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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I Lost Lucy

Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez just showcased how our legislators have a problem differentiating their personal beliefs and their work as lawmakers in a secular democracy.

Morality's muse.
(Courtesy of southernleytetimes.com)

On a morning show hosted by anchor Karen Davila, she expressed her concern about the country's "moral fiber" - more specifically, what would happen to it should the RH (Reproductive Health) Bill be passed. She also mentions her faith as the force that drives her to oppose the said measure, claiming that the Philippines is a religious country and that she cannot make a decision that will go against it.

I don't know about you, but my first, instinctive reaction was to laugh out loud. (A real life LOL.)

See, the representative makes it no secret that she is devoted and loyal to the Catholic Church in the country. All one needs to do is to Google "Lucy Torres Gomez anti RH", and what comes out are articles that juxtapose the terms "RH", "CBCP", "church", "Catholic" and her name, as proof of this.

Clearly, the moral standard she is advocating or sees as "golden" is the morality as approved by the Catholic hierarchy in the country.

And let's not forget - how can we, when the CBCP reminds us every chance it gets - that a majority of this country identifies itself as Catholic, when asked for religious affiliation.

So why did I LOL?

The question is, how can anyone not laugh at the absurdity highlighted by such a devotion to the so-called Catholic "moral fiber", compared with what is happening around us? After centuries of Catholic "superiority", what moral tempertaure can be felt in this bastion of Christianity in Asia? (Full disclosure: I am not a Catholic.)

We are constantly rated as one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

We have priests - supposedly sworn to celibacy - who have sired offspring.

The pictures of priests surrounding former President Macapagal-Arroyo and former Chief Justice Renato Corona speak volumes: their eerie silence while various anomalous, highly questionable transactions happened and blatant disregard for public calls for accountability can render even the sharpest of hearing aids inutile.

We have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Southeast Asia.

You can find vendors selling concoctions that are supposed to induce abortion right outside one of the country's most flocked Catholic churches.

Hundreds of thousands of abortions are performed in the country, every year.

News reports about a dead fetus showing up in a trash can have become staples in broadsheets, they have since desensitized us from the initial shock value.

Journalists are killed left and right in this country, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice this vital profession, moreso in a democracy.

Our jails are packed to the rafters.

We have a mayor overly concerned with the supposedly "satanic" lyrics from a foreign performer, who earned revenue for the city by playing her concert in a place known for its sex dens, with permits to operate issued by the mayor's office.

We have elevated undisciplined behavior into a dubious art: public vehicles that unload passengers in the middle of the road, pedestrians who play roulette with their lives by crossing underneath a pedestrian overpass, throwing our plastic waste and cigarette butts wherever we please, motorists slapping traffic enforcers who try to do their jobs, and policemen who extort money from drivers, to start with.

And who could forget the priests who were satirically referred to as "Mitsubishops", an obvious reference to the car manufacturer, for even more obvious reasons?

Or politicians who like to claim the "high road", when they (1) run in their husband's place because the husband was disqualified from running; (2) post tarpaulins of their faces and supposed projects in public places, as if these were theirs to do so, some of whom even place pictures of their "Chief of Staff", someone who was not even elected; (3) appear in television commercials, and even host morning shows and "amazing" specials, while being a full-time legislator?

How can we not mention a special legislator who thinks nothing of plagiarism, under the pretext that it is not explicitly stated as illegal in our laws, who translates a famous American speech in the vernacular and claims no copying took place, all the while acting like some maligned defender of the "unborn" - yes, you may commence eye-rolling - and perched ever so highly secured in a self proclaimed mantle of superiority?

Given these facts, it becomes hideously indefensible - and indubitably laughable - to oppose the RH Bill on the absurd notion that its approval would cause the country's "Catholic morality" to be under attack.

Again, let me ask Rep. Torres-Gomez: what "moral fiber"?

This country that you claim as "religious" (let's not forget: most people here are Catholics) is so morally bankrupt, it surprises me that you would parade its Catholic credentials in so righteous a manner. One of your religion's recently deceased leaders has proclaimed your faith as "200 years" out of sync with the present time. I think he was even being charitable with that description.

