The Basic Problem of Religion

Whether religion is organized or disorganized makes little or no difference. The problem with religion is the encouragement of stupidity and the inspiration to be amenable not to reality but to fantasy. Such evils are inherent as the basic lessons of religion; not in the organization or lack thereof. Poch Suzara

WHO ARE THE ATHEISTS?

Atheists are not objects to hate, but people just like you to love. The right question to ask is not what, but who are the atheists?
Atheists accept that heaven is something for which we should work now – here on earth – for all mankind together to enjoy.
Atheists accept that we can get no help through prayer but that we must find within ourselves the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to understand the world rationally, and to enjoy it peacefully.
Atheists accept that only in knowledge of one’s self can we live the life of understanding and fulfillment. Therefore, we seek to know fellow-human beings rather than to know a god.
Atheists know that a hospital should be built instead of a church.
Atheists know that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said.
Atheists strive for involvement in life and not escape into death. We want diseases conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. We want mankind to understand and love humankind. We want an ethical way of life. We accept that we cannot rely on a god nor channel action into prayer nor hope for an end of troubles in the hereafter. Atheists accept that we are - in a great sense – our brothers’ keepers in that we are first, keepers of our own lives; that we are responsible persons, that the job is here and the time is now.

WHY AM I AN ATHEIST

Just like priests, bishops, cardinals, popes, and indeed theologians are all born as atheist, I too was born an atheist. Yes, my dear reader, you are born as an atheist too. If you are unable to see this piece of truth, please do not blame me; blame instead your blind faith. No baby has a religion. No baby has faith in God. No baby comes out of mother’s womb a Catholic, or a Muslim, or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or a Hindu. We are all born free and then indoctrinated. In my case, my parents and grandparents were reminded of eternal punishment in hell if they did not have me, as a child, baptized a Catholic. I ask: where was then my own free will to have chosen the kind of religion I should have wished to embrace for myself? At age 18, after having been expelled out of high-school for asking far too many questions, I began to extricate myself up and gradually out of Christian values and beliefs by entertaining the case against God - atheism. The question, “Who made me? cannot be answered, since it immediately suggests the further question, Who made God? If, however, evidences were discovered that as a matter of fact a Goddess made God, I will immediately drop my atheism down the tube.

We all live as parasites on a speck of dust in an infinity of worlds. One million planets the size of earth can fit inside the sun. But 500 of our suns can be swallowed up in one small gulp by a bigger star called “Betelgeuse.” If it were true that a God created man in his own image and likeness, then God must surely be a microscopic perfection lost in self-admiration. In the meantime, if God created everything, including space and time, where was God located before he created space, and when was it before he created time?

As a devout atheist, I believe that the conquest of fear is the beginning of wisdom, as in the search for the truth, and as in the works needed for the good life, - especially the one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. No doubt, in the end, death will conquer us all; but if we must die, let us die sober, and not drunk with lies. Poch Suzara

Respect the Camel

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “ I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matt. 19:23-24. This may be so, but in this day and age, it is far easier for a filthy-rich Catholic to enter the gates of Vatican bank - the richest and most powerful bank in the world today. For my part, I have more respect for the camel stuck inside a needle than I do have respect for the rich Catholics already stuck in heaven with Christ Jesus. - Poch Suzara Google# Facebook# Twitter#

Free Trip

Life on earth may be expensive, but it includes a free trip around the sun once a year. Poch Suzara

Free Will

My parents and grandparents were threatened with hell-fire if they neglected to have me, as a child, baptized in a Catholic church. Obviously, my parents and grandparents had not the free will to ignore the sacrament of baptism? But more to the point: where in hell was my own free will to choose which religion I should have wished to embrace for myself? Free will is a dirty joke.

In La Salle grade school, I was also threatened with eternal damnation forever in hell if I refused to believe that God gifted me with a free will. Of course, whether I wanted to believe or not to believe in free will, I had to believe it whether I liked it or not. I had NO OTHER CHOICE but to believe in free will! Poch Suzara

Self-respect

I am not who you say I am. I am who I say I am. That is the call for self-respect and dignity. Poch Suzara

Failures and Losers

There are a great many failures and losers comprising our sick society. The most popular, however, are those who are always making grand excuses for and in behalf of God who is always sleeping on the job. In the meantime, only those who are strong can afford to doubt. Nothing is so thrilling nevertheless exhausting. Poch Suzara

