“THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GOD, RAISE YOUR HAND AND OPEN YOUR HEART...”

"Forgive them father, they know not what they do..."

In an internet forum which I frequent, there’s a thread that discusses whether God exists or not. If you’d read the arguments of the atheists there, you’d easily be brainwashed that God doesn’t exist and is just a figment of some people’s vivid imaginations and of those looking for something to cling on to during desperate times. But browse through the messages of the believers, you’d also be convinced in no time that God really exists and that He truly is omnipotent and omnipresent.

Most of the posters there are intellectuals and highly-articulate and have minds that are highly analytical so I rarely join in the discussions. When the people I talk to start quoting Nietzsche and start deliberating on various profound topics like the benefits on your soul of Azoodneim, a process in which you literally scrub your soul to cleanse it, I always get awestruck and tongue-tied and my little brain becomes catatonic, although some of the posters there obviously just copy and paste their messages to impress their readers. The discussions in that thread sometimes get so heated that some of the atheists have exclaimed, “Oh, my God! All believers are idiot!”

I do believe in God although there were very few times that I doubted His existence, but every time I did, I’d be shown something that would make me go back to Him. But how can you believe in something that you can’t see? is the perennial question from the atheists to the theists.

Well, we can’t see God but we can feel Him. We can see His wonderful creations around us.

The earth being perfect definitely didn’t happen by accident no matter what your favorite neighborhood scientist says.

I’m a believer but I don’t regularly go to church. There’s something in priests that sort of peeves me while most religious leaders, especially those who are rich and own big businesses and wear expensive clothes and jewelries and who ride in chauffeured SUVs, who hobnob with the high and mighty and whose children study in exclusive schools while their loyal followers can’t afford to attend even the cheapest of public schools, get on my nerves. Jesus Christ, who preached barefooted and who couldn’t afford to buy bread for some of His followers He had to miraculously produce them, said that it would always be very difficult for the truly rich to enter heaven and yet, these rich, power-hungry religious leaders, have the temerity to teach their followers on how they can enter heaven.

How can you lead the way to salvation when you yourself won’t be saved?

Who invented these pseudo-religious leaders anyway? Certainly not God. Jesus Christ loved to warn the faithful against fake prophets slash big-time con artists who propagate division and hate instead of love and unity. Sigurado ako, kapag bumaba muli sa lupa si Kristo, uunahin niyang kutusan ang mga ito.

I love Holy Week. The world gets quieter during this time of the year, you have lots of time to ponder things. Criminals, the police say, even rest during Lenten season while most people get nicer. And this is the only time of the year when I can watch one of my favorite musical films without someone asking me, “Ba’t mo pinapanood ‘yan, e, hindi naman Mahal na Araw?” I’m talking about Jesus Christ Superstar. This film won’t enrich your faith that much but hey, it is entertaining and quite thought-provoking. Judas is sympathetic in this film, he was pro-poor and shows genuine concern for Jesus Christ and at the same time confused on his role with Jesus’ death. And it is always a bliss to watch and listen to Yvonne Elliman, her voice is simply glorious.

Hindi ka ba magpapapako ngayong Holy Week? tanong sa akin ng isa kong kasama sa bahay. He was only joking of course. Crucifixion, flagellation, I don’t approve of it. I don’t think God approves of it. God is not a sadist. God doesn’t want people torturing themselves for His sake. What God wants is for people to make sacrifices for other people. God doesn’t want your blood, He wants you to bleed, figuratively, of course, for other people.

You want God’s blessings? Just follow His commandments and you’ll be fine. Last I checked, God only has ten.

Emen? Emen!

TO BE CONTINUED