SPeeches for the InterFaith Youth Congress on Feb24.1pm
Econ AUdi. UP DIliman
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 01:00:00 -0800 (PST)
From: "Warren Salbibia"
Subject: speech ( inter faith )
Religion, in its very essence can be of great help to
mankind- but in some ways, unfortunate as it may seem,
can divide humanity unforgivingly. For a very long
time, wars had been fought and a lot of blood had been
shed because of this so called religion/s.
Though all of us are entitled to the exercise of our
diverse sets of belief, and I for one would fight for
each one's freedom to exercise them, we must learn,
however, to co-exist in a manner that evokes and
transcends respect towards the uniqueness of everyone
around us.
If we say we know God as He is, then we know Love- and
if we know Love exectly as He really is then
regardless of who the object of our love be, we can
love... we will love and despite the odds, we will
choose to love. If we believe and practice that Love
is patient, Love is kind, Love is not happy with evil
but is happy with the truth..that without love, we are
nothing... ( 1 Cor. 13) then we will not only be good
neighbors to our family, to our classmates, friends-
but we can also willfully choose to love our enemies
and be the best neighbors to them as well.
Brothers and sisters, if we can sincerely love
ourenemies then we can practically love everyone.
I believe that the only way to settle each one's
differences is not through religion nor with any form
of ideology. It is knowing and living Love for who He
really is.
Love is the answer.
I am speaking in behalf of the Victory Campus
Ministries here in U.P. and we exist to know and to
live Love as He really is.
My name is Warren Carlos Salbibia. Good Afternoon to
everyone.
To God be the Glory!
THE BAYANIHAN SAVINGS PROGRAM
A Concrete Agenda for Cooperation and Solidarity of Youth
from Various Faith-Based Organizations
By Benjamin R. Quiñones, Jr.
Chairman & President, CSR SME Asia
I have three important points to share with you.
The first point is: God wants you and me to surrender ourselves to him. He wants us to give back to Him all the resources, talents, skills, knowledge, and even the attitudes that we have to serve Him so that His purposes in our life and in the lives of other people may be fulfilled.
In my younger days when I began realizing the sovereignty of God in my life, I wanted of know God’s will for me. At the same time, I reasoned out that I was not trained in a seminary, and that was how I rationalized my lack of involvement in His ministry.
One day in my devotion, I read the 4th chapter of book of Exodus in the Bible. This is the story Moses interfacing with God before He went to Egypt to free his people from bondage. Moses did not want to go because he was afraid. He believed he didn’t have enough authority to act. God told Moses, “What is that in your hand?” Moses said: “ A staff”. [Exodus 4: 2& 4] God told Moses to let go of that staff and God showed Moses many miraculous things that God can do with it. Finally, God told Moses, “… take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.” [Exodus 4”17]
This episode struck me like lightning. It reminded me of the little boy who gave his five loaves and two fish to Jesus Christ, and in the hands of Jesus, a miracle happened. The five loaves and two fish multiplied many times over and fed more than five thousand people [Matthew 14:13-21].
The lesson is clear: it is not how little or huge are our resources, talents, knowledge and skills that matters in impacting the lives of our families, our neighbors, our friends. It is when we give back to God all that we have, all that we are , and allowing Him to use us, that we can do wonders and extraordinary works.
The second point is this: Miracles do happen in your life when you believe and obey God. A few months after reading the 4th book of Exodus, in 1988, a friend of mine asked me to help him train the people he was ministering to. He was helping a group of Christian believers in Buriram, a province in Northeaster Thailand. The members of this fellowship were so poor that during summer, when there was no rain and they could not plant anything, they would catch insects in the field and eat them. While thinking over my friend’s invitation, I could hear my mind scream: “What am I going to teach these poor people? I was not formally trained as a pastor!” Then I remembered Exodus 4, and my faith in God triumphed over me. I obeyed God’s call, and went with my friend to minister to the group in Buriram.
What did I have that I could give to these people? I was then working for an organization of the United Nations, and my work involved designing savings programs for low-income clients of development banks throughout the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. That was all the talent and knowledge I could give for the training of the group in Buriram. But the most important thing was that I decided in my heart to do this in obedience to God. So, I gave the group in Buriram my talents, and they started their savings program. Over the years, their money grew, they were able to buy a land, which they planted to mulberry trees and cultured silkworm. Their neighbors joined them, and their church grew in number. Most recently, they embarked on soap and shampoo production.
Still greater things followed the experience in Buriram. In 1989, a small church in one of the slum areas in Pasay city adopted the same program. It became known as the Bayanihan Savings Program. As you probably know, “Bayanihan” is a Filipino word that connotes solidarity and cooperation among the people for mutual help and self-reliant development. Presently, the Bayanihan Savings Program is the leading poverty alleviation program in Pasay city. [For those who would like to know some details of the program, attached is a summary of its features, which I will not read]
In 2002, the then Secretary of DILG, Sec. Joey Lina, replicated the program in several parts of the country . Today, the program is being implemented by, and is impacting the lives of, more than 100,000 poor Filipino households in over 600 cities and municipalities of the country.
