gayle

[greatgrottu-deactivated20151102]

[staff]

Couples costume idea

[danialleo]

WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO LIVE FREE AND EQUAL

For many years, Gender discrimination has been a universal problem. Over a century and a half of fighting for gender equality and we have yet to say that we have achieved this. I am writing this because I want discrimination in genders to stop. In fact, these years have amounted to nothing with we cannot stop the horrors occurring in the world around us that you probably don’t even know.

In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive, despite numerous protests. They have to rely to their fathers or partners to get them from place to place. In countries like Egypt and Bahrain, husbands have the right to stop their wives to travel to a different country. Other countries requires a permission from the husband to leave the country. In most of the middle east, gender inequality is pervasive as men are typically viewed as superior. In most cases like divorce, men can file it with ease and can even just announce orally. While women on the other hand, suffer through many challenges before filing one. In Lebanon, abused women are not allowed to file for a divorce unless a witness is willing to testify. Thus, I am writing to promote gender equality.

First of all, what do we mean by gender equality? It is by definition a belief that all of us are equally the same despite our genders. These are human rights. Not of men, but of men and women together. All humans are born with equal rights and dignity. When a girl crying is considered normal while a guy crying is considered too weak and unmanly, when a guy who is effeminate is considered “gay”, when women are believed to supposedly be “in the kitchen” and men are the ones who need to work, when wages are higher to men than to women. This kind of mentality has to stop, in Christ’s teachings, he teaches us to love one another equally as we are all brothers and sisters. We are all brothers and sisters because we are all made by one creator and he created us out of his own image. Therefore, why do we depict discrimination? Why shouldn’t we all just be equal in all forms? We can change this, men should be able to express their emotions without being called “weak and unmanly”, women should be able to work feely without someone telling them that they should be the one taking care of house chores, men can be effeminate without them being gay. When a social experiment was conducted at London to see how the public would react to the issue about domestic violence. It showed that violence towards women was met with outrage and threats on calling the police while, violence towards men was met with public humiliation and amusement. It is sad to see that the world revolves like this.

It is time that we make a change, it is time that we, the next generation stand up to gender equality. As Hilary Clinton said “it is time that we move from good words to good works, from sound bites to sound solutions” we are all equal, neither of us is superior nor inferior. We need to make a solution. Because we are the next generation, we are the future and we are the change.

[chxsannell]

I am no one’s property

Do you even have any sense of humanity in you? There are many social issues being discussed right now and yet here we are being ignorant of the real and bigger problem. Human Trafficking, is a modern-day slavery and every year millions of men, women and children all around the world becomes a victim of human trafficking.  I’ve seen news all over social media about how people are being forced to slavery and I stand against it because it goes against every moral values and beliefs I know as a Catholic.  

It was stated in Deuteronomy 24:7, ““If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.” The victims of Human Trafficking have often been accused of prostitution or underage sex, in the first place did they ask to be taken away from their families and become sex slaves? No they did not ask such a horrible experience to happen in their lives, they simply we’re forced and threatened so why accuse them of something that they didn’t even want to happen to their selves? They already have been through enough. I read a story about how a woman was walking back to her house after shopping at a mall and how two men took her and sold her as a prostitute wherein she was in the business for 9 years all because the men who kidnapped her thought she would make a perfect prostitute because she showed a little skin. Woman are being depict at wanting “it” when we show a little skin which is raises another problem because of some people’s ill opinions about how a woman should not dress that way. We should never judge someone just because of the clothes they wear.

We have no right to own or forced a human being into something they do not want. God gave us all free will and said that we are all equal, one is not less than the other and one is not greater than the other we are all equal. That’s why human trafficking is something that goes against God. No one should think to that they are above others, that’s plain idiotic. No one can take away your freedom which is why we should all be aware of the dangers of human trafficking and help each other prevent this horrendous crime from blighting our world even further.

Nobody owns you and you don’t own anybody, people in power often think that just because they have the power they think the people below them are now their property. Let me tell you this, there isn’t anyone in this world powerful enough to own someone except God for we are his children. As God’s children we are equal and one is never above the other.

