Filipino boxing champ and, now, candidate for a Senate seat in this year’s elections in the Philippines Manny Pacquiao has drawn ire from various quarters after issuing what has been described as “barbaric” views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Pacquiao cited his “religious background” as grounds for not supporting this lifestyle in an interview with election coverage channel Bilang Pilipino.
Top Hollywood celebrity blogger Perez Hilton quickly picked up the story and featured transcripts of the video translated in English. This one pretty much summarises Pacquiao’s key message: “Woman was made for man, man was made for woman. It’s common sense. Will you see any animals where male is to male and female is to female? The animals are better. They know how to distinguish, male or female.” Hilton also quotes Pacquiao going further with this bizarre train of thought: “If we approve male on male, female on female, then man is worse than animal.” On that, Hilton issues this indictment:
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UGH.
Look, if your religious beliefs prevent you from accepting same-sex marriage, that’s on you. That’s YOUR idea of propriety.
But there’s absolutely no call to demonize and denigrate gay people by comparing them to animals just because their love is something YOU’RE unable to accept.
The sad thing here is that Pacquiao is world famous and a national hero as a boxer, so we can only guess he’ll win his election to the Senate pretty easily — and then spread this awful attitude around within his country.
The video also drew howls of protest from Netizens subscribed to the Bilang Pilipino Facebook page where the video is also posted. People from various backgrounds — even whilst taking opposite positions on the issue — were unanimous in condemning Pacquiao’s regard for homosexuals as being “worse than animal” [sic].
Page subscriber Jonraye Robert Yacob commented “I am also against same sex marriage, BUT the way Manny explained his opinion via this interview is VERY WRONG.”
Homophobic legislative agenda: Congressman and senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao
As such, the idea that Pacquiao is a total failure in his job as a legislator simply does not resonate amongst Filipino voters. It is therefore likely that Pacquiao will go on to win a seat in the Philippine Senate in this year’s elections nonetheless — despite holding on to what the Philippines’ “civil society” regard as primitivist views on sexual orientation. Indeed, it is not unreasonable to conclude that Pacquiao mirrors the character of the society that is an accessory to his ascent to political power. He is, after all, an elected official and, as such, a product of the Filipino people.
In that sense, perhaps this most recent episode should be a prompt for Filipinos to evaluate their own collective character and reflect on the confronting realities of why their society routinely produces politicians like Manny Pacquiao.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
What worries me is not so much what a ‘poorly-informed’ individual says. The real concern is in the way it is received by the vast numbers of the similarly ‘poorly-informed’ masses. Manny Paquiao’s eagerness to mouth such stupidity arises from his illusion of knowledge.. and confidence, therefore. What escapes him is the responsibility for the effects of such stupidity.
Correct… If we talk religion we,ll end up with wars. I hoped pacquiao have kept his personal beliefs to himself being a govt official.
and correction to the article above was it Perez Hilton who said gays are compared to animals? Pacquiao never said gays are comparable to animals, he however said worse than animals…. Animals are not bad but in the Philippine animal is used in varying degrees of cussing.
If he based his unjust critic on scriptures and said such; then this adamant anti-gay pugilist who also believes in heresies should understand of what Christ’s great love is. He must open his bible and read 1 John 4:20-21. He is a pundit of lies!
Biblically, there’s no direct catechization regarding homosexuality but same-sex relationship evidently betided i.e Ruth & Naomi and David & Jonathan (OT: Book of Ruth, and Samuel) and The Army & his illed servant (NT: Gospel of Matthew). God never forbids man to be with his love no matter of sexual orientation; but assurely, it’s Out of love, not of lust & no vicious intents. Marriage is another issue though. The Sodom and Gomorrah tragic, God outraged because of people’s unlawful behavoirs and rampant gang rape not due of homosexuality. If the Book of Levitcus prohibits homosexuals so thus the eating of pork, seafood etc.
Pacquiao should not condemn homosexuals by their orientation. If he do, then he should be condemned also through his own foolishness! “Manny, Boxing is for money!”
It is obviuos that Manny is not aware that having a tatoo is a sin according to Leviticus, and there are 10 or so things we do everyday that consider as sins – again, according to Leviticus.
i think Manny is a good man despite of the hortible things he said about gay people, Manny showed his ignorance which can be considered as bliss in his case because any level-headed person knows that he has a good heart albeit fallible just like the rest of us.
