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Friday, April 06, 2007

Holy Week Reflection of a Religion-Less

Left home alone yesterday, I've realized how less-complicated my life has become since I've decided not to become religious or not to have a religion at all. The family went on a "Visita Iglesia" yesterday. I normally enjoy visiting different places and even church for the reason that I want to learn about the History of a place and not to pray.

I still think that there's a supernatural/central power but I just don't label it as "God." I feel that there's something beyond but I just don't see the need to justify nor deny it's existence. My life has become less complicated because of not having a religion.. I account everything that's happening in my life to my actions and decisions. There's no one to blame except me. I don't have a "God" to question and to blame with the not-so-good things about my life.

Not having a religion made me more sensitive. Sensitive in a sense that I try to be more analytical if my decisions are "good." I try my best that my actions and decisions have no (or at least little) adverse effects on other people's lives. Which is why, having no religion, I feel I've become a better person.

I can only see complications with this kind of belief (or non-belief) if ever I decide to have my own family. I've to confront a lot of issues. I can never imagine myself being forced to be "superficially religious" just to create a family that is less abnormal (for the lack of term). But it seems that having a belief (non-belief) like mine will be very challenging especially when you're to raise kids.

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Reposting "Unlike Your Sabbath Day"...

Some keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.
Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.
God preaches,--a noted clergyman,--
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I'm going all along!
- Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church
Emily Dickenson


I don’t go to church anymore. It’s more than a year now since I’ve fully contemplated of leaving the Catholic Church. It doesn’t mean that I’ve already turned to another religion. Probably, one may think that I’ve become an atheist or agnostic. For some time, I thought I was slowly turning to agnosticism or even atheism. But then I realized that I am just so personal about my belief of a ”god” or something beyond the “human”.

Being good doesn’t require a belief in the “Objective God.”

The weekly visit or attendance to a mass or worship doesn’t make me a good person. Rather, it heightens the skepticism within me. I just couldn’t comprehend the rationale for doing the activities in the church (e.g. communion, confession, kneeling, etc.). Listening to the Sermon of the priests worsen my cynicism. They deem to know everything. They preach things they haven’t even experience. Sometimes, they preach things contrary to what they do. It’s just so hard to believe them.

People who go to church daily or those active in their church’s activities epitomize the fact that a church person is never always good. Most often, these people are the eavesdropper, fabricator, and ass-kisser. Going to church makes man pretentious of what they really are. They keep on hiding themselves behind their churches. You see them kneel-walking from the entrance of the church to the altar. They may look sincere. But then, these are the people who are always prejudiced to those who aren’t that active in church.

Attendance in a mass/worship makes people very much dependent on their God. They think that because they go to church, they are always protected and they will always receive blessings. Just imagine a girl driving her car recklessly will ask help from her God, “Lord sana po hindi kami mabanga.” That’s what she has learned from too much worshipping. Another concrete example will be my prior habit of praying for the poor. “Lord please give them food and shelter.” I realized that praying wouldn’t do these poor people any good. Prayer alone is like dreaming and wishing upon the stars.

I’m not evil because I don’t go to church. I’m not evil because I don’t have a religion. I’ll only become an evil if I have stepped on other people to advance my self. I’ll be an evil if I’ve fabricated things in my favor while leaving other people devastated. I’ll be an evil if I intentionally hurt other people just because I want to be great. I’ll be an evil if enviousness has already clouded my conscience. I’m not evil because my belief in a “god” is different from yours.


I don’t keep my Sabbath day in a church. Most of the time, I’m just at home reading or writing. Sometimes, I’m on the field campaigning or orienting. That’s my Sabbath day. It will never be like your Sabbath day. But the way I celebrate my Sunday boosts my “spirituality.”


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Ah, I've been religion-less for 4 years already.

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