Bethina

[alexmagana02-blog-deactivated20]

Humanity Lost?

Murder is wrong. Ever since we were kids, we have been taught of this irrevocable truth by our parents, elders and especially the Church. Jesus Christ himself bestowed us the Decalogue in which we are called to follow his command. Taking a life is ignoring and disobeying God’s command to us on purpose. Ask yourself then, what is a capital punishment? In its simplest form it is defined as murder. We cannot twist the truth into thinking that the person deserves to die because of the excuses we can possibly think of yet it still ends up as killing a person. This form of punishment is unethical and barbaric. In a statement released by the CBCP, President Archbishop Socrates Villegas said “It is the Gospel we must preach. It is the Gospel that we must uphold. We therefore unequivocally oppose proposals and moves to return the death penalty into the Philippine legal system. Though the crime be heinous, no person is ever beyond redemption, and we have no right in giving up on any person.” The government has no power to give life like the Heavenly Father; they have no absolute right of exercising their limited authority in taking away God’s sacred gift. Only God can take that call. The philosophical and ethical basis for the death penalty, in conclusion is, shaky.

The Capital Punishment is used against the innocent. In a country wherein they have legalized this, a District Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan has said “In brief, the Court found that the best available evidence indicates that, on the one hand, innocent people are sentenced to death with materially greater frequency than was previously supposed and that, on the other hand, convincing proof of their innocence often doesn’t emerge after their convictions.” What certainty does the justice system ensure that the accused is not really innocent? Humans are subjected to make mistakes whether you like it or not. Senator Franklin Drilon has said, “Among the reasons that we (Liberal Party) oppose the revival of the death penalty in the country, which had been outlawed during the term of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, include the less-than-ideal justice system, which can result in the government executing a person who turns out to be innocent of the crime.”

The human race isn’t an exemption in making mistakes only God is. God forgives us even when we do the most outrageous things and yet who are we to not do as what He did. We always ask for His mercy and compassion yet when others crossed us, we cannot do the same? Violence against violence won’t solve anything. Jesus Christ gave us two love commandments which are written in the Bible. The first one: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart, with all thy soul and with thy entire mind. The second one: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” All of us need to wake up. This kind of punishment is government hypocrisy. People! Why do we need to kill people who killed people to show that killing is wrong? Is it because eventually they would fear for their own lives? What difference do we make when we strike fear in the hearts of men?

Senator Franklin Drilon said “We aren’t convinced that the reimposition of the death penalty is a deterrent to crime. It takes years for cases to prosper in the system.” When the Republic Act No. 7659 imposed the death penalty for heinous crimes more than 20 years ago, the crime rate – the number of crime incidents per 100,000 populations decreased from 145.7 in 1993 to 98 in 1998. However in 1999, when six of the seven executions under the Estrada administration happened, the crime rate rose to 11. The data implied can be translated into saying that it is a proven ineffective deterrent of crime versus the alternative of life imprisonment without parole. In addition the United States of America has evidences to prove. The time period between 1991 and 2011, which had states that carried out the death penalty consistently, had higher murder rates than states that didn’t.

Our country is a democratic one and naturally, in a democratic country the government is us since we, the citizens, have the power therefore if the government kills somebody then we are killing them as well. We are responsible for those actions. What kind of decent people and nation are we for allowing this barbaric form of execution to befall on to these perpetrators? Is there anything left of humanity in us? What difference does it make when we commit the same mistake? Given that an eye for an eye was applied in previous societies but today, human rights is widely propagated and strictly enforced in order to maintain stability, peace and freedom. By legalizing and agreeing with the Death Penalty, you are violating the right to life. In Deuteronomy 32:39, it says that “See now that I, I am He, And there is no God besides me, it is I who put to death and give life I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from my hand.” Life is sacred more than anything in a worldly sense. No person or any institution that upholds authority has the right to decide if one’s life is worthy of continuing to live or not. Everything about the Capital Punishment is a big contrast on our values, beliefs and our ground on a just government.

