BoldstarToo Many Filipinos?
House Bill 5043, the Reproductive Health bill introduced by Rep. Edcel C. Lagman of Albay, aims to promote choices for family planning and age-appropriate reproductive health education; provide goods, services, and information; and create a nationwide reproductive health program.
Why? There are 90+ million Filipinos with an approximate growth rate (GR) as high as 3.4% making the Philippines one of the most populous nations in the world compared with 1.1% GR Asian average (cia.com). In 2006, AUSAID reported that almost 27.6 million people lived below the Philippines' poverty threshold representing 26.9 per cent of Philippine families and 32.9 per cent of the population. According to international data, 44 per cent of the population subsisted on US$2 or less a day.
As a nation dominated by Catholics, the cruxes of opposition largely voiced by Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines are the availability of abortion, distribution of contraceptives and abortifacient devices and/or medicines as well as maintaining their singular position on natural family planning methods. Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Family Life said that “They will be using taxpayers’ money, including those of Catholic taxpayers … They will be using Catholic taxpayers’ money against our own beliefs,” Castro said (PDI, Manila 2009). The Church rejects the act of abortion or access to abortion as a dimension of reproductive health because it merits an automatic excommunication.
Condom is Your Passport to Hell?
The church is in favor of only implementing natural family planning methods. These are abstention, rhyth
m method and body function methods. Clinical trials conducted in many countries including the Philippines suggest a 90%+ success rate, if done correctly. Well, rocketing by more than 20+ million since the 2000 census, would you consider the effort so far a success or failure? Isn’t it a massive indictment on the church and the many religious organisations ability to educate its flock about natural family planning methods? Who can blame members of its congregation? Natural family planning methods are quite hard work. Effectiveness is essentially reliant on the couple’s dedication to measure and chart certain physical symptoms with scientific accuracy, and then interpret the charts correctly, as well as be mindful of other factors that may meddle with the woman's normal bodily rhythm. Self-discipline is also needed to regulate their sex life subsequently. In the meantime one also needs to eke out an existence.How many people actually still obey the Church?
So what really is the main reason for their opposition? The opposition is based on long held bans laid into foundation as old as Tertullian (A.D. 197) and as recent as Pope Pius XI who issued “Casti Connubii” stating that artificial birth control is a violation of the “law of God and nature” and hence sexual intercourse is only intended by God for procreation. Successive Papal declarations “Humanae Vitae” by Paul VI, John Paul II and the current Pope continue the stance that contraception is morally unacceptable. It is hardly surprising considering that even at the height of the AIDS epidemic the church could have prevented thousands of infections if it had been more open to the use of condoms.
When is the moment that a new life begins?
Even when the foundation of long held beliefs are being challenged by scientific knowledge, such as the true nature of conception, the church remains indifferent. It’s been awhile that scientists have discovered that conception is a process lasting 2 to 12 hours not just a moment of fertilization creating life (ensoulment) and subsequently perhaps, is the recognition that, as late as 14 days after fertilisation, the embryo may divide into twins or triplets or more. This so-called "twinning argument" is the strongest yet against the view that life begins at fertilisation or rather the unknown moment of ensoulment. Because, theologically speaking, the soul cannot split, it can be said that the soul does not enter the pre-embryo (called a zygote) until the point at which it can no longer divide into several individuals (Brogaard, B. 2003).
Keep in mind that some religions and conservative societies accept the use of contraception. Judaism, according to the Talmudic Law, allows appropriate use of the female birth control pill and IUD because they do not damage the sperm and stop it getting to its intended destination. Condoms are however unacceptable because they block the passage of semen, and so impede with one of the natural purposes of intercourse. Surprisingly, Iran is the only country where mandatory contraceptive courses are required for both males and females before a marriage license can be obtained. Although a conservative religious regime, the government emphasizes the benefits of small families and contraception (earthpolicy.org 2008).
Is the Church just afraid of losing control?
