stanfordmed
08-21-2005, 01:57 PM
<— Admin’s note: this thread was split from Racism in Japan - any comments? (http://www.timog.com/forum/showthread.php?t=304 ) —>
May tinanong akong old co-teacher once what comes to mind when he hears the word Philippines, sabi nya “poverty… you guys breed like rabbits”. Medyo napahiya naman ako pero come to think of it, totoo nman sinabi. Sana kaakibat ng pagdami ng population natin ay ang pag-unlad.
Pardon if I veer off the subject about racism (it’is prevalent in Japan and is a given fact). I would like however, to put my two cents :rant: about the population in the Philippines. Foremost, Filipinos need to cut back on breeding kids like rabbits or roaches (sadly, some kids do end up in the dumpster collecting scraps). They (parents) need to be more responsible on bringing kids out in this world. There ought to be a law that requires parent/s to have enough income to be able to support and put their kids to school first before having the right to bear kids. And Filipinos need to learn (or be educated) to be more independent and self sufficient, not to rely on their kids for support. The Filipino mentally is that they want to have kids so they won’t be alone and that they can be taken care of when they grow old and unable to care for themselves, blah, blah, blah and so on… That’s a lot of BS! You don’t have to have kids to be happy, enjoy life and be taken care of (that’s where the self sufficient kicks in). Life is not just for staying home raising family. There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored - travel and learn and enjoy other cultures. It can give you a better perspective in life.
There’s also an option to adopt kid/s, who can use a good home. Ah but you say it’s better if it’s your own bloodline, etc. That’s nonsense! Ask yourself why you married your spouse. Huh?! If you can learn to love someone to become a partner in life, why not (adopt) a child that you can raise and love for the rest of your life?
…And for those other Pinays out there - learn to be (more) independent and don’t be subservient and so submissive! Stand up for yourself! It’s so annoying to see those who are so dependent and relying on someone else. :grrr:
:order: I’m being ordered to step down from my soapbox :rant: . So I shall…:shutup:
PEACE! :thumb:
Paul
08-21-2005, 08:44 PM
easy for you to say. you didn’t grow up in the squatters area of metro manila.
but really!! a law that restricts the right of people to have children?? that’s pretty ironic coming from a citizen of a country that prides itself in being the “champion of democracy” and constantly criticizes china’s population policy as a serious violation of human rights.
a whole world to be explored? travel? try saying that to a mother of four who can’t even scrape enough money to feed half of them.
sorry but your concept of reality seems to be limited to the boundaries of your beloved country (definitely not the Philippines).
here’s a suggestion. there are a lot of NGOs operating in the Philippines, instead of spending your money (i know that’s the least of your worries) on a trip to some exotic country, why not go to the Philippines and do some volunteer work for them. maybe, just maybe, you’ll gain an iota of understanding of what kind of life the majority of our brethren are leading in our country. then you can use your expertise and knowledge to help solve their problems.
just curious, where are your kids?
stanfordmed
08-21-2005, 09:51 PM
easy for you to say. you didn’t grow up in the squatters area of metro manila.
I grew up partly in the province of the Philippines, so I know. I don’t have to grow up in a squater to know the problems. If one grows up in a squatter and keeps popping up kids, then it’s just a viscious cycle. Still my question is, why bring a kid out in this world if you can’t provide for them?
but really!! a law that restricts the right of people to have children?? that’s pretty ironic coming from a citizen of a country that prides itself in being the “champion of democracy” and constantly criticizes china’s population policy as a serious violation of human rights.
Since some people are not responsible enough to bear child or children, then there should be a law. This is my personal view and has nothing to do where I come or grew up from or what other country stands for.
a whole world to be explored? travel? try saying that to a mother of four who can’t even scrape enough money to feed half of them.
There’s the more reason not to have kids if you can’t provide for them. Why bring out kids in this world only if they suffer and can’t have a humane existence? People ought to be more responsible on what they do in life.
sorry but your concept of reality seems to be limited to the boundaries of your beloved country (definitely not the Philippines).
And this is why the Philippines is a great and prosperous country? People need to realize the problem and again, be responsible.
here’s a suggestion. there are a lot of NGOs operating in the Philippines, instead of spending your money (i know that’s the least of your worries) on a trip to some exotic country, why not go to the Philippines and do some volunteer work for them. maybe, just maybe, you’ll gain an iota of understanding of what kind of life the majority of our brethren are leading in our country. then you can use your expertise and knowledge to help solve their problems.