Let’s say there are as many people that are against with this as people who side with the legalization of The Capital Punishment. But, favoring this kind of execution because you sympathize with the family members whom you believe need closure that only death can suffice, then you are wrong. You are significantly pointing out to legalize an act of revenge and the right for an emotional satisfaction to which rules and regulations that are passed onto the higher officials contains only logical reasons that includes evidences to support the claims. Picture this out, if the beloved family members say that they would only gain closure if the accused is tortured until their last breaths, should we do that? Brent Tonick said, whose brother was murdered in the year 1998 “ You need that kind of feeling of some kind of justice being done, some kind of closure, though there is never any real closure.” Nothing can ever bring back the dead. No sense of relief can be felt for their pain is immeasurable. The death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent, and the appeals process would be expensive and cruel to the surviving family members.

Death Penalty is an act of unrighteousness towards our neighbors. It crosses the line that is drawn for each and every individual’s natural rights. There is no justice in this kind of punishment to the accused, the innocent, the victims’ family and especially to our nation. Sticking to the life imprisonment without parole is a safer and more inexpensive alternative. The Death Penalty doesn’t guarantee the safety of the innocent from being accused; it doesn’t effectively deter criminals from committing an act that will earn them this kind of execution, and it most certainly does not give closure to the families’ of the victim. Always remember that nothing good comes from hate and nothing good can come from death penalty. It cannot ever be accepted as a societal norm when the country claims to be a democratic government and when it’s predominantly resided by Catholic people. Death Penalty is dead straight murder and it is morally wrong on every aspect. The Death Penalty is not my issue alone but yours too. Seize this opportunity, the time is now. Make a stand. Make our future a brighter one together. If not now when? If not us who?

[xrosemaryc]

Weapons for Toys

     The world is now at its lowest point because what valid reason is there to put kids in war? Child soldiery is the act of recruiting children below the age of 18 into the military. Over the past twelve years, there have been armed conflicts involving child soldiers in at least thirty-six countries around the world. One of the countries who used child soldiers is Germany. Due to a lot of casualties they recruited children from the ages 16-17 but eventually by the end of the war, they recruited children aged 12. It was once a norm in the society to draft child soldiers but now that the tides have changed, intellectual people have taken their stands on this issue, there is no longer a need for children to be put in that kind of position where they think that the only choice they have is between life or death, there is no longer a need for children to be put in the place of an adult when they should be happy living with their family where their needs are sufficient. Now that this issue has gained popularity, religious groups have given their stand on this issue summarized with this saying, “Every child has a basic right to live a healthy, happy, life along with every other human being,” as is outlined by the first Catholic social teaching. So no, there isn’t any reason to put a child in war. There will never be a valid reason for putting a child in a place of suffering and death, whether it be for patriotism or for any other purpose.

     Every life is special, and with that, any amount wouldn’t suffice for a life of a human. Children also have rights. There are laws made to ensure that they get their basic needs and that they live a peaceful life. Recruiting children into the battlefield is a way of taking away their rights as a child, forcing them, however, is taking away their rights as a human. Several laws have been made to ensure that the rights of these children are met. International laws are as such; United Nations’ “Children in armed conflict”, International Humanitarian Law “Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts”, International Labor Law “Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation”, and United Nations’ “War crimes”. We are all children of God, and as such we should respect our life and the lives of others because that’s what we deserve.

     Solidarity, harmony, a united group of people with a common interest, or a mutual support group, however you call it, it will still be the same. The world is still supposed to be a place of solidarity. Every one of us is a part of a family. We are all one big family, imagine having your son or daughter taken away and being sent to the military. What kind of injustice was brought to your family is what you’ll think and that’s true. This is why we shouldn’t let any child get conscribed. The Philippines has become one of the countries committed to ending the use of child soldiers. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front together with UNICEF have pledged to safeguard and protect the lives of the children by implementing an action plan dedicated to denying these children access to the military fronts and armed conflicts. They have thought of a better way of using these children, they put them in school, which is the actual purpose of a child, instead of letting them fight in combats. God made us all and he expected us to stick to the term “one”. We are all created as one and to stay as one means no one is left to choose a life wherein there is doubt if he is still alive especially giving that responsibility to a child.

