Let's Love, not Hate, the Atheists

June 14, 2007 RP-Rizal Forum For: Edgar Millan Dear Edgar, Thank you for writing. I enjoyed reading your letter. I will publish it in my Thoughts to Provoke Your Thoughts – Blogspot. No need to furnish our newspaper editors a copy. They too hate to face the reality that the killers of our Jose Rizal are still pretty much alive today still killing Filipino minds and hearts. Indeed, in the Philippines, still killing the good Filipino life - one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. You asked: what kind of hatred motivates me to have made it my personal quest to continue bashing the religious views of Fellow-Filipinos? Well, to begin with, such religious views are mostly about hatred of human intelligence. As an atheist, however, what I hate is the opposite. With much passion I hate human stupidity, especially the kind that supports human misery and maintains a sick society masquerading as love of God via Christianity. What about you? Why do you hate the atheists? Were you not yourself, at one time, an atheist? When you came out of mother’s womb, did you believe in the existence of God and Satan? Have you heard of babies born with a religion? As a matter of fact, we are all born free and then indoctrinated to believe in either the religion against Satan, or the Satan of religion. Sir, you must be a college educated fellow. You have neither qualms nor scruples about certain historical truths. For example, as a humanist-freethinker-scientist-writer brilliantly attacking religious stupidity in this country, Jose Rizal was arrested, incarcerated, and publicly executed not by atheists like me, but by the faithful believers like you. Edgar, do you ever wonder about Republic Act 1425, legislation since decades ago, otherwise known as the Rizal Law? It has hardly been implemented to the fullest extent possible. Rizal’s life, character and ideals, and how he lived and thought and died continue to play no major impact whatsoever in the minds and hearts of the millions of Filipino youth acquiring so-called education in our schools, colleges, and universities. Consider the Supreme Commander of the Knights of Rizal. This famous college educated lawyer, always carry around with him the holy bible. We recently wrote to him about settling, once and for all, the Rizal retraction scandal story as something of a biblical concoction. He dignified us with a response by simply stating that the Rizal retraction story is a non-issue. In other words, it matters not whether Rizal died as a brave heretic or was executed because he was a rebellious Catholic. This issue is a non-issue? Let’s cogitate for a moment: What if the foundation of our education have been more about human intelligence serving the kingdom of the Filipino, and less about human stupidity serving the kingdom of heaven? Would that have made the Filipino the healthiest and wealthiest people in Asia in this 21st century? What do you think? Meantime, even the Knights of Rizal have impressed upon each other that they should be more serious about spreading the teachings of the bible than they should be serious about spreading the teachings of great men like our Jose Rizal - the first humanist-freethinker-scientist-philosopher this country has ever produced thus far. Rizal wrote: “We can only serve our country by telling the naked truth, however bitter it may be.” Well, the bitter truth is that we Filipinos are the Sick Man of Asia. Organized religions in this country continue to enjoy great success. Especially in reminding everyone that the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom will only get you what Jose Rizal got – a bullet inside his brain. Consider the confusion and linguistic contortions about what exactly Rizal tried to teach and convey, tried to accomplish, at the expense of his own life, but nevertheless utterly failed to achieve for fellow-Filipinos in his own country? Indeed, even college educated participants of the RP-Rizal Forum do not hesitate to use, abuse, and misuse, not just to confuse each other’s already muddled Christian mind, but also to frighten others, like me, especially as I have no desire to participate with them in bringing the Philippines back to the Dark Ages. The RP-Rizal Forum is dedicated to Rizal’s life, work, and writings? Well, may I ask: how many participants in this RP-Rizal Forum have been duly encouraged to stand up and expose courageously, if not to defend vigorously - Rizal’s anti-Catholicism in the Philippines? Indeed, Catholicism and its teachings that have not ceased twisting the Filipino mind and distorting the Filipino heart? Consider the Filipino not as the master, but the victims of religious beliefs and then consider the Filipino standard of living. It is getting lower only because, thanks to our prayers, our standard of thinking has not gotten any higher! Meanwhile, common human decency has yet to be established throughout the land as a major reflection in Philippine history. The bible teaches: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 18:3. Well, for heaven’s sake, haven’t we all been already converted to become like little children? In the meantime, unfortunately, religion cannot solve our problem because religion is the problem! Now what if Jose Rizal had not been executed by his religious enemies in authority? What if those same religious enemies of Rizal never got to be the same religious morons in charge of what should be taught in our schools, colleges, and universities? What if Rizal and men like Rizal have turned out to be our kind of leaders? Do you really think that our society in this 21st century will still be about fellow-Filipinos crippled spiritually, degraded intellectually, sick socially, bleeding economically, inefficient scientifically, and indeed, childlike historically? And to think these sick values were installed in our country for the greater glory of an ancient mystery masquerading as a divinity! With all good wishes, Poch Suzara 8 Zipper St. San Lorenzo Villagem Makati City, Philippines