Attacks on the Church in the Philippines intensifying!

This article is rather long so I thought of posting some excerpts. The article contains so much anti-Church so the post ended up still long.

Thanks to Josemaria Lazaro Paulo Jeronimo Martin Carvalho-von verster for sending the link and for the patience for waiting.

The article was posted at the Manila Times website.

The posting is for commentary and no copyright infringement intended.


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He is history—nothing more than a school requirement for school children and a forlorn white washed bust at town squares. That is the man that most people know of today as Jose Rizal. Few people know him as he truly was: a dangerous subversive executed by the state and a heretical rationalist excommunicated by the Church.  [Jose Rizal was excommunicated because he is a Mason.  And masons up to now are prohibited from receiving the sacraments as directed by Canon Law! Get the facts straight.]

Rizal’s ideas were a threat so viral that, not only was the man condemned and executed, [okay let’s get things strait. Rizal was executed because of the crimes of sedition and rebellion. Get it straight okay and not because he is a heretic, or was. More of this later] his books The Social Cancer (Noli Me Tangere) and The Reign of Greed (El Filibusterismo) were banned, his love denied the sanctity of marriage [he chose not to be married only later when he was about to be executed!] and his grave purposefully left unmarked and unhallowed. [because the colonial government would not want to! Geez, do I smell Dan Brown around the corner here?  He was hurriedly buried in an unmarked grave in the outer circle, reserved for convicts and non Spanish residents of the catholic cemetery in Paco, Manila.  But the ground is still catholic ground.] Church and state spited him even in death. [Oh boy, he renounced Masonry. The Wikipedia entry about his retraction supports this. Historians and handwriting experts support the claim that Rizal indeed renounced anything against the Church that he wrote.] But what had earned their enduring ire also won his people’s eternal reverence. Rizal’s ideas have birthed movements for national independence and social equality that, though arguably unresolved to this day, have nonetheless shaped the nation for the better.

Revisionists have co-opted and exploited the man’s message, reinterpreting his incendiary work into an exemplar of traditional values and his controversial life into a role model for docility.  And yet all that Rizal stood for is evidenced by his own words. His dauntless audacity is proven by the ire he incurred. Despite an alleged retraction unearthed in 1935 by Father Manuel Garcia, Rizal evidently died unforgiven. Many of these same perils that befell him still await those who dare follow the life he led. [He was forgiven! Eyewitness accounts of his final moments before he was executed by a volley of gunshots say that a priest presented him with a crucifix which he reverently kissed. He was buried on a Catholic cemetery but on a section where non-Spaniards are buried. The grave was unmarked to prevent those sympathetic to him will not find his remains and take it as a relic for revolutionaries!]

Today, there are young people living up to Rizal’s ideals. And they are every bit as subversive, heretical and misunderstood as the national hero. Just like he, they dare threaten the status quo. They call themselves Rational Heroes. [More like Irrational Degenerates for all I care!] While the failed generations of yesteryears can only pay trite platitudes on December 30, the hero’s death anniversary, these young Rational Heroes honor Rizal by taking his fight into the 21st century.

On its website, [I omitted the link so you won't visit the site] the group states:

One hundred thirteen years ago, our national hero Jose “Pepe” Rizal wrote about Padre Damaso, a priest who abused his power to oppress the Filipinos. Padre Damaso then validated his hypocrisy through his religion.

Labeled a heretic, Jose Rizal was shot in Luneta for his beliefs. [Belch!]

Today, Padre Damaso continues to live in our priests as the Church continues to wield its influence in legislation. [See that. Generalized all priest as if all of them are like the villanous Padre Damaso.  To all practicing Catholics, this is a direct assault on our Church! Catholic Knights, defend Mother Church!]

A number of Catholics [where? Maybe the same kind of Catholics Obama trumpets around. Pro-choice Catholics? Pro-abortion Catholics? Nominal Catholics? There’s no such thing! God will not force you to Heaven if you insist on going to Hell!] and a new generation of freethinkers, tired of being silenced and expected to blindly follow the teachings, are speaking up about their disappointment and disillusionment. [The Church does not encourage blind follow her teachings! But the Church will not stop in convincing you to follow the truth! You are free to choose if you do not want to follow! We call them heretics!]

Now, they speak up, continuing what Pepe Rizal did then. They are the new Pepe . . .

The founding members of the group—celebrated historical walking tour guide Carlos Celdran; [I saw this guy walking around the streets of Manila handing out condoms. He belongs to that sexual preference. Got it? So you know why he hates the Church.] relationship columnist and journalist for The Manila Times Ana Santos; feminist and national chairman for the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines Beth Angsioco; and writer, designer and rationalist Ryan Tani—reveal personal experiences, insights and convictions that parallel those of Rizal. [Belch!] Their forum sparks rational discussion on issues.