All I could think of is that the church is scared. Fearful that their’ massive political influence in the country would be diluted weakening their power as King or Queen Maker. The church fronted by Cardinal Sin was at EDSA 1 with Cory Aquino, it was the same Cardinal that helped oust Estrada during EDSA 11 and lastly, the role of Iglesia ni Cristo during EDSA Tres. They would look at the passing of this Bill as subversion to the dogma and beliefs many of its flock no longer accept as a valid excuse to maintain their suffering. That is why despite an all-out campaign against it, 6 out of 10 Filipinos favour the bill according to a survey by Pulse Asia. But they shouldn’t fear. In Italy where abortion is legal for decades now, Catholicism is still the religion of its citizens like Spain our former colonial master which also decriminalized it in 1985.
What is Victorina’s stand about the Reproductive Health Bill?
This Bill is one of many approaches to provide a better future for the people freeing them from the clutches and cycles of poverty exacerbated by the sheer number of children specially in a poor household. It’s about time someone else have a go at providing a solution. This is a solution, and the people have spoken, so let democracy be.
Dudes, speak up!
|
Free Will. The inherent right of man to follow what his conscience dictates. This is also a bedrock of Christianity. As spiritual guardians, Catholic Priests can promote its teachings on human reproduction but must let its flock decide what is best for them without threat of excommunication when defied. Such precondition is arbitrary and immoral.
I guess the real issue lies on abortion to which personally, i don't mind other people going under the process but heck if I'm gonna pay for it. They opened their legs, might as well owe up to their responsibility. the taxes I'm paying should instead be spent on food stamps (which is nonexistent in RP) and education for all the poor kids and not just to the smart poor kids. I hope i made sense :)
"This Bill is one of many approaches to provide a better future for the people freeing them from the clutches and cycles of poverty exacerbated by the sheer number of children specially in a poor household."
totally agree!
We should be vigilant and resist the church's interferance with matters of the State!
"They will be using Catholic taxpayers’ money against our own beliefs"
THIS STATEMENT IS COMPLETE ARROGANCE OF THE CHURCH!
I would like to inquire what the stance of Para sa Bayan of this issue?
Spain was a backwater until it shrugged off the Catholic Church's yoke. That's an example from our former colonizers that we should follow. Maybe it will help us get out of our 19th century value system.
peyups said...
We should be vigilant and resist the church's interferance with matters of the State!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I agree 101%!!!
Either the church stops interfering or they start payin' taxes too.
the Catholics should just feed the27 million starving Pinoys!
King Philip of Spain wanted the Catholic Queen May to lead Britain. Queen Elizabeth resisted and destroyed Spain making it so poor that it never recovered!
I think we should do thesame and just RESIST the CATHOLICS!
The Dolphin, from studies, is the only known specie, apart from humans, who engages in sex for pleasure. La di da. It's fascinating how scientists found that out. For us humans, setting the right mood and with the consent of both partners, it's game time. Sometimes, it's even done spontaneously which leaves one wondering if he/she should talk about last night, or day, or whatever time of day IT happened or wherever the deed was consummated. Most especially if the partner in crime is not your beloved. This is both lucky and unfortunate for us unlike other species who need only to have sex and breed during mating season. What the church therefore wants is that we be like lower mammals and schedule our mating habits and only mate to breed. Geesh.
Religion or not, THIS BILL HAS TO PASS. Let's not talk of technicalities at what point can life be established once Sperm and Egg meet. Sex is sex, and as a matter of consequence, contact may or may not lead to conception. However, as a personal note, I must state that once conception commences, abortion is not an option. That's the only thing I agree with the church stand on this bill.
You put in a perfect argument that at the height of sexually transmissible diseases, the church could have helped and prevented the spread of infection had it been open to the use of condoms, which by the way is the oldest form of contraception.
This made me smile
Condoms a passport to hell? Using artificial birth control is against the law of God and Nature and hence sexual intercourse is only intended by God for procreation. Hmmm... And these coming from men who must be celibate by their own decree. They are literally throwing the Good Book at us. Let me throw them back a passage from Genesis when Adam and Eve were cast out from Eden. God said to them, go forth and multiply. Is that why it is right for them to tell us it is against God's law to control birth? Being celibate, aren't they in CLEAR VIOLATION of God's Law to go forth and multiply? Well and good that they are not allowed to marry and must remain celibate, hence they will definitely contribute to the problem by planting their seeds left and right. Oh, wait! Some of them does that anyways. Some of them even prefer playing with boys no matter even if they say homosexuals will never enter heaven.
