Oh Dear, My Dear Dan Brown

May 25, 2013 Dan Brown, author, INFERNO Dear Dan Brown, Around 30 per cent or 26 million Filipinos still have no access to sanitary toilets in the Philippines, data from two United Nations agencies show. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization said 7.4 million of these Filipinos still poo and pee behind bushes, fields, plastic bags, ditches, canals, rivers, lakes, bridges, or along highway tracks. Indeed, it is more fun in the Philippines. Specially for its 6.3 million Senior citizens existing on an average of P6,000 pesos or $150 dollars monthly SSS pension. It's a hand to mouth struggle to go on living in this world. Sir, I am one of those Senior Citizens of the Philippines. Dan, I greatly enjoyed reading the way you described Metro Manila as the "Gates of Hell" in your latest book - INFERNO. With all due respect, may I remind you that there is only one bully character for souls to deal with in hell - the weird devil. So it is not really that dreadful compared to the many corrupt bullies we all have to deal with in our poor and backward and God-forsaken county. Indeed, in the Philippines, millions of us poor Filipinos have no recourse but to live with many corrupt characters comprising our sick society - in the church, in the government, in the media; and indeed, weird teachers and professors in schools, colleges, and universities owned and operated by the Catholic church. They still teach Filipino children not HOW to think, but only WHAT to believe - a disease more known as the Sick Man of Asia! Sir, aside from reading INFERNO to learn about the ills of our sick society - we have only to read what is reported and published daily in the Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, and in other major newspapers in our country. We believe, however, that such horrors are not really horrors, because, for the most part, they are due to, if not because of our Free Will - God's greatest gift to Filipinos - the Sick Man of Asia. The Philippines is, indeed, a country famous for its poverty, suffocating pollution, political corruption, economic perversion, traffic jams, garbage here, filth there, horrifying sex trade, ill-health and shameless sanitation together with the jobless, the homeless, and the hopeless; not to mention the shantytowns that sprawl across trash dumps and cemeteries. millions of us poor Filipinos have also to accept the wealth, the power, and glory of the real owners of the Philippines - the Catholic church and its greedy partners in the world of trade and commerce. Sex trade in the Philippines is minor evil. What, however, is the major evil is the way we are inspired to produce 3 babies every minute the day and night; or, 4,320 babies daily; or 129,600 babies monthly; or 1.5 million babies yearly. Most of these children are neither loved nor wanted. They struggle to survive in the streets of our major cities. Their parents have been told to believe that God will provide for them anyway. If not in this life, in the next. Just pray and never lose faith. After all, God said in the bible that we must always multiply and replenish the earth. Also, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Matt. 6:34 We Filipinos are not only religious. We are also superstitious. We carry false beliefs daily on our backs and we are crippled by its weigh. Sadly, instead of facing reconstruction with science and technology, what we seek is only self-deception, if not obliteration via more prayers under more of the same theology. As one high official in our government wrote to you saying: "Our faith in God binds us as a nation and we believe that Manila citizens are more than capable of exemplifying good character and compassion towards each other...Truly, our place is an entry to heaven." Let's now take a closer look at how exactly we Filipinos are loving and compassionate towards each other in our own country: God-fearing security guards are needed to assist God-fearing policemen to guard the entrance of hospitals, banks, schools, colleges, universities, shopping malls, residential buildings, hotels, motels, bars, night clubs, bookstores, drug stores, residential villages, movie theaters, restaurants, churches, cathedrals, public parks, museums, airports, harbors, MRT-LRT stations, bus stations, halls of justice, courts of law, barangay's office, mayor's office, governor's office; not to mention the entrance of the NBI building also guarded, defended, and protected by licensed security guards. I have asked it before, I ask it again: how blessed are we really by God for being the only Catholic country in Asia since 400 years ago? Sir, do you know that in blind faith we Filipinos continue to be the victims of the Holy Bible messages. It teaches us Filipinos to "love not this world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of God is not in Him." 1 John 2:15 It is, in this way, that we Filipinos believe the only holy thing of lasting value are those found in the heavenly world of God up there. Our country down here should be treated as something temporary, unworthy, low, if not depraved. After all, we are told, this life is merely a stopover on our journey to the next better life. Therefore the less love, less attention, and less affection placed on our country; and, at the same time, more love, more attention, and more affection are placed on God's kingdom - the better for all of us; especially as we are the only Catholic country in Asia since the 16th century. In the meantime, the Catholic Vatican bank is far richer, far more powerful than the Federal bank of the USA. Dan Brown, my dear sir, for being honest and truthful about the horrors of freedom and democracy in the Philippines, I salute you. Power is the ability to produce intended effects. I wish you more power! With all good wishes, Poch Suzara Makati city, Philippines May 13, 2013

Religion, Lies, and deceptions in the Philippines

Religion encourages stupidity and an insufficient sense of reality. Bertrand Russell In the Philippines, however, religion promotes lies and deceptions, if not more of the same old historical degradation. Millions of Filipino children are still taught in school to believe in Jesus - the Savior of our sick souls for the sake of the wealth and power of Christianity in our poor and backward country. I said it before, I say it again: It is foolish to believe that the priesthood industry is only acting in their churches and cathedrals. Nay, they are acting more effectively in schools, colleges, and universities. It is what the Sick Man of Asia is mostly about.Poch Suzara

Only In the Philippines 2013

3 babies are born every minute of the day and night or 1.5 million babies born yearly. It means not the spread of health and sanitation; nor the growth and maturity of civilization. It simply means that millions of our women are more than willing to produce not nutritious goodies to benefit the Filipino community, but to produce only more babies to benefit the priesthood industry, pharmaceutical industry, education industry, and the industry of religious insanity down here for the greater glory of a sick divinity up there. In this already 21st century, formative years in school is still about WHAT to believe; not about HOW to think. Thus, poverty in our country, traditionally, continue to be poverty of the worst kind: poverty of the mind and heart. If you wish to learn more about how sick we are as the Sick Man of Asia - you can read it published daily in the Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, and in other major newspapers in our country. Readers are made to laugh, not think! A convicted felon in jail can legally vote during election; but what is even more legal is that a convicted felon out of jail is allowed to run for congress. In the recent election, all of the 12 candidates who made it to the senate are all maka-dios. All faithful to the Lord. They therefore thanked the Lord first and then thanked second the people who voted for them. After all, only the Lord and the people can forgive them of their upcoming sins and crimes. Free Will does not mean the will to study, read, learn, explore, investigate, question, experiment, examine, analyze, or the freedom to think. It only means that we are free to believe anything we want to believe. And it does not matter whether they are or true or not. We Filipinos have nothing great going on for us except a Jewish Savior - the Son of Jewish Lord, born in a foreign land more than 2,000 years ago. This is the same Lord who preached: "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 in him." Parents love the Lord more than they love their children. And due to a sick system of education during formative years in school, children learn to love the Lord more than they love their parents. Indeed, self-destruction is the worst tragedy of the Filipino as a family. No doubt greed is insatiable. In the Philippines, however, among the corrupt politicians in the government, greed is not only insatiable, but also negotiable, transferable, pardonable, fashionable, and indeed, respectable. Unless managed by an efficient government, foreign investment in the Philippines will only amount to the same old recycled testament. Instead of growth as a people and maturity as a nation, there is only the same old history of poverty of the vast majority in our blessed by God country. If you were an atheist or a nonbeliever of the faith you are known to be a man devoid of intelligence. A man bereft of moral fiber. A loser, and a failure. An evil man who should be jailed or publicly ostracized. If, however, you were a devout believer of the faith, or a Born Again Christian, or a famous maka-dios personality - you are highly qualified to run for office in the government. Specially if you are good, even if good for nothing, The bible is, indeed, holy. It still teaches Filipinos to believe that the only holy thing of lasting value are those found in the heavenly world of God up there. Our country down here should be treated as something low, unworthy, and depraved. After all, this life is merely a stopover on our journey to the next life. Therefore the less love, less attention, and less affection placed on our country; and, at the same time, more love, more attention, and more affection are placed on God's kingdom - the better for all of us; especially as we are the only Catholic country in Asia since the 16th century. Millions of Filipinos are now living in foreign countries - we are there working as "employees." When those foreigners are living in our country, they are here as our "employers." It is the sick reflection of our sick system of education. God-fearing security guards are needed to assist our God-fearing policemen to guard the entrance of government buildings, hospitals, banks, schools, colleges, universities, shopping malls, residential buildings, hotels, motels, bars, night clubs, bookstores, drug stores, residential villages, movie theaters, restaurants, churches, cathedrals, public parks, museums, airports, harbors, MRT-LRT stations, bus stations, halls of justice, courts of law, barangay's office, mayor's office, governor's office, and the entrance of the NBI building also guarded by security guards. I ask: are we really that blessed by God being the only Catholic country in Asia since 400 years ago? Poch Suzara

Atheism as Only In The Philippines

Poch Suzara, an atheist, was once known as the "father of atheism," then the "grandfather of atheism," now near the end of his life he is known as the "great-grandfather of atheism of the Philippines." Poch Suzara

God Seldom Does Great Things in a Hurry!