Your almighty Philippines and its people should realize and solve their own problem. There had been millions of donations/aids, etc. from other countries but didn’t seem to do any good because some people refuse to change their mentality. Just like some people here that keeps sending money to the Philippines, but the receiving end just take it for granted and doesn’t try to help himself or herself first, then it’s fruitless. You can’t change a person if that individual doesn’t have the motivation or the motive to change.
just curious, where are your kids?
No comment - Let’s not get personal…
pointblank
08-21-2005, 10:36 PM
Hi Paul,
Hindi naman yata fair ang puna mo kay stanfordmed. (But this, of course, is my personal opinion.)
While stanfordmed may carry values acquired from the country that she has eventually resided in, her main point is valid and correct: the Philippines has a MAJOR population control problem. Whatever gains we may make with our economy is being erased by rapid population growth. Compound this with inflation on the loose, and you have one of the big reasons why our national debt has TRIPLED in the last 8 years.
The problem is further made worse if you examine the segment of society that is contributing to the baby boom: precisely those who cannot afford to feed their children. What to say to that mother of four who can’t make enough money to feed half their children: that she should not have given birth to the last two!! that she and her husband (assuming those are legal kids) should have either controlled their libido or used a condom!
The Philippines 20 years from now will be a very bad place to be in: a huge percentage of our young labor force then will be so poorly educated that we will not even be able to send them abroad as anything-yuki because no other country will want to hire them. Warning bells: those OFW dollars are going to dry up!
Why should folks who have worked hard for a comfortable life spend their time and money on volunteering for NGOs to help irresponsible people who have created their own problems in the first place?? This is so typical of the Filipino mendicant mentality. We have been receiving tons of aid in the 60 years after WW2, hanggang ngayon ay di pa rin tayo makabangon.
Note that I speak with more than just moral authority on this: I was born to a family that was so dirt poor the roof and walls of our hovel leaked when it rained. But through sheer hardwork of jostling 3 jobs and scrimping to send her 3 (just 3) children to the best schools money could buy, my mother made sure na nakaahon kami. While the other kids in the neighborhood were out on the streets playing oh-so-carefree-oh-so-gaily everyday, we had to help our mother do her work. I was in the kitchen of a carinderia doing serious work at age 10 - this on top of being expected to maintain straight A’s in school. So please don’t tell me that poverty is simply a problem caused by uncaring society. There is no way the Philippines is ever going to move forward without a corresponding increase in individual responsibility - and planning the number of kids one has is an aspect of this - which is the point of stanfordmed’s comments.
halloween
08-22-2005, 10:30 AM
Standformed’s suggestion on how to solve the Philippines’ population control problem is really ideal, if only to stop irresponsible parents for having more and more children. However, from a legal point of view, I’m afraid that’s not feasible. It can’t even pass as a bill. Why? for obvious reason, it violates our much treasured human rights. So how do we solve this pathethic situation? Through education. Gasgas na gasgas na pero that’s the only way I think. This is what the different NGOs are doing for the longest time, disseminating information on the merits of having a small family.
Just a little note though. Standord’s passion on the subject is well taken. I was neither dismayed nor provoked but what she said because that was only her opinion. So Paul, I suggest we limit ourselves on the issues presented. Let’s not get personal here. Why asked her (him?) where her kids are. Wala namang ganyanan. Remember, ang mapikon talo. By the way, you haven’t answered my private message about PC, too busy? I need your expertise on the matter.
As regard to what pointblank said, I must say I was a little surprised.
“Why should folks who have worked hard for a comfortable life spend their time and money on volunteering for NGOs to help irresponsible people who have created their own problems in the first place?? This is so typical of the Filipino mendicant mentality. We have been receiving tons of aid in the 60 years after WW2, hanggang ngayon ay di pa rin tayo makabangon.”
Why? because it is our social and moral responsibility. Wait a second, let’s be global. Can you imagine what a big loss it would have been to India if no Mother Teresa existed? How about in Ethiopia? Millions and millions of starving children would be six feet (i.e. if they still have the energy to bury their dead) below the ground by now had it not been for UN and other countries’ aid.
Oooops, I’ll get back to this link later, being evicted here… talk to you guys later
stanfordmed
08-22-2005, 01:26 PM
Feedbacks well taken. I’m receptive and I welcome constructive criticism. (Just try to refrain from jumping the gun and not be trigger-happy). 
As for the law about having kids if one cannot support or provide for basic necessities, I know that was overkill, I just wanted to make a point that each individual should be responsible for their own, to think and plan about their future and the future of their children. It’s not fair for the children to suffer or languish.
