They never seem to get tired of it. A few days ago, some bishops of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the official organization of the church in the country, expressed outrage at the new Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Esperanza Cabral and agitated to have her sacked when she promoted the use of contraceptives in preventing AIDS last Valentine’s Day. The bishops stressed that “It is immoral for a government official to support contraceptives such as condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases”, and that the distribution of condoms only promotes sexual promiscuity among the public, especially the youth.

Cabral, however hit back, saying that the Catholic Church can be “vicious” at times, and she told a local TV station that she intended to continue defying it.

Of course, I am afraid of the Church. They are very powerful and they can sometimes be very vicious. I’m not exactly one who likes to live dangerously.

However, she said that she’d rather live dangerously than do nothing against the very alarming rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines.

Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed a total of 4,424 HIV/AIDS cases from 1984 to December 2009. The highest number was recorded in 2009 with a total of 835 cases.

Cabral said:

At the rate we are going, in three years, we are going to have more than 30,000 people with HIV/AIDS in the Philippines.

For her efforts, one of the bishops said she already had one foot in hell for “going against the teachings of the Church”. But Cabral said that the distribution of condoms is actually the DOH’s last resort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

She commented:

We are not a religious state like Iran. We are a secular state where there is separation of Church and State. While it is very important for us to find out what the Catholic bishops think, to cooperate with them in areas where we can be cooperating, the government is the government and must do what it thinks is right for everybody.

She added that “not everybody in the Philippines belongs to one church,” and that the DOH was “always willing to discuss and negotiate” the matter with Catholic Church officials.

The church has been known to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong. Politically, it has always been either a loud critic or a strong supporter depending on whether you get on their good side or go against it. Unfortunately, ever since God knows when, public officials have always been terrified into submission by the most influential religious institution in the country.

To be honest, it was a relief to finally see someone stand up for what they think is right instead of what some men in white robes do. These bishops think they’re doing the right thing into forcing the government and the people into doing what they think is moral.

I have nothing against the Catholic Church, don’t get me wrong. But these are some things that I just find utterly ridiculous and should not be condoned.

In my opinion, it has never been right both from a legal and a biblical standpoint. The 1987 constitution of the Philippines which I believe is loosely based on the US constitution states that:

The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. (Article II, Section 6), and, No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights. (Article III, Section 5).

It is implied that any form of religious institution cannot interfere with public affairs and vice versa. As citizens, these bishops do have a right to their own opinions. However, it is unlawful to use the church as a mean to push their agenda. From a biblical standpoint, God has given us a gift that even his angels do not have; free will. We as the people can pretty much do anything as we please provided that we are subject to any consequence that may arise from it.

I can’t help but notice a lot of ludicrous statements that these bishops have given. Here are some to name a few:

“It is immoral for a government official to support contraceptives such as condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases”

Really? It’s kinda funny since I haven’t seen a verse in the bible stating just that.

“She already had one foot in hell for ‘going against the teachings of the Church’.”

I find this one disturbing. No person has the right to, and cannot judge whether someone is going heaven or hell. Only God can pass that judgment on anyone.

The church promotes abstinence as a solution to this so called epidemic. But let’s be realistic. You can’t just expect people to mend their ways when you tell them to. One should go for the next best solution; protection.

What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to leave a comment below