     The family is the foundation of a society and is essential for a healthy psychological growth of a human being. The issue of child soldiery is due to the fact that children are being taken away from their families, which destroy the sacredness of the family environment. The emotional state of the child is damaged due to the trauma of being snatched from their family. There are certain conflict groups like the Sudan’s People Liberation Army, the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, the Afghan Taliban leadership Quetta Shura, and the New People’s Army in the Philippines, whose goal is to completely eliminate the child’s past life in order to establish a new life wherein their mind is completely committed to war. One child who was interviewed by Peter W. Singer, an Australian moral philosopher, said “that sight of blood and crying of people in pain, triggered something inside me that I didn’t understand, but it made me past the point of compassion for other. I lost my sense of self.” This is how much these children of God have been forced to suffer.

     These children have been recruited from families due to the parent’s lack of decent work. These poor families just became poorer. Now, they aren’t just poor due to the lack of money but because their child has been taken from them. A way to solve this issue is to have an availability of decent work for those families living in extremely poor locations. Having a variety of work wherein the workers can receive the basic rights and would be acknowledged and respected would improve the society. God didn’t place these into this world to be slaves of conflict groups just because of poverty. Finding a solution to the amount of decent work would give a solution to the issue of child military enlistment.

     The issue on poverty causes so much more problems than the government can deal with and one of these is that most of the child soldiers come from the poorest and most vulnerable families. Conflict groups take these children from poor families because they think that it is a sign of weakness which makes it easier for them to kidnap and utilize the children for combat purposes. One of the victims of child recruitment is Tarik, not his real name, he, together with his five brothers were recruited into the military at an early age on their own terms but placed into the position due to the fact that they live in Aleppo, Syria where there is no steady access to water and electricity and is one of the most war-ravaged cities in Syria. He had this to say, “I used to be a very loving person, but the war changed my feelings,” he said. “I thought that only with fighting could I get back what I lost.”

     We are called by God to help take care of the environment and the recruitment of child soldiers isn’t helping. Just the topic of war isn’t helping the environment. As children, we are taught to take care of the beauty of the ecosystem which God designed specifically for us. The child soldiers aren’t given the kind of education we’ve received about taking care of the environment. It’s sad to think that just the act of taking care of their surroundings wasn’t taught to them because they didn’t receive the proper basic education that everyone should receive once in their life. Other than that, the families of the child soldiers are most likely relying on agriculture to sustain themselves, the conflict groups choose to target these kinds of families to cause chaos and fear. This is an act of wasting what God has given us, it is a discourteous act wherein they expect to achieve an easy route onto the manipulation of the kids.

     The human rights of these children are taken away by the act of snatching them from their families because of the lack of decent work in a place of poverty and lack of solitude. They are forced into a place of war wherein they destroy all of God’s creations. Our world will be able to rise eventually but that won’t be because of war. Don’t children have better purposes and that is to be the future of our world? There are more a lot more ways to solve an issue and yet this world still chooses to use war as a solution, and not only that but by using children as soldiers, why don’t we stop recruiting these children into the army and start looking for better options? 

[jadacastilloo-blog]

Combat in terrorism

Combat in Terrorism

Why do we battle against humanity? Why is the world cruel enough to do this kind of thing? Terrorism should stop because it forces freedoms to be taken away from every country, killing innocent people and promotes hate and discrimination. We are victims of injustice and violence. We fight for equal rights. According to the Miriam Webster dictionary, the meaning of terrorism is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.

Terrorism is an endless battle. It cannot stop until we continue to fight for freedom and being equally treated. Statistics say that there a more than a million of people are dying all over the world because of terrorism. The wish of terrorism is to take away that feeling of freedom and joy. It still continues to inflict pain and suffering on people’s lives in which almost no week goes by without an act of terrorism taking place somewhere in the world. It is a worldwide problem. Freedom is the right of our every individual and our freedom is taken away from us whenever terrorism strikes. There are cases where young men are taken away from their family and are forced to enlist in the army to train for the war on terrorism which stops them from living their lives freely and spending the rest of their lives trying to fight against terrorists so that their families and their country will get the freedom they deserve.