The third and final point: God wants to use your talents, knowledge, and skills to fulfill His destiny for the Filipino nation. What started in 1989 as a local initiative in one of the poorest slums in Pasay has now grown into a full-blown national program. Significantly, it is creating a concrete base for an alternative economy that thrives on righteous governance. On November 7, 2004 and again on 12 February 2005, a group of faith-based organizations took steps to establish an alternative, compassionate economy based on bayanihan among Filipinos for the common goal of equitable, and sustainable development, and not on the profit motive for self-agrandizement. Four major stakeholders are working together to make this alternative economy work: the ethical consumer groups, the fair trade producers, the ethical investors, and the professinal services provider groups.
On May 14 & 15 , 2005 all these groups will converge in a Fair Trade fair to commemorate the Global Fair Trade Day. I wish to see you there and witness for yourself what we can do together to build an alternative economy based on God’s rigtheous standards.
In conclusion, if we all give back to God all our resources, talents and skills and allow Him to use our lives for the benefit of our families, neighbors, and countrymen, the Philippines will rise again as the Pearl of the Orient Seas. With God, nothing is impossible !
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 03:07:48 -0800 (PST)
From: "Jonathan Banawa" Add to Address Book
Subject: talk outline and list of participants
Thanks for waiting. How many minutes are alotted per speaker? We are excited to participate. Thanks again.
Outline of talk for the interfaith conference
I. Standing for something
a. There is a need for more unity
b. There is a need for more civility
c. There is a need for increased morality
d. There is a need for more faith
II. The UP Latter-day Saints Student Association
a. Its beginnings and struggles
b. Its purpose, growth and activities
III. The organization in the social context
a. the organization’s commitment to strengthening its members
b. the organization’s commitment to other religious student groups
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:57:33 -0800 (PST)
From: "picazo ivan" Add to Address Book
Subject: speech summary
Principled Leadership
Speech Summary
Principled leadership is a brand of leadership that empowers others, not fostering a culture of dependency. It is a type of leadership that is all-inclusive, democratic, resisting alienation and discrimination. It is braving to go against traditional politics of closed dogma, intimidation and mudslinging.
Principled leadership is a concept that transcends nationalities; it is an idea that is not exclusive to any faith. Like any idea, principled leadership must be translated into action; the word must turn into flesh.
The participants of the Inter-Faith Congress, we must make it our burden to unite and find in ourselves the common aspirations, the common goals and vision that we have for our country and for UP.
Ivan Picazo
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 00:08:02 -0800 (PST)
From: "tatzkey diaz" Add to Address Book
Subject: up msa speech
INTERFAITH DIALOGUE – MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE
Assalamu Alaikum (May peace be with you)!
Muslim always starts with this greeting in any occasion – be it ordinary or special like this Forum. We in the UP Muslim Students Association (UP MSA), being the typical youngsters who like to keep everything brief, further cut down this greeting to “Salam” which means “Peace” – the one word that primarily links us all in this forum, links the whole Filipino citizenry, and links the whole human race!
Engaging in Interfaith dialogues should never be hard for a Muslim. In the Holy Qur’an, God said, “O Mankind! We have created you from a single male and a single female, and made you into nations and tribes , that you may know one another (not to despise each other). Verily the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is that (believer) who has “At-Taqwa,” i.e. pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (who abstain form all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and who love Allah much (who perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained). Verily, Allah is All-knowing, All-aware.” (verse 13, chapter 49)
The above Qur’anic verse tells us that the Muslim, defined as one who completely submits to the will of God, is enjoined to do the following:
a) Fear God (abstain from evil deeds which God has forbidden);
b) Love God (do all good deeds which He has ordained):
c) Acknowledge that God is All-aware of what a person does, in private or in public;
d) Make God’s injunctions his only guidance in charting his life in this world; and
e) Preach and practice cordiality and brotherhood, not enmity.
If only for these things, we can already prove that all our religions are very much alike in many respects. They all teach us to do good to one another and to always hope for lasting peace. But does everyone see this? Unfortunately, because of the bad image projected by media about the Muslims, many sectors have certain degrees of prejudice against the Muslims. The evil done by not even one percent of the Muslim population (i.e., the Abu Sayyaf and other Muslim renegades) has led many of our non-Muslim counterparts to conclude that all Muslims are terrorists.
This made majority of the Filipino Muslims to hesitate joining interfaith dialogues, such as this. Many of us feel that many of you may already have irreversible negative thoughts about us. I even have friends who cannot hide such biases they have long inculcated in their minds. I am well aware of their efforts, though to rectify some errors, and will always be grateful for these as much as we, in MSA, are grateful now for having this Forum today.
