Existence

Millions of years before my birth, I was a nothing. I had no existence. Millions of years after my death, I will be a nothing again. I will have no existence. Now I am told that there is life after death. Of course, there is life after death - the life of my dear loved-ones. I will leave them behind until they too will eventually join with me to rest in peace forever in nothing, over nothing, and for nothing. Really, how could we enjoy a hereafter when none of us ever enjoyed a herebefore?
But then again, there is the First Law, the conservation law. It says that while energy can never be created or destroyed it can only be transformed from one form to another. For my part, I should leave alone the conservation law. Let her decide what she wants to do with our un-bundled energy after death that was once a bundled up energy called - life.
In the meantime, each and every unfolding reality contains not only the seed of its own destruction, but also the embryo of a new reality that will replace it. I think the best we all should do is to face reality courageously – there is no one at the helm on this earth. We are all in charge for our own destinies. Poch Suzara

Love From God

Love makes much for peace on earth and goodwill to all men. I ask: where is love from God that I am told is a loving God? In fact, where is God in our mad world filled with cruelties and hate and violence and war? What keeps Him hiding like the timid atheists always hiding inside the dark closet?
Now my devout friends and relatives tell me that my end is near, and that before it is too late, I should renounce my atheism and repent and make my peace with God. Yes, I should be happy to do so. However, before I proceed, I need to know first if God himself had already smoked the peace-pipe with the devil?
In the meantime, please open your bible. It clearly reads: The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward. Eccl. 9:5 Poch Suzara

Knowledge

Knowledge that is not based on scientific observation, but only deduced from some sacred writings or concocted from some wild theological imagination – is knowledge that is not only thoughtless, not only mindless, not only groundless, not only senseless. It is knowledge that’s shamelessly useless and therefore utterly worthless. Poch Suzara

Temple of God

I am told that God created my body; it is a temple of God. How wonderful! What’s not wonderful, however, are the other tiny creatures living inside my body that God created too. They are called germs, bacteria, and viruses. There are about 20 billion of them trying to kill me and eventually will succeed to do so. And to think that those little creatures existing inside human vital organs and blood streams are all at war against the other as they probably hate each other too. In the process, however, sooner or later, whether we like it or not, whether we have free will or not, these little nasty monsters together will decree not only our own death, but will also decree their own extinction. I suppose in God’s name too, if not for His glory in heaven.

In the meantime, our 60 to 70 or 80 years of existence on this erth in relation to God’s eternal existence in heaven, we live, comparatively, but for a split of a second long. As if that were enough time for any of us to be put on trial by the Supreme Being for our petty crimes and silly sins. Poch Suzara

Great Religions

Except perhaps for Buddhism, all the great religions of the world hate each other and would rather be at war than enjoy peace, love, and respect for each other. If we were all atheists, chances are better for each and every one of us to achieve health and wealth and happiness in this world. In the meantime, since even God knows not when, there never was a belief that has done humanity in this world more damage intellectually than the childish belief in the existence of a sick and insane divinity. Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#

Terrorism

Sending a powerful message fit the definition of terrorism. Who therefore could be more terroristic than the religious teachers who frightens innocent children to believe in God because if not, they will be punished forever burning in hell? I should know. I was once such a terrorized child myself in grade school at De La Salle University run by the Christian Brothers. They certainly scared me to death to have faith in a lot of religious nonsense. Fortunately for me, however, I was expelled in high school for asking far too many questions. Much to my very pleasant surprise however, I learned eventually through self-study that the whole basis of the subject of philosophy that gave birth to her daughters - the sciences is based on questions asked and not on the answers found. Indeed, even up to this 21st century, terrorism comes not from intelligent questions, but only from the stupid answers! Poch Suzara

Something to Think About

I suppose men and women, especially with college education, love to think about some things sometimes. For my part, I was expelled out of high-school because I never denied myself the joy to think about a lot of things all the time. I still do love to think in my old age. Poch Suzara

Nicole versus the US Marines

We are told that the job of the US Marines is to defend those who are unable to defend themselves.
The least the US Marines could do while visiting the Philippines is to defend women like Nicole from being raped by fellow-Marines.
Isn’t it enough that the US Marines are here to train Filipino soldiers to be more efficient at killing fellow human beings? In the meantime, must they also carry the impression that women of the Philippines are not worthy of love and respect or a decent treatment?
To Nicole: as an American citizen living in the Philippines, I have every wish that you will succeed putting in jail those cowards in US military uniform who raped you. And even if they did not rape you, for treating you like a piece of garbage, they deserve to be thrown out of this country. Poch Suzara

