Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Seares: ‘Anti-God’ By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
LABELLING people in a controversy is not new.
Roman emperors Caligula and Nero were branded Antichrist by the Christian Church. Merriam-Webster’s book on allusions says the term was used against opponents in religious or political quarrels. Luther and Calvin called the papacy the Antichrist, a charge the Roman Catholic Church tossed back to the Reformation leaders.
In the current dispute over the so-called reproductive health bills, the term that Catholic defenders use is anti-God.
Anti-God is less venomous than Antichrist, which describes one who denies or opposes Christ, “a great antagonist to fill the world with wickedness but to be conquered forever by Christ at his Second Coming.”
But the term anti-God, applied to 34 signatories of the bill, including House members Nerissa Soon-Ruiz and Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu, slashes as well.
The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t herd the faithful to voting centers and the Catholic vote is often described as a myth, yet politicians who want to win the election tremble over church scolding.
Courage
Inday Nerry and Benhur are called names. Admire them for courage at least. They’re not shaking.
The legislators believe the issues of divorce, abortion, and sex education have been shelved for so long: Why can’t a debate at least be conducted without stereotyping proponents as enemies of God?
Soon-Ruiz and Salimbangon are warned that if they take the communion they will be shooed from the line.
I wonder how that will be done. Will parish priests and lay ministers be supplied mug shots of the anti-Gods, with variations on how they look if they use disguises?
