Psychological freaks, Satanists, Anti-Christs, Impoverished, Nincompoops- just a few of the words that my thesis panel tagged to my thesis. I just had my defense on March 31 and all I can say that its one heck of an experience. I felt that I was transported back to the Medieval times, when witches were hunted and burned to death. Where naturalists and inventors were seen as pagans- I was there standing as if I am one with them, ready to be stoned to death and be cursed as Wiiiiitttcccchhhhhhh!

The old ladies- or rather shall I call the doctors in my field of expertise stared aghast as if I am a demon speaking from the depths of hell.

“I don’t see the relevance of your thesis actually, I just cant”

One of the human like forms having the vital statistics of a blue whale wearing a purple cloth nonchalantly told me. I was about to chant my spells to repair her brain neurons so that she can comprehend what I am saying, but out of the blue, another human life form this time imitating the vital statistics of Big Bear wearing Little Red Riding Hood’s dress blurted…

“Tell me, are you an atheist?” So I was like zipped right straight in- never mind the blue whale in the purple cloth, Big Bear is mocking me, I will tell her straight to the face that I am an atheist, so ? What’s the big fuss? Nanoseconds… transpiring like the speed of light- my lips opened as fast as it could- but dumdumdumdum…

“She’s not an atheist” Okay now, seriously, is this my defense or what? My ever loving adviser whom I dare not insult in this blog for the fear of being shot straight in the head shall I say saved my ass from the possible commotion that may arise.

Yeah, its pretty obvious right- to tell this in uhmmm more politically correct manner- my panelists and I, don’t share the same language game.

So I have a whole lot of realizations when I defended my thesis. First, old people despite the fact that they already have their doctoral degrees and such still can’t do away with their closed mindedness and theistic dogmas even for a moment for the sake of scholarly discussion.

Second, indeed there is a whole lot of population which viewed atheism like a shit wrapped in the tabloid Bulgar personally delivered by Satan himself.

Third, most people who have first learned about atheism always think that there must be something wrong with the atheists’ brain, or maybe genes, or maybe atheists are having a terminal illness. that no one can ever cure (for those points, I am wishing that Plato was indeed right that Rationality is an innate human character.  And this, this thing that just happened is simply a recalcitrant experience).   So I just retorted “(For heaven’s sake) (M)a’am (I am not a fucking Psychologist nor a Doctor- and) your demands are simply beyond the Limitations of my research… please refer to page 30″.

Fourth, when presented by empirical evidences based on the case study conducted by none other than me, saying that most atheists are wide readers, critical thinkers, humanitarians, ethical, philanthropists, middle class citizens, upper class citizens, highly educated and a whole lot more- they demand for an actual evidence of the primary data gathering- speculating as if the researcher just made the data out from magic.

Gladly, I was able to squish out of the situation and finally I am so much done with my masters. Though that incident made me realize, if academicians such as my panel have criticized my research as if its one of the most horrifying thing that they have ever seen, what more the ordinary Filipinos- Kuya at the sari-sari store a couple of blocks away from our house whom I always get my supply of Marlboro; Ate who has a computer shop next to our place whom I always run for help every time I run out of ink; Nanay Nora my girl friend’s coolest mom whom I almost owed half of my life for she constantly took care of me when I was still stupid enough to train everyday for the sake of being a CAT officer; my uncle who’s dying out of kidney stones who’s primary means of survival is his Christian fate; my Mom who always tell me that God is a freethinking god who fully appreciates my thesis (>.&lt and a whole lot more that we can add to the list.

Atheism, is a form knowledge. People who don’t understand it are often disgusted, horrified, flinch, and simply dismiss it as folly. When Christians were once persecuted for the things that they stand for, thousands of years later, the wheel of fate had turned, and its already the Christians’ turn to mock, ridicule and oppress the Atheists- a group of people who just simply aimed to quest for Truth.