Action Legitimizes Religion

I ask myself if what I am writing makes sense. It is because it is going to be religion. I understand that religion has its own territory. When people of certain religious group finds intruder, i.e. saying something against or attacking its territory, they get hurt and offended. And the natural impulse is to defend it. In theology there is a subject that devotes on how to defend religion called apologetic.

But there is another way wherein religion is being intruded. This is something very subtle because it is an indirect offense, but its effect is really deadly. By this I mean the presence of technology that gets the attention of people away from religion. It is because technology is something that is entertaining, concrete and satisfying. I am not saying that religion is not entertaining, concrete and satisfying, but it is not felt.

I believe religion calls for action. It is action that concretizes the abstract. And if I am not mistaken, Vatican II proposes that witnessing is needed in this present and modern world. It is a basic idea like when we express our love towards the beloved, we do something unusual, but it is extraordinary, in order for the beloved to see our intention and love. Thus, what is abstract is now being felt.

St. James in his letter also affirms that faith without action is dead. It means or we can infer that non-action makes faith soul-less because a body without soul is not anymore a body. It is simply a cadaver. Cadaver signifies that there is no soul present in it. Conversely faith becomes alive when it is accompanied with action. It is action that becomes the principle of faith in the midst of technology by making faith entertaining, concrete and satisfying.

A person claiming to be Christian believes in what Jesus Christ did and said. If that person puts everything what Jesus did and said into action, that person is successful in making his religion alive. It is the religious person, in participating in the mission of the Church, who gives life to his religion. I do believe that our action as Christians legitimize our religion. But if people who does not put the words and works of Jesus into action they are killing their own religion. They become the modern walking cadavers and intruders within the territory.

The Alarming Increase of Mendicancy

I was traveling on my way home during Christmas break. I was riding a public bus. Along the way, there were parts of the road which were under renovation and this cause one- way passable. There were many children plunked near the transportations and asking for money from the passengers. And the thought of Christmas came to my mind that it is a time to give and to share. And so people gave a peso or two.

In those days I was in need of money, and so I went to the ATM to withdraw. When I pushed my ATM card and was about to press the PIN code, suddenly a man in his mid-40s just appeared right me, extending his hand and asking for money. It took me a second to retrieve my card in a hurry because I was confused whether that man was indeed honest in asking for money or had other intention, i.e. to cause me harm. (It was an excused act because crime in broad daylight could just happen anytime. In fact burglary is rampant.)

Throughout the vacation, one thing is very clear to me, i.e. there is rise of mendicants everywhere. And so several questions came to my mind like: Does it reflect about the reality of socio-financial problem in the society? Did the local government not regulate the economic condition for the good of their constituents? Why are there many children becoming mendicants? Did their parents give them permission to do so? Or did the parents encourage them to ask because they do not have decent jobs or no food on the table?

These are some of the questions that I cannot find the answer. There are only two conflicting approaches I know regarding mendicancy. From the teaching of the Bible, it tells about the role of giving and helping the poor and the needy. When we do something for the poor, we do it for Christ. And from the 1987 Philippine Constitution that tells us about anti-mendicancy because it teaches these people how to be lazy or instilling the wrong values, instead of hardworking and patience.

Up to this moment of writing, my limited mind is wandering what would be the best approach to this social problem. All I know is that poverty breeds criminality due to hopeless and ‘survival of the fittest’ situation. All I know is that the right way to tackle this situation is to give a broad and long-term solution like investment and employment. In that way the government makes the economic surging concrete by benefiting not only the rich and the business sectors but also the poor and the needy.

Career Alone is Stupidity!

There are many naïve people in the society, religiously affiliated, preach about the kingdom of heaven and ignoring the reality of earth. So they get busy injecting with their doctrinal preaching of self-denial and charity or service on their charges, but they never practice such doctrines. They never will because their minds are on the benefits which are, in the first place, of the things supposed to be for ordinary men and women. And they have all the time hanging around the malls on weekends, instead on charity works and missionary calls.

But all these doctrinal preaching are deceiving, a thing can be considered as stupidity. The reason is this that ordinary men and women not clothed with an expensive and immaculate textile are not professed to live that kind of life. They are persuaded by their know-how to live, embrace, and imitate the virtues and rules they were supposed to dedicating their lives to their almighty. They want their charges be intoxicated on the concept of ‘career alone’ with their deceiving doctrines. And some people show their affirmation because of emotional and religious impulse with the promise of rewards here and in the afterlife.

The best thing to do in that kind of abnormal situation is balanced life – career and life – of their charges. Career refers to the kind of work applied and employed by the charges in their institution. And life is the means in achieving quality life as ordinary men and women. And in case you do not know what it is, just look at their own lifestyle, for they exhibit it. That is a balanced life meant not only for them but also for their charges. They find themselves impossible to live by career alone, thus it is a blunt stupidity on their part to preach ‘career alone.’ They deserve the promise of eternal damnation.

Morality in Crisis!

Morality is in crisis! Morality is a topic that turns away peoples’ attention. Many do not want to discuss it. What are their reasons? Is it simply because morality is considered as a private thing and it serves as constraint to one’s freedom? Or some other hidden motives to meet the dark end?

How do we define morality?

The definition of morality is by nature broad in scope. It encompasses all actions and transactions in daily human affairs. Morality in its universal definition is ‘doing good and avoiding evil.’ Everybody understands it by people from all walks of life. And this universal definition is applicable to any philosophical doctrines and religious beliefs.

This is where the universal notion of morality comes out in different pictures. It is clothed with and fit according to one’s philosophical and religious notions. It is interesting to note that though it is clothed with different colors, still the highlight of its universality is always present, except for one thing: the scope becomes limited and defined to cater the selfish needs of some people.

Morality in Crisis

This is where the crisis of morality lies. People with selfish needs choose just a portion of morality. The universality of morality becomes the particularity of morality. It is a morality not well-rounded, not faithful to its definition.

In order to see and detect them, there is no need to read books about the subject or consult a moralist. By understanding the definition itself, one can deduce how it is being shortcut. Just open our eyes to see them around, especially the practices in action and transactions.

Innocence of the Poor

Authority is taught by the Church as gift from God. St. Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, writes about authority as of divine origin. If that is the case, then the holder of authority cannot have the luxury of abusing that power. But such the case is not the case at all.

Those in authority are known to be knowledgeable enough on how the institution works. And if such people in authority enjoy such knowledge, it is not far from reality in using it at her disposal. The privilege of having that disposition can be exercised in two ways – for the good of the institution and of others, or for the good of the institution but at the same time at the expense of others.

People working in the institution are innocent of what is really happening above. How does the organization work is not really their focus. Some of these people are by nature submissive to the imposition of the rules, either for their advantages or not. And some are just trying to go with the tide, but deep within them are full of ill-feelings of discontentment and low morale.

But since we are talking about authority being classified as of divine origin, those in the higher ups must have pondered enough the definition and implication of what authority is. That power is not inherited. That power is given. It is a privilege. And so it goes with great responsibility. The action of taking responsibility should be in equilibrium with that of one’s calling – as a Christian.

The realization should be this, that one must learn that authority as privilege does not come first. Before one is given the authority, one is being called by Christ to be his follower. And that should be the identity one must be aware of. What one becomes of the present is not all the case. It is not in isolation by discarding what was before, because discipleship comes first, then authority.