Humans need five basic needs to survive. Top of which is our Physiological Need, itemized further into seven, namely: Food, clothing, shelter, water, air, heat, and sex.
With sex being one of our need, it is therefore our right to protect ourselves from accidental pregnancies and/or contracting sexually transmissible diseases. Natural birth control method can never be relied on fully since not all know how or even willing to learn about them. Those who do however, tends to slip most especially when caught in the heat of the moment. How odd that men who wears ceremonial dresses to work and who cannot and must not engage in SEX will tell a populace what form or birth control method to use .
Let the bill pass, and let it pass now.
The definition of poverty isn't so much the lack of money but the lack of choices. Those who seek to deprive us of our choices are the real oppressors.
Pass the Reproductive Health Bill.
YESSSS to the Reproductive Health Bill.
How come that usually the middle/upper class families in the Phils. have few kids while the poor/lower class families have numerous kids? Maybe, it's not a matter of belief it's because they can't afford to pay for pills, condoms, IUD, tubal ligation or vasectomy. It's the government's responsibility to inform and offer this help to the people if they chose to use whatever method they want FOR FREE.
In other Catholic countries like the Phils., the parents themselves are the one providing condoms for their daughters to avoid early pregnancies. And the hospitals provide FREE morning after pills for girls to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Let's move forward, yes to this bill.
indulging in sex is like wanting to jump in a swimming pool...how many of us were told as children not to go in the water for fear that we might drown? how many of us were actually given swimming lessons to prevent us from drowning? the church's belief that it is sinful to artificially control pregnancy is extremely oblivious to the fact that to teach people about responsibly engaging in intercourse does not necessarily equal committing a capital sin...responsibly engaging in intercourse includes avoiding consequences that could harm yourself, your partner, and your families...this is coming from someone whose two sisters got pregnant at an early age and could not afford to care for their children simply because they were not ready to be parents...were they ready to have sex, of course, but not ready to face the consequences of doing so. you can put a fence around the pool, you can surround it with electrically charged barriers, but as long as it remains forbidden, people will try to get in and dive...i am not saying we should promote sexual intercourse, BUT, if people are going to jump in the pool anyway, and they always do, WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO TEACH THEM HOW TO SWIM?
I LOVE MY CATHOLIC FAITH...GO GO GO
I dare the roman catholic church to step out of the ivory tower and use vatican funds to help alleviate poverty...hypocrites the whole lot of them
WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO TEACH THEM HOW TO SWIM?
totally agree... palibhasa ang daming priests turned priestesss!
their power as King or Queen maker is over!
Along with Anonymous March 1, 2009 6:00 PM
I also Agree with Ann's comment
LET'S TEACH THEM TO SWIM.
And I add... Teach t5hem to swim well.
A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 86 percent of Manila residents support a law on reproductive health (RH).
wow 86 percent!!!!!!!!!!
The SWS survey, conducted from Dec. 27 to 29, also revealed that 88 percent of the 600 respondents agree that Manila should have a policy on RH, while 95 percent say that the city health centers should further improve their services.
Jesus Molina, Coordinator General of the Spanish Cooperation Agency, said the Spanish bishops used to oppose reproductive health programs but after a long process, a law was finally approved and is now well-accepted by all sectors.
"The Catholic church does not say anything at all, it fully supports the use of contraceptives," Molina told the forum. He added that in Spain, the social influence of the Church is very small and has very little influence on political matters.
Why will the Catholic Church against Reproductive Bill. Which this Catholic Leaders are the one's who is more sinful than the ordinary people. This priest happens to be a pedophile or girlfriend who got pregnant. They are so hypocrite
"This is Roman Catholicism, Filipino style. For centuries, the faithful millions bow down to the power of the church."
"The I.U.D., the pills, are promoting abortion..."
BBC reports, SEX and RELIGION in Manila. Feb. 20, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIYVqkedZ8A
Manila is one of the fastest growing cities on Earth and evidence of population pressure is everywhere.
In a devoutly Catholic country, Seyi Rhodes reports on moves to introduce a reproductive health bill to provide free contraception. The Church fears a breakdown in Filipino family values and is resisting the move, blaming the widespread poverty on bad government and corruption rather than population growth. But there is evidence that many young Filipinos, while retaining their Catholicism, are now moving against the teachings of the Church on Contraception.
