As Filipino and Catholic and the RH Law

The RH Law 10354 is the approved version of the former RH Bill 4244. It is a controversial issue both for the pro-life and the Catholic Church. They consider the law as anti-life because of the promotion of contraceptives as under the artificial family planning. There are two words to bear in mind – contra as against and conception as life. Thus it is labeled as anti-life. The stand of the Catholic Church is pro-life, and it is against the teaching of hers.

As a professed Catholic, my stand is a clear no to the RH Law. And anybody who belongs to the circle of the Catholic Church must take the conservative approach by saying no to RH Law. But on the other hand, as a citizen of the country, I must look myself in the bigger picture. There are many people living in this country who are different from me. I am a Catholic and others are not Catholic, or not all Filipinos are Catholics and not all Catholics are Filipinos in this country.

Therefore, in the spirit of fairness and democracy, I think I have to consider the law. There are people who are pro-RH based on their beliefs and cultures. I must not deprive others who are for it. In this sense, there is this genuine exercise of conscience. Since I am a Catholic, I will act according to what I believe by using only the natural family planning method.

I am sure that our Catholic leaders will not give up in its advocacy to promote life and abhor that which promoting death. The RH Law is likened to the apple in the Garden of Eden. It is the duty of our religious leaders to strength the morals and faith of her followers so that they will not succumb to the temptation of using the contrary method.

Phenomenal Discrimination against Women, Married and Age-Statuses

I was lecturing on Simone de Beauvoir’s philosophy when this thought came to my mind which is not about feminism. Beauvoir’s philosophy is about feminism. Feminism is a philosophic idea that would go against the mentality men-as-dominant in everything, from simple concepts to great application in life. There are two extremes of feminism – liberal and radical. The liberal feminists are already on their half-way battle (the right to suffrage and equality in salary), while the radicals are still on the genesis of their cause, like same-sex marriage and women ordination to priesthood. But there is another kind of discrimination that I describe as very terminal. It is all about against married-status and age-status.

If feminism has arisen due to patriarchal mentality where men are considered as first-class citizens and the former as second-class, this phenomenal discrimination is done in the name of production. Production is the name considered as the key to success to business people. Production is the aim for these people because the logic is this, that the more the production, the more the profit. All of them have one goal in life – it is more money.

In this kind of situation at this particular period of history, the once-upon-a-time important term ‘human’ is not anymore thought of this time. Still the term finds its place in the language of love, but all is superficial. Love for human has no more room today. Look at the classified ads or places in any establishments where you find the tag FOR HIRE, there and then you will find discrimination. It is a discrimination of a kind in terms of age-status and civil-status ‘must be single.’

What do the single have in life that they are the choices of companies today? One word would describe them, and that is they are free. Singles do not have responsibility. They own the time. And ones their employers would demand for extra time, they are always available. On the other hand, married people have responsibility towards their children and their spouses. Thus they are not all the time available. What about the young compared to the people of certain age or shall we say ‘not fresh graduates?’ The young people are vibrant, energetic and easy to trained, while the graduates after 10 years are treated as none of the above.

In this form of discrimination, the feminists’ cause is not yet resolved. If women are married and have reached a certain age of disqualification, discrimination goes on and on. The mentality of men as greater than women has expanded in scope and expounded in meaning. What would be the best resolution to the imbalance of humanity? I guess critical thinkers are finding ways to construct a new paradigm to go against the tide of divisiveness.