[I omitted some paragraphs.]
Despite these challenges, Santos finds guidance in Rizal’s writing, especially with the character Maria Clara—not as a role model—but as a warning on the pitfalls of docility. “She died in a convent. Her real father was Padre Damaso,” Celedran notes, adding that the naiveté and blind faith of Kapitan Tiago—the husband of Maria Clara’s mother Doña Pia Albas—made him a cuckold. Kapitan Tiago would later form an addiction to opium, made possible by his confessor, Padre Irene. Juli, another young woman in Rizal’s tale (Basilio’s beau and Kabesang Tales’ daughter), jumps to her death to escape the rapacious Padre Camorra. [He is building his case based on a fictitious novel which some Rizal experts say were based on actual characters but the events cannot be verified as factual. Ok? Got it.]

[I omitted some paragraphs.]
To Angsioco, Celdran, Tani and the members of Rational Heroes, no institution—religious or otherwise—should be exempt from reason or the rule of law. [And where does Separation of Church and State come in? It’s in the Constitution. So the law exempts the Church, so they are questioning the Constitution? Huh?] Their struggle mirrors that of Rizal who opposed a colonial system of government that was run in large part by friars who operated with impunity. [Nice work Dan Brown. As if the Philippines during Spanish colonial times were like the Vatican with the bishop as the supreme authority. When the fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora were garroted, the Spanish authorities want them stripped of their clerical garb.  The Archbishop of Manila insisted that they keep them on while they are executed for the crime of treason.  Was it the Church that had them executed?  Why was it that their dignity as priest was upheld by the archbishop?  See the point?  Twisted history.]

According to Rational Heroes, their advocacy includes the application without exemption of laws such as Magna Carta for Women (Republic Act 9710) and the passage without meddling or delay of the Reproductive Health bill (House Bill 4110). The Catholic Church opposes both. [Why? Read below.]

The Magna Carta for Women—besides protecting women from violence, domestic or otherwise;
guaranteeing equal right under the law; ensuring equal access to health services and education; and providing protection against discrimination in media—also assures equal career advancement opportunities for women. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has alleged that the law violates women’s “natural calling to marriage, family life and motherhood.”

Tani notes, “In the Magna Carta, unwed mothers cannot be discriminated against. They cannot be fired for being unwed. They cannot be kicked out of school if they are students. They can’t be discriminated when they’re hired based on being unwed mothers. The CEAP [Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines] wants schools that are Catholic to be exempted from that provision.”

Currently, the Catholic Church is one of the few remaining institutions where women cannot advance to the same positions as men, whereas other Christian denominations now allow for female priests and bishops. [See that? They see Christ’s non-ordination of women as an issue of gender equality. If they want gender equality, let’s have men entering the RVM convent! Let’s see that. Joking. Nature itself is discriminatory. My good friend, The Monk’s Hobbit, posted a great article about the separation of the roles of the genders.  This can never be a social issue.  It is an issue that Christ Himself will be able to answer because He Himself did not ordain women.]

One of the laws where the Church enjoys exemption is the Family Code of the Philippines (Executive Order 209) that requires all couples applying for marriage to undergo counseling by qualified government personnel where all family planning options are discussed. However, those applying for Catholic weddings are provided with the Church’s own counselors who discuss only rhythm method. Moreover, these Church counselors discourage couples from practicing any sort of family planning method—natural or otherwise—for the first two years of marriage. [Will the Church contradict Herself? Stoopid!]

The Reproductive Health bill aims to provide reproductive healthcare and informed choices for all Filipinos and aims to curb the high mortality rate among expectant mothers. According to the World health Organization (WHO), at least 10 Filipino women die daily because of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. [mostly those from poor villages, not because they are Catholics who follow their Faith! Stoopid.] About 90 percent of these deaths are preventable. The Department of Health has stated that family planning can reduce maternal mortality by about 32 percent.

However, the Church opposes the bill in its entirety. First proposed in 2004, the Reproductive Health bill has since been effectively filibustered by lawmakers allied to the Church. [Really? They are talking about the same lawmakers that legalized gambling in the country? BTW, the Church is against gambling!] Angsioco muses, “If somebody was born when the first bill was filed, perhaps that girl already has a child of her own at this point.” [Perhaps if the bill was passed long ago, people will such mentality would not have been born!]


Santos notes, “While it’s true that if you want family planning you can go the stores and buy contraceptives, it is only good for those who have money to buy. The problem here is access, information and service, especially Manila.” [But there are NGOs who give free contraceptives even in remote villages. It is not against the law to hand-our free contraceptives. Yet, proponents of the RH Bill want it institutionalized as if legalizing the government's purchase of contraceptives.  Where is freedom of choice there?]
Tani enumerates the fears raised against the Reproductive Health bill, countering each one rationally: [read on to see the “rationality” of it all.]

