Keeping faith

In a democratic system like ours and with the kind of politicians now holding public office in the political branches of our government, the approval of the controversial RH bill by both Houses of Congress is more or less a done deal especially with the undue and all out pressure from P-Noy to the extent of certifying it as “urgent.” Apparently the bigger number of our Congressmen/women and Senators were “convinced” of the bill’s seemingly laudable purposes — that it will solve our poverty problem and improve the women’s reproductive health and maternal care.

The anti-RH forces including myself were of course still hoping and fervently praying that our lawmakers would see the light on the real intent of this bill and that they would not succumb to that pressure by voting according to their well-informed conscience. We were hoping and praying that our lawmakers would recognize the wrongfulness of the means employed in attaining the bill’s supposed purposes —the use of contraceptive pills, devices and services and the compulsory sex education of school children.

Obviously the lawmakers who approved and P-Noy himself may have been convinced after studying both sides, of the correctness of the Pros’ arguments and explanations. Hence they saw nothing wrong with the means employed to achieve the bill’s seemingly laudable purposes.

These lawmakers who heeded P-Noy apparently believe that there is nothing wrong with contraception; that contraceptives merely prevents conception or the fertilization of the ovum by the sperm despite several results of scientific and medical researches showing that oral contraceptives cause cancer and other serious ailments; that pills like RU 486, Depo Provera, Norplant, Morning After emergency contraceptive and device like IUD, patches and injectables actually cause abortion; and that all the other contraceptives weaken the uterus and thus prevent implantation of the fertilized egg, also resulting in abortion; that condoms are not 100% effective and thus likewise result in HIV, AIDS, sexually transmissible diseases (STDs) and even unwanted pregnancies that often lead to abortion.

P-Noy and his cohorts in Congress also swallowed the contention of the pro RH groups that the abortion referred to in the RH bill which is prohibited and illegal is only the unsafe or “back alley” abortion so that the bill must be passed even if it provides for universal access to all sorts of contraception that make abortion safe for women and even contribute to their reproductive health.

Obviously P-Noy and the lawmakers who approved the RH bill likewise believe that the contraceptive mentality engendered by the use of contraceptives subsidized by the government with the tax payers’ money, will not warp or destroy our sense of values on human life itself and on the most basic human institutions of marriage and family. They believe that the contraceptive mentality engendered by the RH bill will not result in breakdown of so many marriages, in the unabated increase of divorces at the drop of a hat and the numerous broken families resulting from them, as well as in the alarming increase in teenage pregnancies and even the shooting rampage perpetrated mostly be teenagers in schools and public places now happening in western countries especially in the US where contraceptive mentality is prevalent. They apparently have the same frame of mind as the pro-abortion American leaders who think that these shooting rampages are due more to the “love of guns than to the lack of love for human life” spawned by the contraceptive mentality.

PNoy and the lawmakers who approved the RH bill are also convinced of the Pros’ argument that it will improve the quality of lives especially of the poor people and help them “alleviate the harshness of poverty” with the use of contraceptives. They accept the Pros’ argument likening the Catholic bishops opposing contraception, to the Pharisees during Jesus time “imposing more rules” and “putting unnecessary burdens on people”. The apparently accept the Pros’ contention that the natural family planning method advocated by the Church which entails self discipline and control “go beyond the teachings of Jesus” even if Jesus Himself epitomizes self control. Despite their being Catholics, they agree more with the contention of Pros who are also known Catholics, that the Church teaching on contraception are not infallible believing more on some Filipino priests and a German theologian, than on the Pope who is the head of the Church.  

And so 133 out of 285 members of the Lower House and 13 out of 23 members of the Senate aggressively pushed by the President, saw nothing wrong with the RH bill and approved it. Definitely, the truth here has been determined by sheer force of numbers. This approval however will not end the division created by the bill because of the diametrically opposed stand of the pros’ and cons as to what is true and just.

Admittedly, the Church and all of us who opposed the bill and who fervently prayed for its disapproval by Congress suffered a setback. But we should keep faith because something good has come out of this setback. Now that the bill will become a law, a final and conclusive determination of what is true and just regarding it can be attained by bringing the matter to the ultimate arbiter, the last bulwark of democracy, the Supreme Court (SC), which will resolve the issue based on the fundamental law of the land, the Constitution crafted with the aid of Divine Providence. The SC will conclusively decide:

1. Whether or not the RH bill protects the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from the moment of conception;

2. Whether or not it protects marriage as an inviolable social institution and whether or not it strengthens the solidarity of the family and promote its total development;

3. Whether or not it violates the natural right and duty of parents in the rearing and education of their children;

4. Whether or not it violates religious freedom of individuals; and

5. Whether or not the bill is still necessary.

So in this year of faith, let us keep faith and pray for God’s mercy on us and our country that has been seriously divided by this foreign imposed bill.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]