God seldom does great things in a hurry. Philippine Star, May 15, 2013 In the Philippines, however, after 400 years of faith in God as the only Catholic country in Asia, God has yet to reciprocate by doing something real - like spiritual health or intellectual wealth - for us Filipinos - the Sick Man of Asia. Poch Suzara

I don't Enjoy Playimg Games with Rules

I do not enjoy playing games like chess or golf or playing games with women with rules to follow. I do not care to win in such silly games. I'd rather play with my creative thought and entertain the thought of provoking the thought of others. Happily, there is no logic in creative thinking. It makes its own rules. It explores rather than scores! In Creative thinking nobody is a loser; everybody is a winner! It is a thrill; never a threat! Poch Suzara

My Dear Senator Rene Saguisag

May 10, 2013 Oh dear, my dear Senator Rene Saguisag, If only our schools, colleges, and universities have more to do with the power of knowledge, the values of Filipino intelligence, and the endless pursuit of the truth and happiness and improvement in the here and for the now. Indeed, if only our system of education have been more about what it means to be intellectually rich in spirit rather than just be religiously poor in spirit - we Filipinos should already be ahead as a nation in all of Asia today. Unfortunately for us, we only continue to be famous as the "Sick Man of Asia." We have neither integrity and nor sagacity in our social, political, and cultural responsibility. We are only proud in having concocted for ourselves a Republic of mediocrity as inspired by the teachings of Christianity. Especially for the few rich to get richer, while the many poor get poorer! Jesus Christ in the holy bible neatly summarized it for all of us Filipinos in this only Catholic country in Asia: "I am a way, the life, and the truth." John 14:6 And to think that all of the corrupt officials in our government even before the Marcos dictatorial years - were all faithful and still are faithful followers of Jesus who declared: "If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 Of course, let us not forget Jaime Cardinal Sin - the Archbishop then of Manila - always present during the birthday celebration of the Marcos children at the palace. Blowing up party trumpets and passing out colorful balloons! Indeed, the same Jaime Cardinal Sin who, after the criminals in Washington rescued Marcos and his vast wealth out of the Philippines - immediately blessed Cory Aquino as the new President of the Philippines. With Cardinal Sin as her adviser, she started a series of reforms. That is, to organize more effective "prayer rallies" - to end the never-ending troubles historical in our country: those more fortunate in our sick society continue to exploit legally those who are less fortunate. I said it before, I say it again: We are all born ignorant; not corrupt. We are made corrupt by a system of education. La Salle, Ateneo, San Beda, UST, Assumption college, AIM and, indeed, University of the Philippines, etc. They are places where we Filipinos learn how to be indifferent to fellow-Filipinos; how not to stand up for ourselves as a free and independent people; how to ignore love of country in order to defend and protect nothing except the wealth, power, and glory of Christianity in the Philippines. Oh yes, corruption is endemic here, pandemic there, and is satanic everywhere in the Philippines. The only kind of freedom we Filipinos know how to enjoy is the freedom to enjoy corruption. Corruption is reflected daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly in the Filipino way of life! We even call it: free will. But who cares? After all, there is always Jesus up there ready and willing to forgive our thoughtless sins and mindless crimes at any time down here. We have only to repent. In the ultimate analysis, thanks to our corrupt system of education, life in general in our country can only be characterized as the corrupt competition to be the criminal or be the victim of the criminals. Again, such horrors are often referred to as the Sick Man of Asia gifted with a free will down here as inspired by a kind and loving God from up there. Cheers! Poch Suzara, La Salle high school expelled student

It Takes a Nation to Build a Nation

We are told that we need to vote in this election because it takes a nation to build a nation. On the contrary, it takes education to build a nation; especially the kind that have nothing to do with lies and deceptions; or anything to do with divine revelation in order to win eternal salvation via social degradation, economic prostitution, priestly intimidation, and political corruption. What we need is a nation with schools, colleges, and universities that produces year in and year out not frightened religious followers, but intellectually courageous leaders. All at home, first and foremost, with health and sanitation as the decent foundation of a decent nation. But then again, who cares? Schools, colleges, and universities in the Philippines are big commercial enterprises; hardly are they educational institutions. Poch Suzara

I am an Arrogant Atheist

I am an arrogant atheist. Arrogantly, I refuse to believe that an Almighty God created the universe for the growth and maturity of the Catholics in the Philippines - the only Catholic country in Asia, still historically poor and backward, since the 16th century. Poch Suzara

Why Oh Why We Remain Famous as the Sick Man of Asia

My dear Fellow-Filipinos, Our barangay captains, mayors, governors, congressmen, senators, and indeed, President and Vice-president of our Republic are, no doubt, the leaders of our country. Unfortunately, also leaders of the Sick Man of Asia. And to think that our Filipino leaders all share something wonderful in common together: they are all Maka-Dios as faithful Catholics in the Philippines. What evidences have I to make such a fantastic claim? I have tons of them. Please read daily our major newspapers, such as Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Bulletin, etc. There, reported and published daily, are the evidences in this already 21st century - just how sick and aimless we are as a people; and, just how sick and rudderless we are as a nation. Especially for the glory of a non-Catholic Jewish Son of God Jesus in heaven as he is in the Philippines! Hijos de Tootie-Frootie y Patooties! Mga kababayan GISING NA TAYO! TAMA NA! SOBRA NA YAN KABABUYAN AT KALECHEHAN NATIN! Poch Suzara

Our Short, Brief, Fleeting Life on this earth

Life on this earth offers a variety of choices; eternity, however, offers only two: a silly God in a silly hell or a silly devil in a silly heaven. For part, I'd rather make the most of my life on this earth - short, brief, and fleeting as life is on this earth. It is the only life we have. It is the only life we know. Life elsewhere after death is a childish, if not a ridiculous - situation. There is no such thing as life after death. After all, when we die, we die entirely, not partially. Nothing is more evident to him who is not delirious. The human body, after death, is but a mass of meat incapable of producing any movements the union of which constitutes life. We no longer see circulation, respiration, digestion,speech, or reflection. Nothing is more natural and more simple than to believe that the dead man lives no more. Nothing is more absurd than to believe that the dead man is still living. Indeed, immortality is the condition of a dead man who does not believe that he is already dead. In the meantime, on this earth, I would rather be an enlightened thinker than be a frightened believer. A thinker is an atheist who cares! If I must leave this world one day, I should, however, like to leave it a better place than how I found it. Not necessarily in the material, but in the humanitarian sense. Poch Suzara

The Greatest of Joys in Life

The greatest of all joys is not the joy of sexual satisfaction; but the joy of intellectual stimulation. For my part, now a senior atheist, I'd rather continue understanding something instead of more of the same fucking a piece of nothing! In the meantime, I say it again: in this life nothing can compare intellectually penetrating a woman's medulla oblongata than just penetrating sexually her vagina! Ah, life on this earth. Life, in the ultimately analysis, is a sexually transmitted disease with a mortality rate of 100 per cent! Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

Filthy Rich Filipinos and Filthy Poor Filipinos

Oh Elsa, my Dear Elsa, The worst kind of poverty is the poverty of the mind and heart. On the other hand, the greatest of wealth is mental health. I am sad for you. You seem to believe, at your age today, that for as long as we have faith in God, it does not matter whether we are ruled by lies as a people, and dominated by deceptions as a nation. My dear, I asked it before, I ask it again: Have you ever met a Filipino who got to be FILTHY RICH for believing that God is BAD? So how come millions upon millions of Filipinos are FILTHY POOR and yet they all believe that God is GOOD? Cheers! and Take care! Poch Suzara

Jesus on Earth as he is in Heaven

My dear Elsa "About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said,“I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." Matt 18:1-3 Notice in the bible Jesus does not bother to explain where or on which galaxy is the Kingdom of God located. A galaxy contains an average of 400 billion stars and planets. And there are billions of such galaxies existing out there. More to the point, after death, like misguided children, by what mode of transportation do we embark on in order to travel to heaven? Again, Jesus never told any one how to do so! For my part, after I am dead, and somehow I will find myself in a place known as the"kingdom of God" this is the very first thing I will do - look for my father, brother, uncles, aunts, my maternal and paternal grandparents, cousins. Then I will look for my friends and associates, and classmates in school. But most of all, I would love to meet with Bertrand Russell, Jose Rizal, Will Durant, Madlyn O'Hair, Voltaire, Robert Ingersoll, Thomas Paine, Karl Marx, Buddha, Thomas Jefferson, Socrates, indeed, Carl Sagan, and all of the great men and women who brought enlightenment into the human mind on this earth. Otherwise, if these relatives, friends, associates, mentors and teachers of mine are not in the kingdom of God - I say: to hell with this worthless kingdom! I'd rather be in hell! Indeed, I have enough of Jesus up to my neck on this earth; for me to be with Jesus once again and this time in heaven, I say: - NO WAY JOSE - OVER MY DEAD BODY! Cheers! Poch Suzara

God created our Congressmen and Senators in the Philippines

My dear Bodjie, God as the designer of man raises more problems than it solves: who designed the Designer? In the meantime, the bible says: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out of it was thou taken: for dust art thou and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:19 Well, if God designed man in his own image and likeness, and man is made of dust, then God must be made of Supernatural Dust himself. For my part, I refuse to believe, love, worship, and adore such a weird Dust be it someone unknown even if more referred to as supernatural, celestial, universal, extra-terrestrial or Jesuitical. Really Bodjie, can you truly believe in the existence of a creator who created the congressmen and senators of the legislative branch of the Philippine government? c.c. Senator Rene Saguisag - Poch Suzara

Is there Power in Prayer

My Dear Blanca, Thanks for writing. Yes, I have no right to pray to God since I do not believe in his existence... But the issue is: what about those millions upon millions of Pinoys and Pinays who believe in God and have not STOPPED praying to God because their prayers have not, as yet, been answered?Indeed, the majority of us Filipinos continue to live as the VICTIMS, as the employees; and not as the MASTERS, as the employers in our own country - the only Catholic country in Asia since the 16th century... Blanca, I asked it before, I ask it again: - Have you ever heard of a Filipino who got to be FILTHY RICH for believing that God is BAD? Well, how come millions of Filipinos are FILTHY POOR for believing that God is GOOD? Poch Suzara

The Easiest and the Hardest thing to Learn

"The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn." ― Bertrand Russell The easiest thing to learn in life is to believe in God. It does not require any level of intelligence. No effort is needed. All that is necessary to believe in God is to live a life of fear and hate of this world. - Poch Suzara

