The Philippines faces another political crisis in 2009. It seems like EDSA People Power of 1986 never happened more than 23 years ago.
Martial law or civil war are once again on the horizon.
Which proves, i believe, what many have been saying all along: that the political crisis is only a symptom or the fruit of the moral and spiritual crisis
in the Philippines.
For Christians and especially Catholics, we can be more specific: the need for Catholic renewal or reform, the need to turn to Christ in personal conversion. There are political movements fighting for reforms led by people like Among Ed Panlilio, Grace Padaca, Kayanatin, et al, and these are signs of a politically and spiritually awakening citizenry, but the only way to succeed and make the success last for generations is for Philippine society to be morally and spiritually transformed. The social transformation must start from personal conversion.
THIS IS A CALL FOR THE
PERSONAL CONVERSION FIRST AMONG CATHOLICS.
If all or majority of Catholics in the Philippines and Filipinos outside the Philippines undergo personal conversion,
they will serve as the salt of the earth for all of Philippine society and that will be enough.
If you are calling for reforms in Philippine society but you live a sinful life, first change yourself , return to Christ, go to confession, go to Communion, make amends for your sins, ask forgiveness for those you have wronged, make restitution and return the fruits of your sins, share your wealth and assets with the poor and be an active participant in the Church's mission of evangelizing society.
Without this personal conversion, nothing you say or do will help change Philippine society for the better because as a holy man once said
the love of a godless man cannot save society, only the love of God and of Christ can.
For most macho Filipinos, the sure sign of moral and
spiritual death is sexual immorality. Pick any politician who is corrupt and if you dig deep enough
you will find sexual immorality in his life and vice versa. This is true of course even in non-politicians but it is especially true of most corrupt politicians, military and police officers, business leaders, entertainers and even some supposedly religious leaders.
I am writing this from the United States of America where sexual immorality among political leaders is still regarded as a serious matter which haS caused
the resignation of those holding office and the demise of the political careers of many aspiring for office.
The Philippines' extreme tolerance for sexual immorality among political leaders is a sign of moral numbness, the loss of the sense of sin which then leads to
graver sins like corruption and killings.
The clearest example is the case of Erap Estrada. His election and continuing popularity is barometer of how
low the morality of Filipinos has sunk.
In the Philippines, sexual immorality is even ecumenical. Erap is Catholic but even Protestant Eddie Ramos is known to have fathered an illegitimate child by a prominent society matron and Ramos' popularity and stature did not seem to have been tarnished by people knowing about this. And the society matron did not suffer any kind of social stigma and as a matter of fact seemed to have flaunted the fact that the former president has a child by her.
You can count by your fingers the number of politicians, police or military leaders, even business leaders who are not guilty of major or minor sexual immoralities. It is a status symbol in the Philippines to have mistresses and sexual flings . Prostitution of every kind--from high class call girls and actresses for hire to cheap prostitution joints masquerading as massage parlors and beer houses--abound in every city and town.
Dig deep into the personal lives
of Senators, Congressmen, Governors, Mayors, Police and Military Generals, Business Leaders and the discoveries will expose the extent of immorality in their lives: do they have mistresses? how many? do they consort with prostitutes and loose women? do they frequent night clubs and massage parlors, etc. What the top leaders are doing , those at the bottom are surely beginning to emulate in a smaller scale .
If a general has two or three mistresses, maybe the colonel would have one. If the Senator has three mistresses, maybe the Congrressman would have two.
If Erap had seven mistresses, maybe his Cabinet Secretary would have two, while somebody like Chavit Singson who ran jueteng during Erap's time might have three. Somebody for example like the NBN whistle blower Jun Lozada who admitted to small-time corruption confessed to having a mistress and a child by herwhile he was head of a government agency which to me was a sure sign that he was on his
way to big time corruption.
Sexual immorality is not the gravest sin. G.K. Chesterton said that every man knocking at the door of a prostitution house is a man searching for
God. Yet sexual immorality or sins of the flesh are the most dangerous because they trigger a separation from God and a loss of morality which ultimately leads to graver sins--corruption, killings, drugs, etc...and death of the soul.
Take it from me. I am speaking from personal experience as a sinner who has been saved only by God's grace and mercy.
My advice especially to fellow Ateneans and fellow ex-seminarians first and to the rest of Filipinos second, is to take a serious look at sexual immorality
and to undertake the struggle to eliminate it from our lives as a first step to personal conversion. I know personally that among Ateneans and even ex-seminarians, sexual immorality is treated in a cavalier way. If you are in sin, if you are caught in the trap
of sexual immorality of whatever kind, if you have aspirations to change Philippine society, change yourself first. Your love for the Philippines alone will not save nor transform Philippine society. Only God's love will. God's love flowing through each soul which has become Godlike because of a spiritual union with
Christ. Philippine politics is dirty because Filipino politicians and Filipinos have become dirty and immoral. You cannot change Philippine society
for the better unless you have changed yourself for the better. No matter how much Communists love their country, they cannot change their country for the better because only God's love can. That is why godless Communist USSR failed, that is why godless China is
experiencing troubles and is due for eventual collapse. That is why supposedly democratic and Catholic Philippines is in continual crisis.
Personal conversion back to Christ is the only way we will transform Philippine
society.
One specific step is also to call all politicians , military , police business and all political leaders to abandon their immoral ways and be converted into union with Jesus Christ. And for the people and the spiritual leaders and the media to expose the immorality in leaders' lives as a a first step in an appeal for their conversion.
This is part of the appeal of Among Ed Panlilio and Grace Padaca: that they are perceived as highly moral leaders in their personal and official lives.
PLEASE DISSEMINATE.
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