We're Creating a Monster

Every year, especially during Christmas season, the traffic gets worse, the malls are more packed, and we are driven by this unquenchable thirst for more purchases and items to buy.

photo courtesy of iremit.com.au

I see something sinister behind all this. Something is out of place.

I am aware that this season is traditionally the season to give gifts to our family, friends, co-workers, and just abut anyone. It is the season of giving - or at least it used to be. In our desire to give material gifts, are we spawning a monster feeding on our excessive consumerism?

For example, people were all up in arms when it was declared that prices of electricity will be going up. That meant that prices of basic goods are soon to follow up as well. You think that would deter people from going to the mall? Today, at the Mall of Asia, the crowd was so gargantuan you would think it was the feast of the Nazareno. What happened? I thought we were trying to save money because of the high prices of goods?

photo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/Sanlakas14

Why were there so many people at the malls this season? It's like we're all zombies out there, with no other choice, no idea of what fun is outside of the mall. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB, my mentor from way back, has this to say about this mall culture:

Malls are now the only leveler in society. There is no exclusion, but inclusion. At malls no one knows if one lives in a shack, as everyone has smartphones, same dresses, and the same disheveled hair look. In the mall, everyone can more or less have the same thing, provided you pay, of course. No membership dues. No monthly consumables ... just plain and simple fun defined according to the rituals of the cathedrals of commerce.

Are we slowly veering away from the true spirit of Christmas and turning towards a consumerist, politically-correct, no-nonsense, "happy holidays" kind of season?

I have experienced the mad rush of Christmas shopping before. Several years back, it was different. It felt different. Back then, there was a spirit of rushing, a tone of necessity with the shopping. People want to get their shopping done so they could get back to the family ASAP and spend more time with them. The past few years, however, I have this feeling I cannot quite put my finger on. It's like we are slowly turning into mindless robots. Or animals. Animals driven by instinct to shop for more and more each year.

My feelings tell me that the more we participate in this consumerist culture, the more we miss out on Christmas itself; ironically, in our quest to buy more gifts, we are slowly forgetting that Christ's incarnation is one of the greatest gifts mankind has ever received.

I will not be surprised if we become like this a few years from now:

We Pinoys are proud that we have the happiest celebration of Christmas in all the world. That is going to change if we continue to feed this monster of consumerism. Call it cliche, but Christ really is the reason for the season, and the more we mindlessly buy things that will not make us happy, the more we are led away from the one true source of happiness itself.

Christmas IS Pro-Life

Many of us are aware of the Christmas story, which starts from the annunciation of the archangel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus. After some reflection, I found out that this Christmas story, which was told to us time and again when we were little children, and the very same Christmas story which I hope we are passing on to our children, and their children’s children – I found out that this story holds not one but several pro-life pointers for all of us to think about. Christmas is indeed pro-life. 

1. There is no room for Christ for those whose lives are full of worldly things. Have you ever heard of people saying something like, “I don’t want a baby because it gets in the way of the job I want.” Or something to that effect?

This is the queue to the gift-wrapping section. Every Christmas season. Every single year. 

Mary’s fiat – let it be done unto me as you say! – required a heart that was full of God’s grace, and less of our own selfish motives, and much less of this world’s empty promises of wealth, fame, and possessions. When Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, it wasn’t that they didn’t find any place to stay. There were lots of places to stay, but not one person who was willing to open their doors for them. Eventually, they found someone who was willing to lend his own manger, a little act of generosity that went a long, long way for Joseph and Mary and Jesus, the infant.

2. Help, even as you need help yourself. 99% of us pro-lifers are people in need of some sort of assistance – financial, emotional, professional, etc .Mary went out of her way to help her cousin, Elizabeth, who was six months into her pregnancy, even as she was pregnant of her own child as well. God rewards those who make great effort to reach out to other people despite their own circumstances. For some of them, however, helping others and making a difference in their lives is a reward by itself.

So don't forget to send me some gifts! :) just kidding

3. Heart of Gold, Will of Steel. Mary must have had the courage of a thousand men to allow herself to be the mother of Christ. She could imagine how her future husband would reject her and break up with her. She could imagine the backlash of her society with her being pregnant without having a husband – a sin punishable by stoning to death. But she went through with it, having total faith and confidence in the providence and ways of God.

Nowadays, being a pro-lifer means being very unpopular, going against the whims and caprices of this anti-life society. Argentinian feminists burned an effigy of Pope Francis, who stood firm on his pro-life, anti-abortion stand. If they could do that to the pope, imagine what the world can do to us, ordinary pro-lifers. The pro-life advocacy ain’t for the soft-spoken and for the mild-mannered. The advocacy requires all of us brandish wills of steel.

In Argentina, these men barricaded themselves in front of a Cathedral that these angry feminists
targeted to vandalize, following Pope Francis' statement against abortion. These men are awesome! 

