Amnesia about God
Pope Benedict XVI lamented that people had “amnesia” about God. This condition persists even our country. The latest manifestations were the artworks of images of Jesus Christ with a phallus displayed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Some artists tried to justify the display as freedom of expression. But freedom of expression is not absolute; it must be tempered with responsibility and consider the sensibilities and beliefs of people.
The art exhibit was sacrilegious and insulted and scandalized Catholics in the country. I think the works were in bad taste and should not have been allowed in the CCP. Curators should have been more responsible in screening such sacrilegious art.
Indeed, what the Pope lamented is true. In our society, many people forget about God and credit themselves for their success, not recognizing the participation and contribution of God our Father.
This is one of the challenges of Christians: To make the presence of God felt by people.
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Next week, the University of San Carlos (USC) will be holding University Week with programs for students to learn while enjoying the celebration and competing in the sports intramurals.
We at the Department of Political Science will sponsor a forum at l:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Law Audio-Visual Room where we invited former commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal of the Commission on Elections—an alumnus of the USC political science department and College of Law—to talk about the newly formed School of Law and Governance.
At 4 p.m. the new office of the Department of Political Science will be blessed. Former senator Migz Zubiri will grace the affair. At 6 p.m. a dinner for a cause will be held at the moot court of the law building. We are inviting alumni to attend. It will be a week of fun and learning for students and the public.
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Dengue, I thought, was an illness of the past but now it is wreaking havoc on people in Luzon particularly Metro Manila and Ilocos.
Last year, Cebu had a near disaster with dengue fever affecting thousands of Cebuanos including children. The Cebu City Hospital was filled with dengue patients so much so that the city government called on the barangays to help fight dengue. The problem became the concern of the entire community. Civic organizations like the Rotary through past president Yben Briones helped with prevention dengue with cleanup drives. The best way to prevent dengue is to clean our surroundings. This is basic and inexpensive to do. But it’s easier said than done. If only our populace would be vigilant and clean their surroundings, dengue mosquitoes would have no place to survive. These mosquitoes thrive in stagnant clear water like in used tires and flower vases.
The Department of Health in Central Visayas introduced a gadget to trap mosquitoes, which has helped. In Luzon that has been affected by rains and floods, people must always clean their surroundings.
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It’s about time we go back to the basics. Some quarters say we shouldn’t focus on the wrongs committed by the previous administration especially since the former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband are ill.
I think justice must be served. If they indeed committed serious crimes against the people , for the country to forget about these wrongs would ensure that they will happen again.
The past will hound us is going to hound us if we do not do anything about it just because the accused are ill. Let justice be served on those who committed wrongs.
“Those responsible for the plunder of our country do not deserve to share in its glory,” Jose Rizal once said, as if to forewarn us not to fall into the trap of forgetfulness.
