by Nicasio Angelo Agustin
It is difficult to draw the line between the Church and State when it comes to social issues. The much debated Reproductive Health Bill (RHB) is foremost at the moment.
In a democratic regime, the Church – as an organization, an interest group – has all the right to speak and participate in public policy discussions. It has to stand by its own principles and doctrines – to advise and to guide policy making.
The enormity of issues that surround the RH Bill has obviously distracted the focus of the Church in adhering to the rules of public debate and engagement. The Church has become hard and tough with its stance on the RH Bill that at one point it threatened the President with excommunication.
The Catholic Church has played some critical roles in our political affairs. She helped in the restoration of democracy at the time we needed to be liberated from a dictatorship. Most of all, she uses the power of the pulpit, every now and then, to remind each and every one of us about morals and ethical conduct in public office, and to install or remove political leaders that she sees fit or unfit for public positions. Thanks, but no thanks.
Undeniably, this country – being predominantly Catholic – and its affairs have been significantly influenced by the Church. In some sense, however, such influence has been ironical and paradoxical. Corruption in public office has become endemic and the path to economic and social progress is full of obstacles. When worst things happen, only the government is blamed for all her own dysfunctions. Alone, the government is faulted for the corrupt officials in its midst, many of whom are products of exclusive private schools run by some Catholic orders. Alone, the government is heavily criticized for its inability to address social issues, for her inability to fix problems, including some remnants of the past. Alone, the government is challenged to put order and to make things work for the better, to please everybody, to respond to all their concerns. Indeed, these are all what we expect from the government.
We expect the government to govern, to be on top of every situation. Then, let it be so.
The RH Bill is now in the hands of the government to legislate and pass based on its appreciation of scientific evidence and public interest. The various versions of the bill are clearly united in promoting responsible parenthood by providing parents and consenting adults access to family birth control methods according to their conscience and the exercise of their freedom to choose.
While I personally support the passage of the RH Bill, I do not take issue with the Church participating in the debate. As I’ve said, the Church is just another interest group trying to influence political outcomes. What I take as an issue, however, is the way the Church engages herself in the debate. Like any interest group or organization, the Church is expected to subject herself to the normative democratic principles such as treating other groups or citizens with different views with full respect and avoiding coercive strategies such as verbal or physical threats, intimidation and manipulation. I was just surprised when the Church, claiming to be the moral voice of society and the so-called mouthpiece of God on Earth, tried to sabotage the political process with a strong spiritual blackmail – the excommunication of the President and other advocates of the RH Bill.
The RH legislation is feared by the Church for fear it may encourage promiscuity and “anti-life” behaviors and practices. The Church sees the RH legislation as a demon, an evil that could further damage and break Filipino families and the whole society. But with her own paranoia or ignorance or whatever you may call it, the Church misses the point by dipping her fingers into something she has no knowledge about and by muddling the real issues with some esoteric theological arguments or distorted interpretation of “God’s word” without necessarily looking at society’s current needs and aspirations. To be blunt about it, the Church’s opposition to the bill seeks to remove the pleasure, as well as safety, in sex between consenting adults, something that the priests and bishops, the nuns and mother superiors supposedly do not understand or renounce anyway and anyhow. What the Church wants to happen is to keep a tight rein on choices, even of people who do not necessarily subscribe to her authority – or perhaps a delusion that she could still impose on how people should think or weigh things.
All that we need to do to make the RH legislation a success in addressing some yet significant social and economic problems of the country are education and information campaign on the use and benefits of these family planning methods and protect the bill from abuse in interpretation and application. This is where we probably need the Church – plus in some other matters outside the bedroom.
Feel free to send your comment to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.