           It took the lives of many innocent people. For terrorism in general, killing innocent people is a means by which to instill fear and convince the population to change their government’s policies. It’s a asymmetric warfare. They don’t have any hope of winning an actual battle. So they subjugate people by causing them to feel intense fear, or terror. They because of many reasons, the most common one is that they believe their god or deity demands it. Just like the current terrorism that is occurring in Marawi City, Mindanao in the Philippines the terrorists kill those who are Christians. But if a Christian turns away from his or her Christianity and profess his or her faith same as the religion of the terrorist, the terrorist will spare the life of the individual.

           Terrorism promotes hate and discrimination. It sends a bad image and reputation to the society about the Muslims. Intolerance and discrimination against Muslims are not new, but manifestations of these phenomena appear to have been on the rise in recent years. Muslims might experience verbal harassment or be the targets of hate speech, violent attacks or religious profiling.  The “war on terror” tensions about national personality and the troubles in adapting to the expanding assorted variety in numerous social orders have prompted a development in hatred against Muslims and Islam that has in some cases been fuelled by narrow minded dialect in media and political talk. As a result, many Muslims experience a range of discrimination, including verbal harassment, hate speech, violent attacks and religious profiling. Many are also confronted with a lack of equal opportunities in employment, housing, health care and education, and face restrictions on the public expression of their religion. Therefore, we can try to stop this. I just want you to listen, understand and take action to lessen this type of crisis.

           War appears to be contradictory to Christianity since the Fifth Commandment states, “Thou shalt not kill.” Every individual has an obligation to protect his life, and in this way has a privilege to honest to goodness self-preservation.  We should have respect for human life. The deliberate murder of an innocent person is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human being, to the golden rule, and to the holiness of the Creator. The law forbidding it is universally valid: it obliges each and everyone, always and everywhere. The commandment, “You shall not kill,” adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred, and vengeance. Going further, Christ asks his us to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies. As Christians or even in different religion, what is your stand? Do you really want this? Or do you want to stop this? It’s up to your actions. The future of the youth is in your hands.

[thoughtsbybea-blog]

Colors and the Church

 Your color does not define you. Across the world, people are being denied of their privileges because their skin tone is a shade other than white. People become victims of police brutality because they are Black. People are accused of being a terrorist because they wear a hijab. Imagine being ostracized and ridiculed by society just because of your race and your culture. Discrimination against culture and color needs to be stopped, and it needs to be stopped soon. For centuries, people of color have been oppressed, majority of which are by white people. This goes down deep in history.

Racism, in general, is the belief that one race is superior or inferior to the other. Racial discrimination is experienced and witnessed through different degrees. As simple as mocking a person because of their race to white-washing a character of color, a glimpse of racism can already be seen. In 2015, a 14-year-old boy named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing a “hoax-bomb”. Mohamed brought a reassembled digital clock in an 8-inch pencil container to show his teachers. His English teacher, however, thought and assumed the clock was a bomb, confiscated and reported it to the police right away. This is an example of how prejudice against races happen. If he were a white boy instead of a Muslim, things would have turned out differently.

One of the most frequent cases of racism is racial stereotyping. How many times have you avoided someone wearing a hijab because, admit it, you were scared? Or assumed someone was intelligent because they were Asian? According to Dr. David Williams, a professor of African and African American studies at Harvard University, when people hold a negative stereotype about a group and meet someone from that group, they often treat that person differently and don’t even realize it. This is called unconscious discrimination. There are some instances when we unconsciously entertain racism, and we don’t even know it.  

Difference may be a terrifying thought, especially when you are not used to change or when something is strange to you. When you are exposed to a culture you’re not familiar with, is it wrong to be scared? Sometimes, people fear what they don’t know. As a person of color myself, the thought of going to a foreign environment terrifies me, especially not knowing what the norm is. However, we should not let our prejudices get in the way of our treatment towards someone.

We are all the same in the eyes of God. The Almighty made each and every one of us uniquely. Some He made darker, some lighter. Some He made petite, some He made towering. We all have our unique traits, and not one of us have the same features, not even identical twins. But no matter how contrasting our features are, no matter how different our customs are, we are all the same in the eyes of God. He does not choose who He loves. You could steal a thousand times, and still He will love you unconditionally. If our God loves us despite of our disparity, why can’t we do the same to each other? Why do we take our differences against each other, instead of accepting each other for who we are and what we believe in?

