Theology Defined

If theology were a science, it is the science of contradictions. Every religion is but a system imagined for the purpose of reconciling conflicting ideas against other irreconcilable ideas. Indeed, theology is but ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system. It is not what we know about divinity; it is what we do not know about humanity. Theology is the hope to understand, if not to justify, the mysteries of our faith. Those deeply impressed with theological claims, sad to say, are the frightened faithfools who prefer the unknown, the concealed, the fabulous, the incredible, even the terrible to that which is clear, concise, true, melodic, and realistic. In the meantime, if the theologians do not comprehend other theologians, why then is it expected of me that I should, for myself, comprehend the subject of theology - the study of the incomprehensible? Poch Suzara

Surviving Schizophrenia

According to SURVIVING SCHIZOPHRENIA, a manual for Families, Consumers and Providers, published in 1995 by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., the distribution of the 1.8 million persons with schizophrenia in the U.S. are as follows: “100,000 are in Hospitals; 180,000 are in Nursing homes; 100,000 are in Jails & Prisons; 100,000 are in Shelters and Streets; 300,000 are Supervised living in Group Homes; 500,000 are living with family members; 550,000 are living independently.” What it fails to include, however, are those homicidal maniacs installed in the White House by the democratic process called “general election.” Poch Suzara

Pope Paul 11

"Don't you think that the irresponsible behaviour of men is caused by women?“ Pope John Paul II. I ask: how come no one blames the devil anymore? The same devil that God gifted with free will far more superior than man’s inferior free will? And to think the women of Poland today are freely inspired by the devil to celebrate the plan of Pope Benedict XVI to canonize Pope John Paul 11 a saint. How wonderful of Catholic Popes to canonize each other as saints of God. Poch Suzara

Dear Father Roy Cimagala

With great interest, I read your article: WE NEED TO STUDY THEOLOGY published in BusinessWorld ( May 11, 2005 ). You mentioned and I quite agree that there are lots of people who are real giants in the fields of modern technology and other sciences. Regrettably however, I am unable to agree with you that such scientists and technologists are ‘like babies or pygmies with clearly stunted growth in matters of faith and religion.” For my part, I am neither a scientist nor a philosopher. In fact, I am a high-school dropout. But as you are an expert in theology, perhaps you might be of great assistance in answering for my own enlightenment, the following theological questions: If God were the Designer of nature, how come He had to design 23,000 different kinds of beetles? What went wrong with the first beetle design? Or, if the human body were God’s design, how come there exist about 2 billion kinds of virus, germs, and bacteria living inside our body that will eventually self-destruct whether we have free will or not? If God created everything, including space and time, where was God located before he created space, and when was it before he created time? In fact, if everything needs a creator, who or what created God? The sun is a giant star that it can take one million ( 1,000,000 ) planets the size of earth and fit them all inside it. The sun, however, may be large but it is not the largest star in the sky. According to the science of astronomy, there is an even bigger star called Betelgeuse. It is 500 times larger than our sun. Comparatively, therefore, we humans are like the size of tiny parasites living on this grain of sand called “planet earth.” In this connection, what was God’s size when he created man in His own image and likeness? How could Adam and Eve be guilty of anything original, such as the Original Sin, since before everything else there was, first and foremost, - the Original Creator? God’s first Commandment: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” Can you explain where those “other Gods” came from? Who created them? God was often personally involved in human affairs during the days of biblical antiquity. How come he is no longer personally involved in human affairs in any shape or form in these days of scientific modernity? If moral values were universally planted by God, then all people would believe the same things. There could never be disagreements over right and wrong. There would be no need for laws, courts, and battlefields. Can you explain why the history of the world has been a history of conflicts between moral values in God’s name? According to the National Catholic Almanac, God is “almighty, eternal. Holy, immortal, immense, immutable, incomprehensible, ineffable, infinite, invisible, just, loving, merciful, most high, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, patient, perfect, provident, supreme, true.” Can you explain: how was it possible for theologians to have declared God’s incomprehensibility and simultaneously list twenty-two additional attributes? If God cannot be comprehended, what’s the latest findings from the study of theology? Indeed, what’s new with God? If God were immutable and therefore cannot change the past, the present, and the future as God saw it, doesn’t that make our prayers utterly worthless because when we pray, we are asking God to change his mind? If God so loved the world, why does he tolerate the devil to inspire the believers of the same religion hate each other like we all do as a matter of survival in this only Christian country in Asia? Christ said that if someone smite thee on the right cheek, turn the left cheek also. What is so noble about turning the other cheek, if one knows that each time he does so, he piling up greater rewards in heaven, while the one who strikes is earning his rewards in hell? If Christ died on the cross to destroy the devil, how come the devil is still alive and quite a success inspiring the Filipino to grace not the growth of human civilization but only to be a disgrace in the rat race for eternal salvation? Theology is not what we know about divinity. It is what we do not know about humanity. As theology, however, is still at the very foundation of our system of education, is it any wonder that we come out of our schools not as fruitful thinkers in love with our country, but only as fruitless believers in love with divinity? Yours Faithfully, Poch Suzara

All in Heaven For What?

If Jesus and his apostles, Mohammed, Buddha, Brahma, Yahweh, Confucius, the writers of the bible, Quoran, Torah, Upanishads, Bhagavad Cita, Pope Paul 11, the saints of God, St. Francis of Asissi, Martin Luther, the disciples of Allah, including Hindu followers, Emperor Hirohito of japan, Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, Truman, Nixon and Reagan, not to mention Marcos of the Philippines, etc. were all already in heaven with God up there, why are we all still hating and at war against each other for the sake of the devil in hell down here? Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

What If I am Wrong

What if it turned out that I am wrong all along and that God will meet with me after I am dead, what then? Well, I will immediately ask God to forgive me for having wasted my youth as a dumbstruck catholic when I was in grade school and high school at De La Salle University. But I will ask God: weren’t you such a dumbstruck of a God yourself for having created the silly devil gifted with a free will too? Poch Suzara

Reason and Faith

Can faith and reason be friends and work harmoniously together? Let’s see: Can you have faith that man has one rib less than a woman because reason tells you that God, according to the bible, created woman by taking a rib off Adam’s body? Indeed, how can faith and reason ever reconcile when faith proceeds like a mind stuck on hinges; and reason proceeds like a mind moving on wheels? Even if we assume that faith can merge with reason, we must see faith first merging with other faiths before reason can begin to entertain the silly merger. Poch Suzara

If God Sees Everything

If God sees everything, how come he is able to remedy nothing? Otherwise, if God were good, why not be good for something? Why be good only like the theologians and the politicians who are good not for something, but only good for nothing? Poch Suzara

Poverty and Wealth

The worst kind of poverty is the poverty of the mind. Such poverty explains the faith behind theism based on the unknowable. The best kind of wealth is the wealth of the mind. Such wealth explains the reason behind atheism based on the knowable. Poch Suzara

