Reply to Ben
Virgilio Velasco
In a previous article, rick.s...@EBay.Sun.COM (Rick Sanchez) says:
> 4. Filipinos are very liberal. Different religions are accepted and
> schools from different nationality are allowed.
Gee, I disagree about this one. In the Philippines
non-Catholics are very often discriminated against (as opposed to the
USA, where there is more plurality of worship.)
I guess it depends on what you mean by "accepted". Do they
allow these other religions to exist on their turf? I guess so. Do
they treat people of other religions as equals? I don't mean to
generalize, so let me just say that I've seen to many examples to the
contrary. In my own family, for example, I have often been ordered
never to associate with non-Catholics, and the Protestants in my village
have been ostracized by the Catholic community.
--
Virgilio "Dean" Velasco Jr., grad student & roboticist-in-training, CWRU
"Sometimes the light at the end of the | "Only Nixon could visit
tunnel is an oncoming train." -Knute Rockne | China." - old Vulcan proverb
Johannson Jimmy Tee Jr.
This kind of incidents do happen but I do not think that you can also
generalize that in the Philippines, non-Catholics are, to quote from
your words, "..very often discriminated against."
The religious situation in the Philippines is very touchy. When you have
religious fanatics on both sides trying to make things more miserable, then
misunderstandings can happen very quickly.
When I was back home, I joined an ecumenical discussion group in my parish.
We dialogued with some Methodist christians on the other block of our
community. Everyone was open and willing to listen to different points of
view about their doctrines and theology. No one had any hidden agenda of
converting people.
On the other hand, I have met several "born again christians" who have
told me that I am going to hell because I am a Catholic. Unfortunately,
more of this kind of groups are proliferating in the PHilippines.
And then one has to deal with groups like Jehovah Witnesses.
There is religious tension in the Philppines just like here in the
United States. However, because, Filipinos take their faith very
seriously, it's more full blown and emotional.
We, who are more educated, most continue to strive for reconcialiation
and education so ast to promote understanding and compassion. There are
Filipinos trying to do that in the Philippines. And it's happening too.
JJ
.
Virgilio Velasco
In a previous article, te...@aix.rpi.edu (Johannson Jimmy Tee Jr.) says:
>This kind of incidents do happen but I do not think that you can also
>generalize that in the Philippines, non-Catholics are, to quote from
>your words, "..very often discriminated against."
>
> ...
>
>There is religious tension in the Philppines just like here in the
>United States. However, because, Filipinos take their faith very
>seriously, it's more full blown and emotional.
I stand by my statement that non-Catholics are often
discriminated against. However, that does not necessarily mean that
(a) most Catholics are prejudiced against non-Catholics, or that (b)
most non-Catholics are the victims of extremely harsh prejudice. I
think the distinction is clear, albeit not immediately obvious.
At any rate, I was taking issue with the statement that various
religions are tolerated. You may or may not agree. However, your
second paragraph above offers one reason why I think that our country
lack religious tolerance.
Johnson Apacible
>allow these other religions to exist on their turf? I guess so. Do
>they treat people of other religions as equals? I don't mean to
>generalize, so let me just say that I've seen to many examples to the
>contrary. In my own family, for example, I have often been ordered
>never to associate with non-Catholics, and the Protestants in my village
>have been ostracized by the Catholic community.
>
I have the exact opposite experience you had. I went to a baptist school
since kindergarten and had been taught that Catholism is an inferior
religion. I was sometimes berated by my teachers for being good friends with
Catholics as they are "bad" examples. Almost all my life I had been
guilty of discriminating against Catholics, being told that
Catholism == One way ticket to hell. My Catholic friends never discriminated
against me for being a Protestant.
In my senior year at U.P., I asked one of my fraternity brods to tell me
more about Catholism because I could not believe that such an extremely nice
and God-fearing person will go to hell just because he is a catholic.
I was surprised to find out that there isn't any fundamental differences
between the 2 religions, just a difference in the way people choose to
worship. I went to my first mass with him thinking that if Billy Graham
can celebrate mass with the Pope, there can't be anything bad about it.
I liked what I saw and converted to catholism right before I left for
the U.S.A for my studies. Never regretted my decision.
Tsismis: Laurel and Defensor are meeting for a possible joint presidential
ticket following the announcement of the Cojuangco-Estrada slate.
-johnson apacible
john...@microsoft.com
| First name please. Johnson. I mean your first name. Johnson. Sir, I need
| your first name first. JOHNSON!!! Wait till you hear my last name!
| Mom, why did you give me Johnson for a first name. Eh kasi yung presidente
| ng stets nuong pinanganak ka ay si Johnson eh! Thank God I wasn't called
| Lyndon.