Seares: ‘Why does the church tell us what to do?’
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants to use City Government funds in buying condoms to help control sexually transmitted diseases.
No, Tomas didn’t specify that the condoms be given away only to south district voters. Politically, it’s even a risky move. Unlike coffins, cash gifts, sports shirts, summer jobs and other dole-outs from City Hall, condoms may be the freebie that can drive away votes.
That is, if the church can learn to lead its flock to vote against those who oppose church policies. So far, the church, unlike Iglesia ni Cristo, still has to show there’s a Catholic vote.
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Tomas has publicly questioned church meddling with state activity. Butt off, Tomas in effect says. “No religion should tell me what to do. Even God says you can do what you want.”
Tomas must think that tangling with church doctrine and leadership won’t hurt him a bit: not when the SRP cash register’s merrily ringing, his “political-budget”-fueled campaign’s in full steam, and he’s “100 percent healthy”–what can possibly go wrong?
True freedom
Tomas must have in mind the “Catholic Catechism” proviso: “God willeth that man should be left ‘in the hand of his own counsel’...”
But free will “doesn’t imply a right to do anything and everything.” There’s no true freedom, the “Catechism” says, except in the service of what is good and just.
Why does the church “meddle”? The church must guide its parishioners, of which Tomas says he’s one, so they’ll know what is “good and just.”
“Free-willed” Tomas can dump the advice but he might be asked by the Lord, as Eve and Cain were asked: “What is this that you have done?”