Two Philippine Associations

I am most proud and happy to be the chairperson of two unique but closely related associations in the Philippines. However, I must confess that each time I feel like I am such a failure intellectually, I am most proud to identify myself as the chairman of the Bertrand Russell Society, Philippines; but then again, each time I feel like I am such a success intellectually, I am most happy to identify myself as the chairman of the High School Dropout Association of the Philippines. Poch Suzara

Two Saintly Popes

"Don't you think that the irresponsible behaviour of men is caused by women?“ Pope John Paul 11. I ask: how come the Pope blames not the devil whose God gifted free will is far more superior than man's inferior free will? And to think the women in Poland today are freely celebrating the plan of Pope Ratzinger to beatify Pope and eventualy canonized John Paul 11 a saint of God. Poch Suzara

The Secret of Christianity

The power of reason leaves Christianity untouched, because Christianity does not pretend to reason. Christianity is build on faith, and appeals to the senses and to the imagination rather than to the intellect. When sense and hope are satisfied, the mind remains at rest; that is the secret of Christianity. Sadly, however, the power of science has long established the fact that the mind at rest is akin to the mind that is no longer at its best – another secret the Christian has not ceased hiding. Poch Suzara

DO WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Do we love our rivers and lakes and beaches? Do we love our flowers, plants, and trees? Do we love our birds, butterflies, and other living creatures of the forest? Do we love law and order? Do we love our policemen in the streets and our lawyers and prosecutors and judges in the courts? Do we love our mayors, governors, congressmen, and senators? Is ours a lovable government of the lovable people, by the lovable people, and for the lovable people?

Developing countries in Asia today are the results of, if not due to, developed minds and cultivated hearts. Thanks to the power of education based upon science and technology. Thanks also to that simple yet powerful human sentiment that has always been a traditional reality: love of country and love of fellow-citizens. Among Filipinos, however, -- love of country is as yet a traditional fantasy.

In Asian countries developing today, teamwork means dividing the effort and multiplying the effects. With us Filipinos, however, it is the exact opposite: teamwork means praying to God for miracles and to forgive us of our historical defects.

But then again, in this only Christian country in Asia, if we are not praying to God to lead us not into temptation, our high government officials too are praying to the same God to lead us not into deeper economic degradation. The results thus far: graft and corruption, political confusion, social dislocation, and especially pollution and population explosion.

Are we ever going to wake up in this country? When are we going to stop kidding ourselves enjoying the sacred lies we tell each other each day of every year? Are we ever going to solve, intelligently, our problems as a people and our troubles as a nation? Must we continue with our stunted sense of humanity as inspired by our love for incomprehensible divinity?

There was a time when every single man, woman, and child believed in a loving God. It was a time when no one dared to question anything. It was a time of spiritual poverty and moral bankruptcy. Everybody also believed the world was not round, but flat. It was a time of fear and mental paralysis. Everybody held on to faith not in the human capacity but faith only in human stupidity. It lasted for a thousand years( 5th to the 15th century ). Historians refer to those centuries as the Dark Ages.

We Filipinos are still living in the Dark Ages. We carry superstition on our backs and we are crippled by its weight. We make no bones about God being a panacea – that all our social troubles and economical and political problems will vanish into thin air if only each and every one of us will kneel down and once more have deep faith in God.

The holy bible is found in almost every Filipino home today. It is a book written not by Filipinos, but by foreigners. If, however, we wish to understand why love of country does not exist in the Philippines, please read the bible. It clearly states what we adhere to faithfully: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not with him. “ John 2:15. Indeed, why should we love our country when the bible clearly tells us that if we do so, the love of God is not with us?

Now if we wish to understand why we do not love each other as a people please read again carefully what Jesus admonished in the bible: “If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26. Is it any wonder why we all love God up there by hating one another down here?

In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of abandoned and hungry Filipino children struggle to exist in the streets of our major cities. Their bodies are rotting with malnourishment as they live off garbage and trash.

Well, millions of children too exist inside our school buildings. Their minds and hearts are rotting too. They are taught to believe that this world is depraved and sinful and corrupt and that this life is nothing but a transition to a better world to come after death with God in heaven. Indeed, these are the same millions of children who will become parents themselves one day. And like all of us parents and grandparents of today, they too will be the stupid victims of our so-called “ social, moral and religious values.”

We are born ignorant, not mindless. In the Philippines, we are made mindless with the power of education. Poch Suzara

FAITH

Faith is really a kind of convenient escape-hatch. Faith does not extricate any one away from contradictions and absurdities; it merely inspires one to believe and to have faith in spite of contradictions and absurdities. Indeed, faith is just another sacred word we often use to hide our irrationality, if not to justify our lazy mentality Poch Suzara

Super Qualities of God

According to the National Catholic Almanac, among the supernatural qualities of God is that he is incomprehensible. Obviously, if this were so, as God is therefore unknowable, it is utterly impossible to examine God’s other supernatural qualities. In the meantime, theology mutilates the human mentality. The theologians then present themselves as friends to those they have crippled intellectually. Happily, theology can never, not even by a long shot, reduce atheism to the same depths of insanity as the concept of silly divinity on the one side; and on the other side, the concept of silly deviltry. Poch Suzara

Favorite Saints of God

What is the difference between a first class moron and a third class moron? A first class moron reads the bible but does not understand it. The third class moron understands the bible but does not read it. Both, however, enjoy a similarity. They have equal chances down here to be canonized as favorite saints of God up there. Poch Suzara

A 16th century Catholic Cardinal

Cardinal Robert Bellarmine said: “To assert that earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to declare that Jesus was not born of a Virgin.” And to think that this famous Cardinal born not of a virgin himself, was canonized a saint of God. My dear Cardinal Bellarmine: I declare the earth revolves around the sun and I further declare that Jesus never existed. There is no such thing as a virgin birth. When Mary disclosed to her own relatives the scandalous nature of her miraculous pregnancy, they all said to her: “Go tell that story to the U.S. Marines.” Indeed, the same US Marines fighting today in Iraq to establish the truth behind Christian virginity to pave the way for American style of freedom and democracy. Poch Suzara

Gospel Writers

And set up over his head his accusation, written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matt. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Mark 15:26 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek,and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:38 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. John 19:19 The inspired Gospel writers were either blind with blind faith and could not see clearly, or they just thought that they could be poetic enough as 3 of them reported that Jesus was crucified in Golgotha and the other inspired poet reported that Jesus was crucified in Calvary. Again, there is a dispute as to whether Jesus was born in Bethlehem or in Nazareth, ( 60 miles apart) and the date of his birth has been placed anywhere from 4 b.c. to 7 a.d. Matthew says that Jesus was born “in the days of Herod”, while Luke says it was “When Cyrenius was governor of Syria.” Herod died in 4 b.c., while Cyrenius did not become governor of Syria until 7 a.d.. As so song goes - what’s going on? At any rate, what is most embarrassing for Christianity is that the theologians could easily explain how God could father a Jesus Christ via a virgin Mary, but the same theologians cannot explain how the place where Jesus Christ was born ( Israel ) some 2,000 years ago is today is not a Christian country, but a Jewish State! And to think that ancient Jewish literature have no mention whatsoever of a character named Jesus Christ. Anyway, all is not lost as there is a difference between an awestruck MORON and a dumbstruck MORON. The awestruck MORON understands the bible but does not read it; the dumbstruck MORON reads the bible but does not understand it. Fortunately, however, both have equal chances to be canonized as saints of God. Poch Suzara

