In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time, there was no-one left to speak up.

-Martin Niemöller

Introduction

Chris, a good friend of mine, has recently informed me of a series of disturbing events concerning the Catholic Church (Henceforth to be referred to as “the CC”). It seems that Quezon City Councilor Joseph Juico is being harassed by the CC. Long story short, Juico is the main sponsor of the population management and reproductive health ordinance for the city, and now the CC and its constituents are conducting highly juvenile behavior.

This is unacceptable.

Make no mistake: I am good friends with an endless number of catholics, and I consider as friends certain individual priests and brothers (All of whom are pointedly Jesuit) who, priestly as they may be, are respectable and reasonable. My beef is with the rest of the CC, and how they conduct themselves.

The Challenge

Stop your excessive campaigns (specifically harassment, but if you want to stop it altogether, I’m not complaining) against contraceptives, birth control, and what-have-you. You must recognize that the Philippines is a multicultural society, and you are not the only religious entity here. Thus, you must acknowledge that by exercising your disproportionate control over Philippine politics to muscle in your own agenda into state affairs (which, by the way, is illegal), you violate the citizenry’s rights, as well as the rights of other religious organizations.

If you are strong as an organization, and confident in your constituents belief in your system, then there should be no effect on you. There is nothing stopping you from imposing your own laws and restrictions on your own followers.

If you don’t want contraception and population control, fine, but keep it to yourselves. Don’t force other people to follow you.

Recap

In case you didn’t quite get what I just said, let me rephrase them in an ordered list.
Your current course of action is mutually exclusive (i.e. logically incompatible) to the following:
1. Confidence in the strength of your influence on your congregation
2. Concern for the rest of the population not under your belief-system
3. Recognition of the fact that the Philippines is a multicultural society

This means that should you continue your campaign, you prove that you have no confidence in your congregation, that you have no concern for the rest of the citizenry, and that you do not recognize the Philippines’ multiculturality.

If this is fine by you, go ahead. Continue along your way. But think very, very carefully.

Omnipotence and/or omniscience is torture. Pure, utter torture. I’m telling you, if God exists, he would not like his existence—in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had offed himself a few hundred-million years ago. Maybe that’s why we don’t come across any omniscient/omnipotent beings nowadays.

Think about it. Omnipotence is the ability to do anything and everything. This means that whatever there is to do, you know how to do it, and you know how to do it well. And if you knew how to do everything well, then there sure as hell wouldn’t be any challenges, would there?

Omniscience is probably even worse: it implies knowledge or awareness of everything, microscopic, macroscopic, past, present and future, and whatever convenient dichotomy. Awareness, my friends. Knowing what everyone is thinking, has thought, and ever will think? Being able to predict everything? Knowing anything there is to know?

This whole comparison can be summed up into two words. “Nothing new.” Boredom. And don’t give me that “But you go under the faulty assumption that God can be bored!” crap. Sentience implies the awareness of the self and the ability to learn. Maybe even the desire to learn. What does that say about a theoretical being that, knowing everything, cannot learn anything new and is not bothered by it?

Couple the above with immortality, and you have grade A punishment. Eternal damnation to boredom? Thank God I’m human.

For those of you who don’t know, Patrick, the guy I’m talking about, wrote this rather inflammatory article. I’d suggest you clicky the linky before you proceed-y.

While I’m aware that I’m risking a flame war by writing this post, certain things cannot pass unquestioned, and certain things must be said. Knowing the risks, I question, and I say.

I’m perfectly fine with him being upset with UP—hell, I’ve had my share of bad experiences^[1]—and I’m definitely fine with him venting via blogging^[2] . What I’m not fine with is his severe lack of etiquette. There is an unspoken rule in the internet, and in general social interaction:

Only one of the following is acceptable, where applicable.

1. You may lambast a subject, rant about him/her/them, curse them to hell—as long as they are out of earshot. It’s also acceptable (but still hurtful) if they are in earshot but you didn’t know. The unacceptable behavior is known in Filipino as “nagpaparinig”. It’s a highly immature thing to do, and extremely unwise. (read: Restricting a post to “contacts only”)

2. You may talk out loud—or blog aloud—within earshot of the Subject, but do so with respect. Criticism is very different from insult. If you have a problem with the person or group, you tell them what the problem is, and try to resolve it in a civilized and constructive manner (read: constructive criticism). If no resolution can be made, you may revert to situation 1.

In the end it’s all about civility. If we don’t have that, then what are we?

[1] see: On the so-called “Cat Killer”, An open letter to the author of “Crumble Their Deception”

[2] for those of you who aren’t acquainted with my blogging habits, I rant to vent.