A footnote: I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth; came from a big family; I’m #3 of 6 siblings. I supported and put myself through college (even worked graveyard shift in a health care field); hence not in a dump. 
We all have our own path to chose.
Your life is the reflection of all the choices you make.
Your future relies on the choices you make.
You are where you are because you have chosen to be there.
Success is not an achievement, but a way of life. Not an objective thing, but a subjective idea. Not a result, but a process.
“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve.”
(Napoleon Hill)
goldhorse
08-22-2005, 02:24 PM
There are a number of factors in the Philippines that contribute to a growing population.
Unemployment - The lower the employment rate, the more people we have doing nothing, the higher the chances of people making babies. In contrast, industrialized countries such as Japan suffer from a shortage of babies, you just don’t have a lot of time to make babies if you leave early in the morning and come back home late in the evening. Not to mention that people even work on weekends.
Education - The message is just no getting through to the majority of the population, either because there aren’t enough workers to educate everybody, people simply won’t use contraceptives by choice, or people just don’t have the financial capacity to buy contraceptives.
Religion - As we all know, the Philippines is predominantly Roman Catholic, and it does not condone to contraceptives, much less abortion. It only allows family planning, or monitoring the monthly cycles of the wife and having intercourse when she is least likely to get pregnant. Well, as in the case of the Philippines, easier said than done. As for abortion, its out of the question.
So, what do we do about it? Jobs won’t spring up overnight, so we can’t hope to occupy our time with our occupation. So we are left with birth control. Which one? Natural of Artificial? Natural birth control on a national level is just plain difficult. You can’t expect even half of the population to do it. So, artificial? It requires money. You have to buy the contraceptives. Subsidy by the government? Pass a legislation? Too much pressure from the Church. Seems we don’t have a working plan, not unless the population itself decides that there are too many babies are being born and we need to control it. Put it on caucus. Let the country decide. It seems to be a choice between our culture, religion, morality on one hand, and econimic suffering on the other (which by the way breeds crime and suffering). Is there a third option? If there is I would very much like to know about it.
pointblank
08-22-2005, 09:44 PM
As regard to what pointblank said, I must say I was a little surprised.
“Why should folks who have worked hard for a comfortable life spend their time and money on volunteering for NGOs to help irresponsible people who have created their own problems in the first place?? This is so typical of the Filipino mendicant mentality. We have been receiving tons of aid in the 60 years after WW2, hanggang ngayon ay di pa rin tayo makabangon.”
Why? because it is our social and moral responsibility. Wait a second, let’s be global. Can you imagine what a big loss it would have been to India if no Mother Teresa existed? How about in Ethiopia?
That is the reason why Mother Teresa is being canonized as a saint and the rest of us are not!
But seriously, I fully understand social and moral responsibility. After all, I come from a very Catholic high school that insisted its students camp out for a week every year in a small barrio in Bulacan helping the local people.
I was trying to make a point here: that help and goodwill should not be taken for granted, as if it is the duty of the well-off to support the poor. There is such a thing as “contribution fatigue”, specially when the people you help make no efforts to help themselves and insists on repeatedly shooting themselves on the foot - which is often the case in the Philippines.
Let us not compare Ethiopia or India with the Philippines - their situation is entirely different. And please note that India has one of the highest loan payback ratios for rural help programs - can you say the same thing for utang in the Philippines?
Any quarrel regarding helping the poor should be with the Catholic Church: at the same time they send priests and nuns to work with the poor, they are also the reason why the poor keep increasing in numbers.
In addition to maintaining “neutrality” on the GMA impeachment issue, the Catholic Church should also keep its mouth shut in actively blocking the candidacies of pro-birth control politicians. Otherwise, the archbishop of Manila should sell his Mercedes 600 limousine, eat only tuyo the rest of his life and give the money to the squatters first before quacking about the use of condoms! :mad:
stanfordmed
08-22-2005, 10:43 PM
:bowdown: Bowdown talaga ako sa 'yo Pointblank.
I couldn’t agree more especially your comment re. the church/diocese. You really nailed that one! :thumb:
I admire the way you view things in perspective. :bowdown:
betong
08-22-2005, 11:39 PM
In addition to maintaining “neutrality” on the GMA impeachment issue, the Catholic Church should also keep its mouth shut in actively blocking the candidacies of pro-birth control politicians. Otherwise, the archbishop of Manila should sell his Mercedes 600 limousine, eat only tuyo the rest of his life and give the money to the squatters first before quacking about the use of condoms! :mad:
I agree with pointblank. Separation of Church and State. Plus tuyo and no more chedengs for the church leaders, not only Catholic ones but ALL church leaders. How can you trust someone who tells you that you should share with your neighbours when I have never dined and wined with them and so have the rest of the common tao.
halloween
08-23-2005, 11:41 AM
Hi! I’m back.