The trend nowadays is to go global, or interdependent if you will. The more a country (or a person) progresses, the more it (or he/she) becomes inclined to depend on other countries (or people) for survival. The greatest division we are facing now is not the territorial boundaries of each country (there are always airplanes and ships to overcome these). The greatest thing that keeps the human race from being one is our individual beliefs – and this is the hardest border to cross. And holding interfaith dialogues will surely help, especially if the participants put into practice what they learn from them. These dialogues will surely build bridges among us.
God said in the Holy Qur’an, “There is no compulsion in religion.” This will really concretize our unity and harmony. Let us all be the “airplanes and ships” that would help the Filipinos, or even the entire human race, conquer the distance and prejudice that come between us!
Thank you, wassalam (Peace to All)!
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 20:41:50 -0800 (PST)
From: "Reyzel Cayanan" Add to Address Book
Subject: INTERFAITH ENTRY_BYI
This speech would be, I consider, to be the hardest speech that I both have made and about to deliver. And it’s not because talking about my faith is a difficult task—for in fact I would, with head high, profess and proclaim my Baptist heritage. The difficulty, actually, lies in the fact that in front of me, this afternoon, are ladies and gentlemen of different faiths. My fear is that I might raise eyebrows among the audience about our faith and, not before long, you’d be hearing a hundred walk-out sounds along the door.
But just as this thought was slowly bringing me closer to a wonderful alibi of not delivering my speech, a thought knocked my head, and I said “Hey, this meeting was intended for unity among different faiths! And if I would like to contribute to this spirit of oneness, I would have to take the first step of telling these people about what I believe, and that through God’s grace, would instill in each of us the spirit of understanding.
I would not want to impress on you the idea that I am ashamed of my faith, but neither would I want to provoke some of you to an all-of-a-sudden upheaval. So perhaps the least that I could do is to tell you a bit of what most of us have similar grounds, and also a few on where we would perhaps stand out.
The word “Baptist” is actually an old English term that the Bible used for those who submerged converts under water. The word came form the Greek Baptizmo, or Bapto, which meant immersion. John the Baptist was called such because he baptized people along the Jordan River in this manner.
We have been known as Baptists for the longest time, as far as historical accounts would tell. Perhaps a lot of you would have come here with the notion that a Baptist is a protestant. But once and for all, let me just say that we are a distinct group of believers from the protestant movements. I do not have the luxury of time to give an exegesis on that, but let it suffice to say that we have been known as Baptists even from the time of the Lord, as my introductory etymology previously intimated.
But among the many other things that Baptists are known for as believers of, such as Salvation by grace through faith, the reality of only two places—Heaven and Hell—as the final destination of the soul, the Deity of Jesus Christ, and many others, perhaps no other one-liner could best describe our faith than this statement “ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED!” Many have considered us contemptuous or blasphemous for this “absurd” claim. But, as most of us would always do whenever our faith is put into question, we have the whole counsel of the Word of God to back us up in our doctrinal positions. As for us, we believe that a person, once he has repented of his sins, and by faith, accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, that that salvation will no longer be lost, even if he sinned, for Jesus Christ in the Cross of Calvary, had, once and for all covered all of the sins of the world by His blood, even those sins that are just about to happen.
But let me stop there as I would not want to go on a lengthy discussion of our faith and practice. Instead, I would want to focus more on what I consider is actually the purpose of this meeting, which is to strengthen the bond of unity among people of different faiths.
King David, in the 133 Psalm, verse one, had said that is both good and pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity. One might want to qualify the fact that unity can never actually happen among different faiths, for they are not “brethrens” among each other. That we Baptists could never actually become friends in any form whatsoever with those who believe differently than we do.
But such justifications are simply based on a surface deep look at that Psalm. But if you try to squeeze the meaning and sense of the word “brethren,” we would find that brethren or brotherhood is based on a common ground which people share among each other. This means, in a very general sense, I could be a brethren to someone who I could share a common practice, or a common faith. Unity, therefore, could only become possible among two or more agencies or personas that share a common orientation or persuasion with each other.
I would not be mistaken to say that at least 2 groups among this whole crowd have at least one common belief. That commonality, then, brings each of us to the spirit of brotherhood and unity.
Nevertheless, simply talking about commonalities would not actually bring us farther than the conference room. What I mean is this; if we are aspiring for unity among different faiths, let us then practice and share those things with which we each have a common ground. Among other things, a very appropriate way of practicing unity would be by reaching out to people who are in need. That need may be spiritual, emotional, and a whole lot of things. Let us not neglect that, more so, let us not argue over that. There are a lot of people out there who have decided not to affiliate themselves with any other group for some apparent reasons. We cannot blame them, for they can only decide about themselves based on the circumstances given them. Ours, then, is the responsibility of reaching out to them. Our objectives and doctrinal motives might be different from each other in reaching to these people. But right there, actually, we find the common spirit of concern and compassion for those who have nowhere to stand.