Thoughts On Jesus

If we, humans, were all children of God, then Jesus was not the Son of God, but the grandson of God as Mary, His mother, was the daughter of God. The bible relates how Jesus possessed the power to perform miracles. He made the blind see, the lame walk, the deft hear, he got loaves of bread multiplied for the multitude. Jesus walked on water, changed water into wine, cured leprosy, raised the dead back to life. Curiously enough, not a single one of those grateful back-to-life corpses appeared in court to testify that Jesus was a miracle healer; not a trouble-maker. After getting resurrected, they all seem to have disappeared and never heard from again. Crucified on the cross, Jesus cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Indeed, Jesus could have been more honest with himself if He had instead cried out: “My God, as your only grandson on this earth, this crucifixion ordeal is little bit absurd. How can I die on this cross to save mankind today if I am able to resurrect myself back to life tomorrow?” Jesus was indeed a failure. His divine mission to destroy the devil failed to materialize. The devil is still alive and quite a success living in the Philippines – the only Christian country in Asia inspiring the Philippine government to solve the problems of the nation with prayers. Indeed, the devil is quite proud of his accomplishments; especially since God makes Himself not omni-present, but always omni-absent to pave the way clear for the devil to win more stupid souls for himself, especially stupid souls from the Philippines - the only religiously fucked country in Asia since the 16th century. Poch Suzara

Left Behind Prophecy

I am in receipt of regular email messages from some outfit called LEFT BEHIND PROPHECY. It is the same old gloom and doom scenario trying to put me in fear so that I will join them to support their silly brand of superstition otherwise more popularly known as “religion.” Yes, it is also the same old lack of self-respect. They can email me but I am not allowed email them back. It’s a one way street. It is just like attending church services. Just attend and listen to some religious moron preaching biblical nonsense. No questions allowed. Perhaps, if LEFT BEHIND PROPHECY could rename itself as the RIGHT FORWARD STUPIDITY, it will be more based on reality, and not on fantasy. It is indeed incredible how in this 21st century, the faithful believers have not yet seen through the sanctimonious sacred hogwash written in the holy bible as inspired by a silly divinity. Instead of being masters, they are still the victims of religion. As an atheist, I am not trying to offer you prophecies of doom and gloom. The only thing I can do is to point out to you that there is a method by which everyone can obtain the ability to view objectively, without prejudice, the important issues of society. Thus eliminating religiously biased misconceptions concerning life and the aspirations of the human community. This will lead to the future development of a culture based on the power of reason. That method I am referring to is called “scientific method.” It deals constantly with objective reality. When you ask of me as I am an atheist: what do I have to offer you? The answer is your own MIND – the most precious gift from nature stolen away from you as a child at home and in school. I give you back your precious self as a whole man, standing on your feet, looking fair and square at the world. Its good facts and bad facts. Its beauties and its ugliness. Conquering the world with human intelligence and not kneeling down proud of divine negligence. Doing your own thing. Solving your own problems, having self-esteem and proud of your human capacities, and indeed, if you have any, - intellectual abilities. Poch Suzara

Quickly

Any modern thesaurus will tell you that another meaning for the word quickly is rapidly, speedily, hastily, swiftly, expeditiously, or promptly. In the ancient thesaurus, however, the word quickly meant something the exact opposite. Thus, when Jesus in the bible said: “I will come quickly,” He meant it to be in the next two thousand years or so, if at all, truthfully. Poch Suzara

The Second Coming

Jesus Christ has yet to deliver His promise of a Second Coming. Lucifer already beat Him to it with his 3rd Coming. As for me, I thank both God and the devil I have no problem coming. By the way, how come the Son of God had a Mother, but the devil has none? As a baby - Who delivered the devil into this God-forsaken world? Poch Suzara

The Son of God Jesus

The Son of an All-knowing God Jesus totally ignored to give knowledge to the world, especially the sciences: - astronomy, biology, anthropology, chemistry, geology, psychology, sociology, physics, mathematics and logic to help mankind grow, develop, and mature. Indeed, instead of the power of knowledge, Jesus gave the world his blood, parables, fables, and mysticism. Crucified, however, on the cross, Jesus dramatically cried out: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” As if Jesus Himself knew exactly what he was doing? Jesus Promised to come back precisely because He knew not what exactly He was doing! Poch Suzara

I have no Problem Coming

Jesus Christ has yet to deliver His promise of a Second Coming. Lucifer already beat Him to it with his 3rd Coming. As for me, I thank both God and the devil I have no problem coming. By the way, how come the Son of God has a Mother, but the devil has none? Who delivered the devil into this God-forsaken world of ours? Poch Suzara

Failures and Losers

If there were religious leaders who started the religion of the losers and the failures, it was no less than Jesus himself - the Son of God. Consider how Jesus allowed himself to be crucified on the cross by the losers and the failures of his backward community. On the cross, Jesus even cried out to another All-mighty Loser: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Poch Suzara

New Testament

In the New Testament, Jesus admonished his followers: “Be ye as wise as the serpent.” Jesus was referring to the same old serpent of the Old Testament. The snake who could walk and talk and was wise enough to have played the lead role in the fall of Adam and Eve who, to no fault of their own, never got to be exposed to the power of prayer or even to the Revealed Truth. Poch Suzara

The Lord’s Prayer

The faithful believers pray daily with these words: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, amen.” If Jesus were truly the Lord worthy of love, respect and admiration, he should have already eliminated evil out of this world. In this way, He need not waste any more time and energy leading his faithful followers into temptation. Poch Suzara

Jesus and Socrates

Socrates – the Greek philosopher was a better man and indeed a wiser thinker than the Jesus – the Son of God. For one thing, Socrates never invented the concept of hell for those who disagreed with his logic. Jesus, however, was more theologic. He said: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should rule over them, bring hither, and slay them for me.” Luke 19:27. For my part, I have more love and respect for Socrates. He said: The unexamined life is not worth living for man. Poch Suzara

The Three Wise Kings

A wise king usually enjoys power and glory and authority over his people. Imagine a wise king being told that there is a pregnant Virgin Mary in some remote town who will soon deliver a child who will be the king of the world. The wise king not only believes the story, but also goes out of his way to notify two other neighboring wise kings to come along with him to visit with gifts and to adore the child-king of a virgin woman. If you can believe this Three Wise Kings story as true, you might as well believe also that you too can become a very wise king one day. Poch Suzara

Parental Love and Affection

Parental love and affection can never be repaid. It can only be passed on to our own children and they in turn to their own children. Not, however, according to Jesus Christ. In Luke 14:26, Jesus admonished: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, his mother, and wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Such were the sacred words uttered by Jesus - the Prince of Peace, the most lovable of men, and the Savior of the mankind. Poch Suzara

