CONTRARY to the claims of reproductive health (RH) advocates that it is only the Catholic Church that is against the

bill, thousands of pro-life advocates joined the interfaith rally Sunday at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City to show their support for life. Eric Manalang, chairman of Prolife Philippines, in an interview said that the event only proves that the call against the RH bill is not only coming from the Catholic Church as what other want the public to believe. This goes to show that this is not just a Catholic issue because the RH bill is not just a simple law, said Manalang, one of the organizers of the event. Besides members of the Catholic Church, Manalang said that other religious groups like the Evangelical Church, Baptists and even the Muslims had joined their call against the bill which they believed is against the teachings of the Church. We just want to make sure that our presence is felt and for the lawmakers to start reflecting their stance on the RH bill, he said. Advocates of the RH bill were disappointment over President Benigno Aquino 3rds decision to withdraw it from his list of priority bills to be submitted to Congress. According to the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), President Aquinos withdrawal of

support to the RH bill totally ignores the rights and welfare of women, particularly in the poor sector. Because of his [President Aquino] inaction, threats of complications related with pregnancy and childbirth will continue, said Elizabeth Angsioco, DSWPs national chairman. According to Angsioco, there are many women who have died or almost died because of the lack of access to family planning and reproductive health education and services. Earlier, President Aquino said that he will not change his position on family planning since he believes that it is the governments responsibility to provide couples with choices on reproductive health. The Church has spearheaded the opposition to the RH bill that calls for contraceptives to be provided in government hospitals and sex education to be taught in public schools. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said that the provision to provide access to artificial contraceptives is very dangerous because a lot of these have serious side effects. The Church also opposed to incorporating sex education in the curriculum of schools insisting that this has been proven to cause problems in several countries that have tried this.

Manalang, however, admitted that the interfaith rally is not to convince the lawmakers not to pass the bill, because they believe that its passage is inevitable. They just wanted to unify all groups and individuals that are against the bill to show that it is not only the Catholic Church that only against the law.

Concerned citizens stage another anti-RH Bill vigil

MANILA, May 31, 2011Pro-lifers will stage another prayer vigil on June 6 just as Congress holds the last week of plenary deliberations before going on a 6-week recess. Pro-Life Philippines and Soldiers of Christ Catholic Charismatic Community will hold the activity at Payatas Plaza in front of the House of Representatives Main Gate, Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City, from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am of June 7. Registration and praying of the rosary will start at 9:00, followed by the celebration of the Mass at 10:00. More worship activities take place at 11:30, then at 12:00 midnight post-abortive women and women in other difficult situations will share their experiences.

The members of Soldiers of Christ, a healing ministry, conduct a weekly prayer vigil in the groups base in Caloocan to pray for various intentions. However, according to Erly Arcadio, one of the groups elders, the past months have had them directing their prayers specifically for the prevalence of a culture of life and the conversion of the RH bill advocates. Since the time the RH issue [became pronounced] and we were all asked to pray for it, we have been including it in our intentions not only during our weekly vigil but even in our other activities, she said.

The anti-RH bill argument

January 28, 2011 by Buwayahman Filed under: News, Opinion, Religion

Someone posted a link to this site , which is an article written by Dr. Liza Manalo. The article is not really about the RH bill. It deals with the dangers and risks of birth control pills. I really am not a doctor so I cant comment on whether or not what she claims is true. But what piqued by interest was the two Youtube videos that were attached to the article.

If you dont want to watch the videos (but I strongly suggest you do), heres a brief summary: 1. Condoms are not safe in preventing STDs, especially the AIDS virus (though Dr. Manalo admits that condoms are effective in preventing pregnancy) 2. Some contraceptive devices, particularly the birth-control pill and the IUD, pose health hazards 3. Doctors should not coerce their patients on medication. Doctors should obtain informed consent. 4. The underlying position is that the RH Bill is not a priority item. Health care, like access to other essential medicines, not necessarily contraceptives, is a more compelling issue. According to her, contraceptives are NOT essential medicines. I have to admit that the arguments presented are well-researched and seems evidence-based. And her points are definitely much better than those of the dogmatic CBCP. Does it change my stance on the RH Bill? I am always for education and for informed consent. Dr. Manalo provided information on why some contraceptives are health hazards and I have always been against birth-control pills and the IUD. I have always believed that, as a birth control device, the condom is the most safe and effective contraceptive device. And if one claims that life begins at fertilization, condoms should be morally acceptable because it prevents fertilization, right?

