By Francis Johann Verdote
A gallery visitor looks at one of the art pieces in the Mideo-Cruz exhibit at CCP.
Many Filipinos take discussions about religion seriously. Filipinos could laugh at and understand political satire. Some Filipinos could tolerate other Filipinos laughing at their thick accents and grammatically incorrect sentences. Some can ignore Filipinos criticizing Manny Pacquiao’s over the top activities. But when it comes to religion, many Filipinos cannot take a joke and criticism. It does not matter which sect or denomination one belongs in. Religion is religion, and it must keep it’s sanctity pure from criticism. But where does the agitation to stand up for one’s faith originate?
Spain’s colonization of the Philippines replaced the practice of Animism and other traditions with Roman Catholicism and Western mores. A handful of Filipinos defended their land and freedom against Spanish colonizers. Many Filipino freedom fighters did not want Spain’s presence in the Philippines. For a long time, Filipinos could not do anything and Spain’s influence grew. Aside from Catholicism, they brought to the 7,100-plus islands forced labor, exploitation of natural resources, the mestizo breed, and surnames for island inhabitants. Through three centuries of Spanish domination, religion in the Philippines has instilled fear, false hope, and prayers full of empty words.
Spain’s colonization of the Philippines replaced the practice of Animism and other traditions with Roman Catholicism and Western mores. A handful of Filipinos defended their land and freedom against Spanish colonizers. Many Filipino freedom fighters did not want Spain’s presence in the Philippines. For a long time, Filipinos could not do anything and Spain’s influence grew. Aside from Catholicism, they brought to the 7,100-plus islands forced labor, exploitation of natural resources, the mestizo breed, and surnames for island inhabitants. Through three centuries of Spanish domination, religion in the Philippines has instilled fear, false hope, and prayers full of empty words.
Religion is a slow yet consistent process of indoctrination. Philosopher Bertrand Russell said, “Most people believe in God because they have been taught from early infancy to do it, and that is the main reason.” Through baptism, confirmation, marriage, and other sacraments, religion and the belief in God have been implanted in our brains as if the idea has been with us since birth. But free-thinking Filipinos questioned the indoctrination process. Filipino dissenters such as Mariano Gomez, Jose Apolonio Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA) were executed for acting against the Church’s will.
The three priests demanded Church secularization, Philippine independence, and empowered local priests. Novelist, patriot, and reformer Jose Rizal was not spared from cruelty either. During their time, the Catholic Church considered Rizal and the GOMBURZA as blasphemers and heretics. The executed heretics are now considered Philippine heroes and martyrs.
For a country that prides itself of its Christian heritage, many Filipinos relapse and commit un-Christian acts. The Ten Commandments serve as the moral and ethical guidelines in life. In several schools, students memorize the Ten Commandments. The first commandment declares that we shall not have other gods before Him. Yet many Filipinos treat Saints, celebrities, athletes, and priests as gods and place them on a similar pedestal as God. Aside from the first two commandments of not worshipping false gods, many Filipinos tend to preach Christian morality, yet their actions contradict their words. In this article, contradictions between what is being said and done in relation to the Filipino experience and religion will be illustrated.
Oftentimes, Filipinos with power and wealth infringe God’s Commandments. Through fear and religion, the powerful and wealthy Filipinos take advantage of the weak and powerless.
The Ten Commandments stifle the poor and powerless Filipinos. They cannot steal and commit adultery and murder. The poor and powerless feel a rush of guilt and thoughts of punishments.
The idea of hell as the kingdom of sinners permeates in the minds of hapless Filipinos.
Moreover, the thought of God watching everyone scares many Filipinos. However, the wealthy and the powerful run freely in the country even though they commit similar crimes as the destitute Filipinos.
With all the 21st century advancements, many Filipinos and even the Catholic Church still castigate other people as heretics and blasphemers for questioning religious dogmas. A few months ago, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) featured Mideo Cruz’s art in an exhibit entitled Poleteismo. In his exhibit, Cruz juxtaposed pictures of Jesus Christ with wood carved penis ashtrays. Other found objects in the artwork include, rosaries, crucifix, campaign poster, pictures of heroes and celebrities. His controversial artwork brought back to life the dormant finger-pointing and name-calling of the Church and its loyal followers. The Catholic Church filed lawsuits, demanded for CCP officials to step down from their position and the artwork be taken down. Some people were shocked with the Cruz’s artwork.
