The Opposition

            The church always will have a say on the different laws that the government would like to implement especially when it comes to morality. From the RH Bill and this time, to the implementation of the Divorce Bill, they are voicing out very strong opposition statements. In a report by CBCPNews, Butuan Bishop Juan De Dios Pueblos said House Bill 1799 or the proposed divorce measure will lead to more immorality in Philippine society. According to him, this bill will lead to the degradation of Filipino values. He believes that the Philippines need a reality check and a slap about their religion. The Filipino people should uphold their values as Christians and they should be God-fearing as they were brought up to be. A lot has changed in the past years and the Church still cannot believe that this is happening, that the Filipinos are letting go of what they believe to be is immoral. The Church cannot accept fully the Filipino’s urge to become a liberated country and to follow what other countries have been doing. The Philippines now aims to break the status quo and to have a new outlook in life. Then again, divorce, for me, is pro-choice. It solely depends on the couple whether or not they will resort to it. It makes me wonder how some people think that it is purely letting go of Filipino values, the values will still be there, and it is just that Filipinos are ready for a new phase. In this country, we need change. Change for the betterment of how things are going in our everyday lives. Such strong comments like; Lipa Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles called on the Filipino Catholic faithful not to follow the bad examples of "de-Christianizing" countries & “Kung sasabihin sa akin ‘kayo na lang ang natitira, Pilipinas, na walang divorce,’ Salamat sa Diyos! That is a distinction! I’m very proud of that!” They also stated that Divorce is a “social cancer” of the society. Once it is there, it will never go away and it has no remedy. The Church’s take on this issue is very negative and very pessimistic. They think that it is de-Christianizing; it is a social cancer and so on. They do not see its positive side and its future help to those who are in dire need of a legal separation. The church is very much against divorce and it fully contradicts what the Gabriela party was saying about it. They say that it should be implemented and that the Philippines need a bill that will set them free from negativity and hardship. This bill cuts half the Filipino population with their opinions. 45% say that this bill should be legalized, while 44 % says that this bill should not be legalized. This makes it harder for the legislation to legalize this law, but majority wins so we’ll just see where this bill will take us, Filipinos.

            The Filipino community is struggling whether or not to push through with the legalization of divorce. It has been said that the only solution to one’s problem comes from one’s heart. What is in the hearts of the Filipino people?

Source: 

Priests say divorce leads to immorality. (2011). ABS-CBN News , Retrieved from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/06/06/11/priests-say-divorce-leads-immorality