People argue that the victims of human trafficking were careless and therefore deserve what happened to them as they were not careful enough which is why they were taken and forced into a life they did not want. Human trafficking or any crime for the matter can happen unexpectedly one minute you’re just having fun with friends the next you’re being taken away from your family possibly never seeing them ever again. We should all realize no one deserves this kind of crime to happen to them. No one deserves to be miserable and forced into slavery this is not the medieval age, it is estimated that human traffickers earn 100 billion profit and here is the other cause of human trafficking which is greed.. Stop human trafficking, stop modern-day slavery, stop child labour, stop prostitution. We all deserve to be free.

Human Trafficking is still alive and continues today in every country in the world. Women forced into prostitution. Girls married off to older men. Children being taken away from their families and are being forced into labor.  Modern day slavery should be stopped because there is more to it than some people may think, human trafficking is connected to rape, abuse and gender inequality. There are organizations that help stop and prevent human trafficking from being more destructive than it already is, let’s all help and join in the cause of helping and stopping human trafficking. Don’t do it for yourself, do it for the future of our generations.

[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.

[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?   

[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. 

[anglmrce-blog]

Fight for our rights

Human rights? I don’t even know where to start in human rights. Human rights is a very serious topic to talk about in this kind of era. Because this certain topic we are talking about is the right of every person in the country. Human rights are about human dignity and the fact that no human can humiliate another person in public. Human rights can protect us from being locked up in our society. 

Human rights started in the Philippines in 1948, where in the President of the Philippines that time signed the “Universal Declaration of Human rights” or UDHR, so that we can be protected as individuals. Before, when the Philippines did not have human rights yet. It was chaos. The citizens were afraid because there’s no equality and freedom in the Philippines there’s no equality and freedom in the Philippines that time. That’s why Elpidio Quirino signed the UDHR to stop the chaos and so the Filipinos that time can learn to respect others. 

The community of the catholic church is supporting human rights because they want  peace and unity in our country. Without human rights our country would be full of chaos. Our country would be a battlefield. Whenever I hear news about war and chaos in our country, I feel sad because many people are getting killed. The church wants to have peace in our country. Especially this year because we didn’t expect the war will begin this year.

As a catholic we should support Human rights because, I believe that every person in the world has the right to express themselves for who they really are we do not need the opinion of others to say who we are, who we should be, how to act or what should we do in our lives. Like in school, we shouldn’t allow people to talk us into changing who we are to someone we are not just to be cool or look famous. If you are in the LGBT community you should not be afraid to let the world know who you really are and never let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong in this world.   

[mary-zamora-blog1]

WAR ON TERRORISM

In this world, Terrorism is one of the biggest conflicts occurring around us. Terrorism must stop because it gives Islam a bad reputation, tears apart families and friends and creates secular divides. Terrorism, by nature, is difficult to define. Acts of terrorism conture emotional responses in victims as well as the practitioners. Terrorists have used violence to get their point across to the public. Terrorism is a hazard for mankind. The world faces the problems of poverty, population, and hunger but the spread of terrorism is the most frightening of all. Be it in small countries, like Ireland, Israel, Philippines, and the big over like Russia and USA, terrorism has become the main challenge to most of the government today.

Terrorism is a worldwide problem, it uses violence. It is in the commandment that thou shall not kill. We are given the freedom to do goodness. In this regard, we come across morality. When we speak of morality, we do what is good. We, Catholics, respect the people because we are created in God’s image. Here in terrorism, lives were taken away. There are acts of killings and violence which the catholic church prohibits. The killing of the innocent, whatever the motivation is must be absolutely and unconditionally condemned. Support peace makers. The catholic church is a universal religion. Our church reacts beyond the special interests of the United States or any particular country. On this point, the church urges the cooperation of the international community for addressing survivors threats to peace and stability.

Trust in Christ. We understand, as Catholics that thus is a war that must be fought with spiritual and not merely military weapons. St. Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principolites, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits of heavens” (Eph 6:12). The powers of darkness he inspired many ideologies of violence throughout history. We must not give in to hatred, anger, or despair. We must stand firm and find hope in the word of Christ.

[juliamaquinto-blog]

Madam and Eve, Adam and Steve: Same-sex Relationships in the Philippines

The Philippines ranks as the most gay-friendly country in Asia, and the 10th among 39 countries covered by a global survey. However, despite high numbers, the country still frowns upon same-sex relationships, more so, same-sex marriage. Despite the protests, the country stands firm on its grounds and there might be little to no hope that same-sex marriage will be legalized in the Philippines due to its religious background. As a Catholic, the mainstream answer would be to support the church. I, however, hope that the country would change its views and support the LGBT community. 