9 REASONS WHY I OPPOSE THE RH BILL (HB 5043): IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE

by Redentor A. de la Rosa

1. The RH bill promotes artificial contraceptives which are abortifacients, meaning, they cause abortion. According to a unanimous response of medical experts (including doctors from Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic) at an eight day hearing of the US Senate, human life begins at fertilization, that is, when the sperm penetrates the egg.[1][2] Contraceptives, like pills[3] and IUD[4] often work by ejecting a newly fertilized ovum or a newly formed human being.[5] . The Philippine Medical Association (PMA), the biggest organization of medical practitioners in the Philippines, through its specialty society the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society represented by its President Dr. Sylvia Carnero, pronounced during a consultative meeting with the CBCP that life begins at fertilization.[6] . Faculty of Medicine of the University of Santo Tomas, the Philippine Nurses Association (with at least 368,589 members), the Bioethics Society of the Philippines, Catholic Physicians Guild of the Philippines stated that the antiabortion stance of the bill is contradicted by the promotion of contraceptive agents (IUD and hormonal contraceptives) which actually act after fertilization and are potentiallyabortifacient agents.[7]

2. Contraceptives are dangerous to health. The International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2007 reported that the pill causes cancer, giving it the highest level of carcinogenicity, the same as cigarettes

and asbestos.[8] It also causes stroke,[9] and significantly increases the risk of heart attacks.[10] . In 2005, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization concluded that oral contraceptives cause breast, liver and cervical cancer.[11]

3. The RH bill demands a share of budget from the government to purchase harmful and deadly contraceptive devices from American multi-national firms, hence, benefiting only the U.S. while cutting budgets for education, food, and many other high priority medical needs.

4. Experience from other countries show that promotion of contraceptives encourages and tolerates sexual promiscuity, which leads to destruction of families, increase HIV cases, increase illegitimate and fatherless children, youth deviancy, more single mothers, and increase teenage pregnancies leading to increase abortion.[12][13] According to the studies of Nobel prize winner, George Akerlof, promotion of contraceptives bring about the downgrading of marriage, more extramarital sex, more fatherless children, and more single mothers.[14] . According to the best evidence in the world, concluded Harvard Director for AIDS Prevention, Edward C. Green. Availability of condoms makes people take wilder sexual risks, thus worsening the spread of the disease.[15] . Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, Director of AIDS-Free Philippines, said that in 1987, Thailand had 112 AIDS cases, more or less the same number as the Philippines (135). By the year 2003, there were around 750,000 cases in Thailand, where there was an intense campaign for the "100% Condom Use Program", while there were only 1,935 cases in the Philippines, whose population is around 30% greater than Thailand's.[16][17] .

"The Guttmacher Institute's own study in 2003 showed simultaneous increases both abortion rates and contraceptive use in the United States, Cuba, Denmark, Netherlands, Singapore, and South Korea."[18]

5. The Bill wants to use taxpayers money to finance the selfish and immoral behavior of others. It wanted to allocate money to make artificial contraceptives available for the personal immoral practices of unmarried individuals including teenagers.[19] The government has the duty to provide for the necessary needs of the people but not for their inordinate sexual desires.

6. It wants mandatory sex education taught in elementary and secondary schools without parents consent. Sex education promoters themselves state that it has led to more teenage pregnancies and illegitimacy.[20] Experience from other countries show that sex education liberalizes teenagers behavior regarding sex, introducing them to a promiscuous lifestyle, which leads to more teenage pregnancies and teenage abortions. The New York Civil Liberties Union said: Every scientific study that has been done shows that sex education is correlated to, nothing else but, systematically increased use of contraception.[21]

7. There is an alternative way of slowing down population growth. Artificial Family planning (AFP) is not the only solution to high population growth rate. Any congressman can craft a Reproductive Health Bill which will extensively promote Natural Family Planning (NFP) only nationwide. We have not yet tried this solution, why not do it? An RH Bill which advocates AFP will be very expensive for the government, but an RH Bill which will advocate NFP only will be cheaper.