Here’s my response to what pointblank said about the social and moral responsibility issue. ,The reason why I mentioned the situation in India and Ehiopia was merely to point out that regardless of race or color one is dutybound to help the less fortunate. I dont know if you’ll agree with me but thats one commendable trait of the Filipinos, matulungin sa kapwa Please don’t ever get the impression of me being holier than thou. Minsan talaga nakakapagod ding tumulong and there are always exceptions to general rules. Bakit mo nga naman tutulungan ang taong ayaw tulungan ang kanyang sarili.
As to the separation of the church and state, I couldn’t agree more. I know a lot of people who got disillusioned with the church for meddling with the government.
Note:
Maisingit ko lang, I am about to close a deal with a guy who sells 2nd hand compaq laptop for Y 94 000 with 512MB memory and 40 GB hard drive capacity. It comes with a 256 usb clip drive and a 10 month warranty. Wise buy ba?
stanfordmed
08-23-2005, 10:15 PM
:furious: Paul and I decided to duel
…and settle our personal differences once and for all! :grrr:
stanfordmed
08-25-2005, 10:57 AM
Any quarrel regarding helping the poor should be with the Catholic Church: at the same time they send priests and nuns to work with the poor, they are also the reason why the poor keep increasing in numbers.
In addition to maintaining “neutrality” on the GMA impeachment issue, the Catholic Church should also keep its mouth shut in actively blocking the candidacies of pro-birth control politicians. Otherwise, the archbishop of Manila should sell his Mercedes 600 limousine, eat only tuyo the rest of his life and give the money to the squatters first before quacking about the use of condoms! :mad:
Outcry from Roman Catholics: It’s a sin to use contraceptive (but okay to transmit and spread disease?!) :eek:
Ad dropped featuring nun holding condom (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?typ e=healthNews&storyID=2005-08-24T193738Z_01_SCH470 602_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-AD-CONDOM-DC.XML)
…Nuns take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and the Vatican considers all forms of contraception a sin…
Standformed spends too much time sa internet - will all the cool stuff shes posting:)
Is it that obvious? :o just passing time…:hihi:
Maruchan
08-27-2005, 02:00 AM
Pardon if I veer off the subject about racism (it’is prevalent in Japan and is a given fact). I would like however, to put my two cents :rant: about the population in the Philippines. Foremost, Filipinos need to cut back on breeding kids like rabbits or roaches (sadly, some kids do end up in the dumpster collecting scraps). They (parents) need to be more responsible on bringing kids out in this world. There ought to be a law that requires parent/s to have enough income to be able to support and put their kids to school first before having the right to bear kids.
I must disagree. No, there shouldn’t be any law prohibiting any family, including poor families, to procreate. Parents, even poor ones, should have the right to freely choose the number of children they will have. Denying the God-given right to procreate is to go against God’s pedagogy or Moral Law. Let us not play God – choosing who can and who cannot – or implement mala-Hitler na batas to eradicate poverty in the Philippines. You are just setting the Philippines up for more aborted babies, and maybe even sterilization in the future. Poor families have the right to exist, too.
I know many people who grew up in poor families that ate only rice with little salt as their food, and water with a little sugar as their juice, most of the time, who are now prominent members of the society and are helping to alleviate poverty in the Philippines.
We must look at the big picture here. All the tragedies, all the sufferings in the world and in our lives have purpose and meaning. I honestly don’t know them all, but I do believe that they are meant to make us stronger, to build good character, for growth and development of our spiritual maturity, to put our focus on God, to bring glory to Him by fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives.
When Jesus came to the world, He didn’t eradicate poverty or diseases. Jesus taught the people about love and compassion, He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and taught to ignorant – He showed and taught us to love God first and foremost and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The poverty in the Philippines is just one of the many invitations from God for us to show our love for Him and our countrymen. The poor doesn’t need our cold-hearted, unthought out, quick solution or more judgment and criticism from us. What they need is our compassion, our help and our wisdom.
There are many ways we can help underprivileged people – be it in our family, relatives, friends, neighbors or total strangers. We can teach them to be responsible (parents, citizens, etc.) without cutting out their right to a family; we can teach them self-reliance, but still keeping in mind that people still need a little help from time to time; we can donate clothes, food or other supplies; we can volunteer; we can provide jobs and opportunities; we can sponsor a child’s education and many more ways. We can even pray for them.
