“The Catholic Church is partly to blame because the CBCP has failed in its mission to educate couples about marriage”
THE latest non-commissioned poll survey of the Social Weather Stations showing 50 percent of adult Filipinos are in favor of the bill on Absolute Divorce and 31 percent are against is some sort revealing, Santa Banana.
It was interesting because in a column of SWS manager Mahar Mangahas in another newspaper, he identified who comprised the majority of those in favor, and who were not in favor into separated couples and those who are living-in.
While I respect the analysis of Mangahas and the findings of SWS using scientific methods of survey, I would like to add the Catholic Church has been losing many of its faithful because of Protestantism and the advent of “born-again” Christians, and other religious sects like Iglesia ni Cristo.
It’s for these reasons why majority of Filipinos appear to be in favor of the Absolute Divorce bill which the House of Representatives just passed on third and final reading .
It’s now up to the Senate to pass the Absolute Divorce bill or not. Santa Banana, it appears the Senate is evenly divided on whether or not the bill would be enacted by it.
The SWS survey did not take into account other factors why the majority of the 50 percent of adults favor absolute divorce and only 31 percent are against.
At the outset, I am against absolute divorce because it is against my belief as a Catholic since divorce will mean the destruction of the family, the foundation of any society.
Santa Banana, just take a look at the hedonistic society of the United States where divorce has affected families.
I am also against divorce because the result is broken families.
I am taking my marriage of 69 years (yes, that long) as an example.
Marriage is not for those who are just passionately in love with each other.
Marriage is something that couples who think they are in love must consider seriously before doing so.
As for me, I married my wife because I believed we were both educated and mature enough to know what we were getting into.
Aside from the fact that I love my wife, we have the same faith and trust in each other and, most importantly, we have complete faith and trust in God.
As I said, we were educated enough to know marriage is not always a bed of roses.
In marriage, those who get married must know and realize when a crisis happens in a marriage, the couple must understand that faith and trust in God are paramount.
In our case, there had been many financial difficulties.
But, somehow, with our faith and trust in each other and, most importantly, with our faith and trust in God we would surmount the crisis.
Believe you me, miracles do happen in every marriage.
I believe this is where the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines must tell the faithful of the disadvantages of absolute divorce on society and the country in general.
More than anything else the Catholic Church should conduct parish sessions where the young can learn what a marriage means and what they are getting into when they marry.
I hate to say this but the Catholic Church is partly to blame because the CBCP has failed in its mission to educate couples about marriage.
Most importantly, I repeat those who are getting married must know and realize what they are getting into.
For this reason, following many Filipino adults who are in favor of absolute divorce and only 31 percent are against it, it’s no argument in favor of absolute divorce.
I don’t like to predict how the Senate will act on the bill since some of them have expressed their belief they are in favor of divorce.
Now, it’s up to the Senate. I have already expressed myself, Santa Banana!