A Holy Spirit

A holy spirit existing way out there among the clouds that can actually experience emotional breakdown or psychological injury due to blasphemy from an atheist like me down here does not deserve to be called a holy spirit. In the scientific term, it deserves to be called a psycho-ceramic. Or, in the layman’s language, - a crackpot. Poch Suzara

The New Pope Benedict XV1

It is claimed that the newly elected pope receives an average of 56,000 e-mails a day. As if this were something to brag about. God receives an average of 56,000,000,000 prayers a year. One would think that these two powerful and famous characters would get together and have a heart to seriously introduce here and now - peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Poch Suzara

Failures and Losers

There are a variety of failures and losers in this world. The most prominent are those quite respectable. They made tons of money working for, if not got to be closely associated with, the wealthy land grabbers – among the biggest thieves in this only Christian country in Asia. Thanks to the inheritance from the Spanish Friars of centuries ago, who grabbed land for themselves and for their children and grandchildren and called it - blessings from God on the Philippines. Poch Suzara

G. K. Chesterson

He wrote: “When people cease to believe in God, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” On the contrary dear sir, when people cease to believe in God, they are no longer encouraged by fantasy; in fact, they begin to develop a sufficient sense of reality. For my part, when I gradually ceased to believe in God, heavy theological baggage was unloaded off my back making it more comfortable for me to proceed with my happy life, brief and fleeting as it is, on this earth. Poch Suzara

Much Easier

It is much easier to believe than to think. Look at our sick society composed of sick believers. Golly, even our daily newspapers must cater to its readers as they are silly believers, but not to readers as they may be intelligent thinkers. Poch Suzara

What Is An Atheist

What is an Atheist

An atheist is not an object to hate. He is a person just like you to love. The right question to ask therefore is: Who is an atheist?
An atheist accepts that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth – for all men together to enjoy.
An atheist accepts that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner convictions and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue it and to enjoy it.
An atheist accepts that only in knowledge of himself and knowledge of his fellowman can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment. Therefore, he seeks to know himself and his fellowman rather than to know a god.
An atheist accepts that a hospital should be built instead of a church.
An atheist accepts that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said.
An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants diseases conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man. He wants an ethical way of life. He accepts that we cannot rely on a god nor channel action into prayer nor hope for an end of troubles in the hereafter. He accepts that we are - in a great sense – our brothers’ keepers in that we are first, keepers of our own lives; that we are responsible persons, that the job is here and the time is now.
Lastly, an atheist accepts that if we must die, we must die intellecutally sober, and drunk with religious lies. Poch Suzara

St. Augustine and Women

St. Augustine considered women as very inferior to men and blamed Eve for the fall of Adam. Did this famous saint make sense even as a Catholic? You be the judge. Listen to St. Augustine’s confession: “There is another form of temptation, even more fraught with danger. This is the disease of curiosity. . . It is this which drives us on to try to discover the secret of nature, those secrets which are beyond our understanding, which can avail us nothing and which men should not wish to learn. . . In this immense forest, full of pitfalls and perils, I have drawn myself back, and pulled myself away from these thorns. In the midst of all these things which float unceasingly around me in everyday life, I am never surprised at any of them, and never captivated by my genuine desire to study them. . . I no longer dream of the stars.” The time of Augustine’s death, 430 A.D., marks the beginning of the Dark Ages in Europe. From the 5th to the 15th century, the Dark Ages in God’s name and for His glory lasted for a thousand years. And to think that in this 21st century there are still religious fanatics who are in authority leading us back to the Dark Ages. Poch Suzara

What God

I never met God. He was not around the day I was born. He was never at home or in school with me. He never played any games or sports or danced or appreciated music together with ma. He never shared good and bad times together with me. We never laughed or cried together. God never showed up at my marriage nor was he there during the birth of my children. God and I never had breakfast or lunch or dinner together. My own father devoted most of his life to God; I was there at my father's death-bed, but I never saw God around anywhere. Now what reasons should I have in life to always take the side of God who was never there existing for me as a friend or even existing for my loved ones? Poch Suzara

Mediocre Writers

What makes mediocre writers? Instead of intelligently attacking stupid ideas or beliefs, they would rather attack stupid individuals who, to begin with, do not care to cultivate the habit of serious reading. Indeed, mediocre writers love mental paralysis; but hate, at the same tme, lively analysis. Poch Suzara

The Catholic Popes

If peace on earth and goodwill to all men prevailed, the newly elected 265th pope benedict XVI of the Catholic Church need not pledge to work to unify Christians, to reach out to other religions. One wonders what the Catholic Popes have accomplished for the happiness of mankind in the here and now? Consider the world in this 21st century still hopelessly split into areas of wealth and poverty where ignorance, hatred, bigotry, and faith in ancient superstitions are still pretty much the traditional enemies of mankind. Poch Suzara

Great Religions

To hate man and to love God characterizes in brief the great religions of the world. From religion we learn to hate this life. We only look forward to a better life to come after death. As if, after death, there will be a next life. Really, if such were true, how come we know nothing of life of another world before we were born? Obviously, if from this world we will proceed to another world, it is only because we all came from a previous world. But we all originated from a world of nothing. Poch Suzara

Saints

The Catholic Church has already canonized more than 10,257 saints. There are saints for all sorts of human needs, illnesses, professions, situations such as for lost items, infertility, pregnancy, dentistry, missionary works and saints for all kinds of diseases and maladies. Moreover, aside from the communion of saints on earth, there is also already the communion of saints in heaven. Today, in the 21st century, no saint, either in heaven or on earth has yet improved the ways of the world; nay, no saint has yet been able to help God improve and make sense of our world still pretty much infested with religious believers who are selfish, greedy, stupid, and insane. Poch Suzara

We Filipinos

We Filipinos are hoping for the Second Coming of Christ to solve our problems. Since that is not yet forthcoming, we are hoping for the government to do the job. Unfortunately, however, government officials themselves are also hoping for Jesus Christ to return to forgive them of their sins against the public and their crimes against the republic. Sadly, however, Jesus Christ Himself is also waiting for God to wake up still sleeping on the job. In the meantime, the survival of the Philippines as a nation will depend on how many Filipinos can escape away from the shackles of childish beliefs that there is a much better world to come only after we are all dead. Poch Suzara

Mindless

We are all born ignorant, not mindless. We are made mindless with the power of indoctrination otherwise popularly known as "education." The results have been devastating. Look at the kind of mindless leaders we have in our country leading us ever more into a future getting more senseless, if not worthless, that even nature herself never intended to be shameless or be needlessly reckless. Poch Suzara

Religious Beliefs

Most people’s religious beliefs are based on, if not derived from, the incompetent figment of an impoverished imagination traditionally supported by silly superstition. Poch Suzara

