METROPOST


OCTOBER 13 - OCTOBER 19, 2019 OPINION 5 WILLIAM E. ABLONG EYE OPENER wea_129@yahoo.com I


n my recent encounter with some public officials at a meeting I attended, the “separation of Church and State” was again quoted. I cannot help but express now my thoughts about this. Every time church leaders


– bishops, priests, laypeople – talk against government policies, programs and practices, public officials would easily use the constitutional principle of separation of state and church to silence the critics.


involved in politics, etc. It is about what the state is prohibited from doing, such as the establishment of an official state religion, the use of public money to support such religion, and interfering in the affairs of the Church.


At the same time, the constitution prohibits government from: Appropriating and using


I believe it’s a wrong notion that the separation of the Church and State would mean that the Church cannot


speak up about the ways or performance of the State. That view is often used by


I am not a lawyer, but as I read and understand it, the Constitution is very clear about its provisions. It is clear that Art. II, Sec. 6 provides: “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable”. It is also clear that the State-Church constitutional provision specifically directs government or the state to do something for the church,


some officials and politicians to stop the Church from speaking up.


But the Church has a prophetic role to play. Since government is established by God to serve the people (Rom 13:1, 4) God must be able to speak to His appointed officials about the moral conduct of government. This is the Church’s role.


such as: Allowing the assignment of priests, preachers, ministers or dignitaries to “the armed forces, or to any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium” (Art. VI, Sec. 29.2).


In its declaration of principles, the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the separation of Church and State. Unfortunately, this principle is being misinterpreted. Actually, the Church-State


separation provision is not about what the Church is prohibited to do, like criticizing government practices, getting


Providing for tax exemption of religious institutions and their property “used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes” (Art. VI, Sec. 28.3). Allowing


any public money or property for the direct or indirect use, benefit or support of any religion, church, priest, pastor or imam (Art VI, Sec 29, par 2). Teaching religion as


mandatory in public schools (Art XIV, Sec 3[3]). Using any “religious test” for the exercise of any civil or political rights (Art III, Sec 5) Registering as political


p a r t y any relig ious denominations or sects (Art IX, Part C, Section 2[5]). Establishing government’s


Misconceptions on separation of church-state


own religion (Art III, Sec 5) Prohibiting the free exercise of any religion (Art III, Sec 5) Giving or showing any


preference to or discrimination against any religion (Art III, Sec 5)


provisions are addressed to the state, not the church. There’s no provision that


additional cost to the government, optional religious instruction in public elementary and high schools, subject to the expressed written consent of parents and guardians and to the designation of instructors approved by religious authorities of the religion to which the children belonged (Art. XIV, Sec. 3.3).


without Apparently, all these


church people are prohibited to participate in the life of the government by speaking for or against the government. The reason is clear: Church people are basically citizens of the country, and they are free to exercise their freedom of speech.


we also follow the Canon law. The lay faithful are enjoined to actively participate in politics, and are mandated to bring


TO PAGE 6


PEOPLE’S CORNER


(Unlicensed, unregistered, Sept. 29), you expressed outrage at the number of unregistered scooters, motor bikes in Dumaguete. While I share your


In a recent editorial


concern, I’d suggest a significantly greater problem exists: it’s the way people drive which creates far more significant pain and suffering to our society than unregistered vehicles. Very few drivers have any clue regarding rules of the road, when to yield to upcoming traffic, how to drive sensibly and carefully. Nobody bothers


to signal which way they are turning. One in three drivers at nighttime never turn on their lights, thereby, creating horrid levels of danger. I’ve been told, correctly not, that drivers


or


mistakenly believe they save on gasoline when driving without lights. Drivers of cars are no better than scooter drivers. I’ve ended up in the ditch more than once after being forced to take evasive action when a car suddenly turned without indicating.


rules of the road. Nobody should receive a license to drive without first having a solid knowledge about how to behave and respect the safety and well-being of other drivers, pedestrians, and society in general. But this will never happen because of an absence of political and societal will.