Matter In Existence Composed of NOTHING

"Atoms are mainly empty space. Matter is composed chiefly - of nothing ... Atoms are composed of only three kinds of elementary particles - protons, neutrons and electrons... means modern physics and chemistry have reduced the complexity of the sensible world to astonishing simplicity: three units put together in different patterns make essentially - everything!" Carl Sagan "The more we learn, the less we know; every advance reveals new mysteries and new uncertainties; the molecules disclosed the atom, the atom discloses the electron, the electron discloses the quantum, and the quantum defies and overleaps all our categories and all our laws. Education is a moulting of dogmas, a progress in the art of doubt. Our instruments, we perceive, are bound up with matter, and our senses are bound up with mind; it is through these mists that we "flakes on the water," would understand the ocean." Will Durant "We found that matter, in modern science, has lost its solidity and substantiality; it has become a mere ghost haunting the scenes of its former splendor. In pursuit of something that could be treated as substantial, physicists analyzed ordinary matter into molecules, molecules into atoms, atoms into electrons and protons. There, for a few years, analysis found a resting place. But now electrons and protons themselves are dissolved into a system of radiations by Heisenberg, and into a system of waves by Schrodinger - the two theories amount mathematically to much of the same thing. And these are not wild metaphysical speculations; they are sober mathematical calculations, accepted by a great majority of experts." Bertrand Russell Education is a lifetime adventure; and if there is, after death, a next life in a next world, it would only make sense if it means for us more learning via endless studying! To be with God and his son Jesus in heaven already full of angels after death for the rest of eternity is boring, monotonous, silly, childish, stupid, and insane! If there were existing a big library of books in heaven, I'd be happy to end up in heaven; even if there were no Gods up there! Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

The Weird Holy Bible

Anything existing in this world begins as something NEW then it becomes OLD. The existence of the holy bible is such a weird book: it begins with the OLD testament; then it becomes the NEW testament. If I were one of God's inspired authors of the holy bible, I will not write: IN THE BEGINNING to begin the OLD testament; instead, I will write IN THE BEGINNING precisely to begin the NEW testament! Now here's something more ticklish about the holy bible: According to the bible God has no beginning and no end. God is from "everlasting to everlasting." (Psa 90:2). So when John wrote: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 - John was revealing exactly WHAT in the beginning of WHAT, in WHAT, and for WHAT? Hijos de tootie-frootie y patooties. Please wake up and read your bible! Poch Suzara

From Erection to Resurrection

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 "Give us your children for the first 7 years of its life and we will give you Filipinos." Jesuit motto. During our formative years in school - we were never taught HOW to think; only WHAT to believe. Thus, instead of education to be a healthy nation populated by readers, thinkers, and leaders; we are only a people of sick prayers, sick believers, sick followers, boxers, singers and dancers; not to mention sick lawyers as sick lawmakers. In the meantime, millions of Filipinos now living and working in some 198 countries around the world. They are more known as "employees." When, however, foreigners are living and working in the Philippines, they are more known as our "employers." Poch Suzara

Sick Religion Behind the Sick Man of Asia

Indeed, if our system of education made sense at all, we Filipinos should be ahead of everyone else in Asia today. Enjoying neither damnation nor salvation, but enjoying scientific growth and technological development of Filipino civilization. Unfortunately, due to our sick system of education, in this already 21st century, we Filipinos are still busy arguing back and forth whether Jesus, some 2,000 years ago, died on the cross to remedy the past sins of the Jews; or, resurrected back to life to remedy the future sins of the Filipinos in the Philippines - the only Jesus-freak country in the whole of Asia since the 16th century! I asked it before, I ask it again: after 400 years of Catholicism in order to straighten the mess out of the Filipino minds and hearts in this only Catholic country in Asia, how come even the Philippines, already a Republic, is only proud of itself as a nation of Catholics. As with me, for the sake of dignity and self-respect, I decided to walk out of the Catholic church. I no longer have need to love a great divinity. I have, instead, learned to love something bigger, taller, and greater: - the existence of my family, my country, and the whole of humanity on this earth globally. Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

On Death and How to Stay Dead

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely be the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.- Steve Jobs “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young and I love life. But I should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation. Happiness is nonetheless true happiness because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting. Many a man has borne himself proudly on the scaffold; surely the same pride should teach us to think truly about man's place in the world. Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cosy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own.” - Bertrand Russell What if it is for life's sake that we must die? In truth we are not individuals; and it is because we think ourselves such that death seems unforgivable. We are temporary organs of the race, cells in the body of life; we die and drop away that life may remain young and strong. If we were to live forever, growth would be stifled, and youth would find no room on earth. Death, like style, is the removal of rubbish, the excision of the superfluous. In the midst of death life renews itself immortally. - Will Durant “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” - Mark Twain This is, perhaps, the essence of atheistic grief and also the essence of atheistic hope. To understand that death is the end of existence and that it is inevitable, but to live as if it is not. To refuse to be resigned to death even as we refuse to deny its permanence - we must nevertheless care for all that is not yet dead on our planet. At any rate, after my own death, if I shall have to be with God in hell, or to be with the Devil in heaven, or to be with Jesus and his disciples like my grade school and high school teachers in La Salle, like Bro. Eduardo Manalo of Iglesia Ni Cristo, Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus is Lord Church, or Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Restorationist Christian Church, etc in Purgatoy, I say - no way, Jose. Over my dead body. I'd rather stay buried in the cemetery with my precious books forever and ever till the end of time and space.- Poch Suzara

Lead us Not into Temptation Baloney

Every day millions of Catholics pray to a Catholic God to "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." As the losers in the fight against temptation and evil, however, Catholics have no other recourse but to pray also to Mary, the Catholic Mother of God, to pray for us Catholic sinners, now and at the hour of our Catholic death, amen." For my part, I am most proud to have walked out of the Catholic church ever since my La Salle teachers in high school also told me to GET out of their Catholic FREE WILL classrooms. My intellectual evolution was far more precious than the free temptation of playing the FREE WILL games with a silly Catholic Divinity. Poch Suzara

The Pleasures on Earth as it is in Heaven

"The pleasures of earth cannot be compared to the joys of heaven." Philippine Star, Apr. 10, 2013 Heaven must be a place for those who are faithfully insane. Especially when they look back at their dead bodies buried on earth rotting and being eaten away by worms and maggots that in turn are also being eaten away by bacteria, germs, and viruses. In the meantime, I ask: if the greatest pleasure on earth is the joy of intellectual understanding - how is it possible that the greatest pleasure in heaven is the joy of spiritual flicky-flating. Poch Suzara

The 7 Last Words of Jesus dying on the Cross

Christ Jesus died on the Cross to redeem mankind, to save us from our sins because of his love for men, women, and children. As recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ was mocked, scorned, and tortured in the praetorium. He carried his cross up the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem to Calvary, was nailed to the Cross and hung between two common criminals, and suffered an indescribable end, recalled by the Church on Good Friday of Holy Week. Here are his Seven Words, the last seven expressions of Jesus Christ on the Cross recorded in Scripture. THE FIRST WORD "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Gospel of Luke 23:34 THE SECOND WORD "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Gospel of Luke 23:43 THE THIRD WORD "Jesus said to his mother: "Woman, this is your son." Then he said to the disciple: "This is your mother." Gospel of John 19:26-27 THE FOURTH WORD "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 THE FIFTH WORD "I thirst." Gospel of John 19:28 THE SIXTH WORD When Jesus had received the wine, he said,"It is finished;" and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit. Gospel of John 19:30 THE SEVENTH WORD Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Gospel of Luke 23:46 After hearing these last seven words from his dying Son Jesus crucified half-naked on the cross, God said: "Oh my dear son Jesus, for Christ's sake, grow up! You are such a cry-baby! What's the drama all about your dying on the cross since you never stayed dead to begin with? On the 3rd day, you will resurrect back to life from death? So what are you being so melodramatic about?" As a matter of fact, what exactly have you finished, as you said: "IT IS FINISHED!" Didn't you, a while back, promised to return? Poch Suzara

Evil Triumphant in the Philippines

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” Edmund Burke In the Philippines, there is no such thing as good men; and if there were, they are only busy believing that they are good by committing the greatest of crimes - the crime of silence. Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

The Results of our Daily Prayers

Prayers never bring anything . . . They may bring solace to the sap, the bigot, the ignorant, the aboriginal, and the lazy - but it is the same as asking Santa Claus to bring you something for Xmas. - - - W. C. Fields Praying is like rocking chair - it will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere. - - - Gypsy Rose Lee Prayer is like a pump in an empty well, it makes a lot of noise, but brings no water. - - - Lemuel K. Washburn When you talk to God, it is called "praying." When God talks to you, it is called "hallucinating." Our culture of corruption comes mostly from God leading us always into temptation despite our daily prayer to God to "lead us not into temptation." The Son of God Jesus, crucified on the cross, prayed out loud: "MY GOD, MY GOD WHY HAS THOU FORSAKEN ME?" I can hear God replying: Oh Jesus, for Christ's sake - grow up! You are such a cry-baby! In the meantime, after all of our prayers to God daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly since the 16th century - these are the results in this already 21st century Philippines: homelessness, joblessness, mindlessness, poverty, misery, economic perversity, social insanity, political stupidity, corruption, lies, and deceptions - all for the greater glory of Jesus on earth as he is in heaven. Not to mention more than 1,200 schools, colleges, and universities blessed, own and operated by the Catholic church tax-free that continue to teach us to love that God is love but he needs money!t.- - - Poch Suzara

Mediocrity Behind Divinity

In the Philippines, in order to succeed in the world of trade and commerce one must be greedy, selfish, stupid, corrupt, and insane. Not to mention one must always be inspired by a silly divinity. In the meantime, some men are born mediocre. Some men achieve a reputation for mediocrity, specially as the hope to be successful as a corrupt politician one day. A lot of men, however, have been frightened into mediocrity. Specially as they are products of education during the formative years in Catholic schools. Poch Suzara

Oh God, My dear God, please Wake Up!