The Roman Catholic religion is not the only religion in the world. There are roughly 4,200 religions out there. The idea that homosexuality is a sin is only believed upon by the number of those religions. We are taught as a child to respect the beliefs of other people. For example, Iglesia ni Cristo believers are not allowed to eat dinuguan and we never judged them for that. Muslims don’t eat pork, and we even cater to their needs. So why can’t we accept the fact that some religions allow homosexual relationships without frowning upon them?

Majority of our countrymen might be Catholic, but that does not mean that everyone in the country is, added to that, not every Catholic believes that same-sex marriage should not be legalized. This is why there is a law about the separation of church and state. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states: The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. (Article II, Section 6). Furthermore, no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. So why is the government not allowing same-sex marriage?

Our God is a God filled with love, mercy and compassion. Our God promotes love. When did loving someone become such a bad thing? If their happiness does not step on yours, why step on theirs? All they ever did was to love each other, and here we are, mere humans, destroying the love that they have. If our God knows how to forgive and accept sinners, why can’t we? Let God be the judge of their love. Even Pope Francis supports the community. Pope Francis said that he is aware that many cultures and religions find expressions of homosexuality “offensive,” but having a “different mentality” should not be a justification for harm or ill will toward the LGBT community. “I repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that they must not be discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally,” he added. The observations echoed a now-famous remark he made while returning from a week-long trip to Brazil in 2013, when he said “Who am I to judge?” in relation to homosexuals. “If a person is gay and seeks to God and has good will, who am I to judge?” he said, after his first foreign trip as pontiff. Many have hailed the religious leader’s statements as “a groundbreaking moment” for LGBT people. If the head of the church supports it, shouldn’t the followers do so as well?

One can argue that the country loves gay people, but this is not how I see it. The way I see it, our country only tolerates the LGBT community. The statement “I’ll beat my son up if he comes out gay to turn him into a man.” still prevails among fathers in the country. When Charice Pempengco came out as Jake Zyrus, there were criticisms everywhere and people all over social networking sites began to mock him. Is this the same country that ranked first as the most gay-friendly country in Asia? 

There’s no hope that the church would accept same-sex marriage and I know that. What I’m asking is for the government to start being unbiased and legalize marriage. There are three kinds of marriages in the Philippines namely: Religious weddings, Civil weddings and Military weddings. If religions cannot grant these couples the right to marry each other, the government should allow them to marry under the law. They are human beings—people of this nation—and the government shouldn’t restrict them these rights just because of gender and religion. However, this doesn’t mean that I would tolerate immoral acts.

[mychxmicalwil-blog]

Racism in the modern days

Should racial discrimination be tolerated? In the United States, racism has been present since the early 16th century and is still present until the present days. In fact, it is disappointing how our world has gotten to a place where you can actually hate a person for their race, and it should not be tolerated by anyone.

According to a study conducted in Milwaukee, it is stated that white people with prison records received more callbacks from job applications than black people, even without prison records. This study visualize that Racism can possible affect your career. Another thing to be considered, is that racial discrimination CAUSES TOO MUCH VIOLENCE; the rise of hate groups. Recently, there was an incident in Charlottesville, which involved a KKK/Nazi march, organized by people who said who’s going to stand against fascism, nazism and racism that turned out to be a terror attack, which killed some people while protesting against hate.

Still in the United States, Trump, the president of the country, distressingly tolerates racism. And while it is being tolerated, it is effecting to the increasingly number of supremacists agenda in the country, which they only cause violence. In my viewpoint, there is no place in the world for racism, for we are all human; all made in God’s image, wherein color DOESN’T matter.

Racial discrimination is evil and not a reflection of the gospel of the lord. We all have to remember that God is a just and fair judge, and it isn’t our place to spread hate, but instead, spread more love and let God deal with people’s behavior. “The ‘new racism’ is subtle, institutionalized and seemingly non-racial”, says an author of a book about racism. Every person in the world must stop racial discrimination by changing themselves and their beliefs.

[germainelandch-blog]

Why the Church’s Involvement in State Important

Not because you feel different from the others doesn’t mean you have to change in order to belong. Just like the relationship of the Church to the state, the government, we must know that the Church has the very right to be involved in it. People like separists, atheists, or activists would say that they are a whole two different things, that the Church shouldn’t be involved in lawmaking, and that they should just stick to teaching the Bible instead. These are all wrong. Church has to be recognized that it does have a role when it comes to politics and eventually, it plays  a prophetic ministry. Based on a research, “Prophetic” here means policy, structure, or issues in the name of God and Christ, or on behalf of a particular community. ( D. O’Callaghan, October 2015).

