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A consolidated copy of the Reproductive Health Bill can be found in the GMA News website. I strongly encourage everyone to read it for themselves and see what the bill seeks to do. I would like to emphasize this invitation to all the freethinkers who have not yet read the bill. While the Reproductive Health Bill is in line with the idea of secularism, beneficence and to a certain extent, equity; this doesn’t mean that we have to fall for all the provisions of this bill. This bill was framed by congress – not the heroes of freethought – so be your usual critical self when dissecting the contents of this document.

The more familiar you are with the bill, the easier it will be for you to verbalize your position on the issue. You may also read more about the issue on Filipino Freethinkers.

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February 1, 2009 was the first day that the members of the Pinoy Atheists mailing list met up at Starbucks Shangri-La. It was a potentially tense environment. One of the biggest cliches regarding putting atheists together in one room is the idea that herding atheists is like herding cats. Atheists, agnostics or anyone who chooses to exercise his or her ability for freethought would likely have a harder time finding common ground. The first few online exchanges were really contentious, but fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

Red Tani (the current president of the Filipino Freethinkers) barged into the mailing list with a lot of attitude – something that was both threatening and annoying to long-time members who weren’t even regularly meeting despite being around for years. Red had a vision to make the group more pro-active and politically-relevant. He wanted to take the discussion away from the echo chamber of an atheist-only organization into the public sphere. Continue Reading »

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You can not legislate morality has been one of the catch phrases of the Catholic Church when it comes to the Reproductive Health Bill. There’s something really problematic and down right stubborn with this stance – and it’s almost reminiscent of the Limp Bizkit hit My Way (a song that goes like “I’mma do things my way/ it’s my way or the highway”). Obviously, there is a diversity of opinions in society that doesn’t exactly give the church a monopoly on what morality is. At the end of the day, the Church is a body that believes in ten commandments – the first two of which will never apply to anyone outside of the Judeo-Christian faith. Continue Reading »

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An article on Filipino Freethinkers captured why an alliance between UNAIDS and the Roman Catholic Church on the issue of HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention can be quite a head scratcher. The piece by Filipino Freethinkers President Red Tani sure shows the fundamental contradictions between the stances of the two groups. While UNAIDS supports the idea of the giving out of condoms to decrease the likelihood of virus transmission, the church (and the Pope for that matter) have been preaching the idea that giving away condoms to people will only make them more likely to be promiscuous – hence leading to more cases of infection.

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Before I delve further into the discussing the idea that would be the crux of this post, let me first set up a caveat; I believe all people have the right to have their own set of beliefs regardless of what other people would think. In turn, other people are also free to weigh in on these beliefs systems as long as it is done in a way that is meant to be factual, objective and without malice or any additional effort to cause pain or insult. That has always been how I’ve approached blogging in this site for the past few years but given the topic of this post, I feel the need to somehow repeat this quasi motto (no pun intended) of mine.

I have many friends who I’ll probably call liberal or progressive Catholics and Muslims but sometimes I ask myself, what does that tag really mean?

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I wrote this song with Emil Pugoy seven years ago. I think it’s one of the best songs we’ve ever written together and it would be an honor for some other people to take time to listen to it.  I’d like to think that I really pushed the lyrics to the maximum on this one. I hope you guys like it.

GODLESS – download link

Slowly sliding to your misery

you’re quietly loathing frustaration’s building

the time’s just passing

the tower’s crashing chance is waning

your soul is burning

follow me to your destiny

im your opiate

your reality

now you see im your divinity

my flesh my blood has rendered you free

my hands my breath has made you be

all things were bred and would retire in me

believe my teachings my every tenet

follow my words and you will be free

the flames of hell are closing in

trying to sear your impure skin

hell is for non believers

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