Faith In Public
In Jesus Christ country my dear Philippines, being an atheist can be so trying. If you tell people about your atheism up-front, and I am finding myself doing that more and more now than before such that nowadays I make it a point to do that all the time if I think it will clear things out and avoid any surprises, it becomes difficult to strike any meaningful conversation about why people believe what they believe without getting myself into debates that are sure to turn acrimonious. Often, the response is so-so, but sometimes it’s difficult for people to understand that you don’t believe because the concept of god - in all its nonsenseness - is for them self-evident. For most of my adult life, I thought I could sweep under the rug the question of “god”, to reduce it as a non-issue, but events the last five years woke me up from my long slumber to the reality that there are people bent on forcing their faith into shaping public policy that affects everybody believers and non-believers alike. If that be our collective fate, then let us bring the debate into the mainstream consciousness.
Is there really a god?
Popularity: 25% [?]
February 19th, 2007 at 11:39 am
In the Philippines, when you apply for a job and you told the person interviewing you that you do not believe in God and/or you are an atheist, expect that you’ll lose that job. Seriously.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Being an atheist here in the Philippines is extemely hard. Asking people “Do you believe in God” is hitting a panic button. I dont go around telling people I am an A much as I would love to share this self-liberating and self-fulfilling experience. I wish people will take the time to ask the right questions.