Category: Religion

Duterte’s selfie with God challenge: a coward’s dare

Published by Ellen on July 9, 2018

Pres. Duterte dares religious believers to show him a selfie with God at the opening of the National Science and Technology Week Celebration in Mindanao at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City on July 6. Screengrab from RTVM footage.

Beneath all his bravado- the curses and the profanity –President Duterte is really confused. He can’t even decide whether he believes in God or not.

At the opening of the National Science and Technology Week in Mindanao at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City July 6, Duterte said, he actually believes in God even if two weeks ago he called God “stupid.”

Last Friday he said: “By the way, I believe in one Supreme God. I never said I do not believe in God. I am not agnostic. I am not an atheist. I just happen to be a human being believing there is a universal mind somewhere which controls the universe.”

In the next breath, however, Duterte said he needs of someone with a selfie with God to prove the Higher Being’s existence.

Cultivating the culture of killing

Published by Ellen on June 12, 2018

In his one hour and 20-minute speech at the oath-taking of the newly-elected barangay captains of Region VII in Cebu last June 7, President Duterte mentioned “kill” and “killing” and its equivalent Visayan word 30 times.

That is not unusual for a Duterte speech.

Three days after, a 44-year old priest lay dead beside the church altar killed by an unidentified gunman while preparing to say the 6 p.m. Mass at Barangay Mayamot in Nueva Ecija.

Lethal mix: small mind and great power

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2017

President Duterte shows a book about anomalies in the Catholic church as he slams CBCP pastoral letter at convention in Davao city, Feb. 2. Malacanang photo by Rene Lumawag.

President Duterte’s reaction to the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on the killings related to his campaign against prohibited drugs read in all Catholic churches last Sunday shows the danger when small minds are given so much power.

“Kayong mg Katoliko, kung naniniwala kayo sa mga pari pati obispo doon kayo. Kung gusto nyo mapunta ng langit, doon kayo. Ngayon, kung gusto nang matapos ang droga pero magpunta ako sa impyerno, sumabay kayo sa akin (You Catholics, if you believe in priests and bishops, go with them. If you want to go to heaven, go there. Now, if you want to end illegal drugs join me in hell),” he ranted in a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro Sunday evening.

It’s doubtful if he even read and tried to understand the full letter. The bishops acknowledge the problem of the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country and that’s in the first paragraph: “This traffic in illegal drugs needs to be stopped and overcome. But the solution does not lie in the killing of suspected drug users and pushers.”

INC’s overrated election clout

Published by Ellen on August 30, 2015

INC rally Aug. 29 at Edsa cor Shaw. Photo from GMA7news.

The Iglesia ni Cristo is making a mockery of Philippine laws and personalities who are aspiring for the presidency are either kowtowing to the church leadership or treading lightly on the controversy.

Vice President Jejomar Binay has become the INC’s prime protector accusing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s investigation of reported kidnapping and detention of INC members as ”a clear act of harassment and interference from the administration.”

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., whose father ‘s two decade rule enjoyed the support of the INC , accused De Lima of “mishandling” the INC issue which he said led to the rally that worsened the already bad traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Sen. Grace Poe is a disappointment. Asked in a forum in Nueva Ecija on the INC isyu, she kept on inserting the Mamasapano massacre. Was she saying that De Lima should not touch the INC kidnapping issue until after the Mamasapano case is resolved which could be forever?

Heed Pope Francis’ appeal to end culture of waste

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2015

Arrival photos.

This visit of Pope Francis is heartwarming as it is awesome.

To those who will brave the heat (hopefully it doesn’t rain), the long walk, the long wait, hunger and thirst, bless your courage and your determination.

I hope and pray that our love for Pope Francis will include taking care of our environment. I hope that as we try to cleanse our soul, we will make sure that we don’t dirty our surroundings.