L.P. Leviste sez.............
When examining its various businesses and holdings, the VATICAN found out it is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of birth control pills.
And yet they are against it.
Such hypocracy.
The Catholic Church is to blame for our OVERPOPULATION.
It is this strictmess that El Shaddai and others have recruited the faithful.
PASS that bill PRONTO.
Indeed, under General Franco, Spain flourished to be the top economy it is now.
We were FORCED to be Catholics by ancient history.
hi, im new here but i feel very pasisonate about the RH issue.
there really is a need to address the growing population and this is what i have been studying as a demograpahy student.
much of the concern on stopping the bill lies on the abortion provision. the bill DOES NOT encourage abortions. what the bill does is recognize that abortion is being practiced and women who have had to go through it are often left with close to no medical assistance afterward.
if the bill is to pass and people will understand and know how to prevent the pregnancies, then there would be (ideally) no abortions to deal with.
and i dont like the way some religious orgs have been selling the "evil" RH bill.
in fact, i was at church and i wanted to pick a fight with the priest. during the homily, we said that thank god there was no RH bill during adam and eve's time, because if there was, they would have decided not to have more kids and therefor stop the spread of civilization.
tsk tsk. and these are the people who we're supposed to consider?
the RH bill is WOMAN'S RIGHTS!
fuck the catholic church. fuck the priest. they are gays anyway.
(1:55) A recent survey suggests that 63% of the Filipinos want this Health Bill to be passed. It's not an argument that cuts much ice with the ex-mayor.
(2:04) Seyi Rhodes - Don't you think this Reproductive Bill is being introduced because it is what the people want?
(2:10) Lito Atienza - "It's not the matter what the people want. Neither is it designed to what is really good for the people."
(2:16) Lito Atienza - "The Reproductive Health Bill will only open the flood gates to Filipinos embracing eventually the kind of lifestyle that is destroying the Western World. Divorce, gay marriages, abortion. All of these are destroyers of the family. And the family once destroyed weakens society. Birth control, population control is not Filipino.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7nAwNGKcQ
(2:46) Seyi Rhodes - What is the advantage of having a large population?
(2:49) Lito Atienza - "Power. Economic even military power."
(2:53) Seyi Rhodes - Even if it is a large poor population?
(2:55) Lito Atienza - "No. You must make sure that the growing population... ah... also develop economic... ah... opportunities."
(3:05) Lito Atienza - "I will never change my arithmetic. More people helping, the stronger the economy."
(3:16) While the economy is growing, the country is still plagued by poverty. Nearly half of all Filipinos live on less than two U.S. dollars a day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7nAwNGKcQ
--------------------
Washington Post
April 21, 2008, Page A10
Birthrates Help Keep Filipinos in Poverty
"There are many reasons why this country is poor, including feudal patterns of land ownership and corrupt government. But there is a compelling link between family size and poverty. It increases in lock step with the number of children, as nutrition, health, education and job prospects all decline, government statistics and many studies show. "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/20/AR2008042001930_3.html?hpid=sec-world&sid=ST2008042100778
http://ccrg.info/cas.htm
Please help us by acquiring this Catholic Traditionalist CD and by making a donation to one of the few left of the remnant Church Militant; designed to expose the masonic evils of our world and implement philosophies, technologies, and economies
designed to preserve and protect present and future generations.
All challenges or assistance welcomed and encouraged.
Introducing the new Traditionalist Catholic National Anthem: Guns & Jesus.
http://ccrg.info/cas.htm
I think you are not a Catholic because I don't think you know what you are saying here. Sorry, real Catholics can easily tell you are so ignorant of what it really meant to be a Catholic.
Ha! Lito Atienza's argument that a large population brings economic and military power is reminiscent of Mao Tse-tung's encouraging the Chinese to multiply, saying that "every mouth comes with two hands".
Then, we have him saying that it's not a matter of what the people want. Really? Last time I heard, we're a democracy. Lito Atienza the communist!
I believe in a mighty creator.. but I don't believe in Religion, the Church or it's archaice views and narrow-mindedness.