Despite our differences in ethnicity and beliefs, we are unified as one under the Church. Yet, one race discriminates the other. One religion is favored than the other. As a Catholic, I give the same treatment to my Muslim friends as I do to my fellow Catholics. I am the same person with my fellow Filipino friends as I am with my foreign friends. Because I know and I understand that differences does not mean to set apart. It does not mean that they should be excluded nor treated any less. We are made up of different parts and different functions, and yet, when unified, become one great body that is the Church. To quote the Bible, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:4-6).

Even though we all have our distinct traits, and are special in our own way, God still created us all equally. In that sense, although we have our differences, may it be in traits or in our lifestyle, still those differences should be set aside with respect. Because we are all made equal, not one race is made superior, not one race is made inferior. We are all made equal, and equal is how we should treat each other.

Discrimination against culture and color needs to be stopped. There are countless races in the world, and yet we are only under one Church, under one Creator, and under one God. We should not strip away a person’s privilege because of their skin color. We should not wrongfully accuse a person because they are Black. We should not mock a person whose first language is not English. We should not let stereotypes get in the way of our judgement and treatment. We are more than just our color.

[balingitshaine-blog]

Same-Sex Marriage vs. Roman Catholicism

Countries particularly in Europe has practiced and accepted this ceremony, even in the United States, allowing civil unions of the same sex.  But is the Philippines ready for embracing this practice or having it legalized like what some countries did? Personally, and being Asia’s bastion of Roman Catholicism, and to preserve our culture, I oppose the gay union to be legalize in our country.

In an article I read in Rappler by Jonas Bagas, he mentioned that social attitude of Filipinos are gradually shifting and that the state should start recognizing unions of same sex.  Yes, our social outlook is shifting at a fast pace as well as the growth of the LGBT community and how they become more open and present in arts/entertainment and even in politics.  But the idea of same-sex marriage is not a priority.  There are in fact, much important issues that needs to be addressed which aims to benefit the greater population and not just a small fraction which is concern the third sex or LGBT.  Should partners on same sex finds a dire need to make their bond official, there are other and costly ways to make the union possible, in overseas.

This matter has long been debated in our country.  In fact, Former Representative Etta Rosales filed a same-sex marriage bill in the House 18 years ago, but it has never progressed beyond first-round discussions.  Senator Risa Hontiveros sponsored a counterpart measure in the upper chamber last year. That bill has received a first reading, but it still has a long way to go before becoming a law.  The bill seeks to eliminate discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender people in education, health, labor and other sectors. Senators are set to debate the proposal and amend some provisions if necessary before putting it up for a new round of voting on the floor.

It is true that some would automatically blame the Catholic and its heads, and how it has been trying to control our political institutions.  But is the Church really that powerful?  Or the problem is that the state is weak.  Reforming the catholic hierarchy is not the solution to achieve recognition of same-sex union.   Instead, Filipinos should probably be focusing on trying to reform the state and its outlook towards the new society.  Good luck to that.

Same-sex marriage is a very sensitive issue, but it is above all about our sectarian values – whether it be all about basic fairness and our constitutional rights, about human dignity regardless of the sex of the people we love.  Or as once said by Ms. Rosales, “When people love each other, whether heterosexual or of the same sex, what is paramount is the love towards the other person’s humanity,” and “this must be respected. Same-sex marriage, deriving from that principle, protects both parties with respect to property rights and even in caring for children both parties decide to adopt.

In this day in age and for the many years to come, the idea of allowing same sex marriage for me as a Filipino is unlikely to happen.  This is mainly due our culture and religion, which has been the bedrock of the civil code which states a man can only marry a woman, and a woman to marry a man.  That is our law.  So what if some European countries and the United States allowed same sex marriages?  That’s for them. That cannot apply to us, because we are Catholics. 

[gaylevillaester-blog]

Untitled.