In the Catholic Church, REV. BERNADETTE AMISTOSO-MORALES FORERUNNER pastorbernie@yahoo.com


Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. 1 Peter 1: 7


NEW JERSEY -- It was our sixth month living in my aunt’s apartment here in New Jersey. It was a very, very cold early winter morning, a Saturday. The week had been hectic, so I was looking forward to a restful and quiet day.


Then I was suddenly awakened by the sound of a fire alarm. We had some past false alarms in the apartment complex so I thought it was just one of those days. But as soon as I went out to check, the entire hall was already covered with smoke. The residents were hurriedly evacuated. I remember standing outside the apartment with my husband, Greg; our children, Khaki and Red; our pet dog, Chewey, and close to 50 fellow residents. The firetrucks quickly arrived but everything just happened so fast. The smoke had thickened, and in a few minutes, it was a full blown fire.


inside a Red Cross bus. Neighbors and volunteers rushed to give us water, blankets, and socks. The elderly residents, the very young children, and those taking medications were immediately assisted. Everything was a blur. My mind was so foggy. It was hard to even process what was unfolding. I was too shocked to even think. I remember the scene that followed -- my whole family crying, and praying in front of our still-burning apartment, huddled in the cold, left only with the shirts on our back, and a small personal backpack I got to save.


Later, we were all hurled


The feeling was indescribable. Khaki and Red both said in tears, “Mama, everything is gone!” Greg and I could only respond by embracing them.


And that casual indifference will continue to result in unnecessary, tragic consequences.


The solution is to provide solid driver education about


Michael Cassidy A walk to prevention


confirms that Poliomyelitis is re-appearing in the Philippines, 19 years after the country was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization in 2000.


state given the fact that the Philippines had been free of polio for almost two decades yet, this year, more cases of the polio is in fact, infecting our citizens.


One recorded case is from the DOH that stated, “One polio case was confirmed in a three-year-old from Lanao del Sur. Aside from the confirmed case, a suspected case of acute flaccid paralysis is awaiting confirmation. In addition, the poliovirus has been detected in samples taken from sewage in Manila, and the waterways in Davao, as part of the regular environmental surveillance. The samples were tested by the Research Institute for Tropical


This is an alarming The Department of Health


Medicine, and verified by the Japan National Institute for Infectious Diseases, and the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.”


What is polio? Poliomyelitis is a potentially-deadly infectious disease caused by a virus known as poliovirus, transmitted from person to person, and which can enter an infected individual’s brain and spinal cord, causing him to be unable to move some parts of the body.


—it can only be prevented with multiple doses of vaccines that have long been proven safe and effective.


infection will have flu-like symptoms that may include sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, and stomach pain. These symptoms usually go on for abouttwo to five days, then disappear on their own.


Individuals with poliovirus There is no cure for polio


However, a smaller proportion of individuals with poliovirus infection will develop other serious signs and symptoms that affect the brain and spinal cord, including: Paresthesia (feeling of pins and needles in the legs), Meningitis (infection of the covering of the spinal cord or brain), and Paralysis (numbness or lack of sensation or weakness in the arms, legs, or both). Again, there is no treatment to polio but there are prevention measures: the administration of polio vaccine which protects children by getting their bodies to fight the polio virus. Almost all children who get all the recommended doses of the vaccine will be protected from polio.


There are two types of vaccine that can prevent polio: inactivated poliovirus vaccine


TO PAGE 7


Valencia, Negros Oriental irishauthormichaelcassidy@ gmail.com


for moments like those. Some people call them traumatic events, while some call them tragedies. Whatever name you choose, one thing is certain: you will never know when they come or how. It is hard to explain what happened. I could only remember the feelings I felt -- the numbness, the disorientation, the disappointment, the regret of not having been able to save anything, and eventually, deep sadness that came after realizing the great loss. But strangely, in the midst of all that chaos was the profound experience of love, care, community, and generosity that changed us forever.


