El Shaddai vs. Signature Campaign
El Shaddai mobilized vs signature campaign. While I would prefer a society where religion is a spent force, a social phenomenon too weak to be a factor in shaping public policies, it’s within the religionists’ right to express their own (collective) political opinion as fellow citizens. But how are we sure that when religious groups like El Shaddai mobilize their people, the members themselves take part on their own free will and not just pawns blindly following their leaders?
Building religious groups is a very profitable way of investing one’s energy where the rewards often include power and money as found out by these now-rich leaders who will not hesitate to wield the same power and money to influence public policies that affect everybody - believers, agnostics, and atheists alike. In our country where religion and politics are so intertwined, and where organized religion is as strong as ever, founding a new religion is a proven vehicle for achieving considerable success in putting one’s political agenda on the discussion table.
I myself am against the signature campaign launched by the greedy selfish politicians so they can plunder the nation’s coffers longer than what their terms now would allow but I wish there are more secular and effective ways we can stop these endless schemes by the demons of Congress and Malacanang.
Popularity: 27% [?]
April 28th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
in france from what i have seen on tv. social changes are spearheaded by the unions.
these unions are empowered by the large majority of middle classes. presumably the
educated ..
April 29th, 2006 at 12:38 am
When I was about 15 and during the school break, I (together with a friend and classmate) was chosen to represent our Catholic high school in a FREE five-day leadership seminar held at the Boy Scout Jamboree site in Mt. Makiling in Los Banos, Laguna sponsored by a seminary in Antipolo that was run by a lay person, the mother of a well known female singer. The real purpose was to recruit future leaders who would found the first chapters of their youth organization in the high schools the students represent. There were about 150 students from 75 schools in and around Metro Manila. Shortly after completing that seminar, two groups of seminarians had been visiting us, one after the other, to woo us to join them as there was a break-away faction that tried to wrestle control of the seminary, much like what we call a coup. They young priests and senior seminarians wanted to run the seminary themselves rather than have the seminary be continually led by a lay person, they staged a power grab, and were expelled for their actions. Most had not yet graduated and yet already wanted power. As humans, the seminarians and priests are not immune from the lust of power. As part of this struggle, the break-away faction was trying to bring together a rival organization by raiding the ranks of the other faction. This power struggle left a lasting impression on my mind because of the way they played it out in the open involving the school chapters in their turf war, with won chapters as spoils of victory. The way they acted was contrary to what they were suppose to teach us, that is to be good followers and leaders for Christ. What hypocrisy. Behind the disarming smile and fresh youthful face of Brother Leo - the designated person to woo our chapter - was a person who understood what power was all about and wanted it for themselves. My friend and I eventually stayed neutral and not let their problem be our problem. With one year more to go in high school, I could not care less about that group, or who would eventually win. It was in the time I was not consciously questioning and seeking the One Truth, but it was also not the time I was deep into believing. I was not a good Catholic in the sense that I didn’t accept all the church doctrines which I thought to be silly. I saw that priesthood is just another way to acquire power and wield it to hold sway over the multitude, and yes, to accumulate earthly treasure for the men of the cloth.
May 8th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I just find it simply repulsive that mindless idiots continue to be swayed by religious talking heads. I have no idea where the impetus to believe on such leaders ever came from. it causes me great concern that our country is being run by people who believe in god. as much as i would like to tolerate the christians in this country, their omnipresence in almost everything related to daily life has become really tiring to bear. i hope they all die.
may god help us.
ha! :p
May 9th, 2006 at 11:25 am
Disturbing indeed.
But there again, religion has always been a toy of the rich, and the burden of the poor and ignorant.
Napoleon even commented on the usefulness of using religion to subjugate the masses.