The Baptist Youth Impact, our youth ministry, for the last 30 years, has not just only conducted Bible studies and soul-witnessing activities. We have also been helping in our own community through Summer Community service drives. We have also been giving seminar-workshops, sports festivals, peer counseling and a whole lot more. We do this because God had not only called us to bring in the converts, but to extend our service even to those who are not members of our church. The advantage of that is that through that, we are also equipping the young saint for the work of God.
Finally, as I end, let me just say, that if unity is ever to materialize, it would take a concerted effort among our different youth groups to really work hard for God and His glory. I believe that only through that can Unity be achieved;
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:09:31 -0800 (PST)
From: "Joefer Espero" Add to Address Book
Subject: speech
hi! i hope the speech is fine for you guys! thanks a lot for inviting us around. God bless!
Joefer Espero
Chairperson, AMiCUS-UPD
The Adventist Ministry to College and University Students (AMiCUS) seeks to meet the spiritual, intellectual, and social needs of Seventh-day Adventist students on secular campuses worldwide. In cooperation with leaders at various church levels, it aims to achieve these goals by strengthening the faith and commitment of these students to Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and values, providing opportunities for Christian fellowship, preparing students to deal with the intellectual challenges that arise in a secular environment, developing their leadership abilities, and training them for outreach and witnessing on the campus, in the community, and in the world at large.
In fact, to augment this mission, we do have an international journal of faith, thought, and action published by the Committee on Adventist Ministry to College and University Students (AMiCUS) in cooperation with the 12 world divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The publication, named Dialogue, seeks:
Ø to nurture an intelligent, living faith
Ø deepen the readers' commitment to Christ, the Bible, and Adventist Global Mission
Ø articulate biblical responses to contemporary issues in the arts, humanities, philosophy, religion, and the sciences
Ø offer practical models of Christian service and outreach.
Aside from this, some of our activities include Medical and Dental Missions, of which we do each semester, mid week and vesper prayer meetings, hikings, fellowships, church visits, and the just concluded technology-driven bible quiz show we hold annually, the Scripture Quest.
AMiCUS serves as an umbrella organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The name Seventh-day Adventist includes vital beliefs for us as a Church. 'Adventist' reflects our passionate conviction in the nearness of the soon return ('advent') of Jesus. 'Seventh-day' refers to the Biblical Sabbath which from Creation has always been the seventh day of the week, or Saturday.
The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to proclaim to all peoples the everlasting gospel in the context of the Three Angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and to unite with His church, and nurturing them in preparation for His soon return.
We pursue this mission under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through:
Ø Preaching: Accepting Christ's commission (Matthew 28:18-20), we proclaim to all the world the message of a loving God, most fully revealed in His Son's reconciling ministry and atoning death. Recognizing the Bible to be God's Revelation of His will, we present its full message, including the second advent of Christ and the continuing authority of His Ten Commandment law.
Ø Teaching: Acknowledging that development of mind and character is essential to God's redemptive plan, we promote the growth of a mature understanding of and relationship to God, His Word, and the created universe.
Ø Healing: Affirming the biblical emphasis on the well-being of the whole person, we make the preservation of health and the healing of the sick a priority and through our ministry to the poor and oppressed, cooperate with the Creator in His compassionate work of restoration.
In harmony with the prophecies of the Scriptures, we see as the climax of God's plan the restoration of all His creation to full harmony with His perfect will and righteousness.
As a Christian church, Seventh-day Adventists are a faith community rooted in the beliefs described by the Holy Scriptures. We, Adventists describe these beliefs in the following ways:
God's greatest desire is for you to see a clear picture of His character. When you see Him clearly, you will find His love irresistible.
Jesus' disciple John wrote that if everyone wrote all the stories they knew about Jesus, the whole world could not contain them. Our knowledge of God helps us understand His love, character, and grace. Experiencing that love begins a lifelong adventure in growth and service. This knowledge and experience powers our mission to tell the world about His love and His offer of salvation.
Scripture is a road map. The Bible is God's voice, speaking His love personally to you today.
The Bible speaks the Creator's directions to us, like a detailed road map that clearly shows the exit ramp directly into heaven. It is also much life an owner's manual for a life ready to be lived on the cutting edge of liberty.
Sometimes His voice speaks through stories, such as those of David and Goliath, Ruth and Boaz, Naaman's little servant girl, Christ on the cross, and fisherman Peter learning how to tend sheep. Some of these stories teach us how to handle the troubles we face each day. Others fill us with hope and peace. Each of them is like a personal letter from God to you.
Portions of Scripture are direct instructions and laws from God such as the Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 20. These tell us more about God and His expectations for us. When people asked Jesus to summarize these commands, He focused on the way God's love affects the way we live. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul," He said. "And love your neighbor as you love yourself."
On other pages the Bible gives God's practical advice and encouragement through parables, lists, promises, and warnings. Amazingly, though many different writers throughout thousands of years wrote the Bible, each page describes the same God in ways we can understand and apply in our lives today. This book is always His voice talking personally to anyone who is willing to read and hear.