“First, they say that the RH bill will make abortion legal. One, if you go through RH bill, it’s very complete in the bill that it’s saying that nothing changes in the legal status of abortion in the Philippines,” notes Tani. [If the contraceptive fails and there was conception, what does the mother who does not want to get pregnant do? Huh? Tell me.]

The 1987 Constitution states, “The State shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.”

“Secondly, they say that contraceptives are abortifacients. But Contraceptives are against conception. There is no pregnancy. It prevents pregnancy,” cites Tani. [Stooooo.... Old music. Dead song. What if the contraceptive failed and the mother conceived.  The pregnancy is unplanned.  What do you do about the baby?]

The Catholic Church argues that intrauterine devices (IUDs) and “morning-after pills” are abortifacients since it defines the moment of conception at fertilization and these techniques prevent implantation of the fertilized embryo to the uterus wall. However, bodies such as the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association define the start of life at implantation, not fertilization. [So you expect us Catholics to follow the AMA and BMA than the Church? The Church sees this argument within the spectrum of sex as a means to pro-creation, not recreation! Sex is a means to produce life. If we do not agree on that, then there is nothing to talk about.] The Catholic Church opposes all artificial means of contraception including those that prevent fertilization such as condoms. Today, “morning after” pills are available over the counter without prescription in democratic countries such as Spain—the nation that Christianized the Philippines four centuries ago at the height of the repressive Spanish Inquisition. [Because the one that Christianized is sooo liberal, why can’t we? Is that it? Here’s the logic: Because the priest that gave me the absolution is sinful, then I have every right to be sinful as well! And that the absolution given is not effective. Heresy to me.]

“Another argument that the Catholic Church has against is that employers might go to jail for not providing contraceptives to my employees. Actually that’s not true. We already have in our labor code the provision saying that those employers with 200 employees above, it is the responsibility of the employers to actually provide reproductive health services. It’s already in the law. It’s already in our Labor Code.”

Article 134 of the Labor Code of the Philippines titled Family Planning Services: Incentives For Family Planning states: “(a) Establishments which are required by law to maintain a clinic or infirmary shall provide free family planning services to their employees which shall include, but not be limited to, the application or use of contraceptive pills and intrauterine devices. (b) In coordination with other agencies of the government engaged in the promotion of family planning, the Department of Labor and Employment shall develop and prescribe incentive bonus schemes to encourage family planning among female workers in any establishment or enterprise.” [So it is in the present law! Then why is it not being implemented? You need another law to implement the current law? Stoooo…]

“Yet another argument is, ‘If I’m a doctor and I don’t provide contraceptives to my patient, am I going go to jail?’ That’s not also true. According to the bill, health providers need to provide services but there is an exemption there. The right to conscientious objection is protected.” [how about those who are poorly educated? How about those who cannot choose for their own like those living in the mountains of Mindanao? I had gone to those places and whenever someone from the city tells them that “this is good.” they take it as bible truth. Can we expect government health workers to do that? Do all Filipinos know their rights?]

Celdran elucidates, “If you really ask us what we’re fighting for, it is basically an informed choice. [Oh really?  Do you try to fight for women's rights in the Sharia Law?  Have you ever been to a Muslim village in Mindanao and actually knew how it was like to live there?  Go throw your informed choice brouhaha there and let's see.] We’re tired of being treated as idiots. [Who treats you that way? The Church did not treat me that way.  Maybe you feel that way.  By the way, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen.  We don't want you!] I feel that we are being so misled. You have priests giving PowerPoint presentations during homilies saying that contraceptives are cancerous and everybody who supports the RH law is a minion of the devil. Give us a little bit of credit. We can decide. We can think for ourselves.” [Where is the parish of this guy if he still goes to Mass.  I have to see that presentation!  By the way, this Catholic Church hater makes a living as a tour guide of Manila which includes the old walled city of Manila, which includes....(drum roll)  the Manila Cathedral Basilica and San Agustin Church.  Wow... someone who hates and despises the Church and Her priests are making a quick buck out of Her.  Now there's some credibility for you there.]

Despite strong opposition from the Church—Catholics comprise 81 percent of the total population—a Pulse Asia Inc. survey conducted October this year finds that 63 percent are in favor of the Reproductive Health bill. Citizens can adjudge for themselves the Reproductive Health bill by reading its entirety at http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/population/documents/HB4110.pdf.
[So if majority of the people surveyed want stealing legalized, are we going to go ahead and legalize it? The sickening Obamanation numbers game. If they are the minority, they call out "discrimination".  If they have the numbers they say, "Hey, the majority has spoken!"  You'll never win over these lot.]

