Secularism for the Philippines

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Sep 26th, 2008

The Mindanao problem cannot be solved by drawing imaginary lines dividing our territory based on what is the majority religion prevalent in the various regions, for example the imaginary homeland called Bangsamoro. That is just emphasizing one of the reason why the conflict exists in the first place - overly emphasized religious differences resulting to skewed public policies favoring the majority - making the minorities feel like outsiders. At the highest level, it boils down to the Catholic Church’s dominance over the religious minority at the national level. If you cede some parts of the country to the Muslims, you are technically betraying the new religious minorities that will be created in the new Muslim-majority territory and the cycle repeats perhaps in a smaller scale. Then what? The Muslims will impose their morality into public policy, e.g., shariah law, on everyone in their new mandate as the Catholics had been doing for centuries already. In my opinion, part of the long-term solution to the problem with the Muslim minority is a road that has not been considered by our very religious Christian/Catholic/Protestant leaders because it’s against their religious beliefs: secularization of the Philippine government. This is mandated by that piece of paper we call the Philippine Constitution, that the separation of church and state should be inviolable. But what does it mean if this principle has not taken root in our society? It’s like anything else in the constitution, really. Ignored. Our government has four branches: the three, executive, legislative, and judicial are supposed to be (in theory) co-equal, while the fourth branch is the non-taxpaying, vast land-holding Catholic Church whose role is to be our governments’ authority on truths and morals and represented by their bishop leaders, and so is more privileged. This is a historical artifact of the officially the same Church and State during the Spanish era. As long as our government keep on consulting the Catholic Church for policies that affect everybody, the motivation to secede will be stronger. Our country should honor the principle of separation as enshrined in the constitution as an element to any peace agreement with the religious minorities.

Case in point, and this was highest in the time of Cory, the president attends Catholic mass in official capacity. Even masses are held in Malacañang from time to time. The president and her government as well as all public officials should practice their religion privately. We can start by issuing rules and policies like official public events should not be started with a Christian prayer, public schools should not build a Catholic or Protestant chapels within its territory, or that the Cult of Mary or the Santo Nino should not be allowed to display their imahens in public offices.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Congrats, Benj!

Posted by Euri on Sep 22nd, 2008

On behalf of the entire Philippine Atheists community, I would like to congratulate Benj Espina of Atheista.net for winning the Philippine Blog Awards 2008 Best Personal Blog category.

:)

Popularity: 30% [?]

Substitute Reproductive Health Bill

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Aug 25th, 2008

Somebody told me this story about a mother who gave birth a hospital at MCU in Caloocan where her baby was delivered. The mother just had her 8th (or 9th) baby and that she just had tubal ligation as recommended to her by the doctor and to which the mother had gladly accepted the procedure. The mother didn’t really want that many babies but didn’t know what her options were until told by the doctor. (I say kudos to that doctor!) The mother was in her early 30s so we can say that at the pace she was delivering souls into this world, she could still deliver four or five more babies if not sterilized. The mother was ignorant about her choices. Also, tubal ligation is a safe procedure and is very effective.

The consolidated reproductive health and population bill (substitute bill to HB 4110 now filed in the current 14th congress) mandates some basic things to be in place, a structure, a program and an assured budget allocation towards promoting choice on reproductive health, for informing our women about their choices and providing the necessary and non-discriminatory access to these choices. This the government cannot do now because it’s not automatic and the Church leaders are opposing these programs each time the national government attempts to put something in place. Only if we have people like Juan Flavier running DOH can get things done even partially effectively and only while it lasts. The Church leaders don’t speak for the belief of its flock but they are the most influential with some bishops even threatening denial of communion (an absurd threat in this time and age except when made to a sagrado Katoliko types) to the lawmakers who support the bill. It’s a relief that we no longer live in the times of Rizal where the church and state is one and the same and where opposing the church/state can lead to a speedy mock trial and an execution.