The EcoWaste Coalition said last year, during the celebration of the World Environment Day on June 5, Pope Francis urged everyone “to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter.”
“The Pope’s visit is an opportune time to roll out a campaign that will show our people’s unity and determination to switch to a ‘Zero Waste Pilipinas’ where waste prevention and reduction is the norm of life,” said Aileen Lucero, coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

The making of the missalette for Pope Francis’ mass at Rizal Park

Published by Ellen on January 11, 2015

Pope Francis. He has reinvigorated the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis will be saying his masses (he will have three during his Philippine five-day visit) in English but in Rizal Park, he will start his homily with “Sumasampalataya ako.”

The missalette that will be used in the Rizal Park mass will be eight pages and will contain, for the first time, the Eucharistic Prayer. The text will be in red and blue.

The song, “Tell the World of His Love,” which was sang during the 10th World Youth Day visit of Pope John Paul II in January 1995 will again be sung during the Rizal Park mass.

These pieces of information were shared by Fr. Domie G. Guzman during the mass at Southmall in Las Piñas yesterday.

More than Three Kings

Published by Ellen on January 5, 2015

Jan. 6 is the end of a long Christmas celebration in the Philippines.

Christmas trees and decorations are or have already been dismantled and put back in boxes for storage to be put out again come November after All Saints Day.

January 6 is Three Kings Day, when the Christian world pays tribute to the wisdom and good heart of the three Magis – Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar – who defied the powers that be and traveled long to see the newly born King, Jesus. This was recounted by the disciple, Matthew.

I got an amusing text of a Filipino version of the Three Kings (which the Magis – wise men who indulge in astrology are invariably called) account.

The politics of estimating crowds

Published by Ellen on August 5, 2013

Pope Francis July 28 mass in Copacabana beach. Photo by Mario Tama, Getty Images. From National Post online..

There is more to the size of the crowd than just numbers.

Associated Press ran a story of Pope Francis July 28 Copacabana mass that concluded his highly successful visit in Brazil. A native of Argentina, the Brazil visit that capped the 2014 World Youth day, was his first in Latin America.

Press reports, quoting official figures by Vatican, said the Copacabana mass was attended by three million.

The reports said, in the history of Papal visits, only the five million Philippine crowds at the Rizal park mass of Pope John Paul II in 1995 topped the number of assembled Catholics at the Copacabana beach.

How much pull is an INC endorsement?

Published by Ellen on May 7, 2013

Iglesia ni Cristo’s list of senatorial candidates to be endorsed is interesting and intriguing.

Crossing party lines, INC’s list includes seven from Team PNoy (Sonny Angara,Bam Aquino,Alan Peter Cayetano,Grace Poe,Loren Legarda,Antonio Trillanes, and Cynthia Villar) and five from United Nationalist Alliance (JV Ejercito,Richard Gordon,Nancy Binay,Gringo Honasan and Jack Enrile).

An INC member said the day after the list was reported in media, a high ranking official of the church told them that it’s not final and changes may be made before the Monday election. That should keep the suspense among those in the list as well as those who want to get the endorsement that would be crucial in their getting into the Magic 12.

According to reliable survey groups like Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia, of all the religious groups, it’s only the INC that has proven to deliver command votes. There has been no proof of command votes delivered by El Shaddai, Jesus is Lord ( JIL was not able to make its leader, Eddie Villanueva, win in his past presidential bid. He is now a senatorial candidate and is not rating high in surveys) and other religious groups.

AMRSP’s critical reflection on Aquino presidency

Published by Ellen on April 3, 2013

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines has been in the forefront in all the political upheavals the country has experienced since the time of the Marcos dictatorship.

Many of its members braved the tanks sent by Marcos to Edsa during the 1986 People Power. They were very much visible in the 2001 ouster of Joseph Estrada and the installation of Gloria Arroyo.

But they did not hesitate to rally against Arroyo when reports of election cheating and massive corruption surfaced.

They supported the rise of Benigno Aquino III to the presidency.