Philippine Bishop Calls for Sacking Over Condom

Just like the condom’s elasticity, the Philippine condomania has not as yet ended. In an outburst so familiar with religious overzealousness, a Catholic Bishop has called for the sack of a Government servant.

Mind you not even the Catholic Pope has asked the leaders of other predominantly Catholic countries to sack their Ministers who are condom flavored. Ooops I meant favored.

Before I go on, I need to clarify that my argument is not anti Catholic. It just deals with what was said by this Catholic Bishop in the Philippines. If it was said by a Buddhist monk or a Hindu Mahaguru, my argument.will remain the same.

Having clarified that, I will now proceed.

In an article “Philippine bishops call for sacking over condoms”, it reported as follows: Bishop Ramon Arguelles, of the Lipa diocese south of Manila, said in a church statement the following:

It’s so immoral for someone in the government to be pushing the use of condoms, which we all know is not deterrent to AIDS prevention.

and

It’s worrying because it is the morality in society, especially among the youth, that is at stake.

Distributing free condoms is good reason enough to demand that President Gloria Arroyo dismiss the Health Secretary, Esperanza Cabral.

It is so easy to be pompous about the “dont’s”.

It is so easy, just like politicians are also given in, to sanction anything that directly opposes their belief.

It is so easy to be critical but not offer constructive solutions.

Hence, is it morally acceptable to stand by and watch HIV Aids destroy the vital human resources upon which the country’s future depends? Perhaps, the learned Bishop has forgotten what their beloved Teacher once said:

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. – Mark 12:17

The Founder clearly summarized the relationship between the religion that He founded and the secular authority.

What if.

What would be the reaction from the College of Catholic Bishops if the Philippine Government demanded that the Vatican sack Bishop Ramon Arguelles for meddling in matters of the State?

The misunderstood condom

The condom has nothing to do with spiritual healing. Neither do sexually ill victims run to the prelates of the Church for a cure nor does the Church offer any cure.

The use of Condoms as an artificial birth contraceptive is banned by the Vatican. I have nothing to dispute about what Vatican forbids to their faithful. To impose their doctrine on the entire populace is something else; it is draconian. Filipinos believe that we have seen the last of Marcos and Marcos-alikes.

Was not man given free will? Why is this learned Bishop being un-dogmatic about that God-given right?

Besides, artificial birth contraceptive and protection against Sexual Transmitted Diseases are not one and the same thing. Although the Bishop may claim that the use of condoms will degenerate as a birth contraceptive, still the condom is not the only known contraceptive. But of course we’d get slapped for not using the “Rhythm Method”. To use that method, one would have to be a rocket scientist to be absolutely sure about the count-down accuracy before blast off.

I have a question for Bishop Ramon Arguelles.

Question: Your Eminence, Bishop Ramon Arguelles, what would you advise to a married couple about conjugal love without the use of a condom, when either one is HIV Aids confirmed (or for that matter, has any sex related disease)?

(I hope that Bishop Ramon Arguelles is not going to incant that famed line, “for better or for worse until death do us part”, and that it is a no matter what, love is sharing, NO CONDOM !- just get sick and prepare for more suffering and death.)

Does the Bishop know that:

Condoms are available everywhere in the Philippines. That being the case, Bishop Ramon Arguelles should also demand that Philippine’s Minister of Trade and Industry be sacked?

Condoms are available everywhere in the Philippines. Does Bishop Ramon Arguelles not consider the open availability of condoms as having a similar impact on “the morality in society, especially among the youth, that is at stake?”

Although condoms are available everywhere in the Philippines it has become immoral for a Government Officer to push the use of condoms with FREE condoms.

The Ramonian moral: Don’t push the use of condoms, then its not immoral. Push its use and he will see to it that you are excommunicated from your job.

Therefore, since condoms are available everywhere in the Philippines, is it if they are SOLD it is not immoral. It is immoral if you distribute condoms FREE.

Had the DOH not distributed condoms for FREE, I would not know that Bishop Ramon Arguelles existed in the Philippines. Now thanks to the humble condom, he has awoken from his spiritual slumber and made himself heard – just because condoms are given FREE. If condoms are sold, all’s well with the Philippine sex economy – he can head back to spiritual slumber.

What about the factories (if any) that manufacture condoms in the Philippines? These factories provide jobs to the populace.

The Ramonian solution: Sack the workers and the Staff and convert the factory into a Badminton Hall. Brain Stormer would prefer BEDminton Hall.

Does Bishop Ramon Arguelles have any solutions to offer?

Do we give Bishop Ramon Arguelles credence when he said,

pushing the use of condoms, which we all know is not deterrent to AIDS prevention

Having said that, Bishop Ramon Arguelles becomes Philippine’s Professor Emeritus on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Sex Roulette.

Despite Bishop Ramon Arguelles’ hallowed intentions he hasn’t yet offered of a reasonable solution to combat the spread of HIV Aids sans condom.

I shall give Bishop Ramon Arguelles the benefit of the doubt that he does not realize that Prevention Is Better Than Cure. I shall also say that Bishop Ramon Arguelles becomes is a moral threat for the general sexual health and well being of Filipinos. Bishop Ramon Arguelles indoctrinates that it is safer to be reactive rather than proactive.

Last but not least, while this furore is waging, it would be great if a Condom manufacturer produces a limited production series named the Ramonian Condom