Ikanga ang sabi ng Gawad Kalinga (http://www.gawadkalinga.org/) “Less for self, more for others, enough for all.” Wala kang perang mai-share? You can share your time and skills by engaging in hands-on help, like in the actual building of a house for the poor. You can help build and help design the houses and landscapes, teach, tutor and train the poor for micro-enterprise and so on.
At iyon naman po ang aking dalawang sentimos.
Dkid
08-28-2005, 12:13 AM
There may be tons of aids poured into our beloved country, with the purpose of allevating the poor. Yet they are still the same or maybe worst. Did we try to see the other side of the coin? Did we try to ask, what if it did not really reached the intended receipient? If it did, it could have been the other way around, since they will surely receive the needed education, thus making them “ideal” citizens and our status could have been otherwise.
Reluctance is the by product of half heartedness. There should be a way if we like. Kung baga “pag may gusto, may paraan.pag ayaw may dahilan”. Just like the story of a "true love"of a six year old boy who ask his Mom why his 3 year old sister keeps sleeping in the hospital for a couple of days now. The Mom says, because she is sick and needed a blood transfusion to wake her up and it is not easy to look for the right blood type. The Mom went further to tell the boy that if you will give your blood to your sister, she will wake up. The boy immediately replied: ok lets start the transfusion now!While the paramedics are busy preparing for the transfusion, the boy who is now lying in bed next to her sister, told her Mom: After I die and my sister wakes up, would you kindly give to her my toys I placed in my cabinet that she liked most.
stanfordmed
08-28-2005, 02:04 PM
I must disagree. No, there shouldn’t be any law prohibiting any family, including poor families, to procreate. Parents, even poor ones, should have the right to freely choose the number of children they will have. Denying the God-given right to procreate is to go against God’s pedagogy or Moral Law. Let us not play God – choosing who can and who cannot – or implement mala-Hitler na batas to eradicate poverty in the Philippines. You are just setting the Philippines up for more aborted babies, and maybe even sterilization in the future. Poor families have the right to exist, too.
At iyon naman po ang aking dalawang sentimos.
Note my subsequent post:
As for the law about having kids if one cannot support or provide for basic necessities, I know that was overkill, I just wanted to make a point that each individual should be responsible for their own, to think and plan about their future and the future of their children. It’s not fair for the children to suffer or languish.
In refererence to your above statement:
If a person has transmittable disease (STD) like AIDS (http://www.answers.com/aids), gonorrhea (http://www.answers.com/gonorrhea), syphillis (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2040&dekey=syphilis&gwp=8&curtab=2040_1&linktext=syphilis), etc., will you still stick to your gun (http://www.answers.com/stick%20to%20your%20 gun) and endorse or consent to your belief or concept to procreate and to have many children freely?
Yung tungkol sa pagtitinda sa harap ng simbahan naman:
People should not patronize and refrain from buying from them!
:grrr: :rant: :mad:
No customers = no business
Maruchan
08-30-2005, 09:35 AM
Hello Maruchan.
Well, hello to you too, pointblank! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend.
Ayaw ko na sanang magko-comment dahil baka tuluyan na akong ma-excommunicate ng Papa sa Roma… but then again, when have I been one to resist my urges? (Typical Pinoy excuse: marupok ako sapagkat ako’y tao lamang…)?
Catholic Excommunication is not a laughing matter for me. It’s actually quite scary and it’s something I hope to never experience at all.
I understand where you are coming from, and your views are indeed noble. However, we are not in the business of competing for the Miss America title - vague pleasing generalized answers with no hint of the ugly reality of our world. (Believe me, I can give you a run for your money for the same kind of Mother Theresa statements - after all, I came from a very Catholic school - nabola ko pa yung mga pari na isali ako sa Sodality Club.)?
I don’t think you do or you wouldn’t have made those unfair remarks above. Who’s competing? I was just stating my position. My convictions are based on Jesus’ teachings and God’s Decalogue (Ten Commandments). Jesus is asking us to love our neighbors and our enemies. You think He, an Omnipotent God, didn’t consider our present or future situation when He gave His commands? I don’t know if you’re a practicing Catholic (based on your hints) or not, but I am. Catholics or Christians are supposed to be merciful, compassionate and charitable among other things. We are taught to keep God at the center of our lives. Henri Nouwen said, “When your eating, drinking, working, playing, speaking, or writing is no longer for the glory of God, you should stop it immediately, because when you no longer live for the glory of God, you begin to live for your own glory. Then you separate yourself from God and do yourself harm. Your main question should always be whether something is lived with or without God.” My point is, I am not a Sunday Christian (Nominal Christian - Wikipedia), my faith is not compartmentalized because I believe that a compartmentalized faith is not a faith at all, therefore, the opinions I shared or will be sharing in the future will all be written and based as me being – a practicing Catholic – not a sinless or perfect one, but as one who believes and love God; and strives to do what is good and right – to live in obedience to God’s commandments.
