I am quite bemused by what Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo speaking for himself and his minions in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have to say about Pinoy poverty. Here are some of his gems:
[...] people has felt poorer and impoverished over the past few years [...]
Really now. Just the past few years? I beg to differ, plez.
[...] the biggest culprit and major cause of the country’s poverty and hunger is “the abuse and misuse of public or private institutions.”
Of course. Not mentioning of course the inconvenient truth of our scandalous population growth, more specifically the redneckish production of increasingly unemployable generations.
And here’s the classic:
He said ordinary citizens have “watched how corruption has become endemic, massive, systemic and rampant in our politics.”
I can agree with that. Pinoys have pretty much sat on their asses and merely watched, dismayed that rather than being handed out dough (the way Erap does), said dough was spent on corruption thereby depriving them of what is owed to them by society.
Classy.
Sitting dismayed is a convenient position to take for a people world-renowned for their utter lack of an ethic of self reliance.
Corruption is bad. Yes, my adolescent child, of course it is. But from the perspective of an adult mind, seeing one’s self as not personally accountable for one’s own fortunes is worse.
I did a text search of that CBCP news article containing Lagdameo’s quaint pontifications and found ZILCH results for the text string “self reliance”. Well, surprise surprise. Self-reliance apparently is taboo in an institution whose fundamental tenets frown on the concept. So let’s pause for a minute and examine the basic architecture of this “institution” that presumes to tell us about the “evils” of corruption.
Here we have an institution that has historically derived its power from the notion that we are all pathetic “sinners” from the time we are conceived (try explaining that to an embryo, Father) and redeemable only by the “graces” of a God who — get this — is represented within our mortal realm by officers of said institution. We are talking about people who have inherited the offices of those who wrote, continue to propagate, and are custodians of and authorities on this doctrine.
Holy conflict of interest Batman!
At least, in our system, the Constitution is written by a different group of people and ratified by a plebiscite.
This puts a bit of perspective around the soundness and openness of collective thinking emanating from a modern structurally-democratic government (such as what governs our State, flawed as it may be) in comparison to the inbred, closed and centrally governed thinking framework of this 2000-year-old institution.
This is a whopper of an irony that remains — as usual — lost in an intellectually bankrupt society. The very institution that commands peoples’ souls is itself an arrangement that is a luciously fertile breeding ground for corruption.
Somebody needs to assure me that I am a normal person, folks. It seems only Pinoys are capable of oxymorony on such a grand national scale.
We latch on to the Church and its medieval thinking and governance approach in order to fight for our supposedly modern democratic ideals making out an otherwise structurally-democratic and modern government as the Bad Guy and a closed inbred institution as the Good Guy.
Lagdameo and the CBCP should quit while they are ahead. Instead they carry on further:
Philippine politics—the way it is practiced—has been most hurtful of us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving of full human development.
Only just “possibly”, pops. He again sweeps another inconvenient truth under the rug — the truth of the Church’s continued hindrance of any effort to instill a modern and sound regard for reproductive health. I’d argue that bad politics can be more easily dealt with than insurmountably unproductive numbers.
You will have to continue reading the circular (pardon the pun but it does read like one big circular argument) if you want a few more laughs beyond what I already present above. Don’t look now, but note too how another hotbed of inbred thinking carries the torch. ;)
If you think it is Government that insults our already meagre collective intelligence, think again.
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well, benigno. after all those mumbo-jumpo intellectualisms and trying to be funny writing, all i gleaned from your entry is a simple message–the Church need not be the one who cast the first stone, because as Jesus Christ once said, only those who are sinless can do that.
so, who, may I ask, is the better position to cast the first stone–you? I may not be a Catholic and considers myself as a pure atheist, but my contempt on the religious and stupid notions on Creation does’nt cloud my politically-oriented brain.
for an intellectually and culturally bankrupt society such as ours (as you describe it which I wholeheartedly agree), we need an institution who’ll lead us. are you thinking that change would only happen spontaneously? I need not assure you that you’re a normal person coz you and I both know that your thoughts border on the insane. It does’nt have any basis in historical fact. Cite me one example of such a situation which the people spontaneously rouse from their stupor and successfully ousted an evil regime.
Though I may not agree with the Church stand on all things, I do agree that it is time for the Institution to rise up and urge the people to do the same. They may have their faults. They may not be the true prophets. But know this–even Judas eventually did the right thing.
and by the way,
Your intelligence might have been insulted by the Church which we both disdain. Yet, our intelligence is just a small part of 1% of the population.
I hope that the rest of the 99% of the population got the message and eventually, in the next few weeks, act decisively.
It is not just the church. It is also about growing wealth that sexual morality of traditional religion will be widely rejected. Freedom definitely seems to be the better option.
RC church thinking is close-circuit.
Besides, it’s only logical that they point away from themselves to the usual suspects… politicians.
Contraception and Family Planning are indicators of Change
“the abuse and misuse of public or private institutions.”
That’s the pot calling the kettle black!
The Roman Catholic Church is our biggest NGO. It has abused, misused and persecuted!
I agree.
down with these bishops and cardinals who live in their palaces which are surrounded by shanties. Down with these men of cloth who eat steaks for their meals even during meat abstinence.Who will know anyway except my friend who got out of the seminary?
down with these messengers of God who ride in their airconditioned tax-exempt vehicles while asking the faithfuls to suffer because they preach Blessed are the poor for they will…
down with these princes of church whose pets eat imported canned food.
Ooops, i am going to sprinkle myself with holy water.
It’s about time people stood up to these monkeys in red frocks.
The have been insulting sane thinking people for eons. Granted that they have every right to voice their opinion and practice their religion (freedoms which we should all support). I voice my humble opinion “CBCP should stick it’s head up where the sun don’t shine.”