"Each person has his place in God's service, and only God deserves the glory." Philippine Star, April 6, 2013 Oh God, my dear God, as you are already a God, and have been a God since the days of Adam and Eve, do you really need more service from the millions of poor Filipinos today already faithfully serving you daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly? I ask: What are you a God for? Why do you still need glory and for what? Come on God, isn't it time for you to WAKE UP and start behaving like a real honest-to-goodness kind and loving God? Poch Suzara

Social Ills in the Philippines

May 9,2014 Phil Daily Inquirer Letter to the Editors Dear Sirs: When one person has faith in a grand delusion, it is called insanity. When millions of people have faith in a grand delusion, like in the Philippines, it is called Christianity. There was a time when every man, woman, and child in this world believed in the existence of God - loved, adored, obeyed, and had faith in God. Historians refer to it as the Dark Ages. It lasted for a thousand years - from the 5th to the 15th century. During this time, however, no one dared to think; no one dared to bring enlightenment to the human mind. Everybody loved only God in heaven up there; especially by hating one another on this earth down here. Today, 99 million Filipinos out of 100 million believe in the existence of God, love God, obey God, worship God, and adore God. We still live in the Dark Ages; though it is referred to as "social ills." But according to the Catholic Bishops - God and only God can remedy the ills of our sick society. We must only pray. If nothing happens, we must pray harder. If nothing still happens, it is because we do not know how to pray! At any rate, no matter what happens, we must never question God's divine plan for the Philippines - a country for poor Filipinos, but more so for the rich foreigners - our employers. Our investors. Indeed, our Saviors! No doubt, social ills are a historical reality in our country. Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle described such horrors as: "The tombs of hunger, unemployment, homelessness, violence, discrimination, injustice and corruption." If I may add, the tombs also more known as schools, colleges, and universities: The breeding grounds for having faith in social insanity and political stupidity. Otherwise less referred to as "corruption by education" in our poor and backward only Christian country in Asia since the 16th century. In the meantime, the new Vicar of Christ - "Pope Francis used his first Easter Sunday address to call for peace in the world." It is incredible, how Pope Francis, the sole representative of the Son of God Jesus, ignores the clear message from Jesus as written by inspired authors of God in the holy bible: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Matt. 10:34-37 I said it before, I say it again: The troubles in our world begin with the troubles in the human family. Now listen carefully to Jesus, preaching as the savior of our troubled world. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not carry his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26-27 For my part, I am a humanist. This means that I am an atheist who cares. I rest my case. Cheers! Poch Suzara Pasay City pocholosuzara@gmail.com

If Only Jesus Bothered to Resurrect

I said it before, I say it again: If Jesus only bothered to resurrect the dead minds and dead hearts of his apostles; his friends and relatives; his neighbors; and specially the dead minds and dead hearts of the women and children in his community; and, indeed, resurrected the dead minds and dead hearts behind the Roman Empire - no one, but no one would have bothered to get Jesus crucified dead on a piece of wood some 2,000 years ago. Sadly, in this already 21st century, we Filipinos in the Philippines - because of our own dead minds and dead hearts - otherwise more known as "faith in Jesus," we still yearly mourn the death of Jesus, crucified on a piece of wood, some 2,000 years ago in a foreign land populated not by Filipinos, but by the Jews otherwise more known as the CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD. Hijos de tootie-frootie y patooties - GISING NA TAYO MGA PINOY! Even the Jews have learned to become great as a THINKING and a RESPONSIBLE people. They do not waste precious time and precious energy believing that Jesus, the Savior of the world, has ever SAVED them or saved any other people in this world for that matter. Poch Suzara

Thinking by Walking

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking. Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher For my part, right after breakfast, I walk a mile every day of the year. That's where I do most of my thinking via questioning - everything - for the purpose of my writing, if not re-writing. In the meantime, I said it before, I say it again: In this life, we shall never find the truth; that is what makes life tragic. But to stop searching for the truth makes life even more tragic. No doubt, finding the truth is like finding a drop of truth in the ocean. It is, however, precisely what gives meaning and significance to the whole existence of the ocean. Poch Suzara, Atheist

Spirituality has more to do with Asking More Questions

“The learning of something new requires a giving up of the old self and a death of outworn knowledge. To develop a broader vision we must be willing to forsake, to kill, our narrower vision. In the short run it is more comfortable not to do this – to stay where we are, to keep using the same microcosmic map, to avoid suffering the death of cherished notions. The road to spiritual growth, however, lies in the opposite direction. We begin by distrusting what we already believe, by actively seeking the threatening and the unfamiliar, by deliberately challenging the validity of what we have previously been taught and hold dear. The path to holiness lies through questioning EVERYTHING.” M. Scot Peck, Psychiatrist, author of ROAD LESS TRAVELED For my part, I said it before, I say it again: seek answers to your questions, but never belittle the power of formulating better kinds of questions. Otherwise gullibility takes over to support mediocrity - a horror that insures the survival of Christianity. More questions are always more valuable than the ready-made answers. Indeed, to stop asking questions is to stop thinking thereby constraining the power of one's spiritual life. “The truth,” wrote Bertrand Russell, “is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion the human spirit is capable.” Poch Suzara Facebook# twitter# Google#

Shroud of Turin in Violation of the Commandment

God's 2nd Commandment: Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image having also weighed a lot of evidences on the shroud there is one simple fact that leads me to not believe it is a burial cloth of the image of Christ, setting all the science and proofs aside. The simple fact that I just cannot get my head around God violating the second commandment. If we are not to make any images or perceived likenesses of God why would He and then do contrary to His own Law and violate it? Poch Suzara

Thinking versus Believing

Education in the Philippines, especially during the formative years in grade school, has always been and still is mostly about the business of silly believing via silly praying; hardly about intelligent knowing via intelligent thinking for the sake of more and deeper learning as a life time adventure. Indeed, in the Philippines, schools are places where they teach you how to save your silly soul for the glory of Jesus up there. It has nothing to do with how to develop the power of your mind, and how to cultivate the beauty of your heart for the glory of your country down here. If, however, you have desires to learn how to recognize the existence of things that are bigger, taller, and greater than you are - such as your family, your country, and indeed, the whole of humanity - never, but never will you learn them by going school; especially schools own and operated by the Catholic church! There are more than 1,200 of such Catholic schools, colleges, and universities established all over the Philippines - the only Catholic country in Asia. I, myself, some 60 years ago, enrolled at De La Salle university - our learning was mostly about daily praying; specially praying daily to: "St. John Baptist De La Salle, pray for us, and live Jesus in our hearts forever." And also, to faithfully follow what the holy bible says in John 2:15: "Love not the Philippines, neither the things that are in the Philippines. If any Filipino love the Philippines, the love of God is not in him." Thus, the arrest, incarceration, and death by public execution of our Jose Rizal! Finally, happily, and constructively, I got expelled out of high school. Today, in my home library, at 77 years old, I am still learning and educating myself. Especially, by reading so-called "bad books" taught me in school never to read because it might endanger losing my soul. That I will only offend God If I dare to entertain the usefulness of my precious mind to think; especially as a life time adventure! Indeed, that it is sin for me to be aware of the lies and deceptions that's keeping us poor and obedient as a people, and to foreign investors why we must only remain subservient as a nation! Poch Suzara

Separation of Church and State - A Farce, Fraud, and a Ceremony - in the Philippines

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17 In the Philippines, however, we never had a Caesar, and if we did, such a Caesar has always been under God as God has the kingdom and power and glory more known as the priesthood industry in the Philippines - the land blessed (conquered) by Christianity in the 16th century Consider the Philippine Constitution, the supreme law of the land. It begins with the words: "We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution." How could the State separate away from the church since the church has dominion over the State? Indeed, the laws of the land are a State issue. But the church and its priesthood industry have the right and the privilege to meddle with the laws of the land such as the RH Bill? Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…but if one were an atheist in the Philippines - he has neither the right nor the privilege to be a member of Congress. In fact, from the lowest of school teachers to the highest of college professors, from the lowest court judges to the highest Supreme court judges, and indeed, from the lowest to the highest State government officials - all are much well-established in religion: all have been raised and educated in schools, colleges, and universities own and operated by the Church in the Philippines - the only Catholic country in Asia since the 16th century. Listen carefully to this verse written in God's holy bible - paraphrased: "love not the (Philippines) or the things that are in the (Philippines). If Filipinos love the (Philippines) the love of God is not in them. 1 John 2:15 We Filipinos have been educated to render not to fellow Filipinos existing in poverty. We must only render to the Church by imploring the aid of the God Almighty. What is powerful in the Philippines is not the freedom of the people, by the people, and for the people; but the freedom of religion, by religion, and for religion. There is no nothing mentioned in the Constitution regarding the FREEDOM FROM RELIGION. But both the Church and the State always in cahoots together - promote religion In the meantime, in this already 21st century, we Filipinos are still trying to build a just and Filipino society; still trying to establish a Government that shall embody Filipino ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure for ourselves and for our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a government of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, - but the Church with the power of religion have never allowed it because it will put the God business in the Philippines out of business. Thus, the Separation between State and Church in the Philippines has always been and still is a farce, a fraud, and a ceremony! Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

What Happens to my Body and Brain when I Die

Question: If energy is neither created nor destroyed, what happens to the energy within our bodies and brains when we die? My answer: in death, our energy, no longer bundled up as a human body - will be scattered back in nature as nature, always evolving, never ceases to be in the business of birth, growth, decay, and death. It is otherwise more known as existence! It is, in this way, that we will always be a part of energy in nature forever. As to what our scattered energies will bundled up if at all as a new body of existence next time - not even God knows! Poch Suzara

