For several months now, the Catholic Church has been under
attack due to her action before and after Reproductive Health (RH) bill. It was
worsen when a decision came out against a tour guide who held a protest inside
Manila cathedral. If there is one thing I have learned early in life, it is not
to meddle in three aspects: politics, sex and religion. Nevertheless, if the
topic involves the three of them intertwined together then expect for an
infinite number of comments and debate because this is what most people would
buy. No wonder Kris Aquino’s revelation that she had a sexually-transmitted
disease was considered by a national daily because it involves sex and
politics. When a priest got into a sex scandal then that is both sex and
religion. If priest would discuss about any political issue in his pulpit then
that becomes politics and religion. With RH bill, you all have politics, sex
and religion.
Today, I take the risk to get myself involved in this issue. I am a Catholic therefore I am damned to be accused of protecting my faith if I favour the Church. If I don't then I am against the Church. In fact, this is a situation where your decision will automatically earn you enemies. Have you not discussed about politics, sex and religion with anyone without ending up in an argument? If you have, then my congratulations. You deserve a jacket and a bag of goodies.
I agree that sometimes priest would say something that I find abominable, disagreeable or disturbing. However, this does not mean that I am coerced to follow exactly the preaching or be held liable for not doing or following the teachings. It is only spoken as a reminder to contemplate on these words.
Let me deal with the judgment of Celdran. This is best answered by how would you respond if it happened to you. Let us not put in the element of ecumenical mass in the picture. Just consider that you invited your friends to come over to your house for a gathering. Suddenly, an uninvited guess budge in and make a show as to disturb deliberately by calling everyone's attention to himself. Try to examine yourself what your decision would be. (Be honest. Think what will your reaction be.) Whatever your answer is then that is your values system. It is either you dismiss, condemn, drive or file a case against him. If you envisioned yourself taking a knife or releasing your dog to run after him then that is exactly what kind of person that you are. If it happened to me while I were in a middle of discussion, I would respond by doing the following steps:
1. Let him finish his ranting.
2. I will then ask, "What is it that you are fighting for?"
3. Whatever the reason may be I will ask, "Is there a better way to address your grievances without causing commotion?"
Celdran has all the right to air out his grievances. He can stage a rally and shout in top of his voice. The sad thing is, he puts his self in a bad light for demeaning the opponent, disrespecting the enemy and getting the attention whatever the means. Are we not suppose to gain our opponents respect and trust to gain their favor in what we fight for?Is the act justifiable? The ironic about this is how Pnoy would suggest clemency when he himself cannot do so with Gloria. He seems good at giving advice; but, he never listens to Kris Aquino's walang-lagas Pantene commercial. He cannot even sacrifice his smoking despite a leader at that.
In the world of teaching, a teacher is always confronted with dilemma just like the issue of RH bill. There are situations where your decisions would earn the ire of one group due to your stand on issues. But in time of uncertainties, one has to make a stand. The safest way out is to be neutral but the hottest part of hell belongs to those who don’t make any choice at all. Our decisions in life and our choices reflect what kind of values we hold dear. Let me provide you with examples and please allow me to regress partly.
During the advent of cellular phones, we value our commitment and honor our transaction. Today, people cannot commit and would simply tell you, “text-text lang kita bwas.” We no longer plan in advance and commit ourselves to plans. The worse is to cancel appointment few minutes prior to appointment time through an SMS message. Propriety is set aside for not spending money and effort to even call. The worst is how we tell people that we are on our way although we have not even taken a bath yet. We have become slaves at the convenience of pressing the keypad and losing our sense of commitment and word of honor. This is the easy way out today in making transactions.
Before instant noodles and refrigerator, one had to eat on time. You have to make a more precise estimation how much food to be cooked. You cannot simply throw away excess food all the time. Today, we rely too much in refrigerator. We eat anytime because we simply have to open the refrigerator and hunger is solved in few minutes. We can have noodles in an instant by pouring hot water on it. In the process, we also become unhealthy and develop craving for fats and oil which makes us fat. This is the easy way out in satiating our hunger for food.