Fires come unexpectedly You cannot plan enough


We were then taken to the town hall where more Red Cross and burough volunteers were waiting. There were not much words spoken in that place. What I do remember was the feeling of safety, and the concrete acts of love and kindness that followed. There, we were fed, embraced, listened to, prayed for, and given resources to buy our basic provisions. Not long after, my senior pastor arrived, together with one of the leaders of the church, to pray for us and hand us some financial gifts. Another pastor friend and his wife followed with food, blankets, and clothes. Then my supervisor and fellow chaplains arrived with more provisions and more prayers. When fires come, God sends help


I have no words to describe the experience of love and care that we received. On the night of the fire, while my family was buying clothes in a nearby store, I bumped into a couple I had met only once before. When they learned about the fire, they immediately handed me a gift card to help us get more provisions.


two people we hardly knew (relatives of a former


That same evening,


schoolmate) took a three-hour bus ride just to give us more food and clothing. My cousins took us in for a few days in their one-bedroom apartment while we cleared our heads and planned our next moves. In the days that followed, financial help, gifts, visits, prayers, calls, and messages came literally from every part of the world, even from people we had not heard from for years.


The following day, Sunday, I was scheduled to preach, and Greg was set to lead worship in our church. While were in the town hall, our senior pastor politely asked if I wanted someone else to take my place, considering all that was happening. I paused and quieted my heart. Then I said, “Pastor, I will still preach tomorrow. All these years, I have taught people to put God first, and trust God completely. Now is the time for me to live out what I have always believed and preached.”My senior pastor and I cried. No other words were needed to be spoken.


you are not the same After the fire,


whole family went to church as we had done for the past many years. It was a very special day of thanksgiving for us. Our churchmates greeted us with so much love that day. Many of them were stunned to even see us in church.


The next morning, our


My sermon was titled A Season of Consecration based on


Joshua’s words to the Israelites as they were about to cross the Jordan River towards the land of promise, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5)


I held on to the message in such a personal way that Sunday morning. I teared up in some parts of the sermon. I felt every word. I held on to the promise of the Lord to Joshua that in the days to come, the Lord will indeed do wonders for me and my family. One of the songs Greg sang


Through the fire


in church that morning was “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman. We had sung that song countless times but that day, the words of the song cut through my heart. As we were singing, “… God, you give and take away … you give and take away, but my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name, ” Greg could not hold back his tears. Looking back, there is something about loss and nothingness that brings out our most heartfelt songs. There is something about being completely vulnerable and powerless that allows us to experience God’s presence in ways that are most real. After losing all our earthly possessions, I realized how rich my family truly was: rich in faith, rich in family, rich in friends, rich in a future that is secure in the loving and steady hands of the Lord.


the fire in my aunt’s apartment. God has done wonderful things, just as He promised! Our family has since moved to the next town, and are now settled in a new home my aunt bought. Starting over was so much harder than I ever imagined, but we are back on our feet, thanks to every single person whom God sent our way -- every single person who fed us, clothed us, listened to us, visited us, embraced us, prayed for us, and reached out to us in love. Sometimes I still shudder


It’s been over a year since


at the mere thought of fire, or the mere sound of fire alarms. I still get jumpy when I hear the sound of fire trucks. Most importantly, I still get teary- eyed when I remember that early winter morning when my family and I truly felt God’s love and kindness in the most unexpected ways.


It feels so weird for me to now say, “Thank you, God, for the fire...” But in my heart of hearts, I truly and deeply am grateful for that fire. I never saw the fire coming,


but when it did come, God made sure that my family and I were never alone. God made sure there was enough help, that there was enough hope, and that there was enough reason for us to still show up in church, to sing, to serve and to say with all of our hearts, “… God, you give and take away … blessed be your name!”


Environmental advocates block the path leading to Mt. Talinis in barangay Apolong in Valencia, in an attempt to stop the entry of almost 100 participants of the Run for Mt. Talinis last Sunday, which was eventually decided by town officials to push through. (Photo from Team Relax mountaineering club)


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