The Evils of Christianity

My Dearest Et Al, A psuedop-scientist writes: “Humankind cannot abide the terror of mortality without the promise of immortality, I have argued in the past. In the absence of religion human society sinks into depressive torpor. Secular society therefore is an oxymoron, for the death of religion leads quickly enough to the death of society itself.” I ask: how true is this in China today? The Chinese people have been irreligious since the 11th century? Or take the then USSR – a so-called atheistic nation that eventually crumbled but only because after dumping Christianity, the USSR replaced Christianity with another religion called “communism.” Indeed, Communism, a religion, just like Christianity, advocates a religious way of life on the basis of irrational dogma. It has a sacred history, a Messiah, and a priesthood. The history of the struggle of Christianity against communism was not a struggle of GOOD against EVIL; but a struggle of EVIL against EVIL. In any case, EVIL won! In the meantime, our world view has been deranged by myths imposed upon us by Christianity. For my part, I refuse to believe that centuries before Christianity arrived, we Filipinos were living in a dying society deprived of Christian teachings, values and beliefs. In fact, all that is messy in our country today comes from the evils of Christian religion. Indeed, up to this day and age, we Filipinos still believe that religion has only to do with what is "prayable" and "forgivable." Hardly with what is "thinkable and workable." I ask: What ever happened to our historical sense of growth as a decent people and to our historical sense of development as a decent nation? A billion Filipinos have already lived and died in this only Christian country in Asia since the 16th century. They are now enjoying a better life with God in the next world. So what? Indeed, even if there were a better life to come after death, is that enough reason for us Filipinos to make a mockery of this life in this country of ours after birth? I said it before, I say it again: Christianity has always been and still is based on sacred phooey, priestly gooey, and holy chopsuey. It continues to twist our minds with ignorance as a people; and, continues to distort our hearts with fear as a nation. And until we dump the evils of Christianity out of our country, indeed, out of our traditional way of life, the evils that we Filipinos - the Sick Man of Asia - have accomplished since in the 16th century, we will only continue to accomplish more of the same evils in the centuries to come. The many poor will get poorer; only the few rich will get richer. In the meantime, poverty in the Philippines is of the worst kind: the poverty of the Filipino minds and hearts. It is time to wake up. Enough is enough. In this already 21st century, among Asian nations, in the race to achieve the higher standard of living and thinking, our blessed by God Philippines, the only Christian country in Asia, has been and still is only circling viciously as a loser pretending to be a winner. Cheers! Poch Suzara Atheist# Google# Twitter# Facebook#

The Joy of Understanding

"For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who refuse to understand, no explanation is possible." unknown As for me, I understand, and since there is more, much more to understand, I'd rather enjoy the greatest joy in life: the joy of understanding. Poch Suzara

Jesus Found in Every Nipa Hut in the Philippines

In every Nipa Hut erected by the millions of poor Filipinos in the Philippines, there is, displayed inside such huts, the painting or a picture or a little statue of Jesus crucified on the cross. There is, however, no such housing horror erected in Israel - the land where Jesus was born. Indeed, there are no such huts as Nipa huts erected by poor Jews anywhere in Israel. In the meantime, we still have high hopes that one day soon in the centuries to come, we Filipinos will no longer be known as the Sick Man of Asia, but more so as the "Chosen People of God." Poch Suzara

We Pray To Whom and for What

Since the Pope is already the Vicar of Christ - the Son of God - the creator of heaven and earth and the galaxies - when the Pope ask us to pray for him - to whom should we address our prayers to and to pray for what since the Pope is already the sole representative of God on this earth? Is there anything written in the bible where Jesus himself also asked his apostles, his followers and disciples - to pray for him? Pray to whom and to pray for what? Jesus was already a God, wasn't he? I said it before, say it again: to believe in the power of prayer is like believing in a God up there who will alter His Divine Plan formulated centuries ago to conform to the needs of our free will in this 21st century down here. Again, Filipinos praying is equivalent to believing that the Philippines is governed by a God who changes his mind if we Filipinos, with daily prayer, would only ask God to do so. Here, however, is something even more ticklish: We are told again, again, and again - that if we want to seriously solve our problems as a people or to seriously solve our troubles as a nation - we must only pray. If, however, nothing happens, we must only pray more and and pray harder and harder. And if nothing still happens, we are told that it is only because we do not know how to pray! In the meantime, Filipinos in school are taught how to pray. It is the best way to teach Filipinos how to seek fantasy solutions to real problems. But then again, if God were all-knowing, all-responsive, and all-loving why should God be bothered with daily silly prayers? The encouragement of prayer promotes selfishness. People pray for what that they refuse to think and to labor for. Prayer also undermines the power of human intelligence. Prayer causes a weakening of self-reliance and a corresponding deterioration of character. In fact, daily prayers are among the most effective causes that keep us Filipinos poor spiritually, backward morally, impoverished economically, insane politically, and religiously sick historically. With already daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and centuries of prayers, If I were the Pope, I would be talking, not praying to God. I would seriously tell God to assist me as the head of 1.2 billion Catholics to straighten out the mess in this world; specially the mess in the Philippines - the only Catholic country in Asia since the 16th century. Indeed, I will ask God to face the responsibility that our world has always been in a mess because, instead of coming to earth HIMSELF, he sent his only begotten Son Jesus - who had neither the guts nor the gumption to give birth to peace, stability, tranquility, harmony, and indeed sanity - globally. In the meantime, the question I asked decades ago, I still am asking today: Is there hope for our country? Yes, there is hope but only with courageous leaders as they produce courageous thinkers? Never, but never shall we ever begin to grow as a thinking people, or as a thinking nation - with childish, nay, with mindless prayers! Poch Suzara

The Greater Tragedy

March 20, 2013 Philippine Daily Inquirer Letter to the Editors Dear Sirs: Several groups last Friday mourned the death of Kristel Tejada - a student at the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila. She reportedly committed suicide after being forced to file for a leave of absence due to financial constraints. Indeed, death by suicide of poor students is a great tragedy within the system of education in our country. What, however, is the greater tragedy is the death of the minds and hearts of millions of student enrolled in schools, colleges, and universities - that are more of COMMERCIAL enterprises than they should be government-sponsored free EDUCATIONAL institutions. Our senators can afford to give millions of pesos as Christmas gifts to each other; or, our congressmen can afford to support their mistresses; or our politicians have millions to run for office and if they win they steal from the government even more millions - why couldn't our government not take total control and support free education in our country? As commercial enterprises - schools, colleges, and universities are places where we Filipinos learn how to be corrupt; how to cheat and lie; how to be greedy, selfish, lethargic, and insane. Hardly, however, are they places where we learn how to become creative men and thinking women; indeed, learn how to become productive and useful citizens for the growth and development of our country. In the Philippines, we are all born ignorant, not corrupt. The corruption that's endemic, pandemic, diabolic, and ecclesiastic in our corrupt society comes from a corrupt system of education! In this already 21st century, it is time for us Filipinos to wake up. Education is not a voyage of credibility via mendacity. It is a voyage of veracity via discovery! Sincerely, Poch Suzara San Lorenzo Village, Makati city

Why the World is in a Mess

"The world is in a mess because God sent his only begotten son. He should have come himself!" Robert Byrne . . . My Dear Robert Byrne - This was not a possible mission because God was much too busy having an endless hot love affair with the Virgin Mary when He had to time to be fucking around with the existence of the devil.... In the meantime, how was it possible for the existence of more than 3,000 years of Judaism; the existence of more than 2,000 years of Christianity, and the existence of more than 1,300 years of Islam to have straightened the mess out of this world when such great religions of this world have always been and still are what the mess in this world is all about? Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

The Silly Prayer Behind the Power of Prayer

"If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers." Steve Allen The existence of hospitals prove that prayers are utterly useless. As a matter of fact, if prayers work, we must pray harder for more hospitals to be established in the Philippines. Especially mental hospitals to house the Sick Man of Asia always habitually at ease with anything prayable; but hardly comfortable with anything thinkable and workable. Poch Suzara

I Envy the Muslims

I envy the Muslims. They are legally allowed to have 4 wives. It must be more fun to be married to 4 women who are not Catholics. Poch Suzara

Education - the Greatest Tragedy in the Philippines

“Faced with the difficulty of not being able to pay her tuition, a 16-year old female freshman at the University of the Philippines-Manila has reportedly poisoned herself.” - Newsdesk Asia. This, indeed, is a great tragedy. But let us begin to look at the much greater tragedy: all of our schools, colleges, and universities, especially those owned by the Catholic church - are NOT educational institutions; on the contrary, they are COMMERCIAL enterprises. I said it before, I say it again: In the Philippines, we are all born ignorant; not corrupt. We are made corrupt by education! And due to corruption being endemic here, pandemic there, and satanic everywhere in the Philippines, the only kind of freedom we Filipinos enjoy is the freedom to enjoy mediocrity, endlessly! Poch Suzara

My prayer when I was a little boy in school

"Dear God, please take care of my papa and mama, my lolo and lola, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends; and yes please also take care of me and my dog. Oh, please take care of yourself too, God. If anything happens to you, we're all gonna be in deep shit." Poch Suzara

The Mindless Surrender of the Self

I am told that since I am an atheist, I must be suffering from some kind of psychological conflict and therefore at the same time, I must be such a miserable fellow living a life without joy; a life devoid of love; totally deprived of meaning. Well, as an atheist, I find, on the contrary, that to label atheism as some sort of a mental aberration is a feeble, almost laughable attempt to evade the issue of truth and falsehood. The religious man or better said the superstitious man buys his beliefs at too dear a price: the mindless surrender of the self via the mutilation of the intellect. Thus, religious beliefs encourages stupidity, embraces insanity; not to mention welcomes anything idiotic politically or worst - accepts anything silly and infantile theologically. The religious sap who attempts to defeat atheism by degrading truth to childish emotionalism only reveals that they have nothing but contempt for those of us who have the courage to think; indeed, those of us who are never afraid to question traditional beliefs or worthless social and political values. Poch Suzara

We Shall Never Find God

"The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it. It is not disbelief that is dangerous to our society; it is belief." George Bernard Shaw For my part, I said it before I say it again: We shall never find God in this life; and that is what makes life tragic. But to keep on searching for God - that makes life even more tragic. After all, even if we find God - so what? Nothing will change. Everything will remain the same. The birth, growth, death, and decay of all living things will be the same as usual. Poverty, human misery, social and political insanity will remain the same in world history. To think that I myself have wasted precious years out of my precious life in search of God! For others, however, to tell me that God will meet with me but only after my death - is to me the lowest of absurdity, if it is not the highest of ridiculosity! The holy bible agrees with me: "The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten." Eccl. 9:5 Poch Suzara

Meet with God as I am Atheist

After my death and it will turn out that I shall be meet with God, as an atheist - what then? Well, I will only ask God one simple question: "God, are you a Catholic? And if you are a Catholic, have you ever been Jesuitic?" Poch Suzara

I am Proud to be a Failure in our Sick Society

One would think that the lies, deception, graft, and corruption are the evils that should be remedied in schools, colleges, and universities. But how can that be when, to begin with, schools, colleges, and universities are commercial enterprises; hardly educational institutions. In the meantime, for getting expelled out of high school and have never taken a college course I am known to be a failure in life. Well, academically incapacitated to play a role in the lies, deceptions, graft, and corruption that's keeping sick our sick society - I am most happy and proud to be a failure in life. Poch Suzara