How can a religion that has been described as misogynistic, homophobic and intolerant of any other views other than its own be considered a morality manual, at a time in the world where women are slowly catching up to the opportunities and earning potential of men (some even surpassing the men in "their own game"), where gay people are (glacially) gaining rights, denied for so long, but accorded every other human being, and where religious leaders like the Dalai Lama are saying that religion may no longer be solely sufficient to be the basis for ethical behavior?

In "I Love Lucy", the entire cast seemed to be in suspended ditziness, which is where it got its comic power, but at the end of the day, we know that it's only a show, it's just for fun, and it will end after half an hour.

It cannot be said in this case, where real lives are affected, it's called survival, and the end to suffering is nowhere in sight.

81 comments:

  1. How convenient of Lucy to forget that she was practically responsible for the death of her husband's ex girl friend, Patricia B. Patricia got some form of the dreaded disease "big C" when our sanctimonious Lucy entertained Richard's advances. It was public knowledge that Richard and Patricia were an item. Why couldn't Lucy have done the honorable, nay the moral and Christian, and asked Richard to properly break-off with Patricia before going after her. Poor Patricia only found out that Richard had a new girl friend, Lucy the Saint, from TV chismis news. The emotional devastation made Patricia sick.

    Poor Lucy!!! She wants more children but can only have the one and only daughter. Is that karma or not?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I vaguely remember this bit of tsismis from the past (talk about a blast from the past LOL). I confess I was not that "into" showbiz news back then, but it says a lot that you can't escape it now, because the worlds of entertainment and politics have somehow merged into one union, I would go so far as calling it an unholy marriage, because of what it has spawned.

      You brought up a curious point: if she was to toe the Catholic line about children, shouldn't she be having a child practically every year? Interestingly, she only has one after a decade of marriage.

      Hmm.

      Delete
    2. Wow! Clara Luz is obviously not sanctimonious! Basing her judgement on a bit of chismis AND relishing another human's misfortune as "karma"!

      Delete
    3. Hey, cancer is not caused by "emotional devastation." Ask any doctor or scientist. Your accusation that she practically killed Patricia is ridiculous and cruel.

      Anyway, I fully agree with this blog post and totally support the RH Bill.

      Delete
    4. stress can aggravate any disease. if you would also look it up, that's the main reason for major diseases. what she was saying is that, it could have worsen because of the emotional stress she had to go through at that time, when love and support could have helped her.

      Delete
  2. BRAVO!!!! You nailed it 100%!!!!!

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  3. wow,... one of the best blogs i have ever seen,... not showing what you feel about the RH but actually about the country as a whole,.. and yes,.. real facts involved,...

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    1. Thank you, but reading my other posts will reveal my stance about it :) But yes, whichever side we are on the RH Bill, it does not detract from the fact that our country cannot claim to have an exemplary "moral" status :(

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  4. APPLAUSE!!!! Sharing - because this post is the whole truth, and thank you for saying it so well!

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    1. Thank you, Sandy, and I appreciate you sharing it very much.

      Delete
  5. para bang nalalaglag na sa bangin yung bahay natin pero si lucy ay concerned sa kung sinong nakasuot ng tsinelas sa loob ng bahay.

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    1. The sad part, Jane, is that she is in a position to make or break legislation that has an impact on all of us and "nasa bangin yung bahay natin".

      Grrr.

      Delete
  6. A people and their religion must be judged by social standards based on social ethics. No other standard would have any meaning if religion is held to be necessary good for the well-being of the people.

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    1. And I think that is something some religions cannot stand, that they also be "judged". In this case, particularly, The Catholic religion in this country has been so much in control that they cannot imagine giving that up.

      They have to, otherwise they risk being obsolete.

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    2. I wish they will become obsolete.

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    3. Unless they change their ways, they are on their way to granting you your wish. :)

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  7. Replies
    1. Thank you, I will try to write more often, if only my other job didn't get in the way LOL :)

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  8. Oh! She does novenas and attends lots of masses so she can have more children. But she's not blessed. She's not on birth control. Pity her!