Another forefront where Rational Heroes espouses compliance without exemption is taxation. Angsioco says, “We’re also fighting for accountability—paying taxes. The Philippines needs money. Just like any other citizen of the Philippines, if you’re really want to be that influential, then you have to pay the piper just like any of us do. These 400 years of being sort of like untouchable and precious has got to end, seriously.”

Santos opines, “I wouldn’t have a problem with the Church meddling with politics if they pay taxes, because that’s the right of a private organization. But they are a public, nonprofit, religious organization that cannot be involved. A say is fine. Physical meddling is not. It says in the constitution that the tax-exempt status that they have is based on their purposes—religious, charitable, benevolent, educational, cultural and literary. But there’s nothing there that says political. Because if you form a political body, you will be subject to taxes.” [So poor people who do not pay taxes, they don’t have the right to be involved in politics such as to vote?  Maybe someone ought to send this article to the poor people of Tondo and Payatas.]


According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, “The Constitution expressly grants tax exemption on certain entities/institutions such as: 1. Charitable institutions, churches, parsonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques, and nonprofit cemeteries and all lands, buildings and improvements actually, directly and exclusively used for religious, charitable or educational purposes (Article VI, Section 28, paragraph 3); 2. Non-stock non-profit educational institutions used actually, directly and exclusively for educational purposes. (Article XVI, Section 4).”

Rational Heroes adheres to the democratic principle of separation of church and state, says Tani, explaining, “Mainly, I’m fighting for secularism. [clearly you are!  IN A GODLESS SOCIETY!] If we have to share a common ground, a common country, [sounds Masonic, eh?] then we also have common beliefs. [we do! and you are polluting it!  This is a Catholic country for cryin out loud.  Live with it!] It’s easy to check on our history [yeah we saw you made a great job on that!] and even today, what’s happening in the Middle east that where government and religion become tied up, [the situation in the Middle East is different in how the Church shaped Western Civilization as we know it now!]  it leads to wars and conflicts and divisions.” [HUH?! So what is it that you want? You want separation of Church and State yet you want to tax the Church?]

“Secularism grants people equal rights and freedom regardless of what they believe. This freedom, this equality, is being threatened when the majority religion of a certain place tries to combine their Cannon [kaboom!] Law with the shared Constitution. The Constitution should be shared by everybody. Cannon [kaboom!] Law should only be applied to people who believe in a Cannon [kaboom!] Law,” he expounds.

Tani notes, “The sin and the crime—they are two different things. That difference is what I’m fighting for.”

Despite the stigma they face, the members of Rational Heroes take inspiration from national hero/heretic Rizal. [stooo.... Rizal was a Mason and not a declared heretic!] 

Ironically, the Church owes much to the likes of Rizal—as much as it does other famous excommunicates such as Galileo Galilei [wrong! Galileo was never classified a heretic. He was under interdict. You know where Galileo is buried? At the Basilica of Santa Croce! A heretic is not buried in a basilica! Just read Wikipedia to get the facts straight.] and Martin Luther [good riddance]. Without Galileo, the Church would still erroneously insist that Sun revolves around the Earth. [It did not insist! Copernicus who was the first one to say that the earth revolved around the sun is a clergyman! Galileo was challenging the scientific authority of the Bible which the Bible is not!] Without Luther, the Church would still be selling indulgences. [True but he even challenged the authority of the pope.  He should have stopped at the selling of indulgences yet he INSISTED on questioning the authority of the Successor of Peter!] And without Rizal, the Church would still be an instrument of foreign oppression and racist policy. [Thanks but no thanks. Some principles of Rizal against the Church became the rallying cry of Masons against the Church and anybody against the Church for that matter!] Each excommunicate has diminished Church power, be it as a factual authority or a political, economic and military power. But as Lord Acton famously quipped in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887, [Mister Creighton is a "bishop" of the Anglican Church] “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [And some people trumpet this to everyone, as if everyone in power, be it in a religious or civil position, is corrupt!]

As Beth Angsioco, Carlos Celdran, Ryan Tani, Ana Santos and the members of Rational Heroes dare speak their mind, assert their rights and live up to the ideals of Jose Rizal, they might inadvertently save Church and state. [You don’t! And you'll never! Period!]

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Another reason why strong Catechism is needed so that we become informed and equipped against the attacks against Holy Mother Church.

Know your history.

Know your Faith.

The devil is working overtime.  Protect your loved ones from the filth that is so pervasive in mass media and even in our Catholic schools.  Our priests, though some may be guilty of the sin of commission or omission, cannot monitor what happens inside our Catholic classrooms.  We parents have that duty and responsibility to pass the Faith to our children to keep them in the right path and not be drifters of a society that worships whatever comes out of the media and out of perverted or twisted history.

That is our vocation as parents...

That is our vocation as Catholics!