Rotten Product of Education

Behind every fortune is a crime. Behind every crime is a woman's behind. Indeed, in this world of lies and deceptions, graft and corruption - damned if you do, damned if you do not. And to think we are all the same product of "education" in schools, colleges, and universities. Poch Suzara

Poch Suzara - Insulting, Indecent, and Insane

In this world, our world, just because I am not afraid of death, but friendly with life, with beauty, with love, with laughter, with friendship, and make this place a beauty to live in with the rest of humanity in my mind and heart - I am known to be not only insulting and indecent as a man but also a failure, if not insane as a human being! In the meantime, I repeat: many profound thoughts or great ideas have been lost because men and women who had them were afraid to get kicked out of school, threatened, laughed at, fired from office, punished, jailed, or even be condemned into hell-fire for all eternity for entertaining such great thoughts! These horrors have been the fate of most of the great men and great in the history of the world. They changed and improved the ways of the world. Without them, the human race today would be existing like superstitious primitives. Today in this already 21st century, in the Philippines, we still continue to be poor and backward. In our schools, colleges, and universities - we are still educated to believe that to become frightened believers is far more pleasing to God than we if learn to come intelligent and courageous thinkers! Indeed, always afraid of criticisms, we Filipinos would rather say nothing, do nothing, and think of nothing. We leave everything to God as we have always been assured that God will always provide! Poch Suzara

Atheist Dead and All Dressed up

I am told that a dead atheist is all dressed up but has nowhere to go. For my part, I arrived into this world naked just like the God who created me in his own image and likeness. Well, After I am a dead atheist, do any of you have high hopes that in meeting with God, I should be naked and not dressed up at all? Poch Suzara

Philippine Political Dynasties

In the inside of galaxies are the existence of black holes and white holes. In the inside and outside of Philippines political dynasties are the loopholes, rigmaroles, and the assholes. Poch Suzara

Fear and Ignorance and God

To surrender to ignorance and call it faith in God is really saying the same thing. . . Indeed, the Existence of God depends upon the existence of fear and ignorance: the fear of change and the ignorance of not knowing how to change. . . In the meantime, it is much easier to live in fear and ignorance than it is to live with courage and intelligence. The Catholic church has survived during these past 2,000 years because it has been easier for her to exist by spreading fear and ignorance and refer to it as the love of God. . . Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

Religion is the Only Business

Religion is the only business in the world where its customers are never right; in fact, always wrong. Especially since they have to pay for their sins; and they wish to save expenses while buying a seat in the kingdom of heaven to be with Jesus. Poch Suzara

Old Age - for Senator Rene Saguisag

Old age is not the time to wallow in the same old fear and ignorance; on the contrary, old age is the time to expose the lies, deceptions, graft, and corruption more known in the Philippines as "education." Indeed, education that taught us to contribute not to human civilization, but only to believe and to always have faith in divine revelation for the sake of winning eternal salvation; even if it means at the prize of social stagnation as inspired by political putrefaction. Not to mention ill-health and lack of sanitation. Poch Suzara

Separation of State and Church a Farce in the Philippines

The separation of State and Church in the Philippines has always been a farce, a fraud, and a ceremony. How could the State separate away from the church since the church owns the State? In fact, from the lowest court officials up to the Supreme court officials, and the lowest to the highest State officials are all educated products of schools,colleges, and universities own and operated by the church in the Philippines. Poch Suzara

More Hogwash Revealed as Truth in the Bible

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matt. 10:30. Matthew could have made more sense had he been a circus clown and not a bible writer. It is, indeed, laughable also to believe that God inspired Matthew to write this kind of spiritual hogwash. Golly, we live on a speck of dust called earth. It is lost in the immensity of space and time. Human life on this earth is but a split second long, a wink of an eye, a flash in the pan compared to the life of the universe as created by a silly divinity But, according to Matthew, God seems to welcome divine anxiety for as long human stupidity will last as long as eternity? Isn't this nothing but religious insanity in order to sustain the existence of a silly divinity and to support the existence of a silly deviltry that insures so much financial success for the priesthood industry? Poch Suzara

The Truth versus Lies and Deceptions

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde In our schools, colleges, and universities, we were always taught to believe and to have faith in the lies and deceptions more referred to as Divine Revelation. Especially as they masquerade as a religion, indeed, as the revealed truth; like in politics masquerading as nothing but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Poch Suzara

Sick Prayers to Mary, the Sick Mother of God

In our poor and backward country, since the 16th century - daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly - we Filipinos have been faithful with our prayers repeated over and over again. Look, however, at the results of our prayers for our country in this already 21st century: Millions more of us filipinos as a people today are still active and busy praying daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly; specially for the Second coming of the Lord to remedy the ills of our SICK SOCIETY as generated by our SICK SCHOOLS, SICK COLLEGES, AND SICK UNIVERSITIES - still teaching millions of Filipinos to continue praying to God for the salvation of who knows what - in this only Catholic country in Asia since 400 years ago. I said it before, I say it again: as a decent people in an endless search to create for ourselves a decent nation, isn't it time to dump our historically worthless, if not our utterly useless, nay, mindless prayers? And to think that what we have also been praying to God, and to Jesus, and to Mary, Mother of God, and to the saints to pray for us - to give us this day our DAILY BREAD, and TO LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, and TO MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, TO PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH, amen! I ardently hope that in the centuries to come, our children and their grandchildren will be spared of this kind of mediocrity, stupidity, and insanity of which mixed together have given birth to the existence of the silly mystery behind the holy trinity. Poch Suzara, Facebook#, Google#, Twitter#

The Truth Hurts, But Lies are Far More Damaging

Prove to me that God exist and I will prove to you that I will continue to be a devout and a faithful - humanist. A humanist is an atheist on earth who cares. I am more inclined to believe that extra-terrestrial beings from other planets arrived on this earth thousands of years ago, and they came to introduce to our primitive human ancestors the power of science and technology. Otherwise, if such extra-terrestrial beings came down to earth to save our silly souls away from eternal damnation, I said it before, I say it again: fuck that theological garbage inextricably mixed with ecclesiastical trash. Intelligence generates action wisely as in science. Ignorance enhances only inaction fearfully as in religion. In the conflict between science and religion, I am always on the side of science. Science is a self-correcting enterprise. I will never take the side of religion because it is always wrong; especially always mysteriously and maliciously wrong. After tens of thousands of years of religion, it has yet to make one simple discovery as a revealed truth to benefit, and not as a truth yet to be revealed. The truth hurts; but lies are far more damaging and the horror can last for a thousand years. Look at the Philippines - the only Catholic country is Asia since the 16th century. Today in this already 21st century - the Philippines is still being damaged with lies economically, socially, politically, culturally, indeed, historically - especially for the greater glory of Jesus on earth as he is in heaven and in hell. Poch Suzara Facebook# Twitter# Google# Atheist#

La Salle and politicians in the Philippines

Indeed, in La Salle grade school and high school, due to my basic intelligence, my religious teachers all agreed to have me expelled since I struggled against them with questions; especially in what I refused to believe in blind faith. Well, my classmates and schoolmates were also gifted with basic intelligence, but our religious teachers successfully manipulated to get their basic intelligence degraded, twisted, distorted, and mutilated. You can see the results: with colledge degrees - some of my classmates and schoolmates are in foreign countries like in Australia lifting elevators, cleaning public toilets, driving taxis. Also here in the Philippines as governors, mayors, congressmen, senators, vice-presidents, and presidents of our government; not to mention the 4 great Lords: Drug Lord, Gambling Lord, Smuggling Lord, and Praise the Lord - since the the USA in cahoots with the Catholic church declared the Philippines as an independent REPUBLIC some 60 years ago! Bertrand Russell summarized it neatly: WE ARE ALL BORN IGNORANT, NOT STUPID. WE ARE MADE STUPID BY EDUCATION. Poch Suzara

Catholics fear not only darkness, but also fear light

I can understand why religious crackpots teach our children in school to always be afraid of the dark! It is big business for the church. After all, God loves us, but He needs money, especially to keep children and adults frightened of the dark! What I find perplexing, however, is how can college-educated men and women continue to be afraid of the light? Atheist Henry Ford said: "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it." My mentor, atheist Bertrand Russell, explained why: "Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." Poch Suizara

Catholic Charity in the Philippines

I asked it years ago, I ask it again this year: If you Catholics together with your Catholic charity organizations such as De la Salle University were serious, honest, efficient, truthful, meaningful, and indeed fruitful - how come in this only only Catholic country in Asia - more poor Filipino Catholics are only getting poorer? Poch Suzara

God Knows Not what He is Doing

The Son of God Jesus, crucified on the cross, pleaded: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" I said it before, I say it again: Jesus could have been more honest and courageous and truthful as the Son of God had he, instead, said: "Man, please forgive my Father God for he never knows what the fuck He is doing!" Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

So God Exists - So What?