    Have you ever felt so disgusted in yourself? Have you ever screamed for help? Have you ever felt that you’re tied up, and not able to speak out what you feel? I may not have encountered personally the sufferings of these women, child, and any other people who experienced nothing but these endless pain of sexual harassment, but surely I can hear their screams, feel their fear, and see their innocence.

    Based on my gathered facts, over 8,000 women and children are being raped for the last years. Who would have thought that we will get a massive number of rape victims by the end of the year. Imagine all of those women and children being sexualized by our own countrymen. Yet, we are still unsure if that is the exact number of people who are being sexualized. These immoral acts, can be caused by the lack of education, morals, and respect.

    I remember the day of our church’s conference, a lady standing in front of a big crowd sharing her faith and how she get through her own experience of sexual harassment. I remember clapping my hands and cheering my heart out on how brave she was to share her experience. She was sexualized by her own father. Her other sisters had the exact misery. The lost of hope, and faith is all over her. She was so scared to scream for help thinking that her own father will murder her and will do the exact thing to her siblings. Since she can’t do anything about it, she wrote letters thinking that these letters will help her cast out from her miserable life that feels like death. Without any hesitation, she placed all of these letters in their own roof. The thought of reading the letters by a stranger did not pop in her head. And that day came, the authority read her letter. Luckily she was saved by a foundation and they introduced God to her.

    I myself encountered this kind of violence. It may not be as bad as her experience but it is still an act of harassment. Just walking through the streets with decent clothes, you’ll hear all kinds of hiss from different people. Or the so called “cat-calling”, and I am certain to say this that every girl that I know also had this kind of experience. Catcalling is not compliment it is an act of violence. We should not feel obligated to satisfy their needs whether, physically, emotionally, or what ever pleasures they need for us.

   But on the other side, I am glad to tell you that we are slowly rising up from this controversy. One city in our country, particularly Quezon City, approved the law of “Anti-Catcalling Ordinance”. I hope that we can keep passing this kind of law. Not just for our country, but for the whole world. Because, everyone deserves to be respected just as we want to be respected by the others here is a passage that I want to share to you. In the letters of Paul to Thessalonians saying: ”6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:6-9

    We believe that our own church is not about just knowing God, sharing His words, and not just singing all the songs with our hearts. It’s more of encouragement, hope, and knowing their hearts personally. It’s not just reading the bible It’s more of studying it and implying it to our own lives. And if ever I’d encounter someone with the same grief, I will not hesitate to invite that person to our church, and I’ll talk to her personally about this matter. Cause this is a serious issue. We should not just let this “slip” away. We will get to know this person more, invite her to our services, give her a bible, and we will invite her to study it. First of, inviting them to our church can improve their, confidence through fellowship. Second, attending Sunday services and mid-week devotional services, can revive themselves to repent and pray again. Lastly, giving the bible and studying it can be the start of their new lives and the growth of their spiritual state.

    No. I am not. I am not just a girl. I am not just someone who wears dresses, make-up and do all these “girly things” and yes, I can do what you and all these men around can. No. I am not just a sex object. I am not just a past time. My mouth is not only meant to scream “yes, please, fast”. My breasts aren’t only for your dreams. My clunge aren’t for your pleasures, and my whole body is mine. And this is my choice. I stand for the ones who cannot get up, I speak for the ones who are silent. Yes it is me. A female that stands for Sexual Harassment.

[gaylevillaester-blog]

Untitled.

    Have you ever felt so disgusted in yourself? Have you ever screamed for help? Have you ever felt that you’re tied up, and not able to speak out what you feel? I may not have encountered personally the sufferings of these women, child, and any other people who experienced nothing but these endless pain of sexual harassment, but surely I can hear their screams, feel their fear, and see their innocence.

    Based on my gathered facts, over 8,000 women and children are being raped for the last years. Who would have thought that we will get a massive number of rape victims by the end of the year. Imagine all of those women and children being sexualized by our own countrymen. Yet, we are still unsure if that is the exact number of people who are being sexualized. These immoral acts, can be caused by the lack of education, morals, and respect.

