Marlon, Riri, and Romo sat sipping their coffee. Marlon started to bring up a somewhat sensitive topic.
Marlon: "Rom, yesterday I saw a video of a philosophy professor saying that the holy scriptures are fiction. The reaction was huge, people were furious."
Romo: (frowning) "Of course, it's going to be huge, Mar. Holy scriptures are revelations, not fiction. How can you compare them?"
Riri: "Hold on, Rom. Let me finish listening to the whole thing first."
Marlon: "So, let me try to use syllogism to make it clearer. Listen carefully. Premise one: fiction is something that can stimulate the imagination."
Romo: (nodding skeptically) "Okay..."
Marlon: "Premise two: the holy scriptures can stimulate the imagination, because from them, people can imagine heaven, hell, the stories of the prophets, or things outside our direct experiences."
Romo: (starting to think) "Hmm... and then?"
Marlon: "Conclusion: if something that stimulates the imagination is called fiction, then the holy scriptures are fiction."
Romo: (furrowing his brow) "So you mean he's not saying that the holy scriptures are lies or fairy tales, but more about how they can stimulate the imagination?"
Marlon: "Exactly! That's the point! People got angry before they understood what he meant. Fiction doesn't mean a lie, Rom. A lot of fiction has deep meanings, like philosophical novels or even the parables in the holy scriptures themselves."
Romo: (sighing and smiling slightly) "Well, if it's explained that way, it makes sense. But still, the way he said it publicly was not wise. People can easily misunderstand."
Riri: "Yeah, if you say 'the holy scriptures are fiction' without context, it's normal for people to get emotional. It's like saying 'coffee is bitter,' even though it depends on the person's taste."
Marlon: "Exactly! That's why our job isn't just to understand something, but also to figure out how to communicate it. If you get the delivery wrong, the message won't get across."
Romo: (nodding while sipping his coffee) "Okay, I get it now. But still, if someone says that in public, I'd make them explain it more carefully."
Marlon: (laughing) "Got it, Ustaz Romo! Next time I debate again, I'll call you as the judge!"
Romo: (laughing too) "Deal, but the condition is, you buy the coffee!"
Riri: "In the end, the winner is still the coffee shop." ☕
After the debate about the holy scriptures and fiction, Riri was still deep in thought. She leaned back and looked at Marlon and Romo with a serious gaze.
Riri: "Actually, what's the real problem here? Is it that Indonesians are too stupid to understand simple syllogism? Or are there certain parties intentionally cutting the philosophy professor's explanation to make him look bad?"
Romo: (frowning) "Hey, be careful with what you're saying, Ri. We can't just say the people are stupid. That's a hasty conclusion."
Marlon: (nodding in agreement) "True. But I also can't just say that our society is good at understanding logical concepts. In fact, many still struggle to distinguish between opinions, facts, and interpretations."
Riri: "Right, that's it! So there could be two factors here. First, some people are just not used to thinking logically and critically. Second, there's a possibility that certain parties intentionally stirred up this issue to make people angry."
Romo: (thinking for a moment) "Hmm... As for syllogism, honestly, not everyone gets it. Especially if the explanation is just one or two sentences without context. It's like giving half a puzzle and asking people to guess the complete picture."
Marlon: "Exactly. If I say, 'Fire can burn, humans can grill satay, therefore humans are fire,' that's obviously weird. But if people only hear half of it, they might think I'm totally insane."
Riri: (chuckling) "Yeah, yeah. But if someone intentionally cuts up statements to make them sound bad, that's even worse, right?"
Romo: (sighing) "Now that's the danger. Sometimes, it's not the idea that's attacked, but the person. There could be parties who really don't like that philosophy professor, so they take a snippet of what he said, edit it a little, spread it, and then sit back and watch people get mad."
Marlon: (tapping the table lightly) "This happens often. Not just in this case, but with many other topics as well. People don't have the time, or just don't want to bother to look for the full context. In the end, those who speak out are often the ones who only heard half the story."
Riri: "So, what's the solution?"
Romo: (smiling slightly) "Simple, but hard: education. People need to be trained to think critically. They need to be taught to distinguish between opinions, facts, and proper logical conclusions."
Marlon: "And one more thing, people also need to get used to seeking information from the original sources, not just viral video snippets or clickbait captions."
Riri: (sighing deeply) "Wow, if that's the case, our job is really tough, huh?"