4. Pro-life, Pro-poor. A lot of skeptics ask us: Why don’t you ask your God why are there rich people who have more than enough wealth to last until their grandchildren’s children, and why are there poor people who don’t even have enough to buy their own meal? If I were God, however, I would ask mankind the same thing. I gave you all the material blessings you will ever need. Why be greedy about it to the point that you have more and others have less?

Even the infant Jesus did not escape this poverty. He was born in a manger, in a place more suited for animals than human beings. This is God’s way of reminding us of two things:

a. Our priority in our advocacy should be to  promote the culture of life, family, and marriage especially to the poor, who are the main targets of the anti-life movement. The RH law was intended especially for the poor to have access to contraceptives. Ironically, they struggle to have access to a lot of things, like food, clean water, shelter, education, and jobs, and here comes the government telling them that these contraceptives provided to them ‘empower’ them, especially their women. What a twisted, confused world we live in!

b. Christ tells us that there is dignity in being alive. Period. Dignity is afforded to both the rich and the poor, no matter how the former tries to rob the latter of it. There are two groups of rich people: the ones who make a system that will make them rich people richer, and the poor poorer; the other group of rich people are being paid by the first group to sustain this corrupt system. An example of this is the RH law, which purportedly was passed to address the needs of women and the poor, but in reality pays lip service to them by failing to address the real root of their problems.

On the other hand, there are groups of people on the opposite end of the pendulum who think that wealth is all the poor needs. I had this discussion with an atheist a few weeks ago, and he said that the Vatican should sell its riches and give it to the poor; moreover, the Church should stop collecting from the poor during masses. I told him of personal encounters I had with the poor, who, despite their poverty, have no qualms giving much of the little they have for the Church. I told this atheist that it would be insulting for these poor folk to tell them not to give to the Church.

Makes sense, right? 

Part of our work as pro-lifers is to uphold the dignity that the poor have in themselves, and to fight the corrupt systems that deny the poor of their rights.

5. Wisdom that comes from Christ’s Light – The Three Wise Men are some of the most mysterious characters in the Bible. We do not know where they came from, we do not know whether they knew each other prior to their journey towards the infant Christ, we do not know how they came to know about his birth. We do not even know why they were called wise men, but this we do know: they tried to follow that bright star that lead them to the infant Christ, the light that came from God Himself, and by this they deserve to be called wise.

This is the same light that made them aware of King Herod’s ulterior motive of finding baby Jesus and having him killed, and the same light that prompted them to go back to their homeland through a different way. Our encounter with Christ should lead us towards a similar change of heart. We should turn our backs against evil and wrongdoing and turn towards the Light of Christ.This is perhaps the best gift we can give to God this Christmas – that  our lives may be shining lights that all point towards Christ.

Merry Christmas to you, your family, and to the people you love. 

Gays and Lesbians are People, First and Foremost

Yes, you read it right.

I am not against any person, regardless if he is straight or gay. Or whatever.

I have friends who are effeminate, and some who are gay. Christ tells me to love everyone, so I love them all, including the gay ones.

Love, however, rejoices in the truth, as St. Paul says. So as I love these friends of mine, I have to offer them the truth: homosexual sex is a grave sin. I love the sinner but despise the sin.

So let me make it clear that I am not against gay people. I am just against homosexual sex and same-sex marriage.

With that out of the way, I would also like to say that the LGBT agenda - the movement to normalize and to accept non-homosexual relations - has taken root even here in our relatively conservative country. And this is a very aggressive agenda. It is right under our noses and yet beyond the sights of most people except the most discerning. The shadow of the agenda looms over the horizon, and if we are not careful, we will see the downward spiral of society's morality and our capability to judge what is wrong and what is right.

For decades, we have been slowly brainwashed to accept homosexual relations. From the media to the news to legislation - the LGBT agenda is systematic well calculated. For instance - haven't you noticed that almost all our Pinoy-made movies and TV shows feature a gay or lesbian person? While people might say that these shows only show what is our current reality, we also have to realize that casting a gay character or two  in almost every show we watch is a subtle way of promoting the agenda.

Ladies, would you use this restroom? 

Today, the Philippine Daily Inquirer posted this:

3 gay students make difference in Zamboanga City standoff

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Momar Javier already accepted his fate that he was “going to die” while being held hostage by Moro National Liberation Front MNLF) forces in Zamboanga City in early September.

“But we needed to do something,” said Javier, 20, a student of Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST).

Javier is one of three young gay men who came out with their best during the worst of times.

Together with Peter Jupiter Galvez and Ram Mahusay, Javier provided food, water and laughter for the other hostages held by the MNLF forces for more than three weeks.

The MNLF forces entered the city, claiming they were instructed to march and hold a rally in front of City Hall where they will declare the independence of the Bangsamoro Republic. Their presence caused panic among residents and armed response from police and government soldiers, leading to a three-week standoff.