Does he deserve a break? I certainly think so
For bro. Manny Pacquiao
Let people see the work of the Holy Spirit in you! Do not boast! Do not get in to that kind of issue that will test your own capacity. God’s capability is at its best when you submit and truly obey Him! He teaches us about his righteousness but we people, believers, are not entitled to be righteous but instead to look upon His righteousness, follow, and obey! The great hypocrisy is in the believers, in the church, don’t forget that!
Silence is the great practice of our faith, because you can hear the small voice!
You have the gift of discernment! You should know how to qualify your self in choosing your friends and political parties!
Much better if you stay away from politics and concentrate in serving JESUS CHRIST alone! Wealth means so many things presumably it’s not only money or material things, but our relationship with the LORD! Sorry for you brother to be disturbed by the issue that you raise up in the national TV! God bless you!
#JesusIsAlive!
Silence is the great practice of our faith, because you can hear the small voice. How will you evangelize then?
100% Tama ang comment ni Manny.. Ang Diyos nilikha niya ang LALAKI at BABAE. Walang gitna..Genesis 1:27… sinunog ng Diyos ang Sodom at Gomorrah sa kadahilanan laganap ang same sex marriage & homosexuality..Genesis 19:24..Please do not invite the wrath of God to the Philippines..because the the Philippines is for Jesus Christ alone..
Oh please, don’t cite a book that hasn’t been proven.
alam mo ba na ang pre-marital sex ay kasalanan sa bibliya? alam mo ba na ang Blow job ay isang uri ng sodomy? Alam mo ba na dyos lang and pwedeng maghusga? Alam mo ba ni sinabi ni jesus na mahalin mo ang kapwa mo. alam mo ba kung gaank ka ka inutil at kabobo? alam mo ba yun?
Kaya pala madami naghihirap sa pilipinas dahil sa maling paniniwala sa bible, sa baliko na kulturang sinasabing namana p natin sa mga sumakop satin, ang buhay parang tatlo dos lang putulin ng mga kriminal, dahil sa pagmamahal sa pera kaysa sa tao marami ang nagnanakaw, simpleng batas n bawal magsakay o bumaba sa partikular n lugar sapagkat nakakasagabal hindi masunod sapagkat sarili lamang ang iniisip, wag po tayo feeling special n favorite tayo ng Diyos. Masyado ninyong minamaliit ang diyos kung ganyan ang paniniwala ninyo, siya po ay makatarungan, at lahat ng nangyayari sa mundo tulad ng mga natural disasters ay hindi parusa ng diyos, ayan po ay nangyayari talaga. At ang karma ay hindi po parusa ng diyos ayan po ay bunga ng ating mga ginagawa, halimbawa po, madamot ka sa kapwa mo, pero nilulustay mo pera sa pansariling paraan, malamang dahil hindi ka marunong magmanage ng pera, mauubusan ka talaga. Sana po minsan pairalin natin ang utak n bigay ng diyos.
At sinabi rin po sa bible na kung susundin mo ang old testament, wag kang mamili ng susundin “lahat” ng utos sundin mo, sa lifestyle po natin ngayon, malamang patay na tayo sa paglabag sa mga batas ng old testament. Ultimo p kasi ung pagsuway sa magulang, kamatayan parusa, kalevel nga siya ng homosexuality. At sa mundong ito hindi talaga tayo sure kung tayo ba ang tama o mali sa paniniwala natin, kaya huwag pakasigurado.
Bloggers and contributors here might take issue at what follows. I can’t help that.
From the little I know, being a Christian, our Creator will not condemn those in his flock who might be ‘different’.. through no fault of theirs. We are, after all, defined by our genes contained in our twenty three pairs of chromosomes. I don’t see how any of us could make a choice in this. We just can not; and He knows it.
The fact that gays cohabit and carry on as best they can.. in pursuing life, career and love.. is not their choice. They accept it nonetheless, with varying results. Some flaunt their being ‘different’ in a vulgar and offensive fashion, while most others quietly succeed.. famously. But that’s just life which is no different from that of ‘straights’. To ‘throw’ the Bible at gays, is just ridiculous. It is also bigotry.
I have a faint memory of watching a video on YouTube or elsewhere showing animals showing homosexual behaviour, particularly lions (as far as I can remember).
Anyway, well, Manny may have the best intentions in what he said but perhaps used the wrong words to convey it. He reminds me of the priest who reprimanded a single-mother in the middle of a (Catholic) baptism ceremony. Using the wrong words caused more harm than good.