Kung ikaw may nabola ka, ako wala akong binobola sa mga posts ko sa thread na ito. If my posting(s) sounded unrealistic or how you put it, eh, sorry na lang. Those are my feelings, those are my opinions and those are my beliefs. I am not forcing anybody to swallow them; I am merely sharing and inspiring others to help.
Teach them to be responsible? Teach them reliance?
Actions speak louder than words. Be a good example; being a good model…is the easiest way we can teach about responsibility and reliance. Personally, I give inspirational books to motivate my love ones and I pray for them a lot, too.
Pray for them? Pray tell me, HOW?
Dear God, I lift up to you all our underprivileged brothers and sisters in the Philippines and all over the world. Please comfort and sustain them. I pray that they may turn their hearts to you and find comfort, strength, and provision. You said blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Help us then to be merciful and teach us the best way to help our poor and needy brothers and sisters to help them stand on their own. Help us to see you in them. We ask all these through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Do you know how many NGOs and religious organizations, how many millions of aid dollars have already been dedicated to the alleviation of poverty in the Philippines? Did it make a dent? For every one person to rise out of the ranks of the poor, how many more are content to wallow in the slums? You can bring a horse to the water, but you can’t force it to drink.
This reminds me of “The Starfish Story” by Loren Eiseley.
Loren Eiseley tells the story of a writer who is vacationing in a hotel on the coast and decides to take a break from his work by strolling along the sandy beach. In the distance, he spies a person whom he believes, at the time, is dancing, and is so intrigued he investigates further.
As he approaches the “dancer,” he realizes it is a young man and he is not dancing, but throwing objects from the beach into the ocean. He gets closer still and discovers that the man is picking up starfish from the beach, where thousands have been stranded by low tide, and is throwing them back, one by one, into the ocean.
The writer asks the man why he is undertaking such a task and the man replies that if he does not, the starfish will certainly die.
At this, the writer scoffs and informs the man that there are miles and miles of beach and tens of thousands of starfish and he can’t possibly believe that what he is doing will make a difference.
The young man pauses and gives thought to this observation. Then, picking up another starfish from the beach, he tells the writer as he throws it back into the ocean…
“It makes a difference to this one.”
Haven’t you made a difference in anyone’s life, pointblank? Why are you so bitter and pessimistic? I understand, with your age and experience, maybe you are tired of helping, maybe you have seen more than me, but there are people out there who still think that they can make a difference and would like to help than condemn. Maybe they can’t solve the poverty in the Philippines entirely, but they sure want to try and help. I believe there is always hope. Ika nga ang sabi: “habang may buhay may pagasa.” Kung ayaw mo nang tumulong, eh, okay lang, rest ka muna…let others help.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you all to watch the Gawad Kalinga (http://www.gawadkalinga.org ) videos para naman makita ninyo ang nagagawa ng tulong.
(Check out the thread on Timog Forum that discusses the OFWs’ problems with their mendicant families. I think you will find no lack of compassion, help, and wisdom there.)
I truly sympathize with them. I know their desperation and frustration. I have experienced the same. But I still believe that we are our brother’s keeper. Although, I sometimes refrain helping those who are abusive, it doesn’t stop me from helping the rest.
By the way… I, too, don’t approve of abortion, but what’s so wrong with sterilization?
Huh? Well, I suggest you read this:
http://www.catholicexchange .com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=6&art_id=22036
“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours, Yours are the eyes through which to look out Christ’s compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which He is to bless others now.” – Teresa of Avila
Maruchan
08-30-2005, 10:08 AM
If a person has transmittable disease (STD) like AIDS (http://www.answers.com/aids), gonorrhea (http://www.answers.com/gonorrhea), syphillis (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2040&dekey=syphilis&gwp=8&curtab=2040_1&linktext=syphilis), etc., will you still stick to your gun (http://www.answers.com/stick%20to%20your%20 gun) and endorse or consent to your belief or concept to procreate and to have many children freely?
