Freethinkers in the Philippines?

When I was still a child back in the small town of Tinajeros, Malabon, I am as deeply religious as the ordinary Filipino. We all grow up knowing God. In fact, it is very impossible to imagine a Filipino not believing God and the church. God and church are an important part of the Philippine society.

Freethinking is not a part of the Filipino vocabulary. There is no translation available. If you deny the church’s doctrines and dogma you are denying the irrefutable. To a typical Filipino, the pronouncement of the church is undeniable.

Since childhood, I have been thought that there are four pillars of society, namely the family, the school, the church and the government. Yep! THE CHURCH. The church is a part of the Philippine society. We are made to believe that moral and values are impossible without the church, without God!

So where did this idea lead us? The government is still known to be the most corrupt in this corner of the globe. Crime rate is still high. As Philippine economy goes down the drain, and Filipino politicians are pulling each other’s leg, the church keeps blessing the guy who they think they can use. “Oh my papaya! This idea has degenerated the Filipinos to become non-thinking automation, whose only sense of hope is through prayers.

The Filipino: As a non-thinking culture.
If you go to this country every Holy Week, you will notice how Filipinos try to redeem themselves from sin. Sin from what? How do self-flagellation will clean my nation? Can those people think of anything more useful? What useless act of theatrics can achieve for my country?

Since the beginning, Filipinos have let everything to God and fate. It has been the idea ever since, that God will always show the Filipino the way. “Ika nga, Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa Tao ang gawa.” So as a society, the Filipinos have never taken anything that they think may endanger their belief seriously. For example, we now have prayer rallies. Well I really do not know what the significance of these actions is, but I think it has something to do with good governance. WHAT!!!! Heck, like God can do something to show us how to run the government. The dumb nut they called God, cannot even create a foolproof plan. So much on being omnipotent.

In the Philippines, science is just considered a child’s plaything. We never took our inventors thoughtfully. Heck! We even do not support them. Filipino inventors lack the support from the Philippine government. Some surveys, found out, that Filipino never really read books except for comics and the Bible. Well, too much “telenovelas” I suppose.

Now look at us as people…a government in shambles, all leaches trying to step on each other’s head. (Religious leaders included. Diba Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Bro. Mike Villarde?) Ah! The church! Even this so-called church is running to grab power and money. There goes the separation of church and state.

What did it bring the Filipinos?

“If you take away my God, what will you replace it with?”
Now, if you try to take away this “God” to the mind of the Filipinos, what is left?
Hmmmmm….. The question was asked on my last debate to a Christian fundy.
In a desperate answer, my rival asked me, “What will you replace God if you take it away from me?”
But Sir, I responded back, “I’m just giving you something that was taken from you by these pastors.”
“And what is it.” He sneered as a retort.
I smiled at him and said, “Your ability to think.”

The Filipino people are losing hope, and God is the representation of this lost hope. That is why they are holding at it very tightly. The problem is, instead of finding the solution; they just hang into that image.

Rationality is spreading all over Asia. People are starting to work for solutions rather relying on prayers. Unfortunately, to the Filipinos it’s the other way around.

Freethinking is still not for every Filipino. Maybe some of us Filipino Freethinkers are in a wrong place and in the wrong time.When are we are going to wake up? When will be the right place and the right time?

Today is the right time and this is the right place! Perhaps someday more Filipinos will wake from this deep slumber and let rationality make the call.