[OPINION] I have no religion, but I’m insulted

Perhaps some of my fellow freethinkers may be ambivalent about President Rodrigo Duterte calling God stupid.

I understand, in fact, that some Christians are not as upset as I am. In another chapter of this word war, Malacañang has stated that Duterte was only insulting the God of the Catholic Church, mollifying other sects.

This has left me in the peculiar position of being an agnostic who was appalled (yet again) by the President’s irresponsible mouth while other Christian groups hedged. 

As I write, however, the rhetoric seems to have escalated to insulting the God of all Christians. “If you can prove that your God exists, I will resign,” Duterte said most recently.

Fundamental question

That is a question that those of us who are in the freethinking community, whether we believe in a God or not, have discussed frequently.

Those of us who are atheists would say that this cannot be proven because God, indeed, does not exist.

Those of us who are agnostics, however, take what we believe is the most humble of positions: God’s existence cannot be proven nor can it be disproven at this level of human social evolution. Our claim to humility is this: we accept that we have no answers at the moment. We are willing to be swayed either way should our search for answers lead to us to a different conclusion.

What may unite all freethinkers however is the puzzle of Duterte’s ego.

Putting his position in the framework of the most fundamental of life’s mysteries, a philosophical question that has troubled humanity for millenia, one which has caused wars and massacres – seems a tad self-centered.

I have heard the President threaten resignation too many times.

Remember that whole fiasco about his ill-gotten wealth and Senator Trillanes’ bank accounts? Remember that threat to resign if it could be proven that he was against then Chief Justice Sereno?

In both cases his dare was met with evidence that he was lying. But he did not resign.

I guess he has learned. Now he is threatening resignation over a matter that, if centuries of philosophical thought are to be considered, cannot be shown. I can assure those who are afraid of what will happen if he resigns, that this will not happen. It is getting to the point where my answer to his offers to resign is, “meh”.

The agnostic in me is hoping that God will smite him in a most spectacular way so that I will finally get my answers. Lest I be misunderstood, “smite” may not necessarily be “kill”. Spectacular smiting might be something like he will lose his mouth  for a day. Not figuratively, but literally. As in, no mouth.

Spirituality

But I digress. For me, my agnosticism is less important than our handling of differences in life, especially in the area of spirituality.

Yes, spirituality. Unlike other agnostics and atheists, I believe that we all have spirituality. We have a sense of something greater than ourselves and a sense that we are called to serve this greater whole as our own way into wholeness.

It is this, I believe, that underpins the ethical behavior of all.

There are lousy Christians of course. We all know that there are many religious people who are not spiritual and who betray their religious principles repeatedly.

I, too, have been fighting the sexual abuse of the clergy. I, too, have wondered at the contradiction over the great wealth of various sects and their call to poverty. I, too, have had my battles with the churches on the issues of sexual and reproductive health.

I dare say that on these issues, I have a better track record than the President. (How I wish he was one of those who are victims of clerical abuse  whom I have counseled. Perhaps there would be fewer killings of innocents during his administration.)

As the President has been bashing the Church, so too have I been misunderstood, bashed and threatened  by Catholics and other believers whose level of moral and intellectual development have not quite evolved.

All my life I am more than likely to turn the other cheek. Because I know that there are true believers out there. People who live their beliefs and therefore nurture and strengthen their spirituality. People from various religions who somehow find commonalities despite the differences. These people are my spiritual community.

Those of us who think freely know the history of religious differences.

We know how many people have died and have been killed in the name of religion. Whether this would be the frightening wars of the middle ages or the present devastation of Marawi, we are aware that religious differences, handled wrongly, lead to evil tragedies.

We understand that the battle for what is good is not one between different religious beliefs or non-beliefs. It is a battle that is waged within religions.

Defending the faith
As an agnostic, who is often mistaken as Christian in this overwhelmingly Christian nation, I have often found myself in the position of having to defend other faiths from the bigotry of some Christians.

For example, I recently had to object to another one of those stories about a good Christian confronting a Muslim in a chat group. Muslims are born terrorists, according this story, because warring against others is central to Islam (“jihad”). I had to explain to this Christian that the concept of jihad for many Muslims is that it is primarily a spiritual quest (sort of like my quest to find God).

If Muslims are at all called to physical jihad, it is justified in very limited ways and must be in self defense. Naturally, people who send me Islamophobic nonsense are likely to dismiss my views on religious tolerance. So the best way for me to handle this is to refer them to their own theologians who will tell them that, indeed, one must take a more evolved view of religion and spirituality.

Now, for the first time in my years of being an agnostic Filipina, I must defend the Christian faith against this unacceptable assault.

This should not have surprised me though. From the beginning, this regime has sown discord against all those who would criticize it. All people who criticize it are “dilawan” who are by definition “evil” and therefore all critics are “evil.”  

Some Catholics have done really bad things ( in this case taking the President to task for the mounting number of extrajudicial killings) and therefore they are stupid and even their God is stupid.

What my own spirituality tells me is that my doubts are born out of a sincere attempt to seek answers to life’s most fundamental questions.

My questions are not about making political points or feeling personally assaulted by criticism or difference. It is not about holding an absolute truth over everyone else. Rather I am looking for the free exchange of those who like me try to find ways to live a moral life in joyful and peaceful co-existence.

The President’s rambling about religion may look similar but they are not at all the same.

This agnostic calls on the President to humble himself and repent. – Rappler.com

 

Sylvia Estrada Claudio is a medical doctor who also holds a PhD in psychology. She is a senior adviser of the Filipino Free Thinkers.