    I remember the day of our church’s conference, a lady standing in front of a big crowd sharing her faith and how she get through her own experience of sexual harassment. I remember clapping my hands and cheering my heart out on how brave she was to share her experience. She was sexualized by her own father. Her other sisters had the exact misery. The lost of hope, and faith is all over her. She was so scared to scream for help thinking that her own father will murder her and will do the exact thing to her siblings. Since she can’t do anything about it, she wrote letters thinking that these letters will help her cast out from her miserable life that feels like death. Without any hesitation, she placed all of these letters in their own roof. The thought of reading the letters by a stranger did not pop in her head. And that day came, the authority read her letter. Luckily she was saved by a foundation and they introduced God to her.

    I myself encountered this kind of violence. It may not be as bad as her experience but it is still an act of harassment. Just walking through the streets with decent clothes, you’ll hear all kinds of hiss from different people. Or the so called “cat-calling”, and I am certain to say this that every girl that I know also had this kind of experience. Catcalling is not compliment it is an act of violence. We should not feel obligated to satisfy their needs whether, physically, emotionally, or what ever pleasures they need for us.

   But on the other side, I am glad to tell you that we are slowly rising up from this controversy. One city in our country, particularly Quezon City, approved the law of “Anti-Catcalling Ordinance”. I hope that we can keep passing this kind of law. Not just for our country, but for the whole world. Because, everyone deserves to be respected just as we want to be respected by the others here is a passage that I want to share to you. In the letters of Paul to Thessalonians saying: ”6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:6-9

    We believe that our own church is not about just knowing God, sharing His words, and not just singing all the songs with our hearts. It’s more of encouragement, hope, and knowing their hearts personally. It’s not just reading the bible It’s more of studying it and implying it to our own lives. And if ever I’d encounter someone with the same grief, I will not hesitate to invite that person to our church, and I’ll talk to her personally about this matter. Cause this is a serious issue. We should not just let this “slip” away. We will get to know this person more, invite her to our services, give her a bible, and we will invite her to study it. First of, inviting them to our church can improve their, confidence through fellowship. Second, attending Sunday services and mid-week devotional services, can revive themselves to repent and pray again. Lastly, giving the bible and studying it can be the start of their new lives and the growth of their spiritual state.

    No. I am not. I am not just a girl. I am not just someone who wears dresses, make-up and do all these “girly things” and yes, I can do what you and all these men around can. No. I am not just a sex object. I am not just a past time. My mouth is not only meant to scream “yes, please, fast”. My breasts aren’t only for your dreams. My clunge aren’t for your pleasures, and my whole body is mine. And this is my choice. I stand for the ones who cannot get up, I speak for the ones who are silent. Yes it is me. A female that stands for Sexual Harassment.

[juliannech]

An Eye for an Eye

  “Real eyes realize real lies.” Cliché? Of course. You hear it everywhere. Others say all you have to do is look into the eyes and you will realize. But then, what do you realize?

  William Shakespeare once said, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” Now look into the eyes and tell me what you see. Do you see a goon in a man full of tattoos? Or a hooker in a lady sitting with a bunch of men? Is seeing enough for believing? If that’s the case, how can you see the good in someone if he, himself, doesn’t even know he has it? I want you to take another look. More closely, more precisely, do you see the fire burning in their eyes as emotions yearn to transpire? Because here, I ask of you, you need to see beyond a façade.

  Hiding the tears that fall like the rain and the marks made by a blade. How did he get here? Let’s start from the very beginning. While major depressive disorder’s exact cause remains unknown; sexual and emotional abuse, medical conditions, combination of genes, and stress can increase the risk of developing the condition. In fact, citing a report of the National Poison Management and Control Center (NPMCC) of the Philippine General Hospital, Filipino kids as young as 10 years old have committed suicide due to depression. It tends to become a big reason in doubting God and His ways of strengthening our faith in Him. People with depression tend to think that there is always something missing. They feel lost as they are waiting for someone who can fully understand their situation without having to look at them with judging eyes. It appears that these people seem to be always hiding. Yes, hiding their emotions to  the world and its censorious eyes. The thing here is, the emotions they keep suppressing are also the emotions that make them humans. I want you to understand that depression affects not only the person’s outlook in life, but also the people’s stance toward him. The question here shouldn’t only be how his soul can overcome the despair written in his eyes but also how the people would look underneath the illusion and see the Church in him.

