World Peace

Prove to the world that the mammalian side of your brain (science) works better than the reptilian side (religion) – and hopefully the world will step aside to let you pass for you know exactly where you are going. Poch Suzara

Yes, death is biblically final.

Job 7:9
As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

Job 14:10. 12
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? ... So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Job 20:7
Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung.

Psalm 6:5
For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

Psalm 31:17
Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

Psalm 88:5
The dead ... whom thou rememberest no more.

Psalm 115:17
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast.

Ecclesiastes 9:5
The dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Isaiah 26:14
They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased they shall not rise.

Isaiah 38:18
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Dear Fr. Shay Cullen

The only way we can save our planet is via family planning and birth control practices. Indeed, we should aim for zero population growth - the same number
of births and the same number of deaths. Nobody is destroying the planet earth except people - billions of people with distorted minds and twisted hearts taught
to believe that, at any rate, no matter what, there is a better world to come after death anyway. One would think that if there is really a better world out there, the good God should have created people to live there to begin with.

Fr. Shay, surely, we can save our planet. But we can only do so by first saving precious human minds and precious hearts. Indeed, save it from being twisted with religious lies and save it from being distorted with political deception.
Best regards.
Poch Suzara

Dear Poch,
Thank you for your thoughtful and commonsense comments.
I will put them in our feedback section. Many will be inspired.
Fr. Shay Cullen

Impressions from a Reader

“My impressions of your character from the communications you sent to me (and I hope am wrong) are in summary, in these words, that you are: abrasive, abusive, antagonistic, argumentative, averse, bitter, bothersome, complaining, crafty, creepy, crummy, destructive, difficult, discontented, disturbing, divisive, envious, fickle, foxy, harsh, horrible, incompatible, irksome, irresponsible, lousy, maladjusted, manipulative, mean, meddlesome, nagging, nauseating, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive, pestilent, remorseless, sacrilegious, slanderous, sour, spiteful, tricky, unfaithful, ungrateful, unpleasant, useless, vindictive, vicious, wrongheaded...okay enough! AND NOW YOUR LIST OF EXPLETIVES are to be expected. Nevertheless, have a nice day!”

Obviously, I have been most successful in provoking not the thoughts, but the infantile beliefs of this reader with my thoughts.

Oh well, that’s how I started myself with my own impressions against the childish beliefs of my teachers during grade school and high school. They were teaching me not to think, but only to believe. I thought then that I must fight these utterly thoughtless morons. However, I have had no other recourse but to engineer my own expulsion and to make a name for myself as a “high school dropout.”

Well, this April 26 I will be 72 years old and I truly regret to admit that I have not yet began the serious fight still ahead of me.

Contrary to what many religious morons believe - atheism is not a neurotic rebellion or a mental disease. It is vigorous and a courageous philosophy that makes us face life with self-respect, and not run away from it like thoughtless cowards. Poch Suzara

The Pinay

Imagine the Pinay no longer going to church, no longer contributing time, no longer giving energy to the institutions that oppress them. The Philippines can once again be what it once was - famous throughout the whole of Asia as the “Pearl of Orient.”

The most heinous crime of the Church has been perpetrated not against churchmen but against the Pinay - the churchgoers. With its poisonous concepts of sin and divine punishment, it's warped and inhumane doctrines, it is impossible to calculate the psychic damage that has been inflicted on the Pinay character. Indeed, the Pinay who might have grown up into healthy, happy, productive, zestful women devoid of the burden of corruption, fear and guilt ingrained in them by the Church. This alone is enough to condemn Christianity that has inspired the Pinay to be the Mother of the Sick Man of Asia. Poch Suzara

Employment Overseas

If only our schools, colleges, and universities were educational, and not commercial enterprises. If only our system of education were not based upon destructive believing, but rather more about the art of learning constructive thinking - especially to gain self-respect as a people and dignity as a nation – the hundreds of thousands of our college educated men and women need not yearly seek employment in foreign countries. Many could be self-employed. Millions could be playing constructive parts of nation-building with the power of science and technology right here in our own country.

World War II Filipino Veterans

Filipino veterans during World War II in this Asia’s only Christian country fought and died for freedom and democracy. Fortunately, freedom for the few rich to get filthy richer; and, unfortunately, democracy for the many poor to get filthy poorer. Poch Suzara

Kindness

In a poor and sick society, kindness, such as sharing with others food, clothing, shelter, and medicine is something great and admirable. However, if ours were a sane and a healthy society managed by a sane and a healthy government, being kind to anyone need be commendable.

