"Atheists Searching For Their Place in Heavily Catholic Philippines"

**ghosthunter** · April 25th, 2012 09:34 PM

Atheists Searching For Their Place in Heavily Catholic Philippines
Girlie Linao | April 24, 2012

Manila. Marie Kristine Gumapac used to fight with her family because they could not even set aside one hour each week to attend Mass.

Now, the 29-year-old engineering student fights with her family because she no longer believes in God.

“It’s hard sometimes. I don’t really talk about it much,” she said of her non-belief. “But if people ask, I do tell them that I’m an atheist.”

Gumapac, who once sang in a church choir and was born on Christmas Day, said she left the faith in 2009 after being turned off by disturbing and tasteless practices in Catholicism and years of questioning.

“Now if I want something, I don’t go asking God to please give me this and I promise to be like this. When I want something, I work to get it or ask help if I need it,” she said. “If I have questions, I don’t look up, I search on the Internet.”

Gumapac was among about 100 atheists, agnostics and freethinkers who gathered in Manila recently for an annual forum promoting “reason, science and secularism” in Asia’s largest predominantly Catholic country.

With an estimated 80 percent of the Philippines’ population adhering to the Roman Catholic faith, the participants said life as atheists was initially lonely and difficult before they met other non-believers.

But the community is “growing rapidly” as more people realize how progress is being impeded by “very archaic and conservative beliefs” promoted by an influential Catholic church, said Red Tani, president of the Filipino Freethinkers, a group of non-believers and secularists that has organized the forum since 2009.

“What we offer most of all is a safe place for people to speak about things that are usually taboo, especially in a conservative country,” he said.

Tani, who has been an atheist since 2007, three years after he abandoned Catholicism and tried out other beliefs, said non-believers used to only “meet up” on the internet, but they decided they needed to be more public to push for reforms.

“We wanted to bring our message — reason, science and secularism — to the mainstream, especially secularism in government and legislation because we want something that will benefit everyone and that caters to everyone’s interests and not just to one religion,” he said.

Bishop Ted Bacani, vice chairman of the Commission on Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, sniffed that while atheism was an option, it would not take root in the country where belief in God was deep-rooted.

“The atheists may be growing, but they are still statistically insignificant,” he said. “You are like a crazy person if you do not believe in God.”

According to a study released by the National Opinion Research Center of the University of Chicago this month, less than 1 percent of Filipinos do not believe in God, compared to 84 percent who do and have no doubts about it.

Tani, a 29-year-old web developer and consultant, said that since becoming an atheist, he had become “less anxious” and more productive.

“I used to be afraid that I will go to hell if I would sin,” he said. “I was very afraid because I really believed in a literal hell. But now, there’s none of that.”

When he used to turn to prayer in difficult situations, Tani said he now does “more planning, more doing, no more praying.”

For Garrick Bercero, being an atheist has made him appreciate life more.

“Atheists in general don’t believe in an afterlife,” he said. “As an atheist, that helped me find life has more meaning behind it. If you believe that this is your only life, that these are the only moments you’d be experiencing, that makes every moment more precious.”

Bercero, a 22-year-old resident scientist at a museum in Manila, said atheism had also helped him become more understanding and forgiving of the others, even those who condemn him for his non-belief.

“If you’re of a scientific mind-set, you understand that people have psychological predispositions that are not of their control as opposed to when you’re religious, you believe that people have free will, they have complete control of their actions,” he said.

Bacani insists that many atheists still believe in God and just don’t know it.

“These so-called atheists love with a great altruism, they really love their fellow man and even have a passion for justice and what is right and good,” he said. “Those people really believe in God in their hearts, but they will not admit that.”

SOURCE: Atheists Searching For Their Place in Heavily Catholic Philippines | The Jakarta Globe

**galant E SS** · April 25th, 2012 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

SOURCE: Atheists Searching For Their Place in Heavily Catholic Philippines | The Jakarta Globe

atheists, agnostics and freethinkers are increasing in numbers in these modern times. are you one of them ghosthunter?

