RP-Rizal Forum

Sometimes, it is true, there are remarkable members of the RP-Forum worthy of great respect and great admiration. Much to my surprised, at this point and time, it is a she, not a he. I mean Helen. What a rarity of a Filipina outshining with intellectual guts, while the men in this group are better off going home to cry to mama. Helen wrote: “The Pinoy has lost not only the ability to think but the desire to think for himself; he’s rather let Jesus, Mary and Joseph solve their problems and he’d prefer Superman, Batman, and Spiderman clean up the mess.” Helen, what Bertrand Russell wrote about great men, certainly applies to great women such as you are: “No, the greatest men have not been “serene.” They have had, it is true, an ultimate courage, a power of creating beauty where nature has put only horror, which may, to a petty mind, appear like serenity. But their courage has had to surpass that of common men, because they seen deeper into the indifference of nature and the cruelty of man. To cover up these things with comfortable lies is the business of cowards; the business of great men is to see them with inflexible clarity, and yet to think and feel nobly. And in the degree in which we can all be great, this is the business of each one of us.” Helen, may our tribe of the real Rizal increase. Poch Suzara

Rizal's Retraction Scandal

Why was Rizal’s retraction document which was supposedly signed at 11:30 p.m. December 29, not immediately relayed to the highest authorities? Why wait until he had already been shot? What happened to the financial aid for Rizal’s distressed family offered by Fr. Balaguer as authorized by Archbishop Nozaleda on Dec. 29 in exchange for the alleged retraction? Would that proffered aid have made Rizal changed his mind when, years earlier, he had turned down the 100,000 pesos and a chair in UST offered to him by the friars for him to repudiate his Noli and Fili? After the so-called retraction’s text was read to the press, how come the document disappeared mysteriously in 1896, and then conveniently appeared again in 1935? How come the enlarged photo of Rizal’s execution ( displayed at Manila’s City Hall ) shows him to be without a scapular around his neck or a rosary in his hand, as Fr. Balaguer and his disciples like Catholic biographer Guerrero have written? If Rizal had retracted and despite his death sentence was still carried out, why was his corpse just bundled off in a dirty old sack? Why was it just dumped into a hole in the ground outside the consecrated niches of Paco cemetery? Was this the kind of proper Christian burial for Catholics who died repentant? Even Rizal’s mother and sisters knew not where Rizal’s corpse was to be located? If there was a canonical marriage between Josephine and Rizal, how come Josephine could never produce the certificate of marriage in spite of being required to do so in her two famous lawsuits for her rightful share of inheritance of Rizal’s Estate? If Rizal retracted because of love for Josephine, how come she was mentioned merely as a “sweet foreigner” in the Ultimo Adios? The shame in Rizal’s life was not the retraction of his deeds, writings, and conduct, because that never took place. The shame lies in Catholic historians and Catholic writers who believe not in Rizal’s life, work, and writings, but believed in his enemies – the Catholic friars who concocted sacred lies about him, belittled his intellect, assassinated his character and emasculated his last poetic testament. Indeed, the friars to this today in cahoots even with those who call themselves “Rizalists” or “Knights of Rizal” still deny Rizal’s legitimate place in the world as one of mankind’s greatest thinkers. Jose Rizal was a great man indeed. He tried to put so much beauty into the hearts and minds of Filipinos where the religious morons have only put infantile nonsense in this country. Rizal clearly saw in his day what is vaguely seen around us today: organized religion in cahoots with superstition flourishing hand in hand amidst filth, poverty, and human misery. What irked the friars was Rizal’s refusal to continue to have faith in Christianity at the expense of fearless, free, humanistic, and independent thought. If there’s life after death, it is great thinkers like Jose Rizal that I should wish to meet, shake hand, learn from, and be with. If I should just be thrown in the company of the frightened Knights of Rizal together with their Jesuit teachers, please Lord, take me back to God-forsaken Philippines. Poch Suzara

An Atheist in the RP-Rizal Forum

The RP-Rizal Forum members refused to believe me – an atheist – when I argued that the execution of Jose Rizal had only to do with religious morons in authority who had him faced a firing squad for writing truthful scandals about the Catholic Church. I am even told that if I have nothing new to add to the ongoing discussion on Rizal’s life, work, and writings, I should just shut up and to take my atheistic “frustrations” and “angst” elsewhere.
Well, I am also saying that the kind of enemies Rizal struggled against are still here pretty much alive today in charge of what should be taught in our schools, colleges, and universities.
In the meantime, as an atheist, I am looked upon as a monster with psychological problem. Really, a feeble, if not a laughable attempt to evade the fundamental questions of truth and falsehood. It is obviously ridiculous to try and defeat atheism by subordinating truth with emotionalism. Such childish reaction only reveals the Christian traditional contempt for man’s ability to think. Ah, but the members of this RP-Rizal Forum would rather prove themselves intellectually crippled at thinking any deeper, but would rather be argumentative with linguistic contortions, if not by algebraic ejaculation as inspired by ecclesiastical masturbation. Poch Suzara