American Political Parties

The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are one and the same old Party. They do not matter except during election. Michael Moore described it as the “Greed Party.” It supports the one and only real religion of America. It’s called Capitalism.
If we truly wish to see the inside of the American economic bubble, we must first puncture it. Each time our president declares happily that “our economy is sound,” he does not acknowledge that it is not at all sound for the 50 to 60 million fellow-Americans who are struggling to survive, although it may be moderately sound for many in the middle class, and extremely sound for the riches 1 per cent of the nation who own 40 per cent of the nation’s wealth. Imagine 40 per cent of 13 Trillion dollars – the GNP of the US annually.
In the meantime, it is not the poor, but the rich who pretty much determine who will be the President of the nation. He is the political leader who says, “let’s have more of the same.” A candidate for president like a Ralph Nader of the Green party never makes it to the White House precisely because he says, “let’s change; let’s have no more of the same rotten politics. Let’s make the world safe for freedom and democracy not with hate and war, but with love and goodwill to all men.” What about the average voter? Well, he has the impression that he plays an important political role casting his ballot as a Republican or, as the case may be, as a Democrat. He votes for his favorite presidential candidate. What he does not know, however, is that it does not matter who wins the election because, to begin with, the two presidential candidates ( hardly a third or a fourth candidate ) have already been picked by the rich and the powerful for ordinary voters to choose from. Normally, the one with the greatest popularity in the achievement of mediocrity or has received more money always makes it to the White House. As an American citizen, I have yet to hear a newly-elected president of the USA proclaim at his inaugural address: “Let us stop all this political-industrial-military-university complex nonsense. For once, let’s begin to really work for world peace. Let’s start right here inside the American home.” Poch Suzara

Capitalism

The economic system which we know as capitalism, or free enterprise, functions admirably, but only if it enhances the beauty of liberty and the sanity of democracy.
Unfortunately, capitalism, especially in America only promotes depravity and corruptibility and stupidity as it functions quite effectively in derailing the American family. Consider 99 per cent of American children. Fathers do not know their children as much as the children do not know their own fathers. How can either know the other since they do not even know what “knowing” means? Poch Suzara

Western Civilization

The men behind the arms industry are all liars. They could not prosper without the help from another industry composed of men who are also expert liars. It’s called the Media. However, the Arms industry together with the media could not last a day without the blessings from another group of liars too – the high officials in government. It is the purpose of the government to serve the interests of the wealthy and the powerful. It includes the high-ranking officials of the military.
No doubt, the government serves the poor; unfortunately, only with more lies though it’s more often called freedom and democracy. And if the un-employed poor were miserable with their lot, there is the armed forces to suppress strikes or public rallies or rebellion. Of course these evils are born and nurtured in our schools, colleges, and universities. They all fall under the inspiration of sacred messages written by Moses some four thousand years ago. It’s known as the Holy Bible.
We are all indoctrinated to believe in lies and falsehoods and political promises. We are even taught to have faith in the so-called values of our Western culture. In the meantime, just as it is impossible to define the word “terrorism,” it is equally as impossible to define the difference between “barbaric East” and the “civilized West.” Poch Suzara

Natural Resources

The Philippines is one of the riches countries in the world in natural resources. We have gold, silver, chrome ore, coal, oil, sugar, coconut, rivers, lakes, etc, name it, we have it; except perhaps diamond. We used to have in abundance rain-forests, but that’s virtually gone now. But we may even have in the Mindanao deep waters more than a TRILLION dollars worth of deuterium – a new energy source. And yet, we Filipinos are among the poorest people in the world.
Ask any college-educated Filipino why this is so, and he will reply that it is due to the Will of God. In the meantime, only the foreigners have taken advantage by exploiting our natural resources for their wealth, power, and glory. They all unanimously agree that God, indeed, has other plans for the Filipinos and for the Philippines. As to exactly what those plans are, not even the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines have the foggiest notion. Poch Suzara