Read, Read, and Read

I have been told that faith can move mountain. I have yet, however, to see a mountain moved by an inch with the power of faith; especially in this only Christian country in Asia. What I see more clearly is faith supporting the mountain of poverty and misery, filth and squalor, not to mention the mountain of moral and spiritual bankruptcy of our sick society. In fact, today in this already 21st century - it is sick faith that makes us the Sick Man of Asia. Indeed, we do not speak of faith that a square has 4 sides, or that a triangle has 3 sides or that an octagon has 8. We only speak of faith when we do not know, and we only want to sanctify our ignorance in exchange for supernatural tolerance. For my part, I pity the man of faith. He is like a drunkard clinging to a lamppost for support, not illumination. Why should we need more faith since faith has only to do with the unknown? Why not, instead, face the known with intelligence and explore possibilities on how we can yet expand and improve our understanding of what is already known? Look at medical science expanding and improving ways to cure diseases and to make us live longer and healthier. Where has faith taken us as a Christian country in Asia? Today, we Filipinos are involved with nothing but the scramble for money: to satisfy not only our stupid greed; but mostly to amplify in public our silly creed. At any rate, what can we expect of a poor and backward nation where men and women with college education are habitually on their knees praying to a silly God to save their silly souls in the next silly life? And to think that most of these men and women are hoping to migrate to the next country overseas where its citizens are already enjoying a higher standard of living and indeed thinking. What we need in this country is not MORE faith, but more reason for the sake of spiritual growth. It means abandoning outworn beliefs and the welcoming of new and fresh ideas. We need to develop a deeper vision, to be willing to forsake our obsolete and shallow vision. The road to spiritual growth lies in distrusting what we already believe by deliberately challenging the validity of what we have been traditionally taught to hold dear and holy. We must learn to question everything. It is the basis of spiritual growth and intellectual maturity. We must therefore develop the habit of reading avidly and judiciously. I say therefore: read, read, and read. To begin to discover not only the beauty of rationality, but also the harmony of veracity. As we develop the habit of reading, especially books on the scientific way of thinking, we will never, ever again, be the foolish victims of mediocrity, or worse still – be the promoters of a sick society. However the case may be, those of us who refuse to read are no better off than those who can’t read at all. Poch Suzara

Trees

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bringeth forth good fruit. Matt. 7:18. To think that only God can make a tree. Perhaps, trees are gifted too with free will. But to think further that in the same bible, it says there exist also the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. Too bad this remarkable tree of knowledge could not preach to other trees with the power of knowledge. Poch Suzara

The Height of Absurdity

To believe that an immortal and supernatural Being from heaven would come down and impregnate a mortal and a normal woman on this earth in order to produce a Jewish child to save the world - has got to be the height of religious absurdity. And to think this Jewish child grew up to be crucified and on the cross, cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And to think further that this same Jesus in a Roman court admitted to Pontius Pilate: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Poch Suzara

A Catholic

A Catholic does not care to reason. His beliefs are based on faith, and appeals to the hopes for the next world to come. And if such hopes are satisfied, the mind remains at rest. That is the secret of Catholicism. Happily, however, science has long discovered that a mind habitually resting, is already functionally dying. Poch Suzara

A Christian

A Christian is one who hardly knows his bible, much less its origin. Thus, we Filipinos know so little of bible contents. We are told that the bible contains all the solutions to our problems. If, however, the Jews were the Chosen People of God, why should God solve the problems of the Filipinos when the Jews themselves are still in trouble with all kinds of problems, especially from its neighboring Arab countries? Poch Suzara

Celibacy

To think that behind every man’s success in life is a woman’s behind. And to think further that behind the success of papacy, there must be, hidden somewhere inside the Vatican, a mamacy. Poch Suzara

Pope Paul 11

In one of the most momentous funerals in history, the poor and the rich rub shoulders to say their last goodbyes to the Pope. Indeed, 4 kings, 5 Queens, 70 Presidents and Prime Ministers, 14 other religious leaders, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and prelates from all over the world visited Rome to attend the Pope’s last rites. Too bad Jesus wasn’t there. He has not yet returned as He had promised to do so some two thousand years ago. At Pope’s funeral, Jesus could have been the real star of the show. However, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger tells us that: “the Pope is now standing at the window of the Father’s house as he sees us and blesses us.”
In the meantime, Jesus in the bible says: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he lived. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” John 11:25-26. I ask: Why is the Pope dead and if he is not dead what’s all the fuss about last respects while giving him such a colorful funeral service? Poch Suzara

God and the Devil

God is the only supernatural good who does not need to exist in order to rule the world. Unfortunately, the devil is also another supernatural evil who does not need to exist to help God maintain His power and glory. Poch Suzara

The Unforgivable Sin

The bible warns: “but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Mark 3:29. For Christ’s sake, it’s hard enough to blaspheme against a ghost, what more against one that is already holy? Poch Suzara

The Dark Ages

There was a time when every single man, woman and child throughout the world believed, loved, and had faith in God. This was during the 5th to the 15th century. Historians refer to these ten centuries as the Dark Ages. Today, virtually every one of the 100 million Filipinos believe, loved, and have faith in Pope John Paul II who had recently died. Who knows what world historians will refer to the Philippines in this 21st century? In the meantime, it is highly claimed that for a great many years the late Pope John Paul II fought for human dignity and struggled against human poverty. I ask: where are the results; especially in this only Christian country in Asia? How come human sufferings have not decreased, in fact have only increased in the Philippines? To think that the power of divinity is supposed to be always behind the power of papacy as established by the power of the Vatican bank and its global industry! Poch Suzara

On the Second Coming

Paul said: “in Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female.” If this were the case, I ask: Jesus was the perfect guide to whom or a Savior of what? How could Jesus be our refuge and strength, a very present help in our trouble when even His promise to return has not yet taken place? To think that promise was made 2,000 years ago. Poch Suzara

It Is Finished

The last words Jesus said before he died on the cross was: “It is finished.” John 19:20. Yet, in Revelation 22:12, and in other 4 verses in the bible, Jesus said: “Behold, I am coming quickly.” If things, however, were already finished and duly accomplished as Jesus had declared, why promise and bother to return? Poch Suzara

Twelve Losers

Christ chose twelve losers in the community to help him save the world. Those losers were called “apostles” who, even with the power of God behind them, failed to straighten out the mess of their own community. Christ was not invited to a banquet to celebrate the success of his life and work. On the contrary, He was arrested, tried, and crucified on the cross. When it comes to divine failures – Christ is the answer. In the meantime, Generations have passed and there is not yet a sign that Jesus is returning. Nevertheless, if Jesus arrives, it is most probable that his twelve apostles won’t be coming along with him. They were all failures in the eyes of Jesus. Consider the two criminals crucified along side Him. Jesus promised one eternal salvation for believing in Him. A promise He never made to any of His twelve apostles. But then again, why bother to return when clearly in John 18:36: Jesus bragged: “My kingdom is not of this world.” Poch Suzara

Eternal Salvation

“For what does it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world but loses his own soul?” Matt. 16:26. Well, I ask: what does it profit a man if he wins eternal salvation but leaves behind this world a worse place than he found it for his own children and the children of others? Poch Suzara

Satan

“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” Luke 10:18. I ask: what in hell was Satan doing in heaven in the first place? Poch Suzara

Meet With God

According to Catholic theology I could not meet God for as long as I am alive. Only after I am dead will I be able to meet with God in person. In the meantime, I ask: if God were a spirit, how could He have created the material me in His own image and likeness? And was this before or after my circumcision? Poch Suzara