God loves us even when we choose to reject His love. In those times He allows us to walk away into the life of our own choices. Yet He is still there, always ready to redeem us from the results of our decisions.
Jesus is the one who never changes in a universe that always does. Jesus is Creator, Sustainer, Saviour, Friend, God's Son, and God Himself!
Everything in this world is always changing, even our desires, interests, skills, and body shapes. But Jesus? He's consistent. He's always the same. Sure, He's always surprising us and touching our lives in thousands of new and different ways, but His character is unchanging. He's God's Son, the Creator, our Saviour, and Friend.
Jesus has promised to be all of that, and more, for each of us. We can trust His promises because He is God. When the words of Colossians say "in Him all things hold together" (1:17, NIV) that includes everything in our lives. He keeps us whole when the enemy is trying to make us fall apart.
When everything may be falling apart, when you feel totally alone in the universe, Jesus is right there in the center of it all, offering personal peace and hope. Allow Him into your life. He immediately begins "remodeling" who you are and how you live. Jesus, in fact, is busily transforming His followers into accurate representatives of God's character.
Look to Jesus, and you'll be looking into the understanding and loving face of God.
God's vision for you is life as He lives it! God loves you, and wants to give you the highest quality of life imaginable.
No, not a second-rate existence somewhere on earth, but the highest quality of life imaginable, here and in eternity with Him! That's what God wants us to have. The best!
This is why He provides church families where we can belong. This is why He gives each of us special gifts and talents, so we can live life fully. Amazingly, this is why He's concerned about what you're doing, when you're doing it, and how you relate to Him. God doesn't want anything to get in the way of our friendship. He especially doesn't want us to get involved in anything damaging or hurtful. He's like a loving father or a good big brother. He's someone who loves you so much that He's always looking out for you.
When God designed you, He included special talents and skills that will help you become a uniquely valuable individual. These may be your ability to teach, your love for others, or your leadership skills. Still, whatever special gifts you have received, God has also provided all of the energy and wisdom necessary for you to use them well.
The Seventh-day Adventist faith in today and in the future comes from seeing this life "overflowing" with hope!
Because love is the key aspect of His character, God is also deeply into gratitude. Before we even finish saying thank you, He's already busy sending more blessings.
In the heart of God is a place you can experience as home. God loves you, and wants to spend time with you personally, one on one, as two close friends.
Because you and God are friends, you will spend time together as friends do. Each morning you'll share a hello and a hug and discuss how you can face the day's events together. Throughout the day you'll talk with Him about how you feel. You'll laugh with Him at funny things and ache with Him over sadness and hurts. It's pleasant being God's friend, able to snuggle comfortably into the safety of your relationship. You can always trust Him to treat you well, because He loves you.
The seventh day (Saturday) is an extra-special part of the relationship. The Bible, from Genesis through Revelation, describes the seventh day as the one day God has set aside for focused fellowship with His people. God has named that day "Sabbath" and asked us to spend it with Him. "Remember the Sabbath day," He says, "to keep it holy." The Sabbath is a whole day to deepen our friendship with the Creator of the universe! A day when we're together, Jesus with us and us with Jesus.
Eternal life, peace, purpose, forgiveness, transforming grace, hope: Everything He promises is ours, because He's offering it and He's shown we can trust Him to do exactly as He promises. Accept His gifts, and you immediately become an active part of His family, and He joyfully becomes part of yours.
With these said, we, the Seventh-day Adventist Church recognize those agencies that lift up Christ before men as a part of the divine plan for evangelization of the world, and we hold in high esteem Christian men and women in other communions who are engaged in winning souls to Christ. When interdivision work brings us in contact with other Christian societies and religious bodies, the spirit of Christian courtesy, frankness, and fairness shall prevail at all times. We also recognize that true religion is based on conscience and conviction. It is therefore to be our constant purpose that no selfish interest or temporal advantage shall draw any person to our communion and that no tie shall hold any member save the belief and conviction that in this way the true connection with Christ is found. If a change of conviction leads a member of our church to feel no longer in harmony with Seventh-day Adventist faith and practice, we recognize not only the right but also the responsibility of that member to change, without opprobrium, religious affiliation in accord with belief. We expect other religious bodies to respond in the same spirit of religious liberty.
Unity, then, should be a distinguishing mark of Christians. It's in the Bible, Philippians 2:1-2, NIV. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."
Jesus prayed that His people would be unified. It's in the Bible, John 17:11, NIV. "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name the name You gave Me so that they may be one as We are one."
