Population control is inevitable
First posted 00:30:59 (Mla time) May 07, 2008
Philippine Daily Inquirer
There is no escaping population control. Whether it is done now or 20 years hereafter, it is inevitable. In fact, if we don’t adopt it today while the situation is still manageable, we will have to do it tomorrow under desperate circumstances. This is how rational minds think.
But irrational minds treat inevitability like death: Everyone dies, but it is best not to think about this reality. So the irrational minds don’t bother to make provisions for their funeral or to ensure that those who love them are spared the “burdens” of their passing into the afterworld. They act like children, ignoring the inevitable and look to the future with the glazed eyes of drug addicts. No, I’m not saying our government has some kind of addiction.
What I’m saying is that the government, like someone who has taken drugs, is hallucinating and is taking great pleasure in the experience. I don’t blame the Catholic Church, not this time, for the food crisis, which directly stems from population growth. Catholic priests are guided by the same principle wherever they are. The Church is against family planning, so be it. The position is grounded on its theological, philosophical and moral doctrines. What is astounding is the behavior of politicians.
I have heard very few of them—from the ranks of representatives and senators alike—opposing artificial birth control because of principle. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opposes it not because of principle. No president of the Philippine Republic has ever opposed it because of principle.
But other countries, despite their Catholic orientation, have found a way to implement population control despite the faith of their people and the Church’s opposition. I am hard put to name a country in South America and Europe that does not practice population control with full support of its government.
So what is it with our government? What is it that makes our government believe that not acting now is better than acting later?
The worse imaginable scenario is a Philippine government that’s convinced that population control will never be needed. What if our leaders would come to believe that the population problem will magically disappear?
BRIAN BROTARLO (via email)
First posted 00:30:59 (Mla time) May 07, 2008
Philippine Daily Inquirer
There is no escaping population control. Whether it is done now or 20 years hereafter, it is inevitable. In fact, if we don’t adopt it today while the situation is still manageable, we will have to do it tomorrow under desperate circumstances. This is how rational minds think.
But irrational minds treat inevitability like death: Everyone dies, but it is best not to think about this reality. So the irrational minds don’t bother to make provisions for their funeral or to ensure that those who love them are spared the “burdens” of their passing into the afterworld. They act like children, ignoring the inevitable and look to the future with the glazed eyes of drug addicts. No, I’m not saying our government has some kind of addiction.
What I’m saying is that the government, like someone who has taken drugs, is hallucinating and is taking great pleasure in the experience. I don’t blame the Catholic Church, not this time, for the food crisis, which directly stems from population growth. Catholic priests are guided by the same principle wherever they are. The Church is against family planning, so be it. The position is grounded on its theological, philosophical and moral doctrines. What is astounding is the behavior of politicians.
I have heard very few of them—from the ranks of representatives and senators alike—opposing artificial birth control because of principle. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opposes it not because of principle. No president of the Philippine Republic has ever opposed it because of principle.
But other countries, despite their Catholic orientation, have found a way to implement population control despite the faith of their people and the Church’s opposition. I am hard put to name a country in South America and Europe that does not practice population control with full support of its government.
So what is it with our government? What is it that makes our government believe that not acting now is better than acting later?
The worse imaginable scenario is a Philippine government that’s convinced that population control will never be needed. What if our leaders would come to believe that the population problem will magically disappear?
BRIAN BROTARLO (via email)
1 comments:
We really have to commend the efforts of Caritas and other "faith-based" NGOs. I heard recently that they're going to make "Nutrimeal" to supplement the nutritional needs of Filipinos - Filipinos who hardly have anything to eat, because of the overpopulation and the global food crisis. I just hope that the Church leaders can find it in their hearts to encourage their followers to use natural and artificial birth control methods
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