A House Divided

The bible admits: - “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” It is, indeed, a simple truth and a timeless message. But then again why did God allow the devil in the form of a serpent to divide the home of Adam and Eve – the first couple trying hard to stand in unity as both were anxious to build together a happy family? In the meantime, I ask: where was the Son of God Jesus – the Savior of Mankind, - during or right afterthe Fall of Adam and Eve? Poch Suzara

God is Not Everywhere

The bible clearly admits that God is not everywhere: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. Really, if God is everywhere, faith for things not seen is utterly needless. Poch Suzara

Moses - One of the Inspired Liars of God in the Bible

In Genesis 6:6 Moses wrote that “it had repenteth that Lord that he had made man on the earth. In Exodus 32:14, Moses again wrote that “the Lord repenteth of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” But in Numbers 23:19, the same Moses wrote: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Oh Moses, my dear Moses, what other sacred lies have you revealed as the Truth in the holy bible? Poch Suzara

The Bible Admits

“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalms 51:5. Indeed, Christians believe in guilty babies. Catholics are worse:- they believe in guilty embryos. For my part, I do not believe in the existence of original sin as I do not believe in the existence of an Original Creator. The most basic law of physics states that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed; they can only be transformed into different states. Therefore the basic stuff of the universe could not have been created, and it can never be destroyed. The Original Creator is a myth. Poch Suzara

My Readers

Say that the trouble with me is that everybody sees God except me. They say, to see God, all I have to do is to open my heart and God will be there as clear as daylight for me to see. Well, God is either everywhere or somewhere. But where is God to be found anywhere? And which God are you people referring to? Consider the perpetual sad state of human affairs on this earth, I say such a God is in desperate need of sober advisers. Well, where in hell are His angels? In the meantime, I ask my dear readers: if it does not bother you to realize that you were a nothing herebefore of eternity before you were born, why should it bother you to realize that you will be a nothing again in the hereafter of eternity after you are dead? Poch Suzara

Theology and Philosophy

If God gave you the free will to embrace the theology of theism, why should any one be mad at me if that same God gave me the free will to embrace the philosophy of atheism? Poch Suzara

Scientitic Way of Thinking

When Catholics or Muslims or Jew or Buddhists or Hindus or what-not think of the multiplication table, they all think correctly, there is no difference among them. All are in the same arena of what is precise, certain, and truthful. When they think of their respective religious beliefs, however, they are disunited and are ready to do harm to each other. Indeed, religion as an idea has done more harm to mankind
than any other idea.

For my part, I hate religion because it is fundamentally opposed to everything I love that’s precious: intellectual honesty based on the pursuit of the truth. Poch Suzara

Religious Insanity

In his Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote: “Religious insanity is very common in the United States.” Too bad he never visited the Sick Man of Asia. He would have found religious insanity a much more serious condition in the Philippines than it was then in the United States. During these times, there was only one Filipino who was scientifically sane: Jose Rizal. He wrote two books ( Noli and Fili ) about the religious insanity of the Spanish Catholic Friars against Filipino Catholics. The Civil government, under the power of the Catholic Church had Rizal put away. He was publicly executed in 1896. In the meantime, lies have been told about this great man. Indeed, even up to today, in every school, colleges, and universities in the Philippines, it is still being taught that hours before he died, Rizal retracted. That in his death cell he went to confession, heard mass, received holy communion, and wore a scapular around his neck and holding a rosary around his hands on the way to face his firing squad. Such retraction is purely based on sacred Catholic lies. In Manila City Hall, there is a blow up photo hanging on a wall showing Rizal being executed with NO scapular around his neck NOR a rosary around his hand. Poch Suzara

Prayer

Prayer – the supplication of expression addressed to God and very much still in the nature of magic formulas, mumbled over and over again with an advertiser’s faith in the law of re-iteration. Unfortunately, there is no God; otherwise, if there is a God, and he’s fully aware of the impact of what it means to be all-knowing and all-mighty and indeed what it means to be always on the job, there would be no need of prayers. Poch Suzara

For Centuries

Centuries before the 1st century, the theologians have not ceased explaining the unknowable in terms of the not worth knowing. And to think that in this 21st century the theologians themselves have no explanation whatsoever as to why God created them in His own image and likeness. Poch Suzara

Dark Side of the Catholic Church

Armando Ang wrote the book - “The Dark Side of the Catholic Church.” He should have been more honest had he titled his book “The lies and falsehoods and Deceptions behind the Catholic Church.” Indeed, in the history of Christianity bequeathed to us by the Roman Catholic Church, we find ourselves embroiled in a world of schism and power struggles, forged documents, false identities, letters that had been edited and added to the wholesale destruction of historical evidences and gross distortion of the truth; not to mention - murder. Unfortunately for the greatest story ever told, it has yet to be truthfully told. Poch Suzara

Democracy Ubder a Theocracy

“Democracy,” wrote Tocqueville, “does not attach men strongly to one another, but it places their habitual intercourse on an easier footing.“

In the Philippines, however, theocracy has always been on top of our democracy. We are more faithful to a divinity than we are habitual in our intercourse to cultivate our sense of morality for the sake of establishing common Filipino decency. Poch Suzara

Russell or the Theologians

Between one philosopher and a thousand theologians, I would listen first to a Bertrand Russell: He made it clear that freedom is the supreme good; for without it personality is impossible. Life and knowledge are today so complex, that only by free discussions can we pick our way through errors and prejudices to that total perspective which is truth. Let men, let even teachers, differ and debate; out of such diverse opinions will come an intelligent relativity of belief which will not readily fly to arms; hatred and war come largely of fixed ideas or dogmatic faith. . . We think of education as the transmission of a certain body of settled knowledge, when it should be rather the development of a scientific habit of mind. Poch Suzara

The Test of a True Religion

The test of a true religion has nothing to do with how it began or how it will end. It has nothing to do with Churches and Cathedrals. It has nothing to do with fear or blind faith or even with daily prayers. True religion generates love and compassion in the human community. Anything less is not religion. It is superstition - the encouragement of stupidity and an insufficient sense of reality. Poch Suzara

Hollywood Trash

It is all about the good guys versus the bad guys. Good guys according to whom? Bad guys according to whom? Take the Cowboys and the Indians. Hollywood made movies about HOW THE WEST WAS WON by the Cowboys. No movie has yet been made by Hollywood about HOW THE WEST WAS LOST by the Indians. Poch Suzara

Columbus

What if Columbus was such a coward who never dared to exposed the truth about having learned that the world is round? Today in this 21 century, we would probably still believe that the world is flat. In my own case, friends and relatives and associates are terrified as I tell them that according to the latest scientific findings, it has been discovered that the human brain is round as a mammalian and only flat as a reptilian. Poch Suzara

Philosophy and the Bible

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8 .
Too bad bible readers are inspired to keep away from Bertrand Russell who wrote: “Philosophy should make us know the ends of life, and the elements in life that have value on their own account. However our freedom may be limited in the causal sphere, we need admit no limitations to our freedom in the sphere of values: what we judge good on its own account we may continue to judge good, without regard to anything but our feeling. Philosophy cannot itself determine the ends of life, but it can free us from the tyranny of prejudice and from distortions due to a narrow view. Love, beauty, knowledge, and the joy of life: these things retain their luster however wide our purview. And if philosophy can help us to feel the value of these things, it will have played its part in man’s collective work in bringing light into a world of darkness. OUTLINE OF PHILOSOPHY. Poch Suzara

After Death, What?