It’s sad

It’s sad to see grown-up Christians holding on to their most cherished beliefs that are based on fear and ignorance; especially the mask of fear as faith in God and the mask of ignorance as knowledge of God. It is sadder, however, to see grown-up Christians addressed their prayers to God that are similar in form and content to letters children write to Santa Claus. Poch Suzara

Bravo for Women

It may yet be woman’s greatest achievement: to brag that not one of them contributed a chapter, a paragraph, a verse, a sentence, or even a single word written in the holy bible as inspired authors of God. Congratulations! I love you all. Poch Suzara

Faith

Faith has consequences, and stupid faith, naturally, has stupid consequences. Poch Suzara

Atheism and Death

I too will die one day; but I am grateful for having discovered the case against God called “atheism.” Indeed, owing and thanks to atheism, I no longer fear facing my own precious thought about the end of my own precious life one day. Poch Suzara

What’s to Become of Morality

What’s to become of morality if we do not believe in God? What a silly question often asked by those who embrace blind faith. Look at the Christians and Muslims and the Jews in world history: because of their sense of morality via faith in God, they have not ceased hating and killing each other in God’s name. Look at the Anglican Protestants and the Irish Roman Catholics hating and killing each other for God’s glory in Northern Ireland. The religious carnage based upon morality has been going for centuries. Poch Suzara

More Respect

I have respect for General Douglas McArthur. He was a truthful man. During the Second World War, he promised to return with a bigger army to assist fellow soldiers fighting the Japanese in the Philippines. He simply said: - “I shall return” - he did so in two years time. When Jesus, the Son of God, the miracle worker, the Savior of Filipinos, promised that he will return, he has yet to deliver that promise he made some two thousand years ago. But then again, I have more respect for Jose Rizal. When he died for his country, he stayed dead. When Jesus died on the cross to destroy the devil, he did not stay dead. He resurrected on the 3rd day presumably to try to find some other ways and means to destroy the stupid devil for good. Poch Suzara

Ripley and Jesus

I have more respect for Ripley than for Jesus. To the best of my knowledge, Ripley has never, not even once, threatened me with eternal punishment if I did not believe in any of his BELIEVE IT OR NOT proposals. Poch Suzara

What If, as an Atheist, I am Wrong?

What if, as an atheist, I will turn out to be completely wrong? That there is, after all, a God? Well, I am not worried because what if it also turns out that God too never had faith nor trust nor confidence in any of man’s great religions! Really, if God exists, I find it incredible to believe that such a God is a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew or a Hindu or a Buddhist or, for that matter, according to the silly Catholic theologians - God is almighty, eternal, truthful, immutable, infinite, just, incomprehensible, loving, most wise, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, patient, perfect, provident, supreme, and all good and kind but "incomprehensible." Hijos de tootie-frootie y patooties - how can any one have the gall to believe, love, respect, worship, and adore such a incomprehensible supernatural monster? What a waste of precious life, energy, time, and space - the little of it that we have on this earth as a gift from nature! Poch Suzara

Alms-giving

The Church is pleased with our giving to charity whether it comes from prosperity or even from poverty. But the Church is even more pleased with any kind of giving, especially if it comes from blind faith as inspired by religious insanity. Next only to the US government, the Catholic Church is the richest religious organization in the world today. Poch Suzara

Science

If science comes from God, how come there is not one scientist who was canonized a saint? How come the theologians are frightened of the scientific way of thinking? And how come religion has always been upset, if not always embarrassed with the findings of science correcting the errors cherished by religion? Indeed, if religion comes from God, how come there is not one word mentioned in the bible in praise of human intelligence or the power of science? Poch Suzara

Where is Jesus

It is only after death that Filipinos look forward to meeting Jesus in heaven. As Jesus, however, promised to return some two thousand years ago, I am about the one and only exceptional Filipino who is looking forward to meeting Jesus in person right here and now. Indeed, I hope and pray that Jesus will return soon. In this way, he can begin to straighten out the mess caused by Christian values and beliefs keeping the Filipino poor as a people and the Philippines backward as a nation. As the only Christian country in Asia, what has been the result for the Philippines? Hate and fear and ignorance and poverty pretty much characterize the Filipino way of life. It is, indeed, not only damnable daily, but God-damnable yearly! Poch Suzara

The Poor for the Rich

Jesus said: “If thou be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor.” The Church got to be one of the richest organizations in the world as both the rich and the poor sold everything cheap to the Church. And to add insult to injury, valuable assets were confiscated by the Church in God’s name. Look at the prime properties and big corporations own by the Church in the Philippines. As part of religious contributions, the tax free Catholic Church is even able to remit millions of dollars each and every year direct to the Vatican. Poch Suzara