God bless us all!
www.adventist.org
www.bibleinfo.com
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 06:50:52 -0800 (PST)
From: "Tanchanco JP" Add to Address Book
Subject: chimara speech
regarding my speech ... i wont be giving you anymore an outline because i usually talk impromptu but i am planning to talk about my own personal formula towards the realization of entrepreneurial dreams that instigate change and make a difference in society. the formula i will share is what i have learned through my own life experience. its very personal and hopefully it will help inspire your participants
to learn more about chimara. you can visit www.tatersgroup.com/chimara
From: "Brahma Kumaris" Add to Address Book
To: info@cdbn.org
Subject: registration for the interfaith and spiritual youth congress
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:44:34 +0800
Dear Organizers,
Greetings of peace! This is to inform you that Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center is participating on February 24,2005 for the Inter Faith and Spiritual Youth Congress.
A. Coordinator of Main Center: Ms. Rebecca Ortega
During the presentation itself, Ms. Vicky Mandap (one of the resident teachers) will represent the organization.
B. Other BK Representatives
1. Fatima Bargas - 890 7960 c/o Rose Uy
2. Rina Angela Corpus – 922 9231
3. Kathy Ilustre – 09175244038
4. Bron Teves – 09155836618
5. William Uy – 9206401 loc. 5156
6. Marco Bautista – 09272629699
7. Rusty Abitona – 9279807
8. Ester Abitona – 9279807
Ms. Rina Corpus will communicate with Chris Bernardo to give personally the profile of the organization. If you want to have a quick overview, you may visit our international website bkwsu.com
Thank you very much for inviting us.
Sincerely,
Vicky Mandap
History
Perhaps few organizations have stimulated as much change and discussion at the time of their inception, or have undergone such expansion in the course of 60 years, as the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. And yet, from its beginnings the BKWSU has managed to remain steadfast in maintaining its original principles and in adhering to its original purpose.
The University came into being under the name "Om Mandali" and consisted of only a handful of men, women and children living in Hyderabad (now part of Pakistan, but at that time part of colonial India). These spiritual pioneers were inspired to transform their lives after a respected and wealthy member of their community, Dada Lekhraj experienced a series of profound visions in 1936. The visions revealed spiritual truths about the nature of the soul and God, the Supreme Soul. These concepts were simple in their expression but their meaning so deep that they awakened a powerful sense of recognition in those with whom the visions were shared.
A year after its establishment, the organization moved from Hyderabad to Karachi. For fourteen years, until after the partition of India and Pakistan, the founding group of 300 individuals, lived as a self-sufficient community spending their time in intense spiritual study, meditation and self transformation.
In 1950, the community moved to Mount Abu, a quiet place reputed for its ancient spiritual heritage. Nestled high up in the Aravali mountains of Rajasthan, it provided an ideal location for reflection and contemplation. Brij-Kothi was their first home. This building was located in a vast expanse of bare rocks, uninhabited except for a few recluses living in small caves. A few years later, the community moved to another site which remains the University’s world headquarters - Madhuban (meaning ‘Forest of Honey’). The potential of the place did not go unnoticed as the location offered opportunities for expansion. The courtyard of Madhuban, which serves as a meeting place for students from around the world, was once two large stables. These structures were the first to be transformed into classrooms and living quarters. With every year, there came an addition in the form of an extension or new building.
In 1952, Brahma Baba, as Dada Lekhraj had become known, felt that it was time to reach out to the rest of India and share this knowledge, as he was aware of the devastating scars the troubled independence process and partition had left on peoples’ lives. A few sisters left their haven and moved to Bombay and Delhi ‘on service’. Their task was to establish study centers where the knowledge of Raja Yoga would be taught. Today, there is scarcely a town in India where the name of Brahma Kumaris has not been heard.
From its modest beginnings, the organization kept progressing in leaps and bounds to reach by early 1996, about 3,200 meditation centers in 70 countries with over 450,000 students. Madhuban serves as the nucleus of the Brahma Kumaris’ centers worldwide and Mt. Abu, ‘the Father’s mountain’ is regarded as a pilgrimage place by many who are in search of spiritual rejuvenation. Together they attract over a quarter of a million individuals from all ethnic and religious backgrounds every year. From classes in the stables, the organization has come a long way and has just inaugurated ‘The Academy for a Better World’ as part of the celebration of its 60th anniversary. This Academy is a place of international endeavor -- a place where men, women and children can reach their unique human potential and cultivate the values of our common humanity.
Date:
Tue, 22 Feb 2005 10:49:47 +0800
From:
Subject:
Fwd: CFC Youth for Christ Speech (Revised)
CFC Youth for Christ aims to provide a Christian support environment
for young teenagers
between 13 to 21 years of age.
The program is oriented towards meeting the needs of our young people
to belong, to be motivated, to be useful, to be good examples, to be
Christian witnesses. It has put a premium on four characteristics: it
is Fun ; it builds Friendships ; it enhances the Faith ; it allows the
young Free , but responsible _expression.
What is YFC's Principle in Evangelization?
FAITH - The youth of today have a great knowledge of God but do not
necessarily have faith in God. YFC intends to make "real " the
presence of Christ in the lives of young people .
FREEDOM - The young are gifted with the freedom to choose . Realizing
this, YFC sets the environment so that young people will be challenged
to respond to the call of God and make a personal decision to accept
their faith.
