Let me be very clear about it: No matter how I sometimes detest being lectured on by a priest on purely temporal matters using Scripture for effect or how egregious a number of them are in their interpretation of the Bible I cannot, repeat, cannot even just for a second call God by any other name except the Supreme Being. And, of course, Jesus Christ the name above all others.
That said, I am sure President Duterte, after making those remarks about God, has come around to reinforce his personal belief about the Supreme Being who guides the destinies of men and nations. I am sure in his own ways, as he has since noted, he has acknowledged his having crossed the line, as it were, and prayed hard for understanding.
So I hope those who continue to vilify him or, worse, ask him to publicly apologize and do some such ritualistic atonement, should now withdraw from center stage and leave things at that. There is really no use unduly needling him for having expressed what many consider blasphemous statements—unless one belongs to that grouping that has no love lost for the man and will curse him to high heavens at every turn. Or wish that he stumbles over and over again. Or to get out of Malacañang by whatever means possible altogether.
This matter about God, interpreting the Bible and some such variations should now be laid to rest so the nation and our people can refocus their attention on more mundane things and move on. As my “tambay” friends would say after carousing around with their favorite song “My Way”: Pahinga na, tapos na ang kanta (let things rest, the music has played out).
Take it from the presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who should know her father better than all of those who have joined the fray and hurled all kinds of unprintable words against him. Said the good mayor who herself has been known as being outspoken and will not take any B.S. from anybody, her father included: “Please do not listen to him (PRRD) interpret the Bible or Quran, he is not a priest, a pastor or an imam. I really do not understand why others listen to him interpret the Bible when he is not a priest; he is a President who is only expressing his opinions. He is the President; listen to him when he speaks about his work. And criticize him on his work and not his ‘talkalese.’ People should not waste energy criticizing the President’s personal opinions.”
Which is just as well. Even Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has called for calm amid this disruption. “Be at peace,” the good Cardinal said in a statement, “don’t let things disturb your inner peace. Let us read the situation with the eyes of faith. Let us not be distracted from addressing other pressing concerns with the fervor of faith and love. For example, the increasing prices of goods, job security, exploitation of women and children, violence in homes and neighborhoods, different types of addictions/crimes, vulnerabilities of overseas workers, the daily paralyzing traffic in big cities, flooding, reconstruction of destroyed cities, combating terrorism, corruption and others.”
With this advisory coming from no less than the pastoral guide of Roman Catholics in the most critical and, might I add, wisened flock in the whole country,need I say more about the need to extend utmost understanding of one another regardless of faith, race or color? And, of course, keeping the faith and moving on?
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Speaking of faith, religion and understanding, I hope no major protests or exchanges of stinging words erupt not only in the United States but in countries with majority Muslim populations, with that recent ruling by the US Supreme Court upholding President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from individuals coming from several of those countries.
No less than Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts who wrote that the majority (5-4) decision, said that the travel ban “was well within the US President’s authority over immigration and responsibility for keeping the nation safe.”
The ruling rejected the view shared by a number of lower courts where challenges were earlier raised by petitioners insisting that the ban was anti-Muslim. But the justices restrained themselves as they did not join President Trump’s campaign call for a “complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” On that score, the majority said, “we express no view on the soundness of the policy.”
Again, I say we should go back to the constitutional edict on the separation of Church and State and restrain ourselves from unduly stretching the bounds and be dubbed as fanatics.