For the record, the reason why I am in favor of the Church’s involvement in politics is not just because I am a grade 10 student from a Catholic school, and that they’ve taught a lot about this in all the years have passed. But as a Catholic and a concerned citizen at the same time, we should have the freedom in expressing what we believe in because it is the freedom of every citizen to express their opinions and be involved as they see fit.

The role of the government to the society is to shape us, and the same thing goes with the Church. It’s just that when it comes to politics, it has limitations. It does not ordain morality and righteousness. Therefore, if the Church would not speak, then who would probably be the one who will shape our morality? What do you think will happen to the future well-being and to the whole society we live in? The answer is simple. Those who are marginalized, will remain as marginalized. And those who are poor voiceless people, will be poor and voiceless forever for no one would speak for them. This proves that the Church has moral obligations as the voice of the voiceless.

The Church’s role in politics is an ethical one. It isn’t just there to teach the whole society morality and righteousness. It isn’t just there to gather and sing some hymns on a Sunday morning, but is there to contribute to the well-being of the future and of the whole society in which we live in. And just like what was said by common people that Church should just stick to teaching Bible instead of being involved, it is actually ironic. Why? It is precisely because of the Bible that we, Christians, speak out wherever and whenever we see injustice in the world. We should consider ethics as an expression of God’s desire for the best of His creation.

On the 4th of July, 2017, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed a controversial executive order that would help the Churches participate in politics easier. Many Christians cheered for him, but many disliked as well. Most of what I often hear about him is all about his people’s negative remarks about him, and him being often compared to the former President Barack Obama. The probable reason why this happens is because of the way he runs his country and make decisions in shaping the community of United States. In this issue, people who don’t fully know President Trump just like me, shouldn’t base their judgments on from what they’re simply just hearing. Despite of people’s negative remarks about him, it is actually a good thing that a politician makes a move in helping the Church of its involvement in politics just like his move that would help the Church a lot. However, these executive orders, bills of rights, laws, codes of conduct, constitutions – including the Bible, cannot guarantee transformation or even minimal change. There has to be a will to an act.

Now, even just as a student like me who doesn’t fully know everything yet, it’s still a must that we stand in what we believe in. Church doesn’t exist to only teach the Bible, and not only to teach ‘who God is’. It exists for God, and for the good of the whole community. It is an institution that speaks for a lot of people. It plays a huge and major role in politics in shaping the society as a whole. Lastly, the Church should always be involved in politics because all of us, Christians, are both citizens of God, as well of our own country. Therefore, it is just our rights to be involved in politics and help one another in shaping our moral norms for the good of our society’s well-being.

[jomiguuu]

Discrimination

Have you ever been made fun of because of your skin color? Or because you were certain clothes that people in other religions don’t wear?  Have people avoided you just because of what you look like? This is discrimination. According to Google Dictionary,” discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex”.  Discrimination also includes religious discrimination.  I myself have witnessed discrimination in my community, and I think it needs to be stopped.

               According to GoodTherapy.org, ” People who are discriminated against can suffer significant negative consequences. General well-being, self-esteem, self-worth, and social relations can be severely impacted as a result of discrimination.” This could affect their well-being as a person. Discrimination makes people sad.  Some students who are discriminated may even stop studying due to severe depression.

              But you might be thinking, why do I want discrimination to stop? I myself have experienced discrimination in my life. I’ve been made fun of and laughed at for being unable to speak Filipino in school. I wasn’t all that familiar with the language because I grew up in a country where English was the main language of communication. Luckily,  I wasn’t discouraged and started to learn how to speak in Filipino. I’m one of the lucky ones. Other people go through worse than me. I know what It feels like to be discriminated.

               No one should live in the fear of being the laughingstock for others. Discrimination needs to stop. Everyone should be free to do and speak what they want. No one should make fun of others just because they’re different. It’s okay to be different. It’s not okay to make fun of that difference. You too can help stop discrimination by just being okay with others, no matter what their difference is..

[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.