.
The Population Growth Rate in the Philippines (PGR) is already steadily decreasing during the past two decades even without the RH bill. In 2009, the PGR is 1.96%. [22] Promotion of artificial contraceptives, based on the experience of other countries, actually is more than 100% effective in lowering population growth because they have lead to negative population growth. However, we dont need to achieve 100 percent success (PGR = 0% or TFR = 2) in curbing population growth. To have a stable and sustainable population we will be needing 50-60 percent success rate (PGR of 0.8% 1%), and this level can easily be achieved through comprehensive promotion of natural family planning alone, that is, even without

promoting artificial contraceptives. In fact, studies in the early 90s have shown that NFP could be effective up to 98 percent.[23][24][25] . An RH Bill promoting NFP alone will not prohibit those who choose to use artificial contraceptives. They are still free to purchase them from private pharmacies, but no further government fund will be used to make artificial contraceptives free or cheaper for them. Full government assistance will only be available through NFP services. Hospital based family planning, like IUD, vasectomy, ligation, may still be available in public hospitals, and people may avail them at the same lower price as compared to private hospitals but not for free. . Second, in achieving its purpose of lowering population growth, NFP will promote the moral values of love, respect, chastity, discipline, self control and cooperation, thus, making Philippines a better place to live in.

8. The RH bill ignores the root cause of poverty which is corruption, and, rather, diverts the blame to the poor who are, in fact, merely the victims. With the abundance of natural resources in the Philippines, correct governance and good economic policies are more than enough to solve poverty in the Philippines.

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9. In opposing the RH bill, Catholics are not forcing anyone not to use artificial contraceptives. In fact, at present, without the RH bill, many people are freely using contraceptives. On the other hand, the RH bill, if passed, will force, under penalty of imprisonment or fines, all Catholic employers, medical practitioners, spouses, and parents to give contraceptives and contraceptive services to their employees, patients, and children, hence, suppressing legitimate religious freedom and spousal and parental consent.[26]

To: Congress of the Philippines

We strongly oppose the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill (HB5043) for the following reasons: 1. AS EMPLOYERS, we do not want to be compelled to provide free reproductive health care services, supplies, devices and surgical procedures (including vasectomy and ligation) to our employees, and be subjected to both imprisonment and/or a fine, for every time that we fail to comply. (Section 17 states that employers shall provide for free delivery of reproductive health care services, supplies and devices to all workers more particularly women workers. (Definition of Reproductive Health and Rights Section 4, paragraph g, Section 21, Paragraph c and Section 22 on Penalties) 2. AS HEALTH CARE SERVICE PROVIDERS, we do not want to be subjected to imprisonment and/or a fine, if we fail to provide reproductive health care services such as giving information on family planning methods and providing services like ligation and vasectomy, regardless of the patient's civil status, gender, religion or age ( Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Letter a, Paragraphs 1 to 5 and Section 22 on Penalties) 3. AS SPOUSES, we do not agree that our husband or wife can undergo a ligation or vasectomy without our consent or knowledge. (Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Letter a, Paragraph 2) 4. AS PARENTS, we do not agree that children from age 10 to 17 should be taught their sexual rights and the means to have a satisfying and "safe" sex life as part of their school curriculum. (Section 12 on Reproductive Health Education and Section 4 Definition of Family Planning and Productive Health, Paragraph b, c and d) 5. AS CITIZENS, we do not want to be subjected to imprisonment and/or pay a fine, for expressing an opinion against any provision of this law, if such expression of opinion is interpreted as constituting "malicious disinformation" ( Section 21 on Prohibited Acts, Paragraph f and Section 22 on Penalties) 6. We also oppose other provisions such as losing our parental authority over a minor child who was raped and found pregnant (Section 21, a, no.3) 7. We also do not agree to the provision which reclassifies contraceptives as essential medicines (Section 10) and appropriating limited government funds to reproductive services instead of basic services (Section 23) Thus, we urge you to immediately stop deliberations on the bill and stop wasting taxpayers money.

I used to support the RH Bill. I no longer do. By the end of this document, neither would you. I have not supported the RH Bill since I attended a lecture in Megamall about the truth behind it. That lecture truly enlightened me. My only hope is that this holy light of enlightenment passes through your monitor screen, into your optical nerves, and into your heart so it can touch your soul (because the soul is in the heart). My intent here is not to antagonize Pro-RH people, but to enlighten so listen up, you narrow-minded morons. Open your minds to the real truth The RH Bill will put Filipinos at risk of extinction, because, at its very core, the RH Bill is an extension of a secret, global conspiracy a western attempt to implement principles of eugenics on unsuspecting, inferior populations in order to exclude them from the human evolutionary process, at the end of which would, at the apex, summon forth THE MASTER RACE. Anyone who failed to see this after the lecture is ignorant. I advise him or her to do his or her research, better yet, do some soul-searching to discover the real truth, because the truth is in our hearts, we just have to listen to it. Initially, my laymans interpretation of the RH Bill led me to think that it was just a bill meant to help educate the uninformed about ways to prevent them from fornicating their way to a very bad financial situation. My ignorant mind devised 10 simple points as to why the RH Bill was right. I thought:

1. The minimum wage the lowest an employer can pay an employee of a non-agricultural Filipino worker is P404. 2. If there were 20 working days in a month (because most people dont work on the weekend), the average minimum-wage-earning Filipino would earn around P8,000 a month. 3. Lets call that person, Joey. If Joey, like other human beings, ate food on a regular basis, he will spend around P70/day on food (and thats a very, very conservative assumption). There are 30 days in a month, so I guess, that would amount to P2,100 a month. 4. But if Joey had a wife that he loved, he might want to feed her too. Feeding her would cost another P2,100 a month. 5. P8,000 P4,200 = P3,800 6. If Joey and his wife rented a home, or used electricity and bathed from time to time, the amount left from Joeys salary would be significantly reduced. Lets say their utility bills and rent amounted to P1800. 7. P3,800 P1800 = P2,000 8. P2,000 is a lot of money, but I dont think Joey and his wife should have more than 3 children, right? I mean, I dont have children, but just by looking at one, I can safely assume that they cost more than P1,000/month. Babies need milk, diapers, toys, immunity injections, baby medicine 9. From this I deduced that babies cost money. If babies cost money, I theorized that having more babies would cost more money. And from this data, I observed that a person who spent a lot of money on children, but didnt earn a lot of money, would soon be broke and unable to provide for both himself and his children. Another word for this broke situation is poverty.

10. I theorized that a person can avoid being poor by making less babies. So, I thought that steps should be taken to inform people about this very little known fact. I also thought that the government should make contraceptives accessible so that people who dont earn a lot can properly manage the little resources that they have. Thats why I supported the RH Bill. But now I know that I was wrong. And here are some of the reasons why I know that. By the way, before I continue, I must say that this is the truth, guys. In fact, its more than the truth. Its the Catholic truth, which means that its truer and more true than the regular truth. I know that the issue of the RH Bill is not a religious issue, but make sure you pay attention if you want your soul to be saved. Here are some of the things I learned from the lecture I learned: The RH Bill is wrong because it assumes that the Philippines is overpopulated. I agree. I, myself, have observed that the Philippine is NOT overpopulated. In fact, if you use your common sense and think about it, you will realize a few things: 1. We are not overpopulated! Look at the mountains, the jungles, the caves and the ocean floor. There are no people there! 2. If we were really overpopulated, we would have trouble travelling. But if you go to EDSA, theres no traffic. When you ride the MRT, its not packed with people. 3. Students in public schools are well educated because the teacher to student ratio is very low. In fact, because of our low population the government can basically guarantee that all public school students are provided books, notebooks and other school supplies.

The RH Bill is wrong because it assumes that contraceptives are good for mankind and women. 1. I agree, the RH Bill is not good for women because it might draw a woman away from her one, true, universal purpose the uninterrupted production of healthy babies. 2. Furthermore, the role of women in society and the universe is to make babies. Thats why God made women. Thats their sole purpose in life. Theyre not good for anything else. Ever wonder why there are no women in the clergy? Because theyre not good enough. 3. Contraceptives would allow women to enjoy the benefits of physical intimacy while maintaining a successful and productive career, if she so chooses. That is so wrong. Only men should be able to enjoy that privilege. 4. Women should get pregnant every single time they have sex and only immoral women enjoy sex without the possibility of conception. In fact, a better alternative would be for women, in general, to follow the example made by Mother Mary to learn how to conceive without having sex. The RH bill will put Filipinos at risk of extinction! 1. I agree. If we pass the RH bill, we will become extinct, like dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are all dead. If we dont want to be extinct, we should not pass the RH Bill. I mean, do you really want to be a dinosaur? 2. In my opinion, it wouldnt even be far-fetched to speculate that the most probable reason the dinosaurs became extinct was because they used contraceptives.