Obsession Ignored

June 9, 2007
Email from Edgar Millan
Member of the RP-Rizal Forum
Dear Poch,
I personally don't know you from Adam but in your insistent bashing of our countrymen's religious views you seem to know so much more than the average Filipino about the faith that they professed. I'm just wondering what kind of hatred motivates you so much to have made it your personal quest to continue with your religious bashings despite the request from the majority here in this forum that you settle down? We have all heard your message from day one when you started to post. And ever since, you have harped on that same message as if "we" people that you're referring to are all morons. You're an atheist. So what? What makes you think you can keep on rubbing that in on the rest of us? Pls. spare us your rhetorics and if you have nothing new to say pls. respect the platform of this forum which is dedicated to Rizal's works and writings. There are so many other fora out there dedicated to atheists where you can rant to your heart's content and nobody will give a damn about it. This is RP-Rizal Forum. If you have nothing more relevant to say than your pent up angst and frustrations, pls. spare us.
Sincerely,Edgar Millan

Let's Love, not Hate, the Atheists

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

Politicians in Government

Politicians are like diapers. They have to be change regularly and for the same shitty reason. And to think that diapers have no need to go to school to acquire a college education like in UP, La Salle, Ateneo, UST, Assumption college, Mariam college, Letran, San Bedo, etc, etc, etc. Poch Suzara

Childhood Beliefs

Think of the immensely stronger hold beliefs have upon us during early associations than those of later years. Indeed, we would sooner believe in something and traditionally examine nothing. No doubt, it is easier to believe than it is to think. That is why we are a people of childish believers; hardly a nation of intelligent thinkers.
Faith is believing in something on the authority of another more likely known as: mama and papa at home; teacher and professor in school; priests and nuns of the church; and politicians and the magicians in the government. The same people, indeed, who were never the masters, but themselves only the victims of ignorance pervasive during early associations.
To believe is easy. To think is hard. But to grow up intellectually one must do a lot of thinking than just do a lot of childish believing. Poch Suzara

Jesus Admits

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
I ask the Lord: was this before or after thoughtless men crucified you on a cross to destroy the equally thoughtless devil? In the meantime, Jesus, the Son of God, crucified on a cross, cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” If God refused to listen to own Jewish son, why should God listen to you Filipinos praying for another Filipino - me? Moreover, don’t you people ever wonder why the devil has never been destroyed? In fact, the devil has been more than lively in charge of the Christian system of education in the Philippines since the 16th century! Poch Suzara

Explaining Evil

Explaining evil in this world given the existence of a good and a loving God is a ticklish affair. If there is such a thing as an all-just God, and after a devastating earthquake, how does one morally intervene to provide relief to the victims? Isn’t that in violation of God’s will? Doesn’t such relief amount to interfering with or obstructing God’s sacred plans and prerogatives? Bertrand Russell said that there is no such as thing “justice” in this world. Russell was right. There is only sympathy, compassion, empathy, and a sense of common human decency. Poch Suzara

Before the Fall of Man

Women have pain in childbirth because babies are bigger than birth canals. Before the Fall of Man, however, Eve had no such problem. Due to God’s intelligent design, Eve’s birth canal was just as big as the babies inside her womb that could pass through it painlessly in childbirth. But all that intelligent design had to be re-designed as God said to eve: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.” Genesis 3:16.
If I were with God when he created women, I would have given him a few constructive suggestions. Bringing humans into this world with pain for both mother and child is not the healthiest way to generate grace for the human race. Poch Suzara

Religion

We are told that religion is good because it comforts the dying. But with God’s power, shouldn’t religion be better if it prevents dying? What’s the purpose of experiencing life everlasting if we must first experience both mental and physical death? For my part, I envy the devil. There seems no end to his biblically evil party with God always as his guest of honor.
As for me, after I am dead, I do not give a hoot about going to heaven to be with God; or, about going to hell to be with the devil. What I do care about, however, is leaving this world a better place than I found it. Even if I am able to change nothing, at least I had the courage to stand up and speak out against the gullible faithfools who embraced nothing in this world except sacred beliefs based upon nothing, or worse to be always included in the rat-race for eternal salvation. Poch Suzara

The Creator is Sex

Sex created me as much as sex created my children as my children created my grandchildren with sex. Sex created my parents and grandparents. Sex is the creator of all life on this earth. Of course, just like everyone else, I believe in sex. After all, no one could have been born without it. What I do not believe, however, is irresponsible sex. I do not preach: go forth and multiply and replenish the earth. That’s already been accomplished centuries ago. The time of humans breeding like animals is over. Instead, we should be breeding more science that prepares us to live the good and creative life rather than be breeding more stupid religion that prepares us only for stupid death. Poch Suzara

God Loves Me

The worst kind of poverty is the poverty of mind. The poorest, indeed, are those who proudly claim that nobody loves them except God. These poverty-stricken people would rather wait for the second coming of a foreigner – a Jewish Lord named Jesus to remedy the ills of our sick society rather than participate in the growth and development of our own country. Poch Suzara

The Dark Ages

There was a time when religion ruled the world. Where every man, woman, and child believed and had faith God. Historians refer to it as the Dark Ages. The Philippines is still pretty much populated by faith-soaked Christians in the majority and by the faith-soaked Muslims in the minority. Nevertheless, in the modern world today, Filipinos still live in the Dark Ages. Filipinos all love what is supernatural up there by hating what is natural down here.