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  9. Ilan na kaya anak nito nya kung hindi sya gumamit ng method of family planning...what a hypocrite!!

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    1. Hi, Edgar,

      Someone advanced the idea that they had to see a fertility specialist in order to have their daughter. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, that would ALSO go against Catholic "morality" because there was some artificial invasion in the conception process, and as we all know, they're all about the "natural".

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    2. Really? Hmmm... higher level of hypocrisy!

      I can see you are gaining followers.. good for you! I can't speak for everyone but I truly appreciate your work. Thanks for all the effort...MABUHAY!!

      Delete
    3. Thank you, Edgar, onwards to an enlightened and secular discussion of the bill.

      Delete
  10. The Catholic Church is a totally hypocrite religion so are Catholics in general (not all tho). They go against RH bill but as you said we have the highest rate of teen pregnancy, abortion here and there, malnutrition all around. Open your eyes. What you see around you speaks for itself. Bravo on this article BTW.

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    1. Thank you. It's 2012, so I can't imagine any person or organization closing themselves off to the reality that we all see. And I cannot accept an excuse like "we didn't know this was happening".

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  11. I don't give a damn with this bi(a)tch, neither her constituents as well but, last time I've heard, her hubby's planning to run for mayor within her constitueency! So is there any conspiracy that Richard Gomez will be the "Lito Atienza" of Waray-waray region? Remember when Lito Atienza *oppressed* the city of Manila by banning ALL contraceptives outright (during his tenure)?

    On a different note, may I suggest, though, you write a good blog "rebutting" libelous accusations of anti-RH fools that has something to do with "conspiracies" of pro-RH like you and me. That is, if your familiar with those accusations:
    1. Pro-RH politicians are NOT the ones behind the bill; they're pointing out to pharma. companies giving "huge kickbacks" to the pro-RH politicos.
    2. The whole RH bill thingy is just a matter of favoring international interests that (they say) is a threat to this country one way or another.
    3. The "need" to control population growth is part of some conspiracy theory that the anti-RH fools have no concrete description on it.
    And other related accusations. This is for the benefit of pro-RH people who are not yet in the know.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you, and I can reply (or at least attempt to) the three points you raised:

      (1)That would require the accuser to show proof which organizations are supporting which politicians. Or risk being charged with libel/slander/defamation. Burden of proof - always on accuser.

      (2) Catholicism is a "foreign influence", so they had best get another argument showcasing "international interests".

      (3) If they themselves have no concrete description of this theory, they are talking out of their arses.

      All of these have been countered over and over, but they refuse to listen. Sadly.

      Delete
  12. Blinded by religion, but I'm not surprised. She has always struck me as a blind follower of what the Catholic Church in the Philippines want.

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    1. And is symptomatic of why we have a difficult time having a rational discussion about a secular matter.

      Delete
  13. I'd like to add to that children running around the streets made to work as beggars, sampaguita vendors, car cleaners, etc, because their family cannot afford to feed them or send them to school. Isn't it better to just not have another kid instead of letting all your kids suffer and have a bad life?

    Where is the moral fiber of a country that allows children to live this way?

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    Replies
    1. The thing that the "moral fiber" this biatch is talking about has nothing to do with other evils that you have to say. It's all to do with sexual promiscuity and the slippery slope logical fallacy. And in case you didn't notice, anti-RH fools like her think irrationaly and illogically!!! All the rebuttals that they have are either/or very theoretical and impractical, or downright preposterous!!!

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    2. Poverty is a complex issue with multi-faceted approaches in dealing with. One thing I keep hearing from anti RH defenders (the online trolls, anyway) is "Bakit, makakain ba ang condoms?!?" to which I would like to reply with two points:

      (1) The RH Bill is not meant to address poverty, pure and simple. It is meant to help the poorest in our country be able to make decisions about their family size/number of children, for mothers to be able to space their birth-giving and to take care of their maternal health, to not just exist but to have a life that can be deemed worthy of living - what kind of life is it when 12 people are crammed into a space that is not larger than 20 square meters?