3. Population decline is just bad for nations. Just look at the countries which have a declining population Italy, Japan and Singapore. Theyre in such a bad shape. The Philippines obviously has a better economy and has a higher literacy rate than these countries. In fact, many Italians, Japanese, and Singaporeans go to the Philippines for work. That only goes to show that a decline in population is bad for the economy. Our population is our biggest asset! 1. In my opinion, people should make as many babies as they can because the population is not a problem. In fact, the more babies a person has, the more assets he has. Forget real estate properties, stock investments, or Jollibee franchises. The real secret to increased wealth is babies. 2. If you have 15 babies, youre practically wealthy because babies are assets: 2.1 If you need money, you can sell them. 2.2 If you can keep them alive until they can walk, they can one day beg for money in the streets theyre going to have to anyway because theres no way in hell youll be able to provide for all of them on your own. 3. If ever a person is not able to feed the 15 babies he made, its the governments fault, because its the governments sole responsibility to make sure that every Filipino baby is fed. 4. The best way a person can contribute to his country is to contribute to its population.

The RH Bill is wrong because it assumes that reproductive education and contraceptives will effectively reduce cases of abortion. 1. Reproductive/contraceptive education will have no effect on the number of abortion cases. In my opinion, these abortion cases will not lessen because women will continue to have abortions regardless of whether they are pregnant or not. 2. Abortions cannot be prevented. Its just something that women naturally do. Like shopping, for example. The RH Bill is wrong because it will make people participate in extra-marital and pre-marital sex. 1. By approving the RH Bill, we as a nation, are practically encouraging our people to engage in immoral activities. 2. We must protect our moral values and reject the RH Bill. Because, currently, not a single Filipino engages in pre-marital sex or extramarital sex. As soon as this bill is approved, Filipino people will run the streets naked and start a national orgy! 3. The root cause of extra-marital and pre-marital sex is ones exposure to contraceptives. There is just something in contraceptives that people find very arousing. 4. In Western countries, men lure strange women into bed by showing them condoms. 5. If we ban condoms, absolutely no one would engage in pre-marital or extra-marital sex. The RH Bill is wrong because it assumes that parents dont teach their children about sex.

1. The truth is that parents talk to their children about sex all the time. Its so not awkward. The dad usually tells his children how he takes off all his clothes, does a sexy Tiger growl and makes sweet, sweet music with their mothers body. 2. Also, a father usually advises his daughter that if shes going to have sex with her boyfriend, she should use a condom. Sometimes the father even drives the daughter to the boyfriends house and waits for the couple to finish. 3. Filipino daughters dont have sex without the fathers permission. Unwanted pregnancies or teen pregnancies never happen to Filipino girls. Thats why we do not need the RH Bill. The RH Bill is a conspiracy. 1. Its lies, all lies! The RH Bill is wrong because the priest said so, and priests are never wrong. The biggest reason why we should not pass the RH Bill is because the priests told us that we shouldnt. As anyone should know, priests, men of the clergy, should be the authority on sexual and reproductive matters because they have the most knowledge and experience with sex and reproduction. They are true sexperts legendary masters of erotic affairs. If you are a real Catholic, you would do everything they say, because theyre always right.

I am from a highly Christianized country, the Philippines. Here, politicians never win if the church are blatantly against them; what the church says is correct; and people who don't believe in God are supposed to be insulted or tagged as demonic, deranged or something. I have nothing against my country men. I'm just saying that its true. Even though we are labelled as the most hospitable, warm and friendly people, most of us consider insults to our religion as unforgivable. It's perfectly understandable. It's never good to undermine or insult anyone else's belief, all the more anyone's religious belief. But insulting one's belief and not believing in one's belief are two different things. What does religion really mean? Generally, it is a set of people with a set of beliefs. That is all. The problem with people who are very conscious about their religion is that they fail to look at their sets of rules as rules that need to be followed. I love my country men, but I hope that they wake up someday and ask themselves: "Why do I have this religion?" and not go to church simply as an act of habit. Or worse, don't go to church, pray and worship your God and throw dirty words to your 'lost brothers' who don't 'believe' just like you. I daresay that those people who believe in their good God to stop mouthing off insults to those who don't believe what they do. Differences are what good Christians should understand. And each of these differences must be understood by them as well. Let us argue peacefully and in civilized manner, worthy of your Christian God. I am not a Christian, but I have been exposed to Christianity long enough and I know that the message of Christ or God is Love and Understanding, not Force nor Persecution. Spain, in the past, did the wrong thing by using religion to conquer. Let us not continue this cycle. Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/400456_why-do-ihave-this-religion-a-reaction-on-the-bad-behavior-of-filipinoswho-are-anti-rh-bill#ixzz1QLbVTA6c

My understanding of the RH bill involves the government educating Filipinos how not to procreate like rabbits. Albeit, it covers the whole repertoire of family-planning, not just the Church-approved classical ways like the calendar method, rhythm method, withdrawal method, or even unconventional modes like the tak-tak and timing methods. The RH Bill also proposes family-planning through artificial means with the use of condoms, birth-control pills, ligation, IUD, etc, but does not include abortion. The government will be giving away free supplies of some of these artificial means (all free, while supplies last!). The most ardent among those against the RH Bill is the Catholic Church, saying the bill goes against morality and our very own constitution (Read their statement here). They have gone beyond borders to do whatever it takes to stop the controversial bill from being passed into law.

