11/10/2004

Indictment of Philippine Academia and Religion


Source: www.mymanila.net/ Posted by Hello

There is a lack of order within Philippine society that is keeping its people from transcending poverty. I am indicting three Philippine institutions (namely government, academia, organized religion) within our Society for the poverty that our nation is suffering today.

I touched upon this topic in an earlier article I wrote and here is an excerpt from that article, A Different Slant:


Our problem is systemic with one core issue; the populace is enabling the corrupt practices in Philippine society may it be in government, organized religion, academia, etc.. The components of a society such as government, academia, religion, etc. must function with order; this can be done by creating rules and its consistent implementation. In the Philippines today we have the law of the land and religious commandments to give us guidance in implementing order in our society. I don’t think the problem lies in the lack of guidance; rather it’s all about the populace’s lack of compliance and government’s lack of enforcement of the laws of the land. As a result, anarchy has replaced the order that we so need to enact economic progress.

In my earlier article, I directly blamed government for failing to provide order in our society; not only that, government is the biggest violators of the law. At the same time, I stated that organized religion and academia supplied Philippine society with guidance through the dissemination of moral teachings and ethics, which can be effective instruments of social control, that’s if people practice what they learn in church and school.

However, now I am including academia and organized religion among the culprits of our failing society.

Faults of Academia:
Leaders of Academia lack the courage and integrity in providing Filipinos the truth. For example, the UP Study regarding the economic collapse of the Philippines. Why did the authors of this study release it after the presidential elections? I find the timing of the release of the study suspicious. If this study were released before the Presidential elections there would have been no way GMA would have won.

Also what is disturbing is that the recommendations of the paper were conveniently in line with GMA’s proposed tax measures. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is an impending economic collapse, but I don’t think taxing Filipino consumers some more is the solution.

So you see, if academia will not speak for the truth and tell it how it is when it matters, how can we ever address the source of our nation’s problems?

Faults of Organized Religion:
The Catholic Church is the poster child for the population boom that is going on in the Philippines. The Catholic Church’s disapproval of the use of artificial birth control methods has effectively influenced the government’s policy. Even now, government turns a blind eye at the exploding 80 plus million population of the Philippines in fear of upsetting the Catholic Church.

It is obvious that the natural birth control method that the Catholic Church is teaching to married couples is not working as an unplanned additions to the families happens more often than not. The Catholic Church has failed to teach young adults (read young couples) to wait until they are married as unwanted pregnancies happen more and more. It is saddening that the Catholic Church has failed to teach its teenage parishioners to abstain from sex as teenage parents abound more than ever. For a country that is so conscious between the separation of church and state, the church has made a hefty impact in terms of government policy over population control issues.

Although I am not saying that the individual is not at fault for his/her lot in life, but it is up to Academe and Organized Religion to provide guidance so to affect social controls that would provide order to society. But what are Filipinos to do when the government is too corrupt to legislate, administer and interpret the law properly and have academic institution and organized religion keeps the people helpless and un-informed?


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

True, true. All true. Regarding the Catholic Church, I'll bet that if a way can be found where the Church can make money off alternative non-natural birth control methods that it will find itself "doctrinally flexible". Look at its flexible stand on gambling.

mell ditangco (this is my pseudonym) said...

It is sad that it would seem that our champions from academia and the church have seemed to haven given way to the ways of our corrupt govenment officials.

No revolution would succeed, when the pillars of society are run by corrupted individuals.

Anonymous said...

Well, don't be too hard on our academics and church fathers. The tendency has always been there. The Church most notably. Look at its checkered history. The point is to break away from its orbit, differentiate spiritual sustenance from superstition. Religions have always been obstructionist where economic and scientific progress are concerned. I'd say Catholicism's due for reforms or it dies within the century. But, hell, if it can be bribed in the direction of economic progress, why not? It's just one more institution to hurdle.

mell ditangco (this is my pseudonym) said...

I don't think I am being too hard on these institutions. If anything I am just disappointed, I expect moral ascendacy and integrity from these institutions as they are supposed to be a beacon of light.