This is inane. Of course the health and safety of the spouse is the priority here than procreation, especially if it could harm the fetus or the offspring. Abstaining from sexual intercourse is called here. To deliberately have sexual intercourse to your spouse knowing you have STD is against loving your neighbors, uncharitable and it could be a sin against the 5th commandment of the Decalogue if your spouse died because of it.
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/sgr/sgr_01aidsprocreatio nHV.html
stanfordmed
08-30-2005, 10:49 AM
This is inane. Of course the health and safety of the spouse is the priority here than procreation, especially if it could harm the fetus or the offspring. Abstaining from sexual intercourse is called here. To deliberately have sexual intercourse to your spouse knowing you have STD is against loving your neighbors, uncharitable and it could be a sin against the 6th commandment of the Decalogue if your spouse died because of it.
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/sgr/sgr_01aidsprocreatio nHV.html
So it all comes down to responsibility, which is my point at the very outset.
Abstenance or prevention of conception should not be limited to those with diseases, but also to those drug addicts, neglectful or delinquent parent/s etc.
I must disagree. No, there shouldn’t be any law prohibiting any family, including poor families, to procreate. Parents, even poor ones, should have the right to freely choose the number of children they will have. Denying the God-given right to procreate is to go against God’s pedagogy or Moral Law. Let us not play God – choosing who can and who cannot – or implement
Hence, the above statement/comment is not befitting.
I rest my case! :order:
As for the starfish: Maybe they were meant to be stranded so the corals will not disappear? Too many starfish = no corals, no reef. Throwing back the starfish in this scenario is not a good thing to do.
Willy2k5
08-30-2005, 12:18 PM
Of course the health and safety of the spouse is the priority here than procreation, especially if it could harm the fetus or the offspring. Abstaining from sexual intercourse is called here. To deliberately have sexual intercourse to your spouse knowing you have STD is against loving your neighbors, uncharitable and it could be a sin against the 5th commandment of the Decalogue if your spouse died because of it.
Sang ayon ako sa inyong mga opinion Maruchan… Abstinence is the best solution.
Dito naman sa north america, pag ang wife ay may STD disease, kailangan nyang ipaalam sa kanyang husband or health department na may STD sya bago mag intercourse. Failure to do that, pwede syang kasohan ng gobyerno. Pero ang napakaganda dyan kahit nalaman na mayroon syang STD or HIV, nan dyan pa rin yung rights nya as citizen. Hindi sya pwedeng i discriminate sa publiko.
Pero para sa akin, nasa mag asawa na yun kung ano ang gusto nila , unprotected sex or protected sex?
Maruchan
09-01-2005, 11:11 PM
So it all comes down to responsibility, which is my point at the very outset.
No, you’ve missed the point a bit. When a man and woman marries, rich or poor, their conjugal love stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity. They have to be faithful and answer the call to give life: to be co-creator. For just reasons, they can space the births of their children. This is where natural family planning comes in. By this means, we give God the last say. We can plan the number of our children, all we want, but sometimes, God tells us different when unplanned pregnancies occurs even to women using contraception. Since God is the source of our life, no life is an accident – there’s a reason and a purpose for it.
I am all for responsible parenthood as the Church is too. What I don’t agree is for any law to discriminate poor people. I know you’ve retracted that part after your response to Paul, but you cannot make a statement like that and not expect any response.
Our government should be incorruptible. Parent should be responsible. People should be good, trustworthy and helpful. Should, should, should. All these criticism and condemnation doesn’t help anyone one bit. People our fallible…we are all and we can cast the first stone all we want and it still won’t help anybody who needs help. We need another approach than just criticizing. Maybe educating the people is one good approach.
Abstenance or prevention of conception should not be limited to those with diseases, but also to those drug addicts, neglectful or delinquent parent/s etc.I agree with you on that. I think people who are dependent on a habit-forming substance need to grow and change first. But just so we are clear, not all poor people are drug addicts, neglectful or delinquent parents, right?
Hence, the above statement/comment is not befitting.Says you! It’s one thing to say what you think ‘should be’ and another thing to put a law just because the society can’t provide for the poor family. Privileged people are not 100% better than the poor, and they are not the only who has the right. And a lot of people who are living a good life now came from a very poor family once.
As for the starfish: Maybe they were meant to be stranded so the corals will not disappear? Too many starfish = no corals, no reef. Throwing back the starfish in this scenario is not a good thing to do.
You are talking about starfish, right, not poor people? In any case, the point is making a difference.
andres
09-02-2005, 01:06 AM
O, schizophrenic thread,
anong gagawin natin sayo???