Hate in America and Hate in the Philippines

An American living in the Philippines, wrote: “The safest world I know of is the USA with nukes. God will tell us what to do next.” Obviously, this fellow knows little about the nature of a Nuclear War and its global after effects. I find it incredible, however, to imagine young or old Americans being told by God what to do next? As if it were not enough that President Bush already talks to God and God continues to inspire the Bush Administration to bomb the hell out of poor and innocent people in foreign countries especially as such countries are rich in natural resources. Here’s another famous American, the television anchorman Dan Rather. He declared: “George Bush is the President… Wherever he wants me to line up, just tell me where.” Imagine an adult, a professional Reporter at that, quite conversant with current events, and he does not know where to line up, and he needs our President to tell him where to line up! Hey Dan, shame on you! Have you forgotten James Madison, he said: "If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” We boasts of our freedom and democracy, our peace and security and money, and yet our government has not ceased selling weapons to dictators, human rights abusers, and to countries at war or at the edge of war (sometimes against each other). Look at the historical conflict, for example, between the Christians and the Muslims in the Philippines. Call them what you like, but these people are actually Filipinos killing each other with weapons supplied by the US government. As an American citizen myself, I say this is madness, a sheer mockery, a depravity, if not a gimcrackery that promotes nothing but world insanity. I ask: what has happened to the beauty of American freedom and to the harmony of American democracy? Have they already become extinct in the land of the free and in the home of the brave? Must America fall apart to pieces because we Americans have forgotten how to live in peace with ourselves and how to live in peace with the rest of the world? Is there no other recourse for us except to prove that, in this universe, there is more American stupidity than there is the certainty of infinity? Let us ask: why are there more people today that hate America? What are the roots of Terrorism against America and our allies? Isn’t it because we do not ourselves practice freedom and democracy right in our own land? Our own government continues to deny freedom and democracy to people in Third World countries whose resources are coveted by our multi-national corporations. The hatred we have sown has come back to haunt us in the form of terrorism. . . Instead of sending our sons and daughters to the Middle East to kill Arabs so that we can have the oil under their sand, we should, instead, be sending them to spread common human decency. Indeed, rebuild their devastated homes and bomb-damaged schools, their infrastructures, supply clean water, and help hospitalize, feed, and educate children in those Arab countries. In short, we should be raising not only their standard of living, but also their standard of thinking. Who would try to stop us? Who would hate us? Who would want to bomb us? But then again, why should our government be offering these services when our own American children are going through a sub-standard system education. Look at the stupid politicians our system of education keeps producing to end up running our government. American communities are decaying and falling apart; and the standard of thinking of our government officials is equal to that of the employees of CNN. Indeed, at CNN nobody reasons why, they do not even do or die. Everybody’s job at CNN is to spread and promote with embellished lies no one’s interests except those of the wealthy and the powerful. Poch Suzara

Atheism

If atheism were a religion, how come we atheists do not have a “Chosen People,” or the “elect,” or the “reprobate,” or a “messiah?” How come we atheists have no miracles to convert others into atheism?
If atheism were a religion, how come we atheists have no sacred writings to make us hate and kill each other? How come we do not imprison, torture, burn to death or execute other atheists for denying the existence of atheism? How come we atheists do not declare war on other atheists? Indeed, if atheism were a religion, then health is a disease; or, heresy is orthodoxy.
No doubt, we atheists have faith; but we have faith in life, not in death. We have no faith in the next life. There isn’t any! We atheists do not believe in the existence of the soul. On contrary, we believe that the individual human mind is not only the most sacred; it is not only the most functional; it is also the most precious beauty in all of nature.
No child is born with a religion, and just like you my dear reader, I too was born without a religion. I am also happy with the thought that one day, I will die without a religion. We atheist are not afraid to live because we are not afraid to die.
In the meantime, eternal salvation in the great beyond is the condition of a dead man who refuses to believe that back on earth he is already dead and buried or cremated reduced to ashes. Poch Suzara

Jesus Said:

“I am the way, truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. Are not these words proof enough from Jesus Himself that God, His Father, is not omnipresent, not to be found everywhere? And to think that even Jesus Himself also physically vanished out of sight since two thousand years ago. Poch Suzara

Jesus

Jesus stated quite clearly: “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them for me.” Luke 19:27. And to think that this is the same Jesus who supposedly preached love your enemies, and if need be, die for your enemies. Poch Suzara

Family Relations

I have conveyed to my children that they can blame me for everything that’s wrong in their lives. However, only up to a certain age. When they have grown-up, and they still believe there is something wrong with me - their father, then they only have themselves to blame for neglecting to be involved in the study to expunge lies out of this world. Indeed, lies that comes from of false education, spurious history, and stupid organized religions.

