There is no outside intelligence.
The time is almost ripe for another book. I was asked to make an autobiography 7 years ago, right after I started my advocacy in the Philippines. I was approached by a few people, in fact.
My answer was, “I want to make a book about the stories of my people who transcended to atheism and humanism rather than my own biography”. That book is ‘From Superstition to Reason’, launched at The Bayleaf Hotel in the walled city of Intramuros, Philippines in June 2017. It is now available on Amazon.com.
I am becoming anxious as years pass, but I need to do something to remind my people about my legacy before I retire from activism. I have been writing notes since I came to the USA. Perhaps so I can make that autobiography in a heart beat? Nope. It is difficult and emotional. I need to relive my past, reminisce the painful events in my life.
I could not be bothered. But some friends encouraged me to write my book, so that they can emulate what I have done as an international activist. I am glad that some people pushed me to finally get the courage to do this “not for fame nor fortune”, but to have something tangible when I soon leave this world. My age is working against me. I need to do something before that time arrives — make a difference so as to see the world better than when I found it. My heart wishes to see the sunset of religion in the Philippines in my lifetime. But it could only be wishful thinking, or so I thought.
My colourful life is full of childhood events that led to my skepticism, then atheism, and finally, humanism. I am a humanist with rags-to-riches story, but remained generous and giving because I know how it was to be poor and to grow up with nothing.
When I came to the USA, I only had 30 USD in my pocket. I was frugal, even worked three jobs to make ends meet; always saving, always on a budget, and bought only what I needed until I married the love of my life, a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). Love and respect have no religion. We have been married for over 22 years.
I am a pioneer in founding non-religious Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered societies in the Philippines: PATAS (Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society) and HAPI (Humanist Alliance Philippines, International). Both are thriving non-religious societies, however, I have been well funding HAPI recently. HAPI has regular community outreach and educational events, also funded by its international affiliates, some donors and supervised by the new and superb Board of Trustees who were appointed and elected on September 15, 2017.
Read about my growing pains founding those two non-religious societies in an over religious country; the Philippines is 80-97% religious. Find out how people reacted to my two societies. Know how I suffered; how the very people I loved and protected scoffed and jeered me. Understand my frustrations and crying nights just because of this advocacy. Learn how I became successful despite roadblocks from theists and atheists alike. People think I must have gone crazy by now, but I am very much sane and in touch with the realities of life.
The objective of publishing this book is to propagate humanism specifically in the Philippines. Filipinos can lead good lives without belief in any god. There is no outside intelligence. We are on our own. There is no heaven nor hell. Nothing is above nor below us.
All proceeds of this book will go to HAPI as part of my legacy. My other plan is to give this away to schools and universities as my gift to the academe.
I do not need anything.
~Marissa Torres Langseth a.k.a. Ms. M