Fr. Michael Ufana, the parish priest of Saint Joseph Church, said the gay youngsters took care of his 70-year-old father Isidoro.

“At the height of captivity, these gay students offered comfort to my family. They gave their papag (bed) to my father and sister. They slept on the cold, dirty floor,” Ufana told the Inquirer.

Isidoro said Javier carried the priest whenever the hostages were moved from house to house during the fighting. “I carried him on my back because he could no longer walk,” Javier said in Filipino.

Galvez, 20, was the hostages’ “water girl.” His main responsibility was to provide water for cooking, drinking and for the MNLF men’s morning coffee.

The full story can be read here. 

I have to say that I admire them for their bravery and their heroism. Not too many people have that kind of courage and selflessness that these young ones have manifested. 

But wait a minute. 

Why does the writer of this article have to emphasize that the three are gay? 

Why does the writer refer to Galvez as "water girl"? 

I smell a spin here. 

Momar Javier, Peter Galvez, and Ram Mahusay are people. Gays and lesbians are people, first and foremost. Their heroism came from their capacity for courage and love, not from their sexual preference. Mentioning that they are gays is irrelevant, unless the writer wanted to make a point (or if the three specifically asked the writer to mention them as gays). Shall every other writer from now on write like this? 

 "Heterosexual Police Shoots Down Martilyo Gang Member"

"2 Gays Dead in Deadly Collision at EDSA"

"Palace Honors 30 Heterosexual and 10 Homosexual Athletes"

See how stupid it sounds?

Is this another spin to promote the LGBT agenda? I would say yes. Do correct me if I am wrong, but the word GAY is only used in a headline or in an article if the person referred to by that article is indeed gay AND is somehow connected to the promotion of gay rights. 

Let's commend these young men for their heroic deeds. The past few weeks we have had nothing but mostly bad news, and their heroism is a welcome respite from all the news about murders and accidents and tragedies and politics. However, we as Catholics and God-fearing Christians have to make a firm stand against the LGBT agenda that seeks to skew our children's view on homosexual relationships and unions. 

Yes, the Boy Scouts of America are now allowing Gay boys. 

My heart goes out to all of those who carry the cross of same-sex attraction. May the Gospel and the teachings of the Church fill you not with despair but with hope and charity, and may you always offer your sufferings up to Christ, who bore the weight of our sins and suffered at the hands of men too. 

Is Religion the Leading Cause of War?

I was participating in a discussion on a friend's thread about our social ills as a people. We don't follow traffic rules. Heck, we don't follow rules, period. We tend to pull each other down, instead of helping each other up. We scam our own kababayans  and take advantage of people. Et cetera, et cetera. My friend was claiming that we owe it to our Christian faith to do better as a nation - to which I agreed, although I was quick to point out that the Church is a bastion of sinners, too. We're all works in progress, so to speak.

Let me point out that I also accept the fact that being Catholic means being perfected as the Father is perfect.

Anyway, there was this self-proclaimed atheist who replied -

This guy was insinuating that Ephesians 6:5 meant that Christianity endorsed slavery, while the real context was that St. Paul was trying to tell the slaves of that time (slavery was practiced in the Roman Empire, remember your history!) to love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so to speak. Nothing different from what Christ has taught. So I said this, and he replied:

What the ________ did I just read there?

Did he seriously say that the writers of the Bible were 'prehistoric writers'?

First, a quick look at the dictionary:

pre·his·to·ry  (pr-hst-r)

n. pl. pre·his·to·ries

1. History of humankind in the period before recorded history.

Woah! Let's take a look at what Wiki has to say.

Prehistory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For a timeline of events in the early history of the universe and prehistoric Earth, see Timeline of prehistory.

t e

Prehistory (meaning "before history", or "before knowledge acquired by investigation", from the Latin word for "before," præ, and historia) is the span of time before recorded history or the invention of writing systems.  

Prehistory therefore means that time before there was any writing system involved. Therefore, a prehistoric writer is an oxymoron. Laugh trip!

 Anyway, he continued his tirades against religion.

These are common arguments that we Catholics should know how to debunk very easily. In my case, whenever I see a good article that proves a point or would make a good defense on the faith, I bookmark it. I happen to have bookmarked a comprehensive article debunking his claim that people kill because of religion, but first -

Having said my piece, I gave him these: 

 I left the thread a few more comments after I cited my source:

If you want to see that book, just go here. 

Take note that I post this for posterity, and not to make fun of any atheist out there, as I even charitably blotted out his name and picture. I posted this to encourage everyone to learn more about their faith. God bless us all.