FUN - YFC presents to the youth the Christian life as fun and exciting
as witnessed by young people like themselves. YFC reaches out to
different types of people and presents the Faith in a way that is
attractive and exciting .
FRIENDSHIP - Peer power is recognized by YFC as a powerful tool in
strengthening one's identity as a Christian. Realizing that
friendships can either build or destroy , YFC seeks to encourage the
formation of good peers among YFC members within and outside the
school.
YFC is now established all over the Philippines as well as in cities
and states of other countries around the world. It is in the
community
parishes, as well as in various high schools and universities.
YFC's future is directed towards giving the youth a worthwhile cause
to support as we seek to address, in our small way, the plight of the
poor and the less privileged and the social and environmental issues
that trample on the youth's human dignity: abortion, drugs, fraternity
violence, sexual immorality, corruption and even the rape of our
natural resources.
To this end, we organized two programs:
"GAWAD KALINGA" where YFC seeks to address human poverty that limits
opportunities of the majority of our young people. Our means tie up
with the bigger CFC Work with the Poor thrust that has established a
program for street children (SAGIP), youth rehabilitation (SIGA), and
shelter improvement (TATAG).
===================
this would be the "bulk" of my speech although may mga personal inputs
akong idadagdag na on the speech itself ko na ilalagay. sorry kung
late. :D
RELIGION: THE INVISIBLE HAND OF THE ECONOMY
E.M.
The economy is made up of different sectors which all work as a mechanism, as though an invisible hand where markets clear, transactions are completed, with distance not seen as an obstacle, and redistribution or wealth and income ensures efficiency, equity, and harmony, be it between the poor and the rich, but also across religions. Is there is one word which can describe the Philippine economy, it would be dynamic. And if one word can summarize the religious affiliation of the Filipinos, it would definitely be diversity. From Roman Catholics, to different Christian groups, from Pentecostal missionary, Church of God, Adventist, Baptist, Latter-Day Saints, Born-again Christians, the Muslims, and the Buddhists, or perhaps even a negligible fraction of Hindus, Taoists, and Atheists. Though we vary in beliefs and affiliations, I am sure that we are all concerned of where our economy is going with the recent economic crisis and a threat of being the next Argentina whose economy collapsed and perhaps, how we can reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. While the topic of religion seems to widen the gap and differences, at some point, foster indifference and apathy among Filipinos, our economic problem remains, and seriously worsens.
In science, we deal with how things work, from the cells to systems, from atomic sub particles to molecules, to the birth of the universe, expansion and the death of it. In social sciences, we discuss what we are as a function of a community, an individual member of a society, and how we contribute to our country as a whole as a citizen or constituent. In religion we deal with the nature of man, our purpose, the reason of our existence and how we are affected by the religion we belong to and the faith that we embraced.
I can think of 5 ways on how religion affects the economy: how it contributes to gender equality, its role in health and population control, community development and its role in molding the society, poverty reduction and stimulating economic growth, and political economy, but not a single way of how it directly affects the economy. Dissecting the economy and examining how religion directly affects even just a single strand of its composition requires a lot of work, time, effort, and long research, only to arrive at theories which are still rather far-fetched. With this claim I stand to be corrected.
As in any discussion, to avoid confusion and any further misunderstanding, the terms must be defined. Religion is a set or systems of practices, beliefs and traditions which are directed unto whom they consider as their God. And faith is the allegiance or confidence in the systems of beliefs or to God. When we talk about religion, we talk about a group to whom we share the same particular spiritual beliefs and practices, and faith is a product of our religion, it is the confidence and unconditional and strong belief in things we do not see. Christians are defined as those who live according to how Christ lived, as stated and depicted in the bible. We take pride in the fact that we are the only Christian country in the whole Asia. Over 90% of our populations are Christians, with 83% as Roman Catholics and 9% are Protestants, 5% are Muslims, and 3% are Buddhists. I am not quite confident whether this statistic is true or not, but for the sake of being scientific, I will take this fact by faith. With the statistics presented, we are also known for being second to the most corrupt country in Asia. It is perhaps significant to point that in the APEC Economic review of the participation country, they only give the information on the geographic setting, the ethnicity, the languages spoken, and the principal products of the country. Religion is not taken as a determinant of economic activities. There are two possible reasons for this, either religion for the APEC Leaders does not play a significant role in the economic growth or activity of the country, or that they do not want to invite the idea that religion of Asians are as diverse as its culture and heritage. Appropriately so, the differences in beliefs and religious affiliations across countries might have a negative impact on the relationship as partners toward a strong economy that they are trying to establish. A good economist closely examines the tradeoffs of each decision. Plotting economic leaders and politicians in a game theory, while economic leaders show aversion to risk by opting to isolate the case of religion as a barrier to economic activities, politicians show their love for risk as they indulge in corrupt acts and use religious groups as their vehicle for power. However, in real world, man is an economist and a political agent. He works to the fullest of his potential to maximize his profit. After all, just as Adam smith said, what is this toil and avarice for but for the wealth of nations? Economists study scarcity and ask four central economic questions: what is produced, how it is going to be produced, for whom it is produced, and how these decisions made. At the end of this paper, all these are answered as a function of religion.