The existence of a world without God seems to me less insane than the presence of a God, existing with all of his love, power, glory and perfection - creating men in his own image and likeness but only to run the risk of ending in hell deserving eternal damnation! In the meantime, what if I am dead wrong? That there is, after all, the existence of GOD and He does not like the way I live and think. Well, why is it then that I never, but never hear about it straight from GOD? I only heard about it when I was in La Salle grade school, and I still hear about it today from the religiously frightened - college-educated - spiritually-fucked morons supporting the ways of our corrupt society, huh? In the meantime, I said it before, I say it again: FUCK SATAN, FUCK DEATH, FUCK ETERNAL DAMNATION IN HELL, and, if any, FUCK ETERNAL SALVATION! Dead or alive, I would rather be on the side of common human decency always involved with the growth and endless improvement of human civilization! Poch Suzara

Let's Examine Faith

Let’s examine faith. The definition of faith is hope for a circumstance or thing that is not proven to be true. There is no virtue in accepting something on faith, since it may very well be false, and it is clearly not virtuous to believe the false. Faith has also been proven through out history, time and again, that it is equivalent to massive hysteria: Crusades, Burning Times, Inquisitions, Holy Wars, flying a plane into a building, etc. On a grand scale faith, thus far, has only proven to be an intellectual weakness, and a significant barrier to scientific and moral progress. With all of this in mind, how can God possibly expect us to view faith as the greatest way to glorify him, let alone demand this of us? Most importantly, the point to remember here is that if we don’t believe in him, we go to Hell, and this is a greater evil than a lack of the “virtue” of faith or a stunting of science, or anything else conceivable. If God is truly concerned about the good, he will do what he can to keep us from Hell, and withholding vital information from us is the exact opposite of this. But look at the history of the world from the 5th to the 15th century: every single man, woman, and child believed and had great faith in God. Historians refer to it as the DARK AGES! Indeed, the truth hurts, but lies are far more damaging and can last for a thousand years! In the meantime, when one man suffers from a delusion, it is called "insanity." When, however, millions suffer from the same delusion, like in the Philippines, it is called "Christianity." Poch Suzara

We Never Speak of Faith that - - -

How come we never speak of faith that 2 plus 2 equals 4; or we have faith that the world is round; or that we have faith in a triangle has only 3 sides? No, we only speak of faith when we do NOT know; and, we need to have faith in Christianity in order to remedy the ills of our sick society as generated perpetually by biblical stupidity historically! Poch Suzara

Who were the Apostles? What were their laat names?

As we must all die, sooner or later, whether we like it or not, who cares about the death of the Apostles? Well, if we must care, the least we should do is to find out what were their last names? So we know that Judas was Judas Ascariot; but what about the rest of the apostles - who were they; where were they born; what were their real names as baptized by Jesus? Poch Suzara

The Worst of Tragedies

Self-deception is the worst tragedy of the Filipinos as a people. Teodoro A. Agoncillo This was during the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, and 16th century. Today in the already 21st century - the ignorance of the scientific way of thinking is the worst tragedy of the Philippines as a nation - the victim of a sick system of education. Bertrand Russell said it: The scientific attitude of mind involves a sweeping away of all other desires in the interest of the desire to know. Carl Sagan said it: "There is no other species on the Earth that does science. It is, so far, entirely a human invention, evolved by natural selection in the cerebral cortex for one simple reason: it works. It is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised. We must understand the Cosmos as it is and not confuse how it is with how we wish it to be." Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

The Sun Rising and Setting is Like the Illusion of Health

The day we are born is the day we begin to live in a dying body. The belief in Health therefore in an illusion. Just like the belief that the sun sets or the sun rises. It is all but a grand illusion. In the meantime I am fully aware of faith Healers, specially in the Philippines, like the famous Fr. Fernando Suarez. He is making tons of money off frightened sick old men and intimidated sick old women, and yet these people like me will be dead sooner or later. Oh yes, most people squander their health in search of wealth. They sweat and toil and saved. Then they squander their wealth in search of health - only to find the grave. Poch Suzara

Something or Nothing - the Similarity

Theologian: WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING? Philosopher: WHY NOT? In the meantime, what is the similarity between NOTHING and SOMETHING? Answer: A NOTHING can always end up to be a SOMETHING; a SOMETHING can always end up to be a NOTHING. Poch Suzara

Oh Jesus, My Dear Jesus

Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.(John 14:6) Oh Jesus, My dear Jesus, this is all fine and dandy. But how come you TOLD your followers nothing about your Father? How come all of your followers then and followers now, specially in the Philippines, the only Jesus Freak country in Asia, still find the existence of God, your Father, as an endless mystery? Deut 4:29 Really Jesus, if your Father God were already existing here, existing there, and existing everywhere - why do we have to seek and to find Him? Hasn't this been and still is an exercise in futility at best, insanity at worst? Poch Suzara

God Works In Mysterious Ways

"God works in mysterious ways." A useful dodge when the speaker doesn't understand the conflict between what the Bible SAYS and what they WISH it said; or, to know this or to know that but hardly know what "knowing" means. In the meantime, isn't it rather silly for God to work in mysterious ways? Isn't it enough that God is already existing here, existing there, and is existing everywhere? To impress whom? To accomplish what while endlessly hiding?? To become not a reality but only to prove himself perpetually as a silly mystery? Poch Suzara

Why I do Not Believe in the Existence of God

Indeed, I do not believe in the God of the Christians; in the God of the Muslims; in the God of the Jews; in the God of the crackpots on these pages. There are far more important things to do in life than just to believe. There is to think! I refuse to believe that the purpose of life is to be frightened, silenced, useless, selfish, greedy, stupid, and insane. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, responsible, compassionate, and helpful. It is above all to matter: to count, to stand up for a humanitarian principle, to have made a difference. That we have lived not only for something spiritual, but more so for something intellectual! In the meantime, I do not believe in the existence of God because I already believe in the existence of something higher, better, bigger, and greater than God: My country. My family. Indeed, I'd rather believe in the whole of mankind - not for what she is at present, but for what, with the power of thought, mankind can become in the future generations to come. Especially with knowledge - with the power of science and technology! Why should I give a hoot for the silly existence of a silly divinity? After I am dead,I do not care to meet such a Being in heaven; nor do I care to meet with such a Being in hell! Especially, as I must first go through purgatorial fires! To begin with, such beings and such places have no justification whatsoever to exist for a reason. For millions of years before I was born, I was existing as a nothing without a God; now why should it bother me to realize that after I am dead, for millions of years, I shall, again, be existing as a nothing without a God? Happily, in the meantime, I have no need to love my enemies. I don't care to have enemies. I do love, however, my daily struggles against religious lies and political deceptions! I am having fun hating such horrors! In this connection, I defy any one who says that the power of thought is dangerous! Dangerous to whom? To what? Because with the power of thought we might discover that the nature of human stupidity and the nature of divine infinity are one and the same old holy baloney inextricably mixed with holy salami? Poch Suzara

Lies and Deceptions

I said it before, I say it again: "Blessed is the season that engages the whole of mankind in a conspiracy of love - to unite humanity; and not divide it for the sake of big business more known as the love of God - big business, and fear the devil - big business." In the meantime, the history of our world has hardly been about GOOD verses EVIL. On the contrary, it has always been about EVIL versus EVIL and EVIL always won. Look at our sick world today. Half of it is ruled by lies. The other half is dominated by deceptions. Mix the two evils together and they both add up to the EVIL that daily characterizes our sick world. Happily, only the atheists give a hoot. Never do they ever stop mocking such lies and deceptions! Indeed, who would you rather love and respect - the lies from a politician? Or, the deception from a theologian? Or, the thoughts to provoke your thoughts by a pochologian - one who is not a Believer but a Thinker! Poch Suzara

Election 2013 or Deception

Feb. 1, 2013 Philippine Daily Inquirer Letter to the Editors, Dear Sirs: Election 2013 or Deception Election season is here again. We, the people, will vote for candidates not because of their ambitions for the good of our country; but because of the financial power hidden behind general election - the 4 Lords: Jueteng Lord, Gambling Lord, Drug Lord, and Praise the Lord. Not to mention their cohorts - the 3 Gs - Guns, Goons, and Gold. The General Election will be held on May 13, 2013. In total, there will be 18,022 national and local positions decided: 12 senators, 229 district members of the House of Representatives, 80 provincial governors, 80 provincial vice governors, 766 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature), 138 city mayors, 138 city vice mayors, 1,532 members of the city council, 1,496 municipal mayors, 1,496 municipal vice mayors, and 11,972 members of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council In Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), there will be elected one regional governor, one regional vice governor, and 24 regional assemblymen. Party-list representative will also be elected. It is traditional. We, the people, know nothing about these candidates running for office - where they stand on nutrition for the nation; health and sanitation for our cities, towns, and barrios; especially as they should reflect love of country; law and order. What are their plans for us, the people, to have more sense as a nation and not just wait for the arrival of foreign corporations. Indeed, the arrival of our employers; while, we are educated enough to be their employees. Our national election is also about the approval of political dynasty growing and expanding steadily in our sick society. Especially where civil service eligibility does not matter. What counts is the relativity of influence, wealth, power, and glory. All that we know of these candidates is what they all share something in common together - They are all MAKA-DIOS. Indeed, we all have been raised and educated to believe in the existence of a divinity that is higher and greater than our country, or far more important than the Filipino family. A divinity always available with the power to forgive not only sins, crimes, and deceptions; but also to forgive graft and corruption. In the meantime, working for the government is a not a career of public service in our country. It is great opportunities to make money. And why not? Money made is the accepted measure of decadence in our country! Jose Rizal said it: "Corruption is the major cause of our economic backwardness." Indeed, corruption as the reflection of a corrupt system of education. Especially during our formative years in school. It is where we learn how to forgive the sins of our politicians; how to forgive law-makers as they are among the first law-breakers; how to forgive our church leaders, and the self-appointed prophets of big-business bible-thumpers! Thus, instead of more freedom and democracy - we only have more of the same old mediocrity more known as political dynasty in our poor and backward country. We hardly have the intellect to ask: where are our thinkers, writers, innovators, inventors, reformers, and the promoters of constructive evolution? How come we only have more of the same old destructive revelation? Indeed, instead of challenging ourselves with the task of generating new ideas for the new year, we only find ourselves celebrating the old ways of the old year! Oh yes, the historical struggle in the Philippines has never been about GOOD versus EVIL; but only about EVIL versus EVIL; and EVIL has always been wining! In the meantime, we have yet to find and then elect a collection of educated men courageous enough to run efficiently our government of the people, by the people, and for the people! We are told that the Philippines is one of richest countries in natural resources. Name it; we have it; except diamonds. Our educators, however, have yet, to discover the greatest and the most powerful of natural resources in our country: the Filipino mind and heart. Its precious potentials are wasted away yearly inside commercial establishments own and operated by our former colonial masters. They are still here, but no longer referred to as our colonial masters. They are more known today as schools, colleges, and universities. They are the deadliest of destroyers of Filipino minds and hearts. Such evils operate not as educational institutions; but as commercial enterprises. Tax free. Indeed, we are all born ignorant, not corrupt; we are made corrupt by education. Foremost historian - Teodoro A. Agoncillo - in his HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, published some 50 years ago, wrote a simple truth still truthful today: "Self-deception is the worst tragedy of the Filipinos as a people." Sincerely, Poch Suzara, San Lorenzo Village, Makati city