After all, in a sane and healthy society everyone should already be enjoying not kindness or charity, but enjoying the growth of self-respect and the maturity of human dignity. Poch Suzara

The Sick Man of Asia

They are among the sick believers of the faith. Ironically, they are also among the sick unbelievers of the faith. I suppose the former is due to silly divinity; and the latter is due to the complexity of social insanity. In either case, however, both the sick believers and sick unbelievers all seem to be mutually inspired by the crab mentality all pulling each other down in order to maintain our popularity in the world as the Sick Man of Asia. Poch Suzara

Schools, colleges, and Universities

We still think of education as the transmission of certain body of beliefs, when it should be the development of the power of thought.

Thus, stagnation as a nation has little to do with nature’s decree. It has more to do with college degree. Indeed, one should only look at the corrupt state of affairs of our nation under a corrupt government run by corrupt men and women all blessed with college education.

In the meantime, for as long as we are taught in our schools, colleges, and universities that there is a better world to come after we are dead – we Filipinos will never enjoy growth as a people. We will never enjoy maturity as a nation. We will always remain like little children that the bible has taught us to live by and to emulate. Especially from the Lord who said: “Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Poch Suzara

Old Saying

“What goes up must come down.” This, however, is not always true. Human stupidity never comes down. It always goes up. In fact, if there is anything that defies the law of gravity - it is due to another more powerful law – the law of human stupidity. Especially the kind that’s always about fear of deviltry for the sake of love of divinity. Poch Suzara

Decent Hell

A decent hell where I could again be with my family and friends would be a much better place for me than be in a heartless paradise where I never hear from any of my loved-ones. Somehow, a simple message of how they are all doing, how well they are all situated up there would be most welcomed, if not to me - gratifying.

After my own death, I have no wish to be situated in a heartless paradise. A place where I could not be in touch with the loved-ones left behind on earth. Poch Suzara

The Creator

Yes, only God can make a tree, lively and lovely as it is. Only man, however, can make a silly religion, deadly and ugly as it is. Poch Suzara

Einstein's Famous Phrase

“The most incomprehensible fact of nature is that it is comprehensible.” Albert Einstein.

Well, it was great that Einstein was such a polite scientist. He could have been more truthful, however, had he added also: “The most comprehensible fact about the existence God is that it is utterly incomprehensible. Otherwise the existence of God need no longer remain a mystery.”

Einstein also said: “A legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”

Well, I think Einstein again was just being polite. After all, if God exists, specially a God who is tame, not lame; a God who is kind, not blind, there would be no need for religion and science to quarrel or, for that matter, even need to exist. Poch Suzara

No Atheists in Government

My dear reader, have you ever pondered on this simple truth: - just as much as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are also no atheists in government? All government officials are faithful believers. They all love, worship, and adore God.

In fact, ours has never been a government of the atheists, by the atheists, and for the atheists. On the contrary, ours has always been a government of the corrupt believer, by the corrupt believer, and for corrupt believer.

Under Article 7, Section 5 of the Philippine Constitution before the president enters on the execution of his/her office, the President shall take the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President [or Vice-President or Acting President] of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.

I ask: where is God to help out? How come instead of being omni-present, God is only always omni-absent? Especially in this only Christian country in Asia since the 16th century! Poch Suzara

Freethinkers Forum 2/28/2009

To: Freethinkers Forum Feb. 28, 2009
Fr: Poch Suzara, chairman, Bertrand
Russell Society, Philippines
Subject: Message

We were all taught to believe that in this country there exists the so-called “Communion of Saints” for the glory of a savior.

Well, I ask: couldn’t we also establish for ourselves the “Communion of Freethinkers” for the glory of sane and a healthy society?
Yes, we can. But first, let us always consistently recognize that in a democracy reason and science will always be our greatest allies.

Our enemy is not each other. Our enemy is precisely the reptilian, and not the mammalian side of the human brain. In this connection therefore, there is no use disparaging each other’s work. Instead of being “detractors,” let us play more positive roles as “baloney detectors” of our sick society. These are the evils we must always struggle against as they act in our schools, colleges, universities, and indeed active in our corrupt churches and entrenched in our corrupt government.

Bertrand Russell wrote: “The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.” As freethinkers, let us live the good life.

Let’s work harder and think deeper together. May our tribe increase with more power – the production of intended results. Let us see to it that the Philippines will one day become more famous as a nation of matured and courageous freethinkers, and famous no more as the only Christian country in Asia populated by childish, and indeed, frightened believers.

To those of you who have emerged openly for public scrutiny as the freethinkers of our society - I congratulate you. I am on your side always. Especially as we continue to struggle in putting lively beauty into our society than there is deadly insanity.

Imagine – for Gina Lopez

The Pasig River is 26 kilometers long, 50 meters wide, and an average of four to six meters deep. The river basin includes: Pasig City, City of Manila, Pateros, Caloocan City, Marikina City, Pasay City, Taguig, Quezon City, San Juan city, Mandaluyong City, and Makati City. The Pasig River basin area is 570 sq. km.

