Seems like all the screeching about “tyranny”, “dictatorship” and abuse of “human rights” have for so long been directed at the wrong people and the wrong institutions. Right within Filipinos’ midst is an even more insidious tyranny — one that has renmained disguised under a persona of righteousness that conceals a dark power that has perfected the art of hanging on to power.
The Roman Catholic Church, in fact, is an antithesis of modern liberal democracy on many many counts. Its earthly lieutenants in the Philippines, the so-called Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), are modern-day princes in the real sense. They rule on the basis of a “divine mandate” like medieval royalty. They see their word as exempt from critical scrutiny and, as such, disseminate that word with utter impunity devoid of any semblance of accountability. They live by a set of non-negotiable laws that is regarded as above human challenge and, as such, infallible.
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The genius behind the Church, however, is that it manages to be tyrannical while attracting devotion from its flock. This accounts for its 2000-year persistence as a political force. There is no need to run and publish popularity or approval surveys to determine whether the Church remains relevant or retains its right to govern — because its mandate to rule over Filipinos is absolute and its flock adore their own subjugation to this rule. Pure genius.
Want to spread “fake news”? Simple. Draft it, get a Cardinal to sign it, then read it out as a “pastoral letter” during a Sunday Mass. It’s as easy as posting a Facebook note — except that you’ve got a captured audience (which includes minors) who are effectively emotionally-blackmailed into believing your every word.
So when so-called Filipino “activists” (many of whom are Yellowtards), on one hand, protest the temporary restraining order (TRO) currently in place against the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) and, on another, follow the lead of the CBCP in organising “anti-tyranny” protest rallies against the Philippine government, they should first step back and give themselves a consistency check.
The shadowy group behind the TRO that paralyses the implementation of the RPRH and effectively puts a freeze on the procurement of artificial contraceptives for Filipinos calls themselves the “Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines Inc.” (ALFI). According to their About page the ALFI is “committed to uphold, protect and promote the dignity of Life, the sacredness of Marriage, and the solidarity of Family, in accordance with the natural law.” Note that in their official statements on their website, there is a noticeable omission of any association with the Roman Catholic Church or the CBCP.
But is the ALFI truly a secular organisation not affiliated with the Church? In a statement published on the Inquirer in 2015 signed by their “Board of Trustees”, the ALFI asserted that their crusade against the implementation of the reproductive health law in the Philippines is “not about religion” and that they “advance no religious arguments.” Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that in January of this year, the CBCP “conferred its highest award, the Jorge Barlin Golden Cross, to pro-life lawyer Maria Concepcion Noche”. This, of course, is mere circumstantial evidence that the ALFI is no more than a mere CBCP vassal but, hey, just saying, right?
It is clear that the CBCP and the goody-two-shoes minions like the ALFI that follow it are a bunch of dishonest people, though, to be fair, they are just being consistent with such a character as they had been exhibiting over two millennia of tyrannical rule.
Yet despite this bald dishonesty and the routine insult to the intelligence of the Filipino people that they deliver in shovel loads, Yellowtards are quick to latch on to the CBCP whenever their bullshittery aligns with their political agendas. Indeed, a “healing walk” followed by a “healing mass” on the 5th of November called by the CBCP was quickly responded to by a who’s-who of Yellowtard “thought leaders” and various groups “critical” of the Philippine Government’s “war on drugs”…
“I am inviting you and the communities with you to participate in the second phase of this period of praying for the victims of extrajudicial killings. We will start on November 5 until December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,” Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a statement on Thursday.
Villegas said there will be a mass at the Edsa Shrine on November 5, at 3 p.m.
“This 33 day period will prepare us to make our act of consecration to the Immaculate Mother. We will call this 33-day period as the time to ‘Start the Healing,’” he said.
“Within this 33-day period, we are requested to pray the rosary and receive Holy Communion, if possible every day, for the healing of our bleeding nation and for the peace of the souls of all those killed,” Villegas added.
“Requested”? Seriously?
Yes, seriously. Recall that the Catholic Church derives its power from the “fear of God” it encourages its flock to harbour every minute of their lives. Specifically this fear is of the “eternal damnation” one will suffer if the “requests” of God’s earthly lieutenants are not heeded.
Tyrannical. Dishonest. Filipinos have got their “activism” all wrong.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Amazing stuff, benign0. Keep it up.
Thanks! 🙂
Better if our country is an IRRELIGIOUS one, and you know why? Well, take a look at this lists of 20 countries that have many irreligious population [Courtesy of Wikipedia].
And if you’ll notice it that 18 out of 20 countries on that lists are mostly industrialized or First World countries, and back to my 1st question… why being an irreligious is better than being a religious one like one of the lists above that I’d showed it to you? That’s because it gives a better economic development for their country & to give a better personal security & confidence to the individuals and turn away to those religious groups who are for them its a stagnation to their country’s economic & social development, it’s true & makes a good sense. It’s an awful truth for those religious people out there like the CBCPs, members of the INCs, Born Again Christians, ISIS, etc., etc. especially that the atheists/non-religious people will outnumber them by the year 2038 (in 20 years from now).