So far as I have observed, Filipinos doesn’t really look at Manny as a government official. He is generally viewed as a common Filipino wearing a Barong Tagalog sitting in Congress. Once he steps out of the ring and wears a suit, he becomes less interesting. Does the Filipinos in general get excited whenever he steps in to the podium to speak? Not really. A few of them are already laughing at him before he opens his mouth. Were his views as an elected official really taken seriously by the Filipino public? The last time I heard he took a stand, Senator Santiago answered him back but that turned into a ‘word war’ between the senator and Pacquiao’s mother, Dionesia which got much attention from the media.
When it comes to national issues that really matters, will we really going to look up to Rep. Manny Pacquaio for guidance? All I can say is he should prepare himself. His boxing career is already on its sunset and he should be thankful that the Filipinos have assured him a post-boxing career. Manny can thank them by being more serious with his new job.
Pacman has courage enough to tell his views what he know is the truth. I believe his belief that man and woman shall not deviate or exchange genders no matter how they feel inside. If we believe in God we should believe what is written in the Sriptures that all of what happened is because we did not glorify God as He is. When our ancestors exchange the Glory of God into idols, God curse us to be blind to the truth. All of us are sinners which includes a man having a sexual relation with another man and a woman having sexual relation with a fellow woman. Fornication, adultery, and other sins. As Apostle Paul wrote to the early Christians in Rome, Romans chapters 1,2 and 3 that we are all sinners yet God love us while we are still sinners. GOD loves us no matter who we are and wants us to confess our sins and repent from it. We cannot save our selves on our own we need a Saviour to save us. If you believe the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is telling us that God is able to forgive us sinners who are disobedient to God’s words. The choice is upon us believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ and you will never be same again. Jesus loves us all whether we are straight,gay, lesbian, transgendérs,adulterers,homosexuals,fornicators. but wants us to change and turn from our wicked ways. Only Jesus can change us from sinner to saint not from our own good works but through grace and faith to what He had done in the cross. He died for all the sins of humanity. As Apostle also wrote to the Ephesian Christians of Ephesians 2:8. You will soon learn truth from false. And your belief will be rooted in the Word of God as the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. As a Christian we should uphold the truth no matter what the world will say. Who knows a soul will be save by it. As our Lord said truth hurt but it will set you free.
To RJ Salbad//
Its easy for you to say. I suggest that both you and the Pacman walk in the other guys’ shoes before preaching and moralizing. You might then think twice before ‘shooting from the lip’. All the best to you..bro.
I disagree. It is only us that can change us ergo, free wii.
RJ., if someone say that religious people are a bunch of mindless sheeps, would you not react negatively or offended? Remember, the best defense is not to offend. If you offend someone, you bettfer be ready to take the heat. People have different set of beliefs and you shouldnt say something degrading to other people based on your personal beliefs.
Free speech? Yes, anyone can say anything no matter how outraged but there are consequences. Just don’t whine, cry, and bitch when the favor is returned to you, Truth is subjective after all.
Robert J Salbad,
My question is has religion (i.e., Christianity, Hewbrew, and Islam) changed the world by making the people less arrogant, less selfish, and not warlike?
Or, is religion just meant to give a person the assurance that he (or she) will go to better place after he dies, while he fights for the same scrap everyone fight for while living in this world?
If the answer is “no” to both questions, then religion is just a prop to make one feel good about his thoughts and actions towards his fellow man and everything in this world.
Aeta
Robert J Salbad,
My question is has religion (i.e., Christianity, Hewbrew, and Islam) changed the world by making the people less arrogant, less selfish, and not warlike?
Or, is religion just meant to give a person the assurance that he (or she) will go to better place after he dies, while he fights for the same scrap everyone fight for while living in this world?
If the answer is “no” and “yes” to both questions, respectively, then religion is just a prop to make one feel good about his thoughts and actions towards his fellow man and everything in this world.
Aeta
here’s your answer Aeta, and I guess that religion will NEVER change for being a conservative & sacred ideology…
“Philippine church defends Manny Pacquiao on gay marriage stance”
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/philippine-church-defends-manny-pacquiao-gay-marriage-stance-064123366–spt.html
P.S.
I guess those Damaso guys didn’t study so much on biology, read this folks: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/so-it-turns-out-giraffes-are-gayest-animal-planet231014/#gs.DFbBH04
Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.
i have to agree