Imagine what it would mean to Filipinos working off the wealth of the Pasig River. Filipinos as the commercial breeders of fishes, shellfishes, crabs, shrimps, and prawns farmed in the Pasig River. Food for local consumption. Food for global exportation. Imagine the thousands of jobs created for Filipinos nourishing the life and beauty of the Pasig River. Indeed, imagine the Pasig River flowing not with vulgarism submerged in barbarism, but overflowing, instead, with tourism!

But then again, our traditional way of life tells us to never imagine such things; especially the good life – one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. What we must only follow is what is written in the holy bible such as: “love not this world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not with him.” John 2:15. So why, for heaven’s sake, should we Filipinos give a hoot about the existence of the Pasig River?

Oh yes, the life we live as a people is the life we conceive for ourselves as a products of education. We Filipinos, however, have yet to grasp the reality of what it truly means to be the healthy masters of learning, not the sick victims of it. Indeed, to be the masters of education that’s not about love of a divinity or a mystery; but more about enhancing the reality of social sanity under love of country!

In the late 1980s, I was employed as the special assistant to Doris Ho, president of the Tourist Belt and Businessmen Association of Ermita, Malate. (TBBA). We tried planning and working to rehabilitate the Pasig River with all the possible technology available from Holland to do the job. The wife of President Fidel Ramos, Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos also tried hard to clean up in order to resurrect the dead Pasig River. Nothing happened except that the Pasig River is still very much dead in filth and dirt – the exact reflection of our so-called “sacred beliefs and traditional values.”

Gina, I ardently hope you will succeed where others failed. Yours is a rare opportunity. I am rooting for you. If I could be of any help, I offer my services free of charge. In the meantime, I urge you to seriously look into the Filipino consciousness. It is mostly derived from our corrupt system of education. Indeed, the kind of education that makes us ignore filth and corruption here, filth and corruption there, and filth and corruption everywhere in our sick society. Nay more, it also makes us proud to “take no thought for tomorrow” since we are told that there is a better world to come after death. We Filipinos may not be among the “Chosen People of God,” but we are certainly the “Saved Sick Children of Asia.”

In the meantime, we simply cannot keep the Pasig River clean and vital by collecting garbage thrown into it. The sources of that filth and dirt come from our schools, colleges, and universities. The sick institution that must first be treated. Our Asian neighbors like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, etc. have done it. China is doing it now. It all begins not so much with the power of money, but simply with the power of love - love of country.

Perhaps, after great success in rehabilitating the Pasig River, we can also begin cleaning up another mess far messier than the Pasig river: The messy streets of Metro Manila. Many of them are no longer streets. They are now the dirty factories for making babies. Three ( 3 ) babies are born every minute or 1.5 million babies are needlessly born every year in the Philippines. The same babies who will eventually enroll in our schools, colleges, and universities. There, to learn not how to love a meritorious earth down here, but only to love a mysterious heaven out there. Indeed, to learn how to play more important roles in the rat-race for eternal salvation. But hardly to learn to take advantage of the power of love and knowledge that pertains, especially, to the health, sanitation, growth, and development of Philippine civilization. Poch Suzara

Christianity

Christianity has quite effectively accomplished great things in the Philippines: Frightened the Filipino. Divided the Filipino. Controlled the Filipino. Deluded the Filipino. Misguided and corrupted the Filipino.

For the love of the next world out there, Christianity has effectively converted the Filipino to hate his world down here. Indeed, we Filipinos love saving our silly souls for the next life in heaven. We hate saving instead our precious minds and priceless hearts for the sake of creating a sane and a healthy society for ourselves here and now. Human love and compassion hardly exist in our sick society. Thanks to the teachings of Christianity, we fear and hate the existence of the beauty of nature all around us. Take a good look at the Pasig River. Even the angels of God in heaven, or the stupid devils of Satan in hell would not drink the deadly water from the Pasig River. Poch Suzara

The Cries of the Poor

God hears the cries of the poor. Well, if this is true, how come the poor are getting poorer and their cries are getting louder?

Indeed, how come those who are among the rich getting richer in this country are among the first to declare that God hears the cries of the poor?

The question is: which God hears the cries of the poor? The God who is always omni-absent, or the God who is never omni-present?

In the meantime, millions of Filipinos still do pray daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly to God to: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Divine intervention? It has yet to fix the traditional troubles of the Filipino as a people. Thus far, what we enjoy year in and year out is theological illusion inextricably mixed with political confusion for the sake of our social delusion derived mostly from the bible as written by divine inspiration. Poch Suzara

Our Overseas workers

Our workers are better paid and indeed highly respected for the hard work they do in foreign countries.

In our own God-forsaken country, however, instead of giving our workers their due earnings and due respect, they only survive on more of the same hand to mouth existence. But we never stop asking God to bless them and we never stop thanking God for the hard work that they do for the rich. In the meantime, in our sick society, the filthy poor are getting poorer. The filthy rich are not only getting richer, they are also getting holier. Poch Suzara