Filipino Freethinkers (FF)

Who we are

We are the largest, most active group of freethinkers in the Philippines. We practice and promote reason, science, secularism, and, of course, freethinking.

Freethinking: How we think

Whenever you try to use reason and science to reach your own conclusions, you are freethinking. Freethinking is a process of thinking free from dogma, authority, and tradition. Although these things may influence a freethinker’s conclusions, freethinkers make up their own minds.

To a freethinker, no idea is sacred; the worth of all truth claims is best determined by skepticism, rational inquiry, and scientific testing.

Vision: Why we’re here

Long-term: Freethinkers can live in a Philippines free from all forms of violence, discrimination, and prejudice, their rights and freedoms fully protected, their concerns and opinions adequately represented.

Short-term: Freethinkers in the Philippines can easily meet or talk to fellow freethinkers to enjoy online and offline activities wherever they live and whatever their cultural or socioeconomic background.

Mission: What we do

1. Promote freethought, science, and reason online (websites, blogs, wikis, and forums) and offline (magazine, radio, and TV) with a positive, non-adversarial approach.
2. Publish materials for freethinkers such as newsletters (monthly), magazines (quarterly), and books (yearly).
3. Create a freethought library where freethinkers can donate, lend, and borrow books, movies, and other freethought media.
4. Sponsor and organize events for freethinkers such as meetups, forums, talks, workshops, and film showings.
5. Raise money for the above purposes through donations, grants, membership fees (maybe when we’re formal), and merchandise sales.

Freethought vs. Atheism

Freethought is not the same as atheism. Freethinking is a way of thinking that can lead to different conclusions. Although most freethinkers are nontheistic — atheists, agnostics, deists — many freethinkers still reach religious conclusions. However, theistic freethinkers do tend to have more liberal or progressive religious views than other believers.

Membership

How to join

Anyone is welcome to join; just participate in any online or offline activity. But remember: discussions and debates, events and projects — all activities are influenced by freethinking. Rational thinking, scientific evidence, and open-mindedness are highly valued.

Although we share certain values, we are a diverse group. Aside from varying religious, philosophical, and political views, members come from different backgrounds: young and old, student and professional, Filipino and foreigner. The best way to know us is to attend one of our regular meetups or participate in any of our online channels.

Website and Social Networks

Our group started online, with most of our members coming from the most active atheist mailing lists back then, Pinoy_Atheist and AtheistangPinoy. In only a year we’ve had thousands of discussions on our online channels:

• A mailing list with 5000+ posts
• An online forum with 1000+ discussion threads
• Facebook group and fan page, each with 1000+ members
• A Flickr group with 1000+ pictures

But most importantly, we’ve evolved our website from a page to post meetup info and pics into a group blog with quality content posted regularly. Our site won Filipino Blog of the Week and was a finalist in the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards for Best Advocacy Blog. And more recently, our site has consistently placed on the top 3 of Top Blogs’ religion category.

Freethinkers’ Meetups

What makes us different from other freethinking groups is our emphasis on face-to-face interaction. Twice a month we leave the comfort of our computer chairs and attend an FF meetup. A meetup gathers freethinkers to discuss and debate, lecture and learn, talk and listen. Sometimes we play games or record podcasts. But whatever we do, getting to hang out with fellow freethinkers is more than enough for most.

Meetup Schedule

Since our first meetup on February 1, 2009, we’ve had regular meetups in the Shangri-la mall Starbucks (near the cinemas). We meetup every other week from 1 to 4pm. But with dinner and drinks, karaoke and Wii parties, some meetups last till 4 am. Meetup schedules are posted on our website and Facebook group.

Local Chapters and International Allies

Regional Chapters

Aside from regular meetups in Starbucks, we’ve also had several meetups in Davao. And with the recent meetup in Cebu, we now have regional chapters (and meetup venues) in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

University Chapters

We hosted our second forum in Ateneo (not an official Ateneo event, but still, it was in Ateneo). We served as panelists and delivered a lecture for Darwin Day (organized by SOPHIA) in La Salle. Now, we’re working on FF UP Diliman (FFUP), our first university chapter.

International Allies and Supporters

We’re part of SEA-Atheists, a community of Southeast Asian nonbelievers which consists of groups from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

We’ve been in correspondence with Dan Barker, DJ Grothe, and Hemant Mehta, all of whom have agreed to give interviews for future podcasts and events. Hemant and PZ Myers have featured us on their websites. We are linked to from the websites of Richard Dawkins and Michael Shermer. Mr. Deity and Julia Sweeney have personally given us permission to use their material in our recent film festival. These might not be much, but it brings us closer to the day when these freethinking celebrities pay us a visit.

Yet we are already thankful for the visit of one freethinking friend and supporter, David O’ Brien. His continued support and guidance has made our first film festival possible. He has also donated several books, magazines, and newsletters to our library. Today, he continues to speak about our group in the hopes of gaining us even more allies and supporters from the many freethinking organizations he belongs to.

Events, Publicity, and Projects

FF Forums and Events

So far, we’ve hosted four big events:

1. First Filipino Freethinkers Forum (FFFF) in Fully Booked, Fort Bonifacio
2. Second Filipino Freethinkers Forum (FFF2) in the Ateneo ISO building.
3. Understanding Newton Bowling Tournament in Star Mall
4. Filipino Freethinkers Film Festival in Cine Adarna, UP Diliman

Advocacy and Social Action

Aside from organizing our own events, some members help and participate in activities and causes organized by groups they support:

1. Cafe Scientifique: Understanding Darwin
2. UP Isko: Ondoy Outreach
3. RHAN: Rational Hero, RH Bill meetings and celebrations
4. Ang Ladlad: Supporters’ meeting on COMELEC’s ruling and ImmoRALLY, the COMELEC protest rally
5. Philippine GLBTQIA Community: Pride March, Activists affirming party, and FlorEZ de Mayo
6. DLSU SOPHIA: Darwin Day film viewing panel and lecturer
7. WEDPRO: Roundtable Discussion: Sex, Culture and the Young Filipino Women
8. DOH and PNAC: 2010 HIV Summit and AIDS candlelight memorial

We’re also working on forming a secular alliance with other advocacy groups to protect the separation of church and state mandated by our constitution.

In the Media

It’s taboo to openly criticize religion in this country. So we’re thankful to the following folks who’ve allowed us to criticize religion on the air:

• NU107 Rocked Radio:
  • Rational Hero
  • What the Faith?
  • Alleged Justice for Alleged Abuse
• NU107 U-Rock: FF, FF-UP, and FF Film Festival
• DZRJ810 Krus na daan: FF and Secularism

So far the closest we’ve come to TV is an interview with Ricky Carandang — though it was Ricky giving the answers, and it wasn’t televised.

Active and Pending Projects

Everything we’ve done is thanks to our many volunteers. Aside from our moderating our online channels, creating content for the blog, and organizing regular meetups, we’re busy working on the following:

1. FF Library
2. FF Webshow
3. Run for Reason
4. Rational Retreat
5. Writing Projects and Contests
6. Sexual Health for Filipino Kids Book
7. Debaptism/Defection from the Church

Next actions

How you can help

1. Join and participate online.
2. Attend meetups and events.
3. Volunteer to work on a project or event.
4. Volunteer to write, edit, or proofread posts.
5. Join our Facebook group or like our Facebook fan page.
6. Subscribe to this site.
7. Make a small donation.

Everything clear? Want to volunteer?

Use our contact page.

Last updated May 17, 2010