      (2) If you think the RH Bill is all about condoms, that's a reflection on the person who thought that. And no one else.

      Delete
  14. @Anonymous - That is precisely why Catholics are given a bad name. You do not know how to reason with logic. If you find what was written is untrue and false, state your points. Use your brain. Do not resort to bigotry.

    The fact that you did not have the balls to state your true identity, explicitly shows that you are coward and what does that make you?

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    1. It's funny when people try to be mean, but only anonymously.

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  15. Oh dear. Where is YOUR moral fibre? Everything the author wrote is true & logical. If you are so narrow minded, blinkered & brain-washed by your faith that you disagree with his comments, then at least have the decency (yes, decency is a moral attribute) to say why you disagree. Perhaps your abundance of moral fibre entitles you to throw all logic, reason & plain common sense out of the window?

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  16. at the risk of sounding blasphemous-
    AMEN To you my brotha!

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  17. I agree with this post. I really don't see the logic in saying that the RH bill will cause the "moral fiber" of the country to deteriorate when there's so much immorality already present.

    I do believe that laws should be moral, and for me, there's nothing immoral about a law that empowers women and educates children.

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    1. It would do us well to remember our history, and part of it was a time when women were considered nothing more than property, and it was quite "accepted" to beat up children as parental right.

      We're moving along, just not as fast as we want to. Some people are trying to bring us back to those days.

      Delete
  18. I agree with you totally. The moral fiber of this country may not be worth saving. Let's start over.

    But more than any sanctimonious stance Rep. Torres-Gomez has chosen to adopt, I also think she did not understand the oath she took as a public official. She was tasked to serve the public good and not her private faith. Although she may not have understood it, her faith has no place in the decisions she makes as a legislator. For her to make that as an excuse to vote against any legislation is a blatant negation of her oath as a member of the House of Representatives.

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    1. I've read many suggestions saying the same thing: She should serve the Church as a church leader, if she is that adamant about her faith and defending her ideals. No one will stop her from doing that. It is a guaranteed right under our Constitution for her to practice her chosen faith.

      But as citizens of a secular democracy, we all have a say about our public officials, and their conduct.

      Delete
  19. kudos to you sir! this is one hell of a blog! nice!

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    1. I'm thinking some people also want to use the word "hell" in a different manner altogether (where my blog or I am concerned), LOL. But your usage of it, I like :) Thank you.

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  20. FTW: What moral fiber? ;-) Fierce. Well-written.

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    1. Thank you, Seneca. No sense defending something that's not even "there". :)

      Delete
  21. Another worth reading material re RH bill. I've read one from Fr. Bernas SJ who's a Pro-RH, too. Jenny Wong:)

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    1. Thank you, Jenny. Father Bernas has been marvelously defending his position, and it must be difficult, given the opposition he is facing from people who work with him. It is because of people like him - and so many others in this country - that I am keeping faith that most Catholics are burdened with social justice more than by dogma.

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  22. Lucy Torres-Gomez as a public servant mistakes the public as her servant.

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    1. I am SO grabbing this for a pro RH online wall, thank you! :)

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  23. Traces of Jose Rizal's powerful novels. The spirit of Padre Damaso is still very much around and so are the blind Catholics. What the pulpit dictates shall be the law. Pfftt. I've nothing against Lucy but she just proves to be one who's got flawless beauty but fails on the logic department.

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    1. And that is the reason Rizal and his writings have stood the test of time and maintain their relevance: his fight was never over. We march on.

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  24. You hit the nail on the head with this one. A very objective narration of what's really going on with our country. Allow me to share and re-post :p

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    1. Thank you very much, please do share and repost so that people can join in on the discussion, I appreciate that very much :)

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  25. Why blame Lucy for the lack of moral fiber of other citizens? She is just standing up for what she believes in... and that desrves respect... and so do the views reflected in this blog

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    1. I'm not sure if this is directed to me or someone else, but for my part, I don't hold her accountable for the state of our moral fiber. (No one person is capable of being that "effective", LOL.) We all contributed to that. My post is meant as a way to take off the blinders, because some people see things very differently from the reality we all know is happening right outside our very doorsteps.