The Filipino people should become an irreligious one & not CATHOLICS (by name), and stay away to those CBCPs & Padre Damasos so that we could push forward on our country’s economic dev’t & change our country’s culture from worst to being the best! Change is coming but in order to do that, we must change ourselves first & eradicate the obstacles like drugs & the CBCP.
It should at least start at applying a bit more maturity to one’s personal endeavours in general, including the practice of one’s religion. The trouble with Filipinos is that they have a very superficial regard for most things and don’t find deeper meaning in what they do. Because of this even simply doing something properly seems to lie beyond the reach of our faculties.
Mrericx,
My country is also mentioned in that Wikipedia list (#11, Netherlands). It was a process to get there. Generations before me fought (not physically) for far more secular and non-religious laws. And also because people were (or became) very critical towards their own religion. So now I am living in a country where no church has any power in politics. And where politicians/government can make rules and laws for the benefit of the people/population.
Any church will lose power when the people will start to become critical and will demand change. Demand change both from the church and from the government.
In short:
it is a 2-way street. Power to the individual and a government that is very open and modern. They basically go hand-in-hand (IMO).
Protest is when I say I don’t like this. Resistance is when I put an end to what I don’t like. Protest is when I say I refuse to go along with this anymore. Resistance is when I make sure everybody else stops going along too.
mga tarantado lahat ng paring damaso!
So, that idiot Priest Villegas, is calling people to pray for those killed in EKJ. How about, those people murdered in the , Hacienda Luisita massacre, Mendiola massacre, Maguindanao massacre, Mamapasano massacre, etc…are they not victims also ? They are Ignored by that idiot Priest Villegas.
How about those children who are victimized by Pedophile Priests in the Roman Catholic Churches ? Are they not victims also, to be recognized ?
The Roman Catholic Church is trying to impose its Authority, as one of the governing body in the Philippines. It lost its power, during the independence of our country, from Spain. The “Padre Damasos”, are still alive and kicking in the Philippines.
The separation of the Church and State is a must for our country, to progress. Birth Control is being stopped by these idiot Priests. Now people are multiplying like rabbits. Anyway, there are priests and bishops, who have several wives…that idiot priest, Villegas, should give birth control pills to the wives, of these priests and bishops; so that they will not contribute to population explosion in our country.
Unless, we remove the unseen power of the Roman Catholic Church, and other religious institutions on our government. The country cannot move ahead and progress. They are the “stumbling blocks” to our progress !
Church and State had struggled to establish their proper relationship, virtually since religion and government first develop. Egyptian Pharaohs were held to be descendants of gods. At various times, Roman and Japanese emperors, were treated as gods themselves. Every Holy Roman Emperor, from Charlemagne through Charles V, in 1530 was crowned by the Roman Catholic Church Pope.
An in much of the world, there are still state religions or established churches, like Britain’s Church of England and some Arab countries/Iranian Theocracies.
It was the U.S. that undertook the more enduring effort to solve the question of separation of Church and the State. By the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, adopted a part of Bill of Rights in 1791. “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof – with those words, the U.S. founding fathers laid the basis for what Thomas Jefferson would later call the : “wall of separation”, between church and state.
In our country, the Roman Catholic Church, try to gain back its power on its followers. CBCP is a political organization, that meddle in the affairs of the Philippine government. This religious group, gained its power in the overthrow of the late Pres. Marcos Sr.; and enjoyed its power during the Aquino era !
The idea of God becoming somehow knowable is a threat to the middle men and those who pull the strings for power. And since people fear what they don’t understand, why not capitalize on that primitive instinct and keep them there?
The CBCP has enjoyed the privilege of acting as the “board of directors” in corporate lingo, which can hire or fire the company CEO on a whim. It’s about time the people fire these self-entitled priests of their “divine mandate” for a change.
Watch closely the crowd size during their rallies. We’re about to see a big power shakeup in this country. The whites will soon follow the yellows on their way down the road of irrelevance and obscurity.
Catholic Bishops are tyrants? You forgot about the separation of church and state. The Bishops don’t hold poitical, military orcivil authority !!! Your barking at the wrong tree !!!
They have the most money and they’re very influential in politics. If it’s not for them then EDSA I wouldn’t be a success. Why the hell did they oppose a lot of things, especially family planning methods.
You’re grasping on straws, son.
Go benign0, be a pro-Marcos loyalist. Keep up for being a pro-Marcos loyalist who hates yellows, Bishops.
Let’s have friends with atheists.
Bishops are tyrants but Marcos is not.
Go, trollfag. Be a trollfag who shits on this page with your shitposting.
So let’s be friends with psychopathts a.k.a. trolls, right?
If anything, TROLLS like your are the actual tyrants because they love to LIE, OFFEND and EXAGGERATE in order to get a response.
What about sociopaths and narcissists and egomanicacs like I am?
So you affirmed that you have a mental disorder. My advice: get off the internet and seek a psychiatrist.