[smnthtjd-blog]

Worst of the Worst

     What jurisdiction does the law have over ones life?  Talk about the case of an innocent man who was sentenced to death. Have you ever been punished for something you didn’t do? Imagine how he felt on death row, knowing that he had absolutely nothing to do with the crime that he was sentenced for. It’s like they’re murdering people, through their own crimes.

     Death Penalty is a punishment of execution administered to someone legally convicted of capital crime. Due to rising number of crimes in our country, death penalty is regarded as necessary deterrent to heinous crimes. Debate is still going on in its validity. This resulted in a wide discrepancy of laws on this issue. Killing, in my view is still not the solution. We always think that in the end it’s always for the interest of common good.

     Punishing criminals is important in any government policy. Government that fails to maintain the welfare of the citizen leaves citizen unprotected. In todays society, the government presumes that those who commit horrible crimes should be executed. I strongly support the abolishment of death penalty because of my religious beliefs and the fact that killing is flawed and furthermore unconstitutional.

     Death penalty is not the solution to achieve the goal of safer country. What if some of these people being executed are victims of legal mistakes? I don’t believe that death penalty necessarily mean that it will deter crime. There are many aspects of solutions to crime like placing curfews on teenagers, alcohol consumptions rule and many more preventive measures. 

     We are blinded by the thoughts of wrong being right. As a Catholic, only God can judge us. The Supreme Court should not have the option to decide whether we live or die. Is this the kind of faith that we believe in? Pope John Paul II once said that the death penalty is both cruel and unnecessary. “Modern society has the means of protecting itself without definitely denying criminals the chance to reform.” I think locking those people up for the rest of their life is punishment enough. We should make them feel remorseful for their actions.

     How many people had a death sentence carried out before the right evidence was brought to life? Anything that kills innocent people, or has the potential to do so, cannot be considered moral. But death penalty has also moral effects on society. God gave us life so only God can take human life. We pray for all people that their lives and dignity as children of loving God maybe respected and protected in all stages and circumstances.

     Punishment by death is the ultimate punishment and one that cannot be taken back, so death penalty should be abolished. It should no longer be an option of our country’s constitution. It is against my religious beliefs and life values. Our country will never gain peace if we are killing our own citizens. Only Him should decide if we should stay on this Earth, not the government itself.

[mariellexmagalay]

Give Life a Chance to Live

Life is a one-time offer. Use it well. Having said so, I am against the RH BILL, and you should also be. Everyone must be aware and involved in this popular issue in our society now a days.  So, what is RH BILL? It is basically permitting people the program to tell about condoms, pills and ways to prevent pregnancy to kids at a young age, which certainly is not right. It’s also like taking away the chance of an innocent individual to live. Saying No to RH Bill is the other way of saying “I am against killing”.

RH Bill may be considered immoral and goes against the will of God, thus it gathers opposition from the Catholic Church. The stand of the church in contrast to RH Bill is mainly because of their beliefs and religion. They believe that contraception will only destroy the rights of an unborn child. Furthermore, according to the Church, contraception also makes spouses lie about their total self-gift to their spouse, by not surrendering their personal fertility. Eric Manalang of “Ang Kapatiran” stated that, “It promotes promiscuity among children… it does not promote the proper values that we want our children to receive in schools and we believe sex education should strictly remain a family affair.” The RH Bill undermines the institution of marriage. It also undermines parental authority and the family, which are against Christian principles. It is why the church strictly disagrees to the said law.  

We are part of the population that was given a chance to live, to breathe, and to witness what the world looks like. Therefore, let us also share what we had witnessed and give an innocent child a chance to live. The only way for this to be possible is to go against RH Bill and prevent giving the right to violate one’s freedom of expression. Numerous act of abortion is brutally done in some parts of the world and the Philippines is not an exception. We have to be a united nation and to be responsible enough to choose life.

Allow me to state the disadvantages of RH bill to you. Sex should be discussed at home by the parents not through government programs. Approving this bill affects the right of the parents in teaching their young ones about morality. Filipinos are conservative in nature. Our country will become less conservative because of the bill, thus it affects our culture and our way of showing respect to the women. Increase in contraceptive use leads to higher abortion rate. The RH bill carries with it an oppressive punishment for people who will not comply with it, making disagreeing with it and teaching something contrary to it, a crime. The RH bill will teach the entire nation, especially the young people, its definitions of human sexuality, sex, sexual identity, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy and gender roles. They will also define contraception and abortion. We reject the RH bill because it encourages a two-child policy. We reject the RH bill because it’s really about money for contraceptive manufacturers and suppliers. The government provided 3 million pesos for condoms and contraceptives, rather than allot budget for our country’s education. Why just not give attention to our society’s real problem which is corruption, not population? But How can we stop RH Bill if not all feels welcomed to participate?