Romo: (laughing) "That's why we should start with ourselves first. At least, if someone debates this tomorrow, we can explain it properly, instead of just getting caught up in the frenzy."
Marlon: "Agreed! And if someone still refuses to understand, we'll just treat them to coffee. Let their minds cool off first."
Riri: "Again, it all ends with coffee. Maybe we should research whether coffee is the solution to all debates?"
Romo: "Not the solution to all debates... but it sure makes them more fun. And don't forget, coffee is also the drink of Allah's lovers, like the Sufis!"
Marlon: "True! Coffee indeed has a long history in Islam, especially among the Sufis. It's said that Sufis in Yemen used coffee to help them stay awake during worship and dhikr at night. This drink became part of their spiritual rituals, believed to enhance focus and awareness.
In fact, there's a story that coffee was first introduced by a Sufi named Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, or one of his disciples, who saw birds stay active after eating coffee beans. From there, coffee began to gain popularity in the Islamic world and eventually spread across the globe."
"So, when we drink coffee while discussing philosophy and religion, we're continuing the Sufi tradition, right?" 😆☕
Riri: "This time your words are right, Marlon. Hahaha."
Marlon, Riri, and Romo sat around the table with coffee in front of them. Marlon casually sipped his coffee, then suddenly threw a question that changed the mood.
Marlon: (looking at Riri and Romo seriously) "Hey, do you guys realize that our nation has actually been intentionally dumbed down since the Dutch colonial era?"
Riri: (raising an eyebrow) "Intentionally dumbed down? What do you mean, Mar?"
Romo: (taking a deep breath, then smiling slightly) "I get where you're going with this. This is about the colonial system, right?"
Marlon: "Exactly! So here's the thing, during hundreds of years of colonization, the Dutch intentionally created an education system that made our people unable to think critically. They only taught things that were useful for their own interests, not for the progress of our nation."
Riri: "Oh, like an education system that only produces workers and low-ranking employees, not thinkers or leaders?"
Marlon: "Yes! Just look at it, we were taught to obey, to follow, not ask too many questions, not criticize. That was the mentality instilled since the colonial era so that we could be easily controlled."
Romo: (nodding while sipping his coffee) "Exactly. And not just in education, but also in culture and religion. Many values passed down from the colonial period were meant to keep the people subdued and unable to think freely."
Riri: (leaning back in her chair) "Wow, so this isn't just about education, huh? It goes all the way to how we understand culture and religion too?"
Romo: (smiling faintly) "Yes. For example, did you know that the title 'Haji' which is now seen as a mark of honor in our society, was actually influenced by the Dutch?"
Marlon: (looking intrigued) "Seriously, Rom? How did that happen?"
Romo: "So, back then many people from the archipelago went on pilgrimage to Mecca. The Dutch started to get worried because many of them came back with more critical and revolutionary ideas. Some even came back with a spirit of resistance because they encountered the Pan-Islamism movement in the Middle East."
Riri: "Wow, I didn't know that! So, what did the Dutch do?"
Romo: "The Dutch created a system. They began registering who went on pilgrimage, and they gave the title of Haji not as a form of respect, but more as a way to monitor people they thought might be dangerous. In fact, there were policies to monitor pilgrims who just returned because they feared they might bring ideas of resistance."
Marlon: (tapping the table lightly) "Wow! So the title Haji wasn't originally just a spiritual honor, but part of a control system?"
Romo: "Exactly! That's why we need to be careful when understanding history. Many things we consider traditions actually had specific intentions in the past, and their meanings have changed over time."
Riri: "So, what do we do now? If we've been shaped to not think critically from the start, how do we break out of this mindset?"
Marlon: "Well, one way is to have discussions like this. We need to start questioning everything, look for broader sources, and not easily believe in values passed down without understanding their origins."
Romo: "And one more thing... We need to have the courage to think for ourselves. Because for a long time, we've been told to believe without asking. The truth is, strong faith and knowledge come from deep inquiry."
Riri: (nodding slowly) "Wow, from just one topic, our discussion went deep and wide. From colonial education, culture, to religion."
Marlon: (laughing lightly) "That's the importance of coffee. Many people think coffee is just for staying up, but coffee is actually for enlightening the mind!"
Romo: "Haha, well, let's keep going, so we can get even more enlightened!"