Jesus had Acquired no Education

Jesus had No need to acquire education in grade school, High School, and college - He had no need to acquire knowledge in order to get Himself Crucified on a Cross The Miracles of Jesus - In Biblical Order A miracle is defined in current dictionaries as a phenomenal or supernatural event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers, more often than not incapable of being explained by the laws of nature. God never operates contrary to His Word or to the laws of nature which He has established, but He has the prerogative to supersede them. Jesus Christ was not the first to do miracles. There were many miracles of God in the Old Testament. The ten plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna from heaven, the water from a rock, Aaron’s rod that budded, the ground that opened up and swallowed Korah and the rebels, the sun and moon standing still, the three Judeans in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, Daniel in the lion’s den, and many others. But Jesus’ miracles were distinctive. They were signs and mighty works which authenticated His divinity and His mission. People had heard the stories of the God of miracles, and His awesome and astonishing power, but the miracles of Jesus elicited unique responses. “…they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. …and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well.” (Mark 2:12, 5:42, 6:51, 7:37 KJV) “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) Following is a listing of the miracles of Jesus with corresponding Scriptures. “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30, 31) Control of Nature 1. Calming the storm – Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:37-41; Luke 8:22-25 2. Feeding 5,000 - Matthew 14:14-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14 3. Walking on water - Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:47-52; John 6:16-21 4. Feeding 4,000 – Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9 5. Fish with coin – Matthew 17:24-27 6. Fig tree withers – Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 7. Huge catch of fish – Luke 5:4-11; John 21:1-11 8. Water into wine – John 2:1-11 Healing of Individuals 1. Man with leprosy – Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14 2. Roman centurion’s servant – Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10 3. Peter’s mother-in-law – Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39 4. Two men possessed with devils – Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-15; Luke 8:27-39 5. Man with palsy – Matthew 9:2-7; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26 6. Woman with bleeding – Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48 7. Two blind men – Matthew 9:27-31 8. Dumb, devil-possessed man - Matthew 9:32-33 9. Canaanite woman’s daughter – Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 10. Boy with devil - Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:17-29; Luke 9:38-43 11. Two blind men – including Bartimaeus - Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 12. Demon-possessed man in synagogue – Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37 13. Blind man at Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26 14. Crippled woman – Luke 13:10-17 15. Man with dropsy – Luke 14:1-4 16. Ten men with leprosy – Luke 17:11-19 17. The high priest’s servant – Luke 22:50-51 18. Nobleman’s son at Capernaum – John 4:46-54 9. Sick man at the pool of Bethsaida – John 5:1-15 20. Man born blind – John 9:1-41 Raising the Dead 1. Jairus’ daughter – Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56 2. Widow’s son at Nain – Luke 7:11-17 3. Lazarus – John 11:1-44 note: Jesus could save the world, but he could save himself nailed to a CROSS as the greatest of his miracle? Poch Suzara

Certainly, Poch is Not Alone

Certainly Poch is not alone. The "masa" Christians have been taught to be watchful of the evils men do, how to face such men and what they need to do to get even or justice. But they were not taught how to bravely face evil men belonging to the ruling elite and find ways to stop the evils they do. Instead they were made to understand that they must fear them and stay away from their guns and be subservient, to beg for their due and to die defending their rights, properties and health. Many of their brightest are made scholars only to serve the interest of the rich - by joining them or staying away from harm's way in another country. [Please don't ever think that the first class Filipino progressives who abandoned their Philippines were not allowed to leave in peace, with prayers to boot. Hey, it greatly pleases them to no end to see them go! Let them go, the more talents leaving the easier for exploitation and the safer entrenched the powerful elite are.] The powerful ruling elite are not powerful enough to create jobs for the fast growing "masa," so their sons and daughters are sent abroad to work. When they are abroad and send back home dollars, the elites, perched snugly on top of their lofty condos and sprawling malls with all the comforts in life, smile with satisfaction from ear to ear. Many of those sent away think like Poch but only a few can be loud, clear, persistent and emotionally charged in exposing the anomalous wrongs our evil ruling elite do. Nooo, Poch is not alone but his kind is hard to find in a confused believing people, meticulously cared for from birth to death by their churches. The meticulous care guarantees a captive people to serve the Lords - the unseen Lord in heaven, the drug Lords, the gambling Lords, gang Lords, the media Lords, the survey Lords, thetrapo Lords and the election Lords. Oh, yes they still have to serve the Law Lords of lawyers and judges. How I wish Poch can find the very means to make his advocacy heard and acted. Good luck, Poch. Good luck my Philippines! Ogie

All Children are Born as Unbelievers of the Faith

Anyone who understands the definition of atheism must acknowledge that all children are born atheists, including those born to Christian parents. Atheism is nothing more than the lack of acceptance of the theistic belief claim (i.e., some god or gods exist). A theist is one who believes that god(s) exist; an atheist is one who does not share this belief. The newborn child cannot even entertain such possibilities and thus lacks theistic belief. Atheism is the default position, and this is where we all begin. In order for Christians to argue against the reality that all children are born atheists, they must distort the meaning of atheism. They must convince themselves and their audience that atheism is a religion, a philosophy, or a worldview. They claim that atheism is an explicit repudiation of religion and that it involves faith that no gods exist. Such distortions in the meaning of atheism allow them to claim that children cannot be born atheist because atheism requires the same sort of deliberate choice required by religious belief. Atheism is not a belief system but lack of acceptance of one particular belief. It requires no faith; it is the absence of faith. It is the null hypothesis, the default condition, the natural starting point for each of us. But why must Christians distort the meaning of atheism at all? Why should they even care if their children are born atheists, especially when it is likely that they will begin brainwashing them at an early age? There are many reasons, ranging from a need to see the child as connected to them through the manner they consider most important (i.e., religion) to the harsh implications of infant mortality to their belief system. To expand on this latter point, consider the Christian parent whose child dies before the child is capable of forming the cognitions necessary to comprehend theistic belief. According to this parent's own Christian doctrine, this child is likely destined for hell. This is where non-believers go, and this child is clearly a non-believer. The Catholics toyed with limbo as a way out, but the evangelical Protestants now engaging in America's "culture wars" never really warmed to this idea. Even theism will be insufficient for such a parent, as a personal relationship with Jesus is thought to be the only vehicle for salvation. It should be remembered that Christians have created this doctrine for themselves and should be solely responsible for unraveling the many conundrums it presents. Distorting atheism is not an acceptable way out of the mess. It only makes the theists, the silly believers, look ridiculous. Poch Suzara

Every Child is Born with a Tragedy, NOT original sin

“Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn’t original sin. He’s born with the tragedy that he has to grow up. That he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it’s a tragedy. A lot of people don’t have the courage to do it.” Helen Hayes Most people believe in God because they have been taught from early infancy to do it, and that is the main reason. Then I think that the next most powerful reason is the wish for safety. Bertrand Russell Give me the storm and tempest of thought and action, rather than the dead calm of ignorance and faith. Banish me from Eden when you will; but first let me eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Robert G. Ingersoll The greatest failures in life are those who live with the right answers to wrong questions. The greatest success, however, are those who question everything as the answers, with a few exceptions, become, in time, obsolete. Only the few have the courage to question what has always been taken for granted. Indeed, they have been taught to hate the power of thought. What they love is fear and ignorance more known as faith. Faith has the power to make people feel safe mindlessly, if not to feel lazy thoughtlessly. In the Philippines, however, faith has been and still is quite a success. Faith is the engine that generates the failure of our values and beliefs. Such failures promote nothing but the great success of our being famous as the Sick Man of Asia! Poch Suzara

George Bush and Bin Laden

“Bush and bin Laden are really on the same side: the side of faith and violence against the side of reason and discussion. Both have implacable faith that they are right and the other isevil. Each believes that when he dies he is going to heaven.Each believes that if he could kill the other, his path to paradise in the next world would be even swifter. The delusional "next world" is welcome to both of them. This world would be a much better place without either of them. ” Richard Dawkins, Scientist/Atheist Think about it: Both Bush and Bin Laden were never known to be indecent, atheistic, or used vulgar language. Bush or Bin Laden never got expelled out of high school; in fact both attained college education. Poch Suzara, High school Expelled/Atheist

Letter to TIME June 15, 2005

President Gloria Arroyo repeated the same words past presidents of the Philippines have faithfully declared again and again. Have “faith and trust in divine providence” during hard times. Indeed, democracy without education means hypocrisy without limitation; it means the degradation of high office into cheap prayers in order to serve the rulers and deceive the ruled. Meanwhile, growth as a people and development as a nation have yet to take roots. Unfortunately, our government officials are just waiting for divine providence to provide. Indeed, we Filipinos have been taught to believe that God will solve our problems for as long as we never lose faith. History, however, fails to prove that the creation of human decency throughout the land has ever been a priority with divinity. Corruption is the privilege of our elected officials and prayer rallies are organized if there were any proposal to alter the patriotic tradition. Our democratic failure is due to the popularity of ignorance. A Filipino has a better chance at winning high government position if he or she has achieved a reputation in mediocrity. Is there hope for the Philippines? Yes, there is. As soon as we begin to become the intelligent masters rather than the stupid victims of religion. Golly, even the daily prayers addressed to God in this country are as similar in form and content of letters children write to Santa Claus. But if God would rather fulfill the needs of the devil rather than save the Philippines away from the same old evil – why should the leaders of this Republic continue to have faith and trust in divine providence? Where is our science and the scientific way of thinking to remedy the religious mess that is keeping us Filipinos spiritually poor as a people and morally corrupt as a nation?

Who Knows

"God created the universe" is a silly statement. First, nobody knows God. Second, nobody knows the universe. Third, nobody knows what "knowing" means. Indeed, nobody even knows who we are? Where we come from? Where we are going? In the meantime, the question: "why is there something rather than nothing?" The answer" "Why not?" Poch Suzara