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(Un)Catholic Thoughts

I have recently discovered that I like house blessings. We recently moved to a new office last Friday, and besides being (rudely) sprinkled (splashed) by "holy" water by the officiating priest several times, I was quite surprised that I kinda liked the whole thing after all. Well of course, I didn't hold a candle or recite their mantra-like "prayers", but I am proud to have been an active participant in the hearty merienda or arrozcaldo, biko and lumpia that followed after, and the part where someone tosses out coins and candy. Screw the candy, I went straight after the money. Hmm... so that's why somebody passed around a plastic bag where everyone had to put in coins. I thought it was for a contribution or something. So, in this paagaw, I was able to make the one peso I put into the bag become 15 pesos! My chinese grandfather would have been proud.

But my love for the Catholic er... stuff stops there. The whole religion scares the living daylights out of me. All those imposing cathedrals and those images that look like they'd like to eat your liver if you don't listen to the priest. Just thinking about it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up already. And those big crusifixes; I don't think that Jesus really looked like some deranged creature from the ninth level of hell that looks like it wants to run down from the cross and choke you to death and eat you liver. How can you listen to a homily on the compassion and suffering of Christ when there's a big wooden guy on the cross in front of you who seems to be saying, "I'm going to eat your liver" over and over again? I'm sure the real Jesus Christ had a kind and compasionate face and just pretty much looked like your average Israelite, and not like, you know, some fiendish hellspawn looking for something to devour.

So, to those guys who make all those "things", I think you'd be better off doing something for the next "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" movie. Or maybe you guys could try your hand at something for "Nginig" or "Wag Kukurap." You'd probably make much more money there, too.

Comments

Jonette said…
Honestly, I found all this quite funny. I hope you don't mind. *sheepish grin*

In lieu of the Filipino Catholic penchant of cricifixes, I remember a comment my Dad made on the movie The Passion of the Christ". Another way of looking at the movie would be how might people of other releigions take it, like Buddhists, or Hindus? Remember the issue that people were saying it was too violent? Mym dad said it would probably be much like walking into a temple and seeing a holy image of a person stretched out on a rack or an electric chair.

With this in mind, we end up thinking, ang hilig kasi ng Katolikong Pilipino sa traditional doctrine: that suffering is good, it brings you closer to God, etc, etc. But then again, what happened to Liberative Doctrine, that Christ has risen from the dead,and all that? We still have to remember that most of Catholic Filipinos still have to hear of the new doctrine, considering they've clung to the old ways for so long. They've practically grown, and grown comfortable with it.

Well, that's one way to look at it... Anyway.

It's understandable how Catholicism can scare the bejeezus out of a person. (No pun intended.) Well, the view from inside is definately different from the view outside. :)
6:07 PM
Tim said…
actually, im not catholic. im a born again christian. ^_^ and what your saying's true even in non-catholic religions, like mine. there's this thread in peyups.com where some asks, "Does religion promote bigotry?" i said, "it isnt meant to, but sadly, it does." i believe Jesus never meant to discriminate anyone from becoming a believer, but most religious people nowadays tend become too attached to doctrine and rules that they fail to realize that Christ came to save and liberate everyone, because everyone had become too attached to rules and tradition.

and im glad you fond it funny. and i was starting to think that only my girlfriend found me funny. ^_^
1:45 PM
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