The RH Bill, Caesar’s lot and my priest and nun relatives

I am a part of a family that is tied to the core of the Catholic Church.  Two of my father’s male siblings – Santiago and Jose – entered the priesthood, while two of his sisters – Fe and Jesusa – became nuns.  My brothers and I all devoted a chunk of our growing up years as altar boys.   But never did we grow up thinking that we should obey everything the church says or else we would suffer eternal damnation.

From what I understand now, we were guided to tell right from wrong until we were mature enough to tell the difference between the two.  We were born into a religion, but for faith to grow there must be a choice, an alternative.  If there was none, then there is only blind obedience.

So I choose to be a Catholic.  Friends and relatives who have been enlightened and who now exclusively call themselves Christians fear for my soul because I still follow what to them are the wrong teachings.  Yet I am not the least bothered about my soul nor about the differing views that they may have about me and my faith.  In fact, I am happy for them because they found God in the way that their faith, their choice, allowed them to.

But though I remain a Catholic, I don’t feel compelled or obliged to follow everything that its leaders bid me so.  Faith can never be imposed.

The Catholic Church is very vocal about its opposition to the proposed RH Bill.  It says it is evil.  It says it is against life.  I guess Catholic priests, bishops and Cardinals who are forbidden to procreate let alone put themselves in situations, even imaginary, where they can extend their progeny have taken the message “Go all of you and multiply,” as an all encompassing go signal for everyone to sow seeds whenever possible.  Of course, preferably with a single mate.

Dolphy was a shining example of this doctrine.  But Dolphy provided well.  Hence his prodigiousness was acceptable, admirable even.  But alas, while millions of Filipino males can or are willing or wishing to do their best Dolphy impersonation when it comes to counting children, and sometimes mates, a vast majority of them could not decently provide for a few, let alone more.

Children are blessings.  I agree wholeheartedly.  But if you make making blessings an industry then this virtually puts an unfair, unsolicited and undeserved curse on its products – children who did not have a choice but to open their eyes to a life with a limited opportunity to improve their lot in life.  And you call this good? For whom?

Tito Sotto, whose brother Vic has sired children with several women, thinks so. Gloria Arroyo who is a devout Catholic, but one who follows the 10 commandments selectively, also thinks so.  So does many bishops and priests who after delivering homilies and threats of eternal damnation retire to their cloisters to pray that children, the blessings themselves, may soon have roofs over their heads, food for their stomachs, and education for their minds, and not the squalor, poverty and the hopelessness that they wake up to everyday.

And this is supposed to be promoting life? 

I wonder if Tito Sotto, or Gloria, or the priests can have the zest to say “Thank God for this blessing” if they wake up one day only to find out that their most pressing concern is where to find the next meal, and they’re not even hopeful that they’d get it?  Good life or good luck?

The RH Bill should not be a debate about good and evil because it is not.  It should not be even about faith or eternal damnation.  It should only be about choice based on one’s reality, among options that are well explained and devoid of unreasonable emotions from the pro or anti-RH Bill.

It’s about free will.  And it is not something that can be monopolized nor imposed any other way by anybody to anyone.   It’s a decision that is best left to the individual to make on the ground where it is relevant, not by someone or an institution up high in the clouds where it is nice and breezy.   If one decides to make so many blessings despite the option to effect the contrary then so be it.  But if a family decides that a few would be the ideal situation, then so be it as well.  And let no one be so judgmental as to say the other is wrong.

It is just right that the Church should exercise moral suasion to its flock and, up to a certain extent, the government.  But the separation of church and state should be observed.  Even Jesus clearly drew the line when asked what he thought about the taxes levied by the Romans on the Jews, he replied “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.” The two can be reconciled.

If my priest uncles and nun aunts would hear what I’m saying, they won’t condemn me or think that I am a lost soul.  Instead they would smile and respect my views because they know my faith is based on free will as much as their decision to enter religious life was.

And they won’t believe that I am evil. They won't because I'm not.