The Catholic leaders just like many among us are ignorant about many things specially on issues on population. This ignorance is a product of our low-quality educational system which is in turn is a part of our low-quality-educated society. Unfortunately, again the Catholic Church plays a big part in this collective ignorance since there are many “high-quality” private schools run by religious institutions in the country that is short-changing our future by faithfully educating the people with religious BS but at the same time selectively teaching biological sciences to produce a population with collective ignorance of Charles Darwin’s contribution to the sciences. One cannot appreciate the real danger of the world with limited resources on the brink of collapse because the gradual manner that it is happening is hardly noticeable on a day to day basis. What’s worse is ignorance of the accelerating pace of this environmental collapse due to the damage caused by unsustainable population growth helped brought about by irrational policies. This reproductive health bill is one of the things that should help us stem the tide of population growth if enough mothers can be informed of their choices and be able to avail of these choices. Even with a steady population growth with sustainable development has environmental consequences in the form of rising demand on the limited resources the planet could offer.

One major objection by the moralist crusaders about the bill is that it will encourage promiscuity. Hello? They are really in the Dark Ages. They cannot stop what is already there. Many people are already having sex before and outside of marriage and with multiple partners. They no longer need encouragement. In fact, presumably many priests and bishops have presumably had sex at one time or anotheer so I don’t subscribe to the insinuation that they lack the experience on this matter. But if two consenting adults have sex and if all parties involved consented, what possible business do the priests and bishops have in it? Another objection is that the bill will legalize abortion. The latest bill is even more explicit in stating that it will not. Another objection is because of they say, “we don’t own our body”. That is of course a complete religious bullshit.

Catholics should be free to think and come to the conclusion by themselves. The church leaders are just as ignorant and fallible about many things and so don’t have the authority on truth. If history will be the basis, the Catholic hierarchy has even a very poor record on this regard, specially where science is concerned. (For example, the Catholic church has not yet fully acknowledged evolution as true.) The thinking that priests and bishops and popes and pastors know best is a sure ticket to being misled, hopefully without getting your money. This include the truth on reproductive health and population issues that should be debated freely and without coercion (e.g., no threat of any kind like from organized religion) based on empirical facts.

Finally, the non-Catholics should be able to avail of their medical choices without the Catholics refusing them.

Popularity: 70% [?]

hb4110.net

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Aug 13th, 2008

We are currently in the process of putting up a website to support the consolidated Reproductive Health Care Act now filed in the 14th Congress. Once it’s setup, we’ll let everybody know. Please keep yourself informed by reading the bill yourself first-hand and maybe you can write your congressman to express your support for this very important but still pending legislation.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Support HB4110 or Reproductive Health Care Act

Posted by admin on Aug 10th, 2008

We the undersigned express our support of HB 4110, The Reproductive Health Care Act.

We fully support the bill’s principles as laid out in Section 2.

We all hope for a healthy Filipino society. We believe the bill will help us build such a society where reproductive health care is available to anyone and everyone, free of discrimination on age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, and religious affiliation or non-affiliation. Where policies concerning reproductive health care that affects everyone is not dictated by any particular religion or belief system. We believe in the right to choose one’s method of planning a family and spacing children, or to choose to have no children at all. The rights of the individual to choose according to his conscience don’t fall under the aegis of self-proclaimed moral authorities of the religious establishment.

The Philippines is a nation of diverse religious beliefs/non-beliefs. No single belief system represents the whole diversity of Filipino religious and non-religious thought or belief nor does any of its leaders speak for all its adherents. The continued opposition by the leaders of certain sects is a clear encroachment on the rights to free choice on reproductive health methods and services of every Filipino, and trample on the rights of those who do not adhere to their beliefs. We strongly condemn the negative campaign being waged by these leaders to mislead its adherents by misrepresenting the bill’s content, and by resorting to using dogmatic, unscientific, and outmoded beliefs to support its arguments.

We strongly support the legislation because we believe this is for the well-being our nation in particular and humanity in general as we face the future of a planet with limited resources.

Please read the bill here:
http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/population/documents/HB4110.pdf

Please sign the petition here.

Popularity: 63% [?]

Support HB4110 draft letter

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Aug 7th, 2008

There is an ongoing discussion in the Pinoy atheists mailing list about drafting a letter of support for HB 4110, otherwise known as the Reproductive Health Care Act. Please join the list and participate in the discussion.

Popularity: 46% [?]

Mojoey’s Atheist Blogroll

Posted by admin on Apr 28th, 2008

This site is is now officially listed in Mojoey’s Atheist Blogroll.

Mojoey's atheist blogroll

“The Atheist Blogroll is a service provide to the Atheist and Agnostic blogging community. The blogroll currently maintains over 650 blogs. Membership is limited to Atheist and Agnostic bloggers.”