5 of the Most Unintelligent Things To Say in Social Media

I have been glued to social media, Facebook in particular, ever since I had an account about four years ago, partly because I use it to promote our pro-life advocacy as well as to preach the Gospel. The other reason is because like everyone else, Facebook, and social media as a whole, has inevitably become part of our daily routine. Ask the gal on the beach taking a picture of her sandy toes and posting in on Instagram. Or the guy who took a selfie on top of the mountain he had just conquered. Social media has become a totally new world in itself, a world dominated by vanity - and sometimes outright stupidity.

I have been part of countless online discussions and debates since I joined Facebook, and I have compiled a list of the most boneheaded comments and posts I have ever read. Take note that a lot of people adhere to these beliefs without really trying to understand what they really meant.

1.  "Don't be so judgmental!"

Most popular usage: 

• Defending Chito Miranda against his naysayers when his sex scandal broke out. e.g. "Bakit, perpekto ba kayo? Huwag nga kayong mapanghusga!"
• Trying to exonerate Anne Curtis who was said to be so intoxicated (some say she was high), she drunk-slapped the heck out of John Lloyd Cruz and his friends, and creating a scene in a bar. e.g. "Tao lang naman si Anne, nagkakamali, buti nga inamin niya, don't be so judgmental!"
• Trying hard to make Noynoy Aquino look like a saint, and that he was beyond fault during his mismanagement of the Yolanda tragedy. e.g. "Kung makahusga ka 'kala mo ang dali-daling maging presidente. Tutal ikaw henyo ka, ikaw na kaya maging presidente?" (followed by SHATTAP TUMULONG KA NA LANG!) 

This should be self-explanatory. Pointing out someone's mistake isn't the same as being judgmental. In fact, the one who cries "don't be so judgmental!" is the one guilty of being judgmental. 

2. "You're so narrow-minded/be open-minded!" 

Most popular usage: Somebody has the audacity to post something bordering on the pornographic on Facebook, and concerned users comment that it is inappropriate and should be taken down... expect some to reply:

• "Napakakitid naman ng utak mo. Buksan mo nga nang maintindihan mo na art ito."
• "Sus, konting open mindedness naman tol, 21st century na tayo."

What they're actually saying is that we should stop being such buzz killers and "just enjoy the damn video". It has nothing to do with being open-minded. In fact, by saying that we're such prudes and that we should be open-minded, they're being narrow-minded themselves - AND judgmental too. 

3. "You (insert race/nationality/religious affiliation) should be more tolerant!"

Most popular usage: People trying to make you accept a lifestyle or ideology that your faith/religion/values system has taught you not to accept. 

• "Catholics are the most intolerant people I know. Disgusting!"
• "I don't know of a more intolerant religion than the Catholic Church. Shame on you for going against gay marriage. Love is a right."

First of all, when you tolerate something, it actually means you don't like it, but you put up with it. For example, I don't like it when kids are too noisy, but I tolerate it since I have to let kids be kids. I love a clean house but tolerate some dust and dirt when my flatmates don't do their share of the chores.

Their meaning of tolerance borders more on acceptance, because these guys don't let you object to what they propose, to begin with! And when you post your objection, they tell you that you're a...

4. "Hater!  Bigot! You're so homophobic!"

Most common usage: Usually mentioned after number 3, in discussions about the LGBT agenda. 

When people disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, that doesn't make them homophobic. Disagreeing is not fear. 

Two years ago, Lito David of Ang Kapatiran and I went to UPLB to debate Carlos Celdran and Bishop Efraim Tendero about the RH bill. During his explanation, Lito pointed out a verifiable scientific fact: that the highest incidence of HIV belong to the MSM - men having sex with men. Carlos did not take this well, flew off the handle, and said (not verbatim)

"You are the most homophobic person I have ever encountered!" 

I really don't know why Carlos said that, since Lito was only pointing out the truth. A lot of people react that way too. Give them the truth, and you become a hater. In fact, as someone pointed out, the truth has now become the new hate speech. 

Other people may say it differently, but they mean almost the same: 

• "Enough with the bigotry. You're so hopelessly homophobic."
• "The reason why I left the Church was that Jesus taught us to love, not to hate, and that means loving homosexuals."

The last comment is just full of turd and confusion. Yes, Jesus taught us to love, and yes we must love the person, and hate the sin. Hating the sin and loving the person, however, actually means you have to call that person's attention out when it comes to sin. Some people tend to compound issues by combining number 1 and number 4 : Don't be so full of hate, you judgmental piece of crap. 

5. "There is no objective truth/morality."

Most common usage:  Used by atheists and non-believers who make so much fuss trying to disprove the existence of the God they don't believe in. 

They use this to explain that Christian morality isn't THE ultimate morality that everyone should follow. In fact, they would argue that the truth is different for everyone, depending on how one sees the truth. 

This is the easiest to debunk, actually. Next time you hear someone saying that there is no absolute truth, the most succinct way of shutting him up would be to ask: is that true?