:bonk:
parang siamese twins na kailangang lagariin 
I was completely baffled by the “starfish” story.
Starfish aren’t that stupid. They have evolved for billions of years, and it would take more than a low tide to kill them, I would think. And standfordmed has a point there: in order to have a healthy ecosystem, animals have to die, too. That is, death is part of the equation of life. In this case man is tampering with the natural order of things, is he not? Is that “good”?
About the population problem, the answer is simple.
The government should grow a spine already!! OF COURSE, it should provide family planning to those who need it! I know that many poor women will breath a sigh of relief.
The government should implement measures to improve the lives of the people. The people need choices and opportunities. They need to be helped to have control over their lives, especially poor people!
Why is everybody so scared??
What century is it anyway??!
City_rabbit
09-02-2005, 03:36 AM
Been reading the thread- it is going haywire…
The issue of racism - has blown up to population control, sex and responsibility, and even Cathecism… feels like I am at my religion class in high school.
I want to ____ , honestly, this is a friendly site where constructive critism is expected and not cheap palengke exchange of words… excuse me if some people are offended…
I suggest that you think first before posting because once you write things here- it can never be taken back…or erased.
Cool down - think about the issue at hand.
stanfordmed
09-02-2005, 09:53 AM
No, you’ve missed the point a bit. When a man and woman marries, rich or poor, their conjugal love stands under the twofold obligation of fidelity and fecundity. They have to be faithful and answer the call to give life: to be co-creator. For just reasons, they can space the births of their children. This is where natural family planning comes in. By this means, we give God the last say. We can plan the number of our children, all we want, but sometimes, God tells us different when unplanned pregnancies occurs even to women using contraception. Since God is the source of our life, no life is an accident – there’s a reason and a purpose for it.
I am all for responsible parenthood as the Church is too. What I don’t agree is for any law to discriminate poor people. I know you’ve retracted that part after your response to Paul, but you cannot make a statement like that and not expect any response.
Our government should be incorruptible. Parent should be responsible. People should be good, trustworthy and helpful. Should, should, should. All these criticism and condemnation doesn’t help anyone one bit. People our fallible…we are all and we can cast the first stone all we want and it still won’t help anybody who needs help. We need another approach than just criticizing. Maybe educating the people is one good approach.
I agree with you on that. I think people who are dependent on a habit-forming substance need to grow and change first. But just so we are clear, not all poor people are drug addicts, neglectful or delinquent parents, right?
Says you! It’s one thing to say what you think ‘should be’ and another thing to put a law just because the society can’t provide for the poor family. Privileged people are not 100% better than the poor, and they are not the only who has the right. And a lot of people who are living a good life now came from a very poor family once.
Why so fixated on the poor? 
I’m merely pointing out the statement you made to freely procreate, is contradictory to your belief when it comes to diseases, drug addicts, delinquent, etc.
Anyways, I’m not going to argue about religion or anything that involves religion, as this thread had gone ‘haywire’ as city-rabbit had just mentioned and is leading to finger-pointing on personal level. (I’ll reserve religious challenge to my Friar cousin ) I think this world will be more peaceful if one does not enforce their religion or belief to anyone. It’s ironic how people are constantly killing each other because of their belief or religion.
I’m still sticking to my gun that people should be more responsible for their own action and refrain from having kids if they can’t even feed themselves nor able to provide basic necessities, proper sustenance and education for their kids.
I’m not particularly condemning anyone and there’s nothing wrong with critisizing; just stating the facts, ma’am. One of the principal reasons why poverty continues its vicious cycle is that some people don’t plan for and have not much regard for their future and the future of their generation - to educate and/or better themselves first before starting a family. They have that happy-go-lucky’, ‘bahala na’ attitude - a very selfish / egomaniacal way of thinking.
Each individual should be responsible for himself or herself. No one can change a person if the person doesn’t have the self motivation to change.
Maruchan
09-02-2005, 10:30 PM
Hi stanfordmed,
Ok, point well taken. I think I’ve shared my opinion on the matter and if it came out as me enforcing my belief on anybody, I am sorry for that. It’s not my intention at all. I meant to inspire not enforce. Religion is another point of view and that’s what I wanted to share – my views.
It doesn’t matter if we all have different opinions. I think what’s so good here is we all care about what’s important and we took time to talk about it in order to find the best solution for our dear Philippines.
O sige, it’s time for me to vacate the dais. The thread is now back to Racism in Japan…
Maraming salamat po.
Bow.
:tiphat:
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