When fast food chains and take-outs food shops were not in operation, a mother has to cook food for the children. She knows exactly every ingredients in each dish. She won’t give any chance feeding her children with anything which may harm her kids. In fact, she would advocate planting these plants in her backyard if the vegetable being cooked for meals is served regularly. Nowadays, we choose to eat outside. It seems that we have become so busy that we put aside the food that nourishes our body. If we only get to eat what is served before us, what is the guarantee that all ingredients are indeed safe to consume. Are you even aware of the horse meat scandal in Europe lately? How about the melanine scare way back and other contaminants in food. Of course, why take the time if there is an easy way out to feed family members and even ourselves.
I can provide more examples on how new choices afford us a comfortable life and an easy way out to all discomforts. Who does not want to be comfortable? Indeed these inventions were designed to make us happy. Yes it makes us happy momentarily. It has overshadowed the purpose of its existence and has eaten up our sense of vision. We have become short sighted and we allowed it to engulf our values system.
Let me now bring you to the core of this RH issue which the Church strongly opposes. The Church is against the use of contraceptives. They say that it is against life of the unborn. I would rather expound this stand as against living. The Catholic Church in fact is advocating and supporting family planning. She wants all faithful to embrace natural family planning which is very cheap and sometimes free at all. However, the options in natural planning require communication, discipline and understanding. The artificial family planning is better because it is the easy way out. After all, we have transformed our values system into decisions that are based on easy way out.
The modern man has evolved into a man seeking for an easy way out in troubled times. I don’t mean to convey the idea that we should all stop making use of and enjoy these things. There is nothing wrong with all conveniences as long as it does not prevent us from being the “human” that we are. We just don’t simply let convenience get in its way to dehumanize us.
Isn’t it that you value more the rose when it was planted by the giver than one which is simply bought in the flower shop? Don’t you smile when you receive a hand-made card than one which is bought in stationery shops? Don’t you appreciate the home-cooked foods than the one ordered in a restaurant? Don’t you appreciate small gestures with efforts than those “bought” in stores? Don't we cherish the favor done to us when we know that it was done the hard way to get it done? Why then don't we embrace this idea in our decision when we have to decide on thing we have to act on?
In my Physics class, I would never teach analytical method of vector resolution without going through first the graphical method. Analytical gives precise answers yet graphical analysis becomes a visual guide in analytical and vector-laden concepts. A student can always use a calculator for faster result but why were you told to begin solving manually first. Why were you required to use pencil first if later on you will be required to use pen? It would have been easier to use ball pen from the very beginning than go through the hassle of sharpening pencil. You see there is so much that we can harness when done in a challenging way than in an easy way out.
If I chose the easy way out, I would have not majored Physics. I would have listened to professors admonishing us when we get low scores to consider other course or career. I still decide to abide with what is hard but makes me human.
Today, I take the risk to get myself involved in this issue. I am a Catholic therefore I am damned to be accused of protecting my faith if I favour the Church. If I don't then I am against the Church. In fact, this is a situation where your decision will automatically earn you enemies. Have you not discussed about politics, sex and religion with anyone without ending up in an argument? If you have, then my congratulations. You deserve a jacket and a bag of goodies.
I agree that sometimes priest would say something that I find abominable, disagreeable or disturbing. However, this does not mean that I am coerced to follow exactly the preaching or be held liable for not doing or following the teachings. It is only spoken as a reminder to contemplate on these words.
Let me deal with the judgment of Celdran. This is best answered by how would you respond if it happened to you. Let us not put in the element of ecumenical mass in the picture. Just consider that you invited your friends to come over to your house for a gathering. Suddenly, an uninvited guess budge in and make a show as to disturb deliberately by calling everyone's attention to himself. Try to examine yourself what your decision would be. (Be honest. Think what will your reaction be.) Whatever your answer is then that is your values system. It is either you dismiss, condemn, drive or file a case against him. If you envisioned yourself taking a knife or releasing your dog to run after him then that is exactly what kind of person that you are. If it happened to me while I were in a middle of discussion, I would respond by doing the following steps:
1. Let him finish his ranting.
2. I will then ask, "What is it that you are fighting for?"
3. Whatever the reason may be I will ask, "Is there a better way to address your grievances without causing commotion?"
Celdran has all the right to air out his grievances. He can stage a rally and shout in top of his voice. The sad thing is, he puts his self in a bad light for demeaning the opponent, disrespecting the enemy and getting the attention whatever the means. Are we not suppose to gain our opponents respect and trust to gain their favor in what we fight for?Is the act justifiable? The ironic about this is how Pnoy would suggest clemency when he himself cannot do so with Gloria. He seems good at giving advice; but, he never listens to Kris Aquino's walang-lagas Pantene commercial. He cannot even sacrifice his smoking despite a leader at that.