Just as much as children are victims, so were we parents when we were children ourselves too. So were our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents victimized too. The idea is to cut short the vicious circle. It promotes nothing but more human stupidity. Our grandchildren and great-children should be exposed to better ways of thinking instead of more of the same old ways of believing. Especially to stop believing in the demons from heaven and from hell and indeed including the demons on this earth as heads of governments.

There is nothing more sacred than our innate curiosity, our ability to reason, and a determination to search for the truth. Any attempt to hinder the beauty of thought or the power of reason is a crime against self-respect, if not a violation against human dignity. We must always turn to what is truly sacred, the freedom to think and reason and then to let the facts speak for themselves.

Let’s all wake up for the sake of human race down here and to hell with divine disgrace up there! Indeed, let us all leave this world one day a better place than we found it. Otherwise, there would be little reason for our having lived. Poch Suzara

Children

Clarence Darrow said, “Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt!” I agree; but think of the greater tragedy of millions upon millions of children born neither loved nor wanted by their parents in this world. It’s the root cause of the troubles and conflicts that keep our world not only poor and backward, but also brutal in hate, savage in violence, and deadly in war. Poch Suzara

Skeptic or Bright or Atheist

September 11, 2006 Free Inquiry Magazine, Amherst, New York, USA For: Paul Kurtz and Richard Dawkins Gentlemen: Skeptic or Bright or Atheist. I hardly see any value in identifying myself as a “skeptic” or a “bright.” Why hide inside a dark closet? What value is there for more inquiry after having already discovered the truth? Each and every one of us was born free from religion. Even before sacred books were written by inspired authors of God – babies were already coming out of their mother’s womb not as a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, but as atheists. In fact, we are all born atheists, not sinners; we are made sinners by religious education. If I am against slave trading and say that slavery should be abolished and the slave traders accuse me of being negative, then so be it. But do I really need to use more proper terms so as not to offend such a gang of criminals - the slave traders? In our world today, the religious traders are the criminals. For the sake of faith peddling, they continue to cut each other’s throats. With weapons of mass destruction today, they are even ready and willing to reduce our planet earth into a lunar landscape! In the meantime, the reinforcement of religion exists everywhere. In schools, colleges, universities, radios, newspapers, magazines, movies, television, billboards, marquees, and currencies, etc. Indeed, the communion of saints integrating, while the communion of atheists disintegrating. Down through the centuries, the religious traders have done much to convert every one to live in guilt, in fear, and in hate of each other. Indeed, from infancy to senility, to promote the belief that evil comes only from those who do not believe in God. It seems to me clear that with the power of knowledge behind us – the superstitious should be the ones retreating, and the atheists not the ones flinching away trying only to find more polite ways of identifying themselves in public. Bertrand Russell wrote: “If we must die, let us die sober, and not drunk with lies.” One such horrible lie is that reason can bow before faith; or, that knowledge can retreat before superstition. Sacred lies and other ecclesiastical falsehoods are over. Thanks to the atheists who walked out of their dark closets. In the meantime, there is nothing at all negative about Atheism other than it deprives the religious traders and faith peddlers of their vast sources of tax-free revenues. As atheists, we have more crucial roles to play in this world. With courage, we must continue to show the way for the minds of men, hearts of women, and the lives of children to learn to live under the direction always towards truthfulness. If this were not the case, it nevertheless remains our task to bring more light into a world of darkness.With all good wishes, Poch Suzara Bertrand Russell Society, Philippines, 8 Zippper st. San Lorenzo Village, Makati City

Galileo and Rizal

Even if Galileo had retracted, how come the earth continued on to rotate on its own axis and continued on to orbit around the sun?
Even if Rizal had retracted, how come the Catholic Church continued on to rotate on its own sacred lies and continued on to orbit on its own ecclesiastical falsehoods?
The Vatican authority had already issued a posthumous public apology to Galileo for its errors in having him arrested and incarcerated. Galileo had published his astronomical findings in a book that proved bible astronomy was purely based upon a silly theology.
There is no posthumous public apology as yet from the Vatican authority to Rizal. He was wrongfully arrested and then publicly executed for exposing the evils that kept the Filipinos poor and the Philippines backward. Indeed, the evils otherwise more popularly known as Christian values and beliefs. Poch Suzara