Is this the protection they are talking about? Tito Sotto said, “I strongly believe that Senate Bill 2865 is not necessary, not beneficial and not practical for our people. It will not serve the common good and therefore should be rejected.” He also added, The RH bill violates Philippine sovereignty, the Philippine Constitution and existing penal laws. The RH bill is detrimental to the health of a pregnant mother and puts the life of the unborn on the line. The RH bill violates our financial independence and the autonomy of local governments. The RH bill transgresses Filipino culture and family values. RH Bill harms women and the unborn rather than protecting them.

I may only be just a student, a minor, but I am concerned and I care about this certain issue. I want to make the Philippines believe that RH bill isn’t the answer to improve our country’s state and to solve our problems. I felt that I have to choose my position, I chose to say “NO TO RH BILL”. I believe that we should value life once we’re given the chance, for the reason that not all have the opportunity.

It is time for us to take a step forward and be a pro-life. I am inviting you to make a change, to be seen and to be heard. RH Bill: Are you for or against it? Take your choice.

[giannagaviola]

Acceptance, Not Rejection

     I may be a Catholic but I support and accept the LGBT community. Many may believe that being a Catholic means being homophobic or going against people who aren’t straight because it states in the Bible that God created man and woman in His image. Yes, it is correct that God created man and woman, but it is wrong to assume that all Catholics are homophobic because of this reason. Homophobia doesn’t come from being Catholic; homophobia comes from cultural conservatism. Nobody is born homophobic. It’s not a matter of religion; it’s a matter of societal orientation and expectation.

     I have gay and pansexual friends and they’re very kind, loving, and smart people; we probably all have a friend who’s not straight yet we love so much from the bottom of our hearts. They are the reasons why I choose to not ignore this issue even if I myself am straight.

    Being an internet girl has made me learn so many things outside of school, including the beautiful concept that is Feminism. This concept has made me learn so much and has lead me to become one myself. I may lack knowledge on certain things other long-term feminists know very much about, but I have the heart and the willingness to learn and to grow as one, so that I may change my wrong viewpoints and influence people to do the same.

    Feminist accounts I follow online have influenced me to stop using certain words as a joke like gay and crazy. They’ve also thought me that people who dictate beauty standards are often people who body shame and are racist. There are so much more but it would take me too long to name all of these things. However, above all of these things, they have influenced me to speak up for those who may not be able to: LGBT in particular for this piece.

    Yes, some of them are accepted by their families and friends and can freely strut around with people knowing that they’re not straight, but it’s undeniable that most still suffer from the consequences of homophobia. According to some researches compiled by Fenway Health, 8 out of 10 students have been verbally harassed at school and 80% of transgender students reported feeling unsafe at school.

   Last June 24, just this year, a Pride Parade was held in Marikina here in the Philippines. Although homosexuality is still not fully accepted yet here in the Philippines, this is still a good sign and a good beginning.

    On the 28th of July 2013, uttered his famous words “If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” On the 30th of September 2013, Pope Francis himself said that God doesn’t condemn LGBT individuals. In 2014, Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes said that he didn’t know if Jesus would oppose to same sex marriage.

    The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says that the Church teaches that homosexuals should be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity and that those who minister in the name of the Church should in no way contribute to the hatred and violence given to homosexuals.

    Ergo, being a Catholic is never an excuse or a reason to mistreat members of the LGBT community in any way. Just like us, they are also people and they deserve to be treated with respect since they’re human too. Some Catholics may be homophobic but their opinion does not represent their entire Church, as much as my opinion does not represent them. All I’m trying to say is, someone’s preferred gender does not equate to their value as people and must be given the same opportunities that heterosexuals have. They should not be assaulted whether verbally or physically, just because they chose to be truthful to themselves.

    They still have human dignity and they are still created by God just like us. If you’re one of the people who have hurt homosexuals for being such, ask yourself the following questions: Will God be pleased with what I’m doing? Does this give me more value than them? Are my actions justified because of my beliefs, or am I just being insensitive? If I’m citing from the Bible, am I sure that my interpretations are correct?

[gaylevillaester-blog]

gg serrr