  Rather than assessing the credibility of a person, why not open an opportunity for him to uncover the potentials he is hiding? Here is a passage from Romans 14:1 - “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” It states here that he, who is not well acquainted with the principles of the Church, should be welcomed. Not to be judged by the thoughts that differ from him, but to bear with his weakness.  This tells us not to see others over non-essentials things. Instead, we must accept them and see the good in them for we are all created in the image and likeness of God.

  The Church here stands as a structure. Not a building but a structure. It is a structure that is planted within us. May it be in a dark place or in a place where the sun never stops rising. Still, it is the Church. Whether in a problematic person or a person with the most positive outlook in life, the Church will remain being the Church that dwells in us.

  I assume you all know the game ‘hide and seek’. You hide and I will seek. No. Because starting today, we will change the game. WE will seek. They do not need to hide to the world because we will seek with them to find what is missing. We will seek to know the feelings that they are hiding inside. We will seek to see the true form of the Holy Spirit that lives within each and every one of us. Today is not a day to use your eyes to see, today is the day you start using your heart to really see, feel and understand.

  I want you to stay in front of a mirror while reading the title once again. This time I want you to see that the eyes aren’t just mere windows, but a connection of the mundane world to the core of humanity. A soul seeing another soul, an eye reflecting the center of a human’s core. Now, look closely at the mirror. Observe. Slowly, carefully, I want you to fathom that it takes more than what meets the eye to view your heart’s desire. Now tell me, do you still see the color of your eyes or a reflection that lies within your eyes?   

[bethina03-blog]

Start an End

          Today, our Catholic Church receives a lot of discrimination from the public. Not only the Catholic Church receives discrimination but also the people around the world. What do you think is the cause of this? Misunderstanding. It is because the Church and the society lack understanding.  People tend to misinterpret the intentions of the Church about certain methods they want to imply. Before we discriminate the judgment of the church, first we must understand their viewpoints so that we may grasp what they want us to see.

             They say that we, Catholics, worship statues because most of the churches in the Philippines have lots of images and paintings of saints, martyrs, and the people who contributed a lot in the Catholic Church, but the truth is Catholics do not worship images or religious articles, we venerate them.We use them as a way to help us connect our emotions to God. It feels different when you pray while seeing something and while seeing nothing. It brings us comfort and guidance to see while we pray.

             We do not uphold our tithes. This is an advantage for the people but this is a disadvantage for the church because those tithes are their funds for its expenses and for donations to charities. However, Jesus is compassionate and He does not force His people to give if it doesn’t come from their hearts. If we love God, we should give freely from our writhing heart, and because He love us, He understands us in our capabilities and shortcomings.

             Sometimes, even though we have a lot of problems that we may think that have no solutions at all and we are continuously suffering and depressed, we must keep hold of our faith and keep on praying to God. Most Catholics have strong faith in God and they keep in mind that if they pray harder and wish for it regardless of the time it takes, God will grant them bountiful blessings. In times like this, we should always pray to God because he is always there for us whenever we need him and he gives us this kind of problems because he knows that we can overcome it, just have faith in Him.

             The Catholic Church keeps on interfering in politics which they should not be. They are against family planning even though our country’s population is increasing everyday. What they do not understand is that the Catholic Church is prolife. They respect the life given to us. Some methods of family planning prevent life. The Catholic Church is really against it to be taught to families where they represent the Holy Family itself in the community. According to Pope Francis, the family, the fruitful covenant between man and woman, is the answer to the great challenge of our world. Also, the Catholic Church only allows one method in family planning which is rhythm method. It was stated that it is not highly advisable to families where the mother or the father works overseas or is far away from their families.

             Isn’t it saddening that as a lot of social issues arise, the issues our Church faces also arise? What I’ve come here to do is to show all of you that discrimination in our Church is getting worse and as a Catholic, we should pray for the people who don’t understand the Church. Let me ask you, how would you start ending the discrimination we put ourselves in; more so, our Catholic Church?