The cost of finding the truth

Peter G. Jimenea, Hole of Justice

After the long verbal tussle between the pros and cons of the Reproductive Health Bill, it eventually hurdled the first barrier at the Lower House of Congress. But the leaders of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) vowed to continue the fight against it.

They failed to notice the diminishing support of the people in this Church battle against the Bill. CBCP leaders even ignored the news about the two women who challenged the Church to excommunicate them for their open support to the RH Bill.

The reports of exodus by women devotees who transferred to other religious groups of similar faith, become a cause for alarm. Why did these people leave their Church to join the smaller group of the same believers?

If we look back to history of parish priests under the Catholic Church, they depend mainly on support of parishioners. This could be the reason why they opposed the Bill as its population control provision would eventually redound to Church lose of big income if enacted into law.

Church leaders are concerned only about income without taking into consideration the government side especially its problem on how to provide the basic needs of the fast growing population of poor families. This is easily gleaned on the widening gap of economic disparity between the rich and the poor.


Ordinary government employee cannot provide the proper education needed by all his five children unless he steals. What about the unemployed? This is without yet the idea whether the jobless parents has afforded the family its three regular meals a day.

What's more for people in squatter areas with five children and still counting? If only twenty percent of their children finished high school and only one can have a step in first year or second year college, what's in store for them? Aren't the others endangered to become notorious criminals of the future?

This only shows that birth control by calendar method doesn't sit well in slum areas. If birth control pills and condoms are bad for the Church, then what about abortion which seems today as the logical solution for unwed and unprepared young mothers-to-be?

If Church leaders has only showed sincere concern to the life of poor families in this country, their flocks will remain loyal to them. Even without too much nitpicking on the State's affair, their income can still be derived from wealthy donors, special mass, wedding ceremonies and many others.

But why are they against this plan of the government when it protects the lives of pregnant women, helps maintain the peace and order situation and improve the life of the people including their flocks? The RH Bill does not solely dwell on the use of birth control pills and condoms.

It teaches responsible parenthood and to that effect, includes the limit in number of children by a family. This is true as it concerns on how parents can provide the children the needed education based on their income, for the kids to become useful citizens of tomorrow.

Today, many young pregnant-women failed to undergo a pre-natal check up and other child health-care preparation due to financial constraint. But recent international report claims that one in three pregnant women in Asia died during pregnancy or while giving birth to a child.

This is a cause for alarm that Church leaders must take into consideration. They should now ask themselves on why abortion are so rampant and why this illegal business proliferate. Maybe they are against the RH Bill for the sake of opposition without looking into the benefits of women in particular and to all citizens in general.

A great number of women-devotees are now moving away from their divine faith in Catholic Church due to their opposing views about the Bill. Church leaders has failed to notice that since the EDSA revolution, their flocks who had been loyal to them are now slowly moving away due to difference in opinion about the RHB.

The CBCP should know that it is only for them and their group that what they did was good. They don't have the faintest idea that the Church is now losing in this battle.

True, divisiveness is the cost of finding the truth. The great number of Catholic flocks are now in exodus. Most have realized that the prize at stake in this battle - is unworthy of the war they are fighting for!