The Philippines

The land blessed with a democracy but not separated from a theocracy. The land of a troubled public in dire need of a healthy republic. The land of bible studies, blind faith, prayer rallies, and other miracles. The land of deadly faith-healers; but hardly a land of truth-seekers. The land where schools are about religious indoctrination, not about scientific education. The land where priests, ministers, seminarians, and pastors are venerated more than college professors are respected. The land where school teachers enjoy a higher standard of earning doing household chores in other Asian land. The land where the few filthy rich are getting richer, and the many filthy poor are getting poorer. The land of undelivered vows, broken promises, missed opportunities, empty celebration, and historical degradation. The land where progress is not about good government, but progress as promised only from the New Testament. The land where the sinners in government are far more destructive than the sinners in the Old Testament. The land where the matured thinkers are wasted, neglected and rejected; but the childish believers are always tolerated, accepted and rewarded. The land where life in general is a competition to be the criminal rather than be the victim of the criminals. The land where thoughtless values on top of worthless values pretty much describe the nature of our social values. The land where three babies are born every single minute of the day adding to 1.5 million children every year. Most of them unwanted and unloved. The land where children struggle to survive under subhuman conditions are believed to be one of the mysteries of a higher power known as God. The land where we believe that a divinity is responsible for our spiritual leaders. That if we do not listen to the pronouncement of these holy men, such as the Catholic Bishops, Bro. Mike of El Shaddai, Bro. Eli of Dating Daan, Bro. Eddie of Jesus is Lord Movement, Bro. Manalo of Iglesia Ni Cristo, etc., – the love of God up there will no longer benefit any one down here. The Philippines - the land of the angelic, the diabolic, the lethargic, the fanatic, the evangelistic, the apologetic, the fatalistic, the apathetic, the frantic, the melancholic, the sadistic, the cleric, the masochistic, the unscientific, the prophetic, not to mention the millions of Filipinos who would rather be identified as Catholic than they be considered patriotic or nationalistic. For my part, I love the Philippines, the country of my birth. I am proud to be a Filipino as I am, more than anything else, Asiatic. I have no taste to be theistic, in fact, I thank God I am atheistic! I have learned to be no longer a religious lunatic! Poch Suzara