In the world of teaching, a teacher is always confronted with dilemma just like the issue of RH bill. There are situations where your decisions would earn the ire of one group due to your stand on issues. But in time of uncertainties, one has to make a stand. The safest way out is to be neutral but the hottest part of hell belongs to those who don’t make any choice at all. Our decisions in life and our choices reflect what kind of values we hold dear. Let me provide you with examples and please allow me to regress partly.
During the advent of cellular phones, we value our commitment and honor our transaction. Today, people cannot commit and would simply tell you, “text-text lang kita bwas.” We no longer plan in advance and commit ourselves to plans. The worse is to cancel appointment few minutes prior to appointment time through an SMS message. Propriety is set aside for not spending money and effort to even call. The worst is how we tell people that we are on our way although we have not even taken a bath yet. We have become slaves at the convenience of pressing the keypad and losing our sense of commitment and word of honor. This is the easy way out today in making transactions.
Before instant noodles and refrigerator, one had to eat on time. You have to make a more precise estimation how much food to be cooked. You cannot simply throw away excess food all the time. Today, we rely too much in refrigerator. We eat anytime because we simply have to open the refrigerator and hunger is solved in few minutes. We can have noodles in an instant by pouring hot water on it. In the process, we also become unhealthy and develop craving for fats and oil which makes us fat. This is the easy way out in satiating our hunger for food.
When fast food chains and take-outs food shops were not in operation, a mother has to cook food for the children. She knows exactly every ingredients in each dish. She won’t give any chance feeding her children with anything which may harm her kids. In fact, she would advocate planting these plants in her backyard if the vegetable being cooked for meals is served regularly. Nowadays, we choose to eat outside. It seems that we have become so busy that we put aside the food that nourishes our body. If we only get to eat what is served before us, what is the guarantee that all ingredients are indeed safe to consume. Are you even aware of the horse meat scandal in Europe lately? How about the melanine scare way back and other contaminants in food. Of course, why take the time if there is an easy way out to feed family members and even ourselves.
I can provide more examples on how new choices afford us a comfortable life and an easy way out to all discomforts. Who does not want to be comfortable? Indeed these inventions were designed to make us happy. Yes it makes us happy momentarily. It has overshadowed the purpose of its existence and has eaten up our sense of vision. We have become short sighted and we allowed it to engulf our values system.
Let me now bring you to the core of this RH issue which the Church strongly opposes. The Church is against the use of contraceptives. They say that it is against life of the unborn. I would rather expound this stand as against living. The Catholic Church in fact is advocating and supporting family planning. She wants all faithful to embrace natural family planning which is very cheap and sometimes free at all. However, the options in natural planning require communication, discipline and understanding. The artificial family planning is better because it is the easy way out. After all, we have transformed our values system into decisions that are based on easy way out.
The modern man has evolved into a man seeking for an easy way out in troubled times. I don’t mean to convey the idea that we should all stop making use of and enjoy these things. There is nothing wrong with all conveniences as long as it does not prevent us from being the “human” that we are. We just don’t simply let convenience get in its way to dehumanize us.
Isn’t it that you value more the rose when it was planted by the giver than one which is simply bought in the flower shop? Don’t you smile when you receive a hand-made card than one which is bought in stationery shops? Don’t you appreciate the home-cooked foods than the one ordered in a restaurant? Don’t you appreciate small gestures with efforts than those “bought” in stores? Don't we cherish the favor done to us when we know that it was done the hard way to get it done? Why then don't we embrace this idea in our decision when we have to decide on thing we have to act on?
In my Physics class, I would never teach analytical method of vector resolution without going through first the graphical method. Analytical gives precise answers yet graphical analysis becomes a visual guide in analytical and vector-laden concepts. A student can always use a calculator for faster result but why were you told to begin solving manually first. Why were you required to use pencil first if later on you will be required to use pen? It would have been easier to use ball pen from the very beginning than go through the hassle of sharpening pencil. You see there is so much that we can harness when done in a challenging way than in an easy way out.
If I chose the easy way out, I would have not majored Physics. I would have listened to professors admonishing us when we get low scores to consider other course or career. I still decide to abide with what is hard but makes me human.
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