Pros vs Cons
For some time now, heated battles about the pros and cons of the RH Bill have been waged all over our nation. In Congress. In the Senate. In the pulpits of our churches. Even in daily conversations among common Filipinos. From the early morning chitchats of gossip-mongers, to drunken conversations over beer, rum or tuba of sunogbagas (drunkards at the most extreme level). The issue of

the Reproductive Health Bill has been the butt of daily random discussions. Even eight-time world champion Manny Pacquiao, the pambansang kamao (National Fist), has joined the rumble, throwing punch lines regarding the issue in support for those against the RH Bill. Clergies, priests and persons of importance in religious sectors, have made the RH Bill the crux of their diatribes, err, I mean, homilies, and Sunday messages. Some even going as far as calling our president heretic, persona non-grata and to top it all, calling for civil disobedience if and when the bill is passed into law. (Religion and disobedience. Probably the most unexpected mismatch in all of these.)

Blame me for being liberal minded and anti wrinkled perspective. I will be surely going to hell in the afterlife, (by Roman Catholic standards) but I cannot, for the love of everything sacred and political, understand the Churchs opposition to the RH Bill. I cannot comprehend how such useful and relevant future laws be regarded as unacceptable by the Roman Catholic church as if it is Satans plot for world annihilation. Tell me, what is wrong with informed decision making regarding such an important issue such as family planning?

Why do the church insist of keeping parents in the dark and stuck in ancient ways? Natural family planning methods are, in my opinion, not only ineffective, but also hard to follow. Mothers are busy enough as it is, and you expect them to keep notes, take their temperature daily and notice slight increments signifying that they are indeed fertile? How about the Calendar method where the woman counts 14 days backwards from their expected date of menstruation? The method is confusing enough as it is when we were nursing students, what more if you have kids to take care of and probably a job to attend to? What if the woman is irregular? As for abstinence, I think one is demented to expect millions of people to abstain from a physiologic need. The Catholic Church promotes only natural family planning and is opposed to the use of artificial birth control methods such as condoms and birth-control pills, saying these could lead to promiscuity and a rise in abortion cases. Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/202186/bishopsthreaten-civil-disobedience-over-rh-bill With all due respect to our bishops, I think they have it backwards. There wont be a rise in abortion cases because contraceptives will prevent pregnancy in the first place. I believe it will actually decrease such moral crimes and as the cliche goes, make this world a better, more responsible place. And yes, if a number of people believe that some birth control methods are indeed abortive in nature, then at least theyll have a choice.

Having worked in the OB Ward of a government hospital for quite some time, I was exposed to this problem first hand. I must have handled thousands of newborns and mothers during my stay there. And let me tell you, the length of my stay was not that long. Maybe the Pope is in Vatican with his incense and entourage of bishops and the priests here in the country is secluded in seminaries and churches that they dont realize how big the overpopulation problem really is. Maybe they should open their eyes a little wider to let in at least a grain of truth that is already staring at their faces. I advise that they start from observing how many babies and little children they see during their Sunday masses. I bet they wont be able to count them all for itll be like counting stars in the midnight sky. Too many and too scattered for the human mind to fully comprehend. I am not against religion, and most importantly, I am not against morality. But I do frown upon hypocrisy. I dont feel comfortable on how the church is portraying itself, not just the voice of God, but as God himself, meddling with state affairs, now with threats of civil disobedience and even excommunication on the president if he approves something that they dont. It doesnt sit well with me how they shun people who are not at par with the kind of principles that they believe in. I dont think that is something Jesus would do.

And dont even get me started with the countless Catholic sex abuse cases that both the congregation and its flock have turned a blind eye on. That is another story. I am not an atheist, I am a big fan of god and, most importantly, freedom of choice. Let the people have theirs. We are not forcing anyone to do anything, just educating the public on options and alternatives. Since when did that become so morbidly immoral?