After death, what then? Nothing. Is that it? Yes, it’s all over. But isn’t that sad? Yes, it is sad. But what is even sadder, however, is that our lifetime on this earth is but a fraction of a millimeter or a split of a second as compared to the life of eternity and on a planet that is so insignificantly tiny. 1,000 planet earth can fit inside the Planet Jupiter which, in turn, is also so tiny in that 100,000 Jupiters can fit inside our Sun. Ours indeed is but an iota of existence. In the meantime, when a atheist admits with all intellectual honesty that life began as a fluke, that we live as a farce, and that we end up as a fertilizer – the atheist is not being a sanctimonious hypocrite. He means it. Shakespeare was not being facetious when he wrote of this truth: “When we are born we cry, that we are come to this great stage of fools.” Poch Suzara.

Failures and Losers

There are many kinds of failures and losers in this world. The most popular are those who do not hesitate to jump at every opportunity to make cheap excuses for or in behalf of God who is always sleeping on the job or has not shown Himself worthy of respect and admiration as an All-powerful, All-knowing, all-mighty, all-loving, all-merciful, all-wise, all-eternal, all-invisible, all-supreme, and an all-perfect God. Poch Suzara

Reality

Reality is always changing, and at the heart of it is not an answer, but an ultimate question: why is there something rather than nothing? The answer is that there is no answer, only more questions that gave birth to a queen called “philosophy” which in turn produced remarkable children called the “sciences.” Indeed, the task of philosophy is to ask question, and as soon as the answer is found, it ceases to be philosophy. It becomes a science. And fortunateky for science, it is a never-ending adventure in the search for the truth. Poch Suzara

Science and Politics

In response to ecologists who were trying to preserve the great coastal forests, Governor Reagan of California said: “If you have seen one tree you have seen them all.”
Listen to the scientist Carl Sagan: “Human beings grew up in the forests; we have a natural affinity for them. How lovely a tree is, straining toward the sky. Its leaves harvest sunlight to photosynthesize, so trees compete by shadowing their neighbors. If you look closely, you can often see two trees pushing and shoving with languid grace. Trees are great and beautiful machines, powered by sunlight, taking in water from the ground and carbon dioxide from the air, converting these materials into food for their use and ours. The plant uses the carbohydrates it makes as an energy source to go about its planty business. And we animals, who are ultimately parasites on the plants, steal the carbohydrates so we can go about our business. In eating the plants we combine the carbohydrates with oxygen dissolved in our blood because of our penchant for breathing air, and so extract the energy that makes us go. In the process, we exhale carbon dioxide, which the plants then recycle to make more carbohydrates. What a marvelous cooperative arrangement - plants and animals each inhaling the other’s exhalations, a kind of planet-wide mutual mouth-to-stoma resuscitation, the entire elegant cycle powered by a star 150 million kilometers away.” Poch Suzara

Albert Einstein

According to Einstein, “A legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Well, If I may add, fortunately, science and religion can, indeed, merge; unfortunately, however, religion must first reconcile with other religions before science can begin to entertain the merger. In the meantime, Shintoism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity may reconcile with each other later; but for now, let’s first just see the Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Mormons, Episcopalians, Adventists, etc. otherwise also known as “Christians” reconcile and merge together harmoniously as one happy family of Christians. Poch Suzara

God's Luckiest Creature

GOD’s LUCKIEST CREATURE
By: POCH SUZARA


Among God’s creatures only one has turned out to be the luckiest who always had it so fortunate. When he was created eons ago, and presumably in God’s own image and likeness, he never had to worry about the necessities of life – food, clothing, and shelter. He never had to struggle for existence with toil, pain, and sweat. He is quite a success in his own right. And to think that -

He never had to be baptized. Never had to go to confession. Going to mass on Sundays is to him worthless; holy communion meaningless. He does not need bible classes, or attend Wednesday novenas, or Thursday Adorations. He has no need of prayers for the salvation of his soul. The Gospel means nothing to him. In fact, the Gospel was written because of him. To think also that God gifted him with the free will too greater than those of ordinary men’s free will.

He never had any need to learn Christian values and beliefs. Carnal knowledge means nothing to him. He had no need to earn a college diploma to succeed in the world of greed and corruption. A career to earn a living means nothing to him. But he is quite a success with his ambitions, especially on earth. He’s behind governments of most countries. The Philippine government is his favorite. Thanks to his inspiration, Filipinos believed that freedom is the greatest as long as theocracy stays on top of our democracy.

This creature has never been afraid of anything. The Ten Commandments of God means nothing to him. In fact, he sees to it that such commands are always disobeyed, and that the results would be the same either way for the sinner: to be good, specially to be good for nothing.

He has no need of money. He has no bank account. He pays neither rent nor mortgage for his house. He does not even live in a home. But his place of residence was well provided for by God himself. He has no need for a family car. He’s wifeless and childless; in fact, he is sexless. He has no hospital bills to worry about. He has no health problems. He has no worries about burial expenses one day. He is even deathless. No one can destroy him as he enjoys eternal power. He’s free to do anything he wants without fear of punishment. He can create or destroy and is not answerable to any one. More than a hundred billion human beings already lived and died on this earth since Adam and Eve. But this creature is still alive, and kicking, and breathing fire and brimstone.

This creature of God sees to it that “faith” continues to be popular among men because, like “humility,” it makes stupidity a virtue. He loves the believers, the kneelers, and the cringers. They are his kind of people. The famous evangelists around the world are among the greatest of his friends. After all, evangelism sells nothing but wishful thinking and comforting myth to believers at a dear price: the mindless surrender of the self via the mutilation of the intellect. And therefore nothing pleases him more than to see mindless and heartless humans inspired to feel all the time worthless.

Despite his destructive ways, he has the power to reward himself with anything he wants; specially the souls of men. He has the power of a God. The Philippines is one country that he controls totally with the help of the theologians in cahoots with the politicians that he had endowed with power, wealth, and glory. He has the power of a God.

In the meantime, he can perform miracles. He can make people believe in the most idiotic of beliefs; he can even make a whole society sick. In God’s name, this creature has the power to teach brothers to hate brothers, to disintegrate empires, to topple governments, make kings abdicate, and teach nations to declare war on other nations. And most of all, he has the power to perform miracles in remote provinces. Those who enjoy delusions are his special friends. Specially, those who live near the mountain and who are able to hear the voice of God speaking to them.