In the meantime, we are all born ignorant, not stupid. We are made stupid by education. Consider college educated men and women including college teachers and professors in this country. At the expense of love of country and love of fellow-citizens, we would rather pray daily to God for the silly salvation of our silly souls. As if the soul, supposedly already immortal, needs saving.

Personally, I don’t know what’s the big deal about the endless conflict between God and the devil to win over the silly souls of men. I don’t need it. I don’t want it. God can have it or the devil can have it. Poch Suzara

War and Business

Business is the husband of war as war is the wife of business. It is a profitable illicit relationship; especially in the United States of America where business and war pretty much determine the ups and downs of its economy. The more wars there are anywhere in the world, rich American industrialists become richer, especially as they are the real owners of the US government.
In the meantime, suicide terrorists have attacked America not because of its freedom from religion, but freedom of religion. Such freedoms have only generated greed, hate, envy, and stupidity as the basis of the American way of life.
Abraham Lincoln was right on target. He said: "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Poch Suzara

National Election

National election in the Philippines is not about candidates, but about a vote-buying contest among the cheaters who are even willing to murder each other for the sake of winning. After the votes have been secretly counted and the dead buried, the winners are usually the ones who brag to high heavens that national elections in the Philippines have always been clean and honest and democratic and historically peaceful. In the meantime, the nation, instead of moving forward with new and fresh ideas, it only moves backward with old and obsolete ideas. Poch Suzara

Classmates

It is sad to see former La Salle classmates happy and comfortable watching, if not themselves playing, lively sports activity of the day -- it is all that they ask. The distinction between right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, of good and evil frightens timid minds and petty hearts – I suppose the end-product of a college education in the Philippines. Poch Suzara

Love and Sex

A man gives love in order to get sex. A woman gives sex in order to get love. In the end, however, both are in trouble especially when neither knows what the either is doing.
Love breeds sex as sex breeds unwanted babies – the root cause of all the hate and wars throughout our troubled world at large. Indeed, arriving into this world as a product of parental fecundation is an absurdity to begin with. In my own estimation more than 99 per cent of babies born in this world are products of pure sex and therefore a matter of biological accident. In the meantime, consider what determines whether a child is born a girl or a boy, but also what determines who the child’s parents would be? Please leave the holy spirit out of the equation. After all, the holy spirit is neither holy nor a spirit. Really, how can anyone describe a spirit, invisibly holy or, as the case may be, unholy visibly? Poch Suzara

Christianity Against Rizal

There exist no difference between the fault of Filipino historians and the fault of the Rizal Knights. Neither would defend Rizal's stature as a thinker who was executed by the same enemy we Filipinos still refuse to acknowledge as our same enemy today. It’s popularly known as Christianity - the greatest destroyer of the Filipino minds and hearts down here for the love of a divinity up there. Consider in this 21st century we Filipinos still pray to God to give us this day our daily bread and to lead us not into temptation. Indeed, Christian teachings that have not ceased to make us feel guilty of the original sin. As if there ever were a Filipino born in the Philippines who originated anything in this world to begin with. In the meantime, instead of intellectual stimulation via emulation, we would rather be busy with childish argumentation, if not circumlocution. In the final analysis, Rizal’s precious messages for the Philippines are still stuck under suspended animation while we Filipinos continue to have faith in our social stagnation by way of political and religious degradation. Poch Suzara

The Death of Rizal

Jose Rizal was put to death not because his way of life was inimical to the welfare of the Filipino people. On the contrary, Jose Rizal was put to death because his way of life was inimical to the welfare of Christianity in the Philippines.

After Rizal's death, how many more Filipinos in the likes of a Rizal have we heard of struggling in this God-forsaken country to help us stand up with self-respect as a people and to help us develop with dignity as a nation? None whatsoever except only those who childishly call themselves "Knights of Rizal" or who foolishly call themselves "Rizalists."

For my part, ever since I was expelled out of high school in a catholic university – I slowly began to entertain the thought that Jose Rizal must have been a greater man born and executed in the Philippines some one hundred years ago than was a Jewish fellow known as Jesus Christ born and executed on a stick in a foreign country some two thousand years ago. Poch Suzara