That's what I was thinking over a week ago during Sunday mass. My patience has expired. My tolerance has expired. Any residual sympathy within me has expired.
I don't know why I even bother listening to their side.
I absolutely detest being lied to, ESPECIALLY if it's to my face. Having people I used to trust doing the lying is just the final nail on the coffin.
It was a captive audience. They even had a Powerpoint presentation up on the huge screen.
Everything was pure vanilla. Everything had been said before. However, one thing really twisted my tail.
Coercion.
One of the reasons why the Church is against the reproductive health bills in Congress is that, according to them, the bills seek to force people to use contraceptives. In fact, the men in white robes gleefully point to a provision penalizing health workers who refuse to provide complete information on reproductive health and access to contraceptives.
Another reason is that they believe that "population management" here would soon be just like that in the People's Republic of China: one child per family, or else. They point to the provision of "incentives" for couples who have only two children as a basis for this fear.
The Catholic Church considers these acts as coercive. But what is coercive about providing tax breaks? What is coercive about ensuring that the people get complete information and have access to whatever family planning method they choose?
What is coercive is the fact that the Church is forcing down our throats its own views on family planning on pain of "being in a state of sin" or outright excommunication.
They are forcing their beliefs on everyone. Not just Catholics, everyone. The bishops and the priests would be well within their rights to tell their flock to follow their teachings, to toe their line, so to speak. Within the Church they would just be doing their jobs.
However, in a nation of 90 million, NOT ALL OF WHICH ARE CATHOLICS, the mere act of denying equal access to information is coercion.
Natural Family Planning: NOTHING ELSE, OR ELSE!
Even if you are a Protestant, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or whatever other religion, you are forced to toe the line. AS LONG AS THE CHURCH HAS ITS WAY.
The issue here now is not only overpopulation. It's no longer just the fact that our resources are being spread thin by the unbridled growth of our population. It's no longer just the fact that our schools are being filled to the brim with new students year in and year out. It's no longer just the fact that more than 400,000 babies are being aborted by mothers and families who are either not yet ready or simply cannot afford another child.
The issue here is freedom of choice.
THAT is the one thing being denied the Filipino people, thanks to the Church.
Choice.
The people have the right to choose how they plan their families. They must be able to choose what they believe is right FOR THEM, not what is right for the Church.
Choice in itself is useless if it is not INFORMED.
The people must be given equal access to ALL kinds of family planning methods. They must have access to ALL information about family planning, not just the sanitized version peddled by the Church.
Last time I checked, we were supposed to be in a democracy, although much remains to be desired in this country. However, the people in this country are free to choose what they want.
Ignore the Catholic Church. Give the issue to the people. Give the issue to suffering mothers and overburdened fathers. Let them choose for themselves.
I don't know why I even bother listening to their side.
I absolutely detest being lied to, ESPECIALLY if it's to my face. Having people I used to trust doing the lying is just the final nail on the coffin.
It was a captive audience. They even had a Powerpoint presentation up on the huge screen.
Everything was pure vanilla. Everything had been said before. However, one thing really twisted my tail.
Coercion.
One of the reasons why the Church is against the reproductive health bills in Congress is that, according to them, the bills seek to force people to use contraceptives. In fact, the men in white robes gleefully point to a provision penalizing health workers who refuse to provide complete information on reproductive health and access to contraceptives.
Another reason is that they believe that "population management" here would soon be just like that in the People's Republic of China: one child per family, or else. They point to the provision of "incentives" for couples who have only two children as a basis for this fear.
The Catholic Church considers these acts as coercive. But what is coercive about providing tax breaks? What is coercive about ensuring that the people get complete information and have access to whatever family planning method they choose?
What is coercive is the fact that the Church is forcing down our throats its own views on family planning on pain of "being in a state of sin" or outright excommunication.
They are forcing their beliefs on everyone. Not just Catholics, everyone. The bishops and the priests would be well within their rights to tell their flock to follow their teachings, to toe their line, so to speak. Within the Church they would just be doing their jobs.
However, in a nation of 90 million, NOT ALL OF WHICH ARE CATHOLICS, the mere act of denying equal access to information is coercion.
Natural Family Planning: NOTHING ELSE, OR ELSE!
Even if you are a Protestant, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or whatever other religion, you are forced to toe the line. AS LONG AS THE CHURCH HAS ITS WAY.
The issue here now is not only overpopulation. It's no longer just the fact that our resources are being spread thin by the unbridled growth of our population. It's no longer just the fact that our schools are being filled to the brim with new students year in and year out. It's no longer just the fact that more than 400,000 babies are being aborted by mothers and families who are either not yet ready or simply cannot afford another child.
The issue here is freedom of choice.
THAT is the one thing being denied the Filipino people, thanks to the Church.
Choice.
The people have the right to choose how they plan their families. They must be able to choose what they believe is right FOR THEM, not what is right for the Church.
Choice in itself is useless if it is not INFORMED.
The people must be given equal access to ALL kinds of family planning methods. They must have access to ALL information about family planning, not just the sanitized version peddled by the Church.
Last time I checked, we were supposed to be in a democracy, although much remains to be desired in this country. However, the people in this country are free to choose what they want.
Ignore the Catholic Church. Give the issue to the people. Give the issue to suffering mothers and overburdened fathers. Let them choose for themselves.
1 comment:
Amen to that brother.
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