Through the controversy Cruz gained from his exhibit, the Catholic Church can add his name to the many so-called heretics and blasphemers. However, the problem is not Mideo Cruz or his artwork. The problem is the people’s reaction to the artwork. Cruz depicts sex, religion, and common folks’ daily lives. Mideo Cruz’s artwork illustrates to the Philippine art world the life experience of many Filipinos – that there is another world in Philippine society beyond aesthetics. Jeepneys and taxicabs in the Philippines are filled with objects seen in Cruz’s art exhibit. Inside the jeepneys, glittering stickers of half-naked women; on motorcycles are juxtaposed jeepney slogans saying, “God knows hudas (who does) not pay.” In the taxicabs, Jesus Christ’s pictures are taped beside cutoff pictures of porn stars. All the while we see large billboards of celebrities and politicians along the streets of Manila.
In Catholic schools, teachers emphasize the moral lesson of not judging other people.
The lesson is one of Christ’s many teachings. He said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Yet when Mideo Cruz launched his art exhibit at CCP, many Filipinos joined the bandwagon of chastising Cruz as a blasphemer. What is taught in schools as children, contradicts the life we live as adults. It is fitting to say as the Eraserheads (the best Filipino band ever) once sung, “It’s so hard to believe/When everything you see is/different/from the things that you’ve/been told.” What is taught in schools as children, contradicts the lives we live as adults. The religious community contradicts itself when they judged Mideo Cruz, without wondering whether or not they committed blasphemy.
For the longest time in the Philippines, Catholic priests have been linked to several casesof child molestation. The Catholic Church has been criticized for turning a blind eye on the alleged accusations. At the same time, many believers raise priests in God’s stature, thinking priests cannot and do not commit sinful acts. Before becoming priests, they vowed to be celibate and to dutifully serve God. While preaching that premarital sex is a sin against God, many priests commit the same act they preached to be sinful behind closed doors.
Furthermore, the believers venerate religious figures and images, as if the figures and images are God Himself. These acts contradict the Ten Commandments Moses found in Mount Sinai, do they not? Are not their actions as blasphemous and heretical than any piece of artwork Cruz created in Poleteismo?
Similar to Mideo Cruz’s issue, the Philippine representative to the annual Miss Universe pageant posits a problem between religious belief and making judgments. In the pageant, Vivica
A. Fox asks Ms. Philippines Shamcey Supsup whether or not she will change her religion to marry the man she loves. Shamcey Supsup confidently gives a “No,” confesses her devotion to her Creator, and devotes her love to God and not the man she loves. Some Filipinos pride themselves of her answer – of prioritizing God above anyone else.
Whether she deserved to win or not is not the issue I pose. With all due respect to herreligious belief, my concern is her response and how it relates to my criticism of Filipinos and religion. After hearing her answer the question, the Good Samaritan parable quickly came to mind. The parable’s moral lesson is the Samaritan’s unprejudiced outlook in life. Comparing the parable to Supsup’s answer, the parable shows a nobler act of selflessness for helping a man in need. While Supsup’s answer reflects a selfish act for not marrying a man on grounds of religious difference. The parable shows more affinity to humanity than Supsup’s beliefs.
Religions teach love, acceptance, and tolerance. For a religious person then not marrying someone s/he loves because of religious difference or lack thereof is a form of passive-aggressive bigotry. The act shows religious exclusivity and intolerance. Might as well legalize gay marriage, maybe heterosexual couples could learn a thing or two from them.
Similar to many religious people, I am a flawed follower. However, one conversation changed the way I perceive religion and life, in general. My being a new man did not come from a religious servant or philosopher. For a religious person, the wisdom I gained would come from a doubtful source, my junky friend. When I told him about my girlfriend’s conversion from Catholicism to a born-again Christian and how it tore apart our relationship his initial reaction was, “Putang ina! Isang malaking kalokohan yan! (Son of a bitch! That’s a big load of bull crap!)” He said that a difference in religious beliefs should not be a hindrance to a couple’s relationship. And then for emphasis he ended his advice with, “Putang ina! Kalokohan ng tao talaga, o! (Son of a bitch! Oh, man’s foolishness!)”
The article’s purpose is not to bash the religious community. This is not a religious tirade targeting the Catholic Church. Nor is this a ranting session about how conservative some Filipinos can be. It is acknowledged that many priests still act in good faith. It is acknowledged that many religious Filipinos act with utmost respect towards other people. The article does not intend to hurt Shamcey Supsup or offend her fans. Supsup’s perseverance of her craft is given utmost respect. The article’s sole intention is to critically assess the people’s relationship to religious dogma. In the age of Internet and social networking, a door has opened to a lot ofinformation – making it easier to pass judgment on people. There are other sources of information and wisdom aside from the Internet and canonical texts. There is also my junky friend. And ourselves. God gave us brains so we can think for ourselves. Better use it soon before He takes it away.
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