that "dozen of kids" will be taken care of their mother's assistants: a.k.a nannies. What a wise mom.

Earlier this morning, I read Pope Francis' twitter status. He encouraged young people to be brave to embrace marriage. It was certainly non-sense to me, as I don't believe in marriage. Then, I kept reading his twit and he said, "A faithful marriage will bring you happiness". #snap!

Dear young people, don’t be afraid to marry. A faithful and fruitful marriage will bring you happiness.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) February 14, 2014

Thanks Pope