No, this creature is not a saint, nor the pope, but the devil himself: - the most convenient concept justified by Christianity with theological infallibility. He is also known as Lucifer – the bringer of light. Throughout history – logic, philosophy, free thinking, intelligence, science and technology have always been regarded by the believers as the work of the devil – the most fortunate of all among God’s creatures. A spoiled supernatural brat, you might say. But if you look at your bible: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer to the ground..." - Isaiah 14:12. Then see the last page of the same bible, it reads: "I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." -Rev. 22:16. Note that the name Lucifer ( another name for Satan ) means light bearer, or morning star. Therefore, Lucifer is one of the inspired authors of the bible. Is it possible that the Holy trinity is actually the Holy Quadrucity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Devil?

Our teachers in Catechism told us that eons ago, when Satan decided to go against God, no one in heaven, not even the later theologians on earth, considered that supernatural event as the real Fall, the real Original Sin. No, the Fall was reserved for Adam and Eve - innocent and powerless as they both were. Satan then played a vital role in the Fall of Man and yet again he got scot-free. He has remained free and unpunished for ruining the lives of our first parents. Indeed, no one in heaven thought of crucifying on earth Satan on the cross. They thought of a better plan: put the Son of God to die on the cross in order to redeem the sins of man and to destroy the devil.

But what a monumental failure that was. Satan is still alive and doing quite well and happy enjoying the power of his free will. And he sees to it that the sinners keep on praying to God to lead them not into temptation. Of course, Satan knows stupidity comes first, sin follows. And so he sees to it that the power of human stupidity drives the human community ever on perpetually. In fact, Satan’s favorite people are the believers. After all, no one, except the believers believe in the existence of hell. Indeed, believers fear the devil first; fear God only second. What could be more flattering for this God’s luckiest of creatures?

In the final analysis, behind every good is the power of divinity. Behind every evil is the power of deviltry. But in between those two supernatural forces, however, is the power of human stupidity always trying to catch up with the power of infinity. - Poch Suzara

Ignorant

When we are born, none of us knew where we came from. In birth, we are ignorant. When we die, none of us will know where we are going. In death, we are ignorant. And to think we live but for a few moments, comparatively, on this grain of sand called Earth circling a star of which trillions of such stars exist out there. Scientist Carl Sagan wrote: “The total number of stars in the universe is greater than all the grains of sand in all the beaches of the planet Earth.” Poch Suzara

God's Truth

I am told that God’s truth is the best protection against Satan’s lies. But if there were God’s truth, what is the purpose of Satan’s lies, nay, what is the purpose of Satan’s existence? On the other hand, isn’t the existence of God protective enough? Why must there be also the truth from God? When are we going to stop playing this silly theological games? To begin with, we know nothing of God and we know nothing of Satan. Who cares about the truth or the lies emanating from either of these two supernatural monsters always happy working endlessly together? In the meantime, what is the difference between revealed lies from God and revealed truth from Satan? Poch Suzara

As a Devout Atheist

For my part, as a devout atheist, I do not care to meet God out there after I am dead. I should wish, however, to meet Him down here and now while I am still alive. So where is God? Why hide away from atheists like me? Poch Suzara

For God So loved the World

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. How wonderful of God to have loved the world. Too bad He did not love also His only begotten Son that He gave away. Crucified on the cross, His only begotten Son Jesus cried out: “My God, My God, what hast thou forsaken me?” Matt. 27:46 Poch Suzara

God's 10th Commandment

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbors. Exodus 20:17. Just like the rest of the commands, God’s 10th command was obviously written for the superstitious primitives of the antedeluvian days. Poch Suzara

Illitercy

Those who cannot discover the greatest of pleasure or the profoundest of joy in reading classical books are no better off than those who cannot read at all. Poch Suzara

Man's Greatest Achievement

Man’s greatest achievement in life is not to make billions; or to rule an empire; or to become famous or notorious. It is to be fully aware of the real nature of the powerful influence his parents at home and teachers in school and indeed priests in church who have had over him during his upbringing and education. The first five to ten years of a child’s life determines whether he will be a man of reason, or a man of faith, a businessman, a politician, a professor, a fool, a criminal, a saint, a clown, a lovable scoundrel, an alcoholic, or a catholic or a lunatic. For my part, I am grateful to my parents at home, my teachers in school, and my priests in church for having inspired in me with enough motivation to grow up to become an atheist. And what was my life's greatest achievement as I got to be an atheist? - I managed, somehow, to recapture the most priceless treasure stolen away from as a little boy at home, in school, and in church - my most precious mind to grow up to be, rightly or wrongly, a courageous thinking man. Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

I Think

I think if there is a God, He should be found existing inside, not outside, the universe. In fact, as nothing exists outside the universe, there is no God to be found there. I think further that it is easier for God to find us wasting time and energy trying to find Him. After all, God already has the Kingdom, the power, and the glory. We humans have nothing. We do not even possess the common sense to find each other for the sake of peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Poch Suzara atheist# Twitter# Facebook# Google#

In Order to be Happy

In order to be happy, it is not necessary to be rich and famous. What is essential is to be free and creative. However, one must first get rid of fear – the root cause of human misery. The secret of happiness is to progress from want to less want through the progress of thinking with more thinking. Indeed, there is a tremendous amount of happiness to be derived from the free market of ideas. Poch Suzara

The Values of Questions

Who are we? What are we? Where did we come from? Where do we stand in the scheme of things? What, if any, is our destiny? Is there a way of life that is noble and another that is base? Has life a purpose? Perhaps, life’s purpose is to seek the answers to those precious questions. The truth will not make us rich, but it will make us free. Poch Suzara

Man's Greatest Creation

Man’s greatest creation is not love but thought; for, devoid of thought, love cannot be. Thus, if we were loveless, it’s only because we are utterly thoughtless. Poch Suzara

Faith

Faith not in the power of reason cripples the mind. It also keeps the human intelligence in a crutch. Indeed, faith is not only the result, but also the function of, - ignorance. Poch Suzara

The Glory of Creation

The glory of creation should lie not at its inception, but in the final consummation brilliantly displaying perfection. It's the finished product that should matter. Instead of creating intelligent quality of life at its best in the beginning, why is the Creator busy only at creating more stupid quantity of life at its worse in the end? Poch Suzara

Children In School

Children are born ignorant, not stupid. They learn to be stupid in school. It is not because children lack learning ability; on the contrary, it is because they are victimized by teaching incredibility. For the most part schools are places of learning; sadly, however, hatred for more and deeper learning. Poch Suzara

Revelation

Revelation via inspired authors of the bible is not revelation, but a second-hand information and therefore not a reliable source of communication. As an unbeliever of the faith, if I must believe in the revealed truth, it must first be revealed directly to me. And not revealed to a Jewish fellow even if, with his rod, he could part the Red Sea some four thousand years ago. Poch Suzara

The Seven Deadly Sins

According to Catholic teachings: - pride, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, avarice, and sloth are the seven deadly sins. Unfortunately, stupidity is not included. After all, stupidity comes first; sin follows. But it’s wonderful that there is always available, at any time and place from God, the forgiveness of sin. But if sin were forgivable by a kind and loving God, what’s so threatening about the seven deadly sins? Poch Suzara