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    2. I agree with September 13 904 pm. Lucy has her beliefs, let's respect that! There's no need for name calling and very personal attacks. The blog is fair but some of the comments here are vile and twisted. Speaking of deteriorating moral fibers, repeating malicious gossip is not exactly high up in the morality ladder...

      Delete
  26. This country lacks moral fiber. The oatmeal of Christianity has proven to be insufficient. What we need is the psyllium fiber of logical, rational thought!

    Good luck with that, though. Hello Philippines!

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    Replies
    1. Now I'm trying to digest your statments - LOL, thought I'd run with your train of thought haha. :)

      Apart from luck, we'll need the will. :)

      Delete
  27. very nice article! galing!

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  28. doesn't mean that she's soft spoken that she's a saint. :)

    i think their child was conceived through artificial means (thats hospital chismis for you) because theyre having difficulty having kids. perhaps thats one reason she's anti-rh.

    I think they should visit Fabella hospital and be candy stripers/medical aides for a week. And another week at White Cross.

    Isn't it ironic that religion impedes us than support us? Among the poorest and most corrupt countries, not to mention most violent countries are dominated by one religion.

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    1. This is a video that shows most of what you have just written. It is heart wrenching to see (for me, definitely).

      http://www.latimes.com/videogallery/71178739/News/A-Question-of-Faith

      Yes, it is ironic, and it is an irony we cannot afford to have.

      Delete
  29. I have been looking up to Lucy for so many years but Im not so sure about this lately. When the Philippines were having flood problems, I noticed some actors like Kris Aquino, Angel Locsin and other tweeting about how to help and trying to ask help from friends. And side by side all of their posts, were Lucy's photos and tweets about shoes, sweets and cute photos of her having dinner here and there. It made me realize my idol is not as "saintly" as I think she is. Being in politics, she should think first about what to tweet publicly, especially when the Philippines is in crisis.

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    1. It would not be farfetched to expect more of Rep. Lucy Gomez, she is a public servant, as opposed to Kris and everyone else, who are artistas.

      Delete
  30. How do we define proportionality? God please help us. Each of us should examine ourselves if we are happy or not. Do we also make others happy? Let's define Teamwork. Consider the concepts of discipline. What's best for us and what's best for the whole (bigger scale).

    My mind calculates scenarious and have to choose the best for everyone. God, please help us.

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  31. Replies
    1. Hi, Mike,

      Just use the tab on the right for Google Friend Connect, you should be getting email updates once you are a follower of my blog. Do let me know how it turns out please, so I know if there are any problems and I can tweak it.

      Thank you for the support! :)

      Delete
  32. Lucy is the last erson to speak about morality since he slept and lived together with his former boyfriend before he met goma. What a hypocrite.

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    1. oh! what we got here? did she lived in before with her ex? what a lucky guy.

      Delete
  33. Well said, well done. Can our country have more of the likes of you?

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    1. It's in all of us, we just need the will to bring it out - the it that won't take sh*t for public service, and the it that demands as much of one self as much as it does those who are in government.

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    2. I dont think Lucy knows what she is talking about ! I dont think she should be in that position ( Congresswoman ) period !!! Sana lang bago xa nag anti Rh bill, ang dapat sana niang ginawa ay masusi niang pinag aralan ito. haistttt kelan kea matuto ang karamihan sa atin sa pagpili ng mamumuno sa atin ???? :(((((

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  34. I dont think Lucy knows what she is saying ! I dont think she should be in that position period !!! sana lang bago xa nag against sa RH bill masusi nia muna itong pinag aralan . haisttttt kelan kea matuto ang nakkrmi sa atin sa pagpili ng mamumuno sa atin ????!!!

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  35. Keep up the good work Man !!! So far I like what you have been writing.Sana maging way ang mga blogs mo na mabuksan ang mga natutulog na isip ng karamihan sa atin !! :)

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