If you are maintaining an atheism or an agnosticism blog, please consider joining the atheist blogroll.

Popularity: 79% [?]

On Msgr. Achilles Dakay

Posted by admin on Apr 27th, 2008

They did it again. And I’m angry.

======

Excerpt of an article in Inquirer:

“For an official of the Roman Catholic Church, the commission of a homosexual act is the real issue behind the rectal surgery in Cebu City that exploded into a scandal on YouTube.

Msgr. Achilles Dakay, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu, Wednesday said the doctors and nurses who had made fun of an anesthetized male patient in the operation room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and uploaded a video of the surgery on YouTube should not be blamed solely for the scandal.

“We are asking everyone not to forget or to bypass the main issue: the wrong act of a guy with another man,” Dakay said in an interview over the Church-run Radio Veritas. “People are not talking about what happened before the operation—the homosexual act that was done very badly.”

(by Margaux Ortiz, Philippine Daily Inquirer. First posted 04:48:00 04/24/2008)

======

First of all, let’s state the obvious: the Catholic Church is ignorant, backwards, arrogant, bigoted, delusional, and false.

The “commission of a homosexual act” is NOT the issue behind the scandal. For this dumb priest to even say that it is, means he’s just not paying attention. Senile much?

His assertion that the doctors and nurses who made fun of the operation, captured a video of the operation, and humiliated the patient on the internet, should not be blamed makes clear the bigotry and distorted values of the Catholic Church.

They are quite accepting of people who ridicule the different, tolerant of oppression as long as it is directed toward people with other values, and praising of those who do evil, immoral, and unconscionable acts as long as they wear God’s cross.

We must not believe the Church when they preach compassion for the sick for the simple reason that IT IS NOT TRUE. They don’t believe that, they may think they believe that but in their hearts they will condemn the next AIDS patient they see, maybe for homosexuality or for having sex at all.

If the Catholic Church believes what it believes and continues to spew their disgusting opinions in our society, then it is a lie when they say they value the dignity of peoples. What they value are their bigotry, hatred, and this scripture from the medieval period they use to back up their bigotry and hatred with.

By the way, these are the names of the people who are involved in the “canister scandal”, count the Monsignor as one of these despicable creatures.

Dr. Philips Leo Arias
Dr. Angelo Alinawagan
Dr. Max Joseph Montecillo
Nursing Attendant Rosemarie Villareal
Nurse Carmiña Sapio

and Msgr. Achilles Dakay

Posted by JJGarcia in Pinoy atheists.

Popularity: 89% [?]

Do we decide to become atheists?

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Apr 24th, 2008

In my case it was not a conscious decision. It’s more like a rope that was slowly snapping thread by thread until one particular day when my mind was a bit busier than normal tackling the usual questions of the day (why evil? why poverty? why life is unfair? why many priests and bishops seem stupid or lying or ignorant? why? why? why?), the rope snapped completely - I “realized” that the existence of “god” and the hypotheses that are built around this “god” was what was distorting the picture of reality. That the reality that supposes the existence of such a being is an illusion we created; the universe doesn’t care and it doesn’t need a “god” to explain many things we - I - already knew. I wasn’t particularly examining the evidence for or against “god”. I was looking at the world trying to make some sense out of what I see and accept as obvious but I wasn’t being satisfied with the “standard” answers that were so far given me by the Truth authorities. I was trying to unintentionally systematize my thoughts and ideas by trying to resolve the fundamental issues not knowing what it would lead me to. I wasn’t even thinking that I was weighing “god” and the arguments for or against it. Then I crossed the line - it’s “god” itself that was muddling things. I didn’t know “god”, I was only made to believe it. At least that’s how I remember it.

I remember feeling proud and happy about my big “discovery”. :)

How did you “decide” to become an atheist?

Popularity: 81% [?]

Post-meet-up

Posted by kapanalig_sa_wala on Apr 24th, 2008

I came back from the meet-up about two hours ago. It was as expected a lot of fun. I met two new people both Japanese. It’s unusual in the sense that most Japanese people I suspect are not into religion and consequently irreligion should not be a big deal with Japan being a country teeming with heathens. All in all, seven people attended. I almost couldn’t make it though as when I was leaving work, something urgent came up - a production problem. I was just too happy after I got hold of the morning support guy in the US to take over n look after the problem even if it’s a Tokyo- local issue.

Continue reading…

Popularity: 78% [?]

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