Most of them just don't express it directly because they might be condemned by the society. Sometimes I think like an atheist, agnostic or a freethinker but sometimes, I also think and act like a Christian. In otherwords I'm still undecided :question:

**Monseratto** · April 25th, 2012 11:19 PM

Now if I want something, I don’t go asking God to please give me this and I promise to be like this. When I want something, I work to get it or ask help if I need it,” she said. “If I have questions, I don’t look up, I search on the Internet.”

"As an atheist, that helped me find life has more meaning behind it. If you believe that this is your only life, that these are the only moments you’d be experiencing, that makes every moment more precious.”

Something many LAZY Filipinos don't do or think, lahat umaasa sa miraglo o hulog ng langit.

You are like a crazy person if you do not believe in God.”

Typical reaction from a narrow minded "christian" prelate...

**uls** · April 25th, 2012 11:28 PM

the Phils. is a country full of religious and superstitious people

believing in the supernatural is automatic

it's so part of life it's unimaginable to not believe. it's unthinkable

to them there simply is no alternative. people just can't imagine living life without believing

--

it's actually a good thing

coz pinoy suicide rate is very low compared to secular societies

like i said in other threads religion gives people hope

kahit mahirap ang buhay sa Pinas sobra konti lang nagpapakamatay

**ghosthunter** · April 25th, 2012 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by galant E SS

atheists, agnostics and freethinkers are increasing in numbers in these modern times. are you one of them ghosthunter?

Most of them just don't express it directly because they might be condemned by the society. Sometimes I think like an atheist, agnostic or a freethinker but sometimes, I also think and act like a Christian. In otherwords I'm still undecided :question:

What if I am? ... That does not change the kind of person I am. I do not claim nor believe to be any better than the person next to me because of my beliefs. I do not condemn them an eternity of damnation for the simple reason that they do not share in my beliefs.

**galant E SS** · April 25th, 2012 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

What if I am? ... That does not change the kind of person I am. I do not claim nor believe to be any better than the person next to me because of my beliefs. I do not condemn them an eternity of damnation for the simple reason that they do not share in my beliefs.

Nice. Sometimes, it's better to be an athiest, agnostic or free thinker with good moral values than those religious people with attitudes which could be pictured in the song "Banal na Aso Santong Kabayo" by Yano.

**vinj** · April 26th, 2012 10:39 AM

There's room for everyone and there's room to adjust one's thinking to this day and age. At the end of the day, we'll all be in the same state anyway whether we believe or not.

I have my faith, but that doesn't prejudge my fate since everything is really up to you to do that.

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

What if I am? ... That does not change the kind of person I am. I do not claim nor believe to be any better than the person next to me because of my beliefs. I do not condemn them an eternity of damnation for the simple reason that they do not share in my beliefs.

If some of those sects hear that, you will be condemned "if you're not one of them". That's the tragedy of that and thats what turns off many of the thinking people today.

I studied in a Catholic School and there were students who were atheist, muslim, born again, etc. and the institution was pretty much easy about it. Respect our beliefs, follow the curriculum and be on your merry way after graduation. If you are converted then that's fine. What matters more is the type of person produced and how he can integrate himself into the world in a good way.

**Boy Bastos** · April 26th, 2012 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by vinj

If some of those sects hear that, you will be condemned "if you're not one of them". That's the tragedy of that and thats what turns off many of the thinking people today.

Anong sect yan? :D

**Mile2** · April 26th, 2012 12:57 PM

In UK

The vicars who don't believe in God

**yebo** · April 26th, 2012 01:18 PM

i will always believe in an afterlife as i have a 3rd eye. i have seen a spirit's glowing red eyes and angry face just 1 inch away from my nose, then his full image 1-1/2 meters away as he stepped back. i have had several other encounters and it is very hard not to believe after seeing all those. if there are spirits, good and bad, there must be a God that looks over them. and us.