To demonstrate how religion affects the economy, we should answer the following questions first. What is religion? Religion is any system of faith and worship, an acknowledgment of our obligation and devotion to God. I see it as a man-made concept which is a collection of beliefs and practices for us to understand the nature and existence of the things around us on a certain view point. What is dignity? It is the nobleness or elevation of mind, a degree of excellence or an office. I see it as a person’s wanting for everyone to think that he is good, well-behaved, and full of love for his fellow men. What is the role of religion in nation building? A politician would perhaps answer with grandeur that religion ensures the spiritual growth of his constituent. In my point of view, religion is often used a political vehicle, for support and perhaps when things get rough and the economy becomes unstable and shows a possibility to collapse, ask for religious guidance, a divine intervention. As early as 1776, Adam smith saw that ecclesiastical establishments though commonly they arose at first form religious views, prove in the end advantageous to the political interests of the society. For quite some time I realized that the only thing the government teaches us that the only purpose of searching for a spiritual meaning to life is to make all of us forget about our real problems. We blame Muslims for terrorism and gender inequality, we blame Christians when the problem of corruption arises, we dwell on the concept of suffering and how God puts us on trials for us to realize our mistakes and the extreme point is to think that without pain there is not happiness, without suffering there is no victory. Proverbs 21:3 tells us that to do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
On Gender Equality
The role of religion in building a new economy can be examined in gender roles across regions and religions. Almost in all religions, women are considered inferior compared to men. In bible stories, Greek mythology, legends, and history depict a masculine superiority, leaving women always behind men, a subordinate, to some extent, a commodity in a community. While resource allocation greatly affects the stability and equity of an economy, gender roles and differences also determines the efficiency of individuals which allows all individual members of the community to fully maximize their potential for a more efficient allocation of resources and profit maximization due to efficiency of work force and larger labor supply for market competitiveness. This will lead to economic growth and fully actualized and efficient individuals which are recognized and given equal rights regardless of their gender. Similarly, proper education which the government provides a publicly provided public good which is given freely to all the members of the society, poverty incidence is reduced, awareness of rights and access to quality education increases the number of efficient labor supply, stimulates economic growth, reduces poverty incidence due to uncontrolled pregnancy and awareness of personal preservation and proper hygiene to reduce the spread of diseases, and possibly and effectively improves the spiritual will and political will of the sovereignty which is the most effective tool which leads to economic growth and balance.
On Health and Population
Apparently, the only concrete sector which acknowledges the role of religion is the health sector, and as a determinant of the incidence of AIDS and population control as a tool in reducing poverty and improving the welfare of the citizens. More over, the data sees the Roman Catholic Church as the one concerned. Is this true? If it is, what happened to the remaining 17% who fall outside the statistics? Clearly, religion is not seen as an important determinant of the new economy, hopefully until today.
Perhaps the single most important factor influencing population policy making since its formulation in 1969, and may partly explain its ever shifting focus, is the persistent and consistent opposition of the Catholic Church hierarchy to the government population policy of reducing population growth as well as its promotion of artificial family planning methods. During the time of Marcos in 1969, the Catholic Bishops issued a statement on public policy regarding population growth. It first cast doubt as the government’s analysis about the existence of demographic problems, particularly with respect to their magnitude. Should it be necessary to address the population growth problem, if it exists in sufficient magnitude, the Bishops argued that a number of social and development policies can be undertaken by the government such as raising the minimum age of marriage through social, economic or juridical means, and provision of pensions for old age to minimize dependence on children. Such measures were called “macro-measures of population control”, and the Bishops agreed that it is within the competence of government to undertake such measures. However, the Bishops disagreed with respect to the role of government in intervening in the fertility decision of couples by emphasizing the right of couples of determine the size of their family. The Bishops also objected to the promotion of family planning as a measure to reduce population growth. They argued that such measure would be effective in reducing population growth only if it “resolutely restricts its objectives to a reduced number of children as normative for the population, and eventually includes abortion and masked infanticide as necessary components of its program.”
In 1973, a Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Hierarchy of the Philippines on Population Problem and Family Life was issued. It echoed the theme regarding the lack of consensus among “reputable scientists” that there exists a problem of shortage of resources caused primarily by the increase in population. According to the Pastoral Letter, the problem of shortage is cause principally by maldistribution of resources among the world’s population rather than the increase in numbers. The Pastoral Letter reserves its strong sentiments when it came to contraception.
It states:
In our country there has been adopted as the principal solution to the population problem, massive conception control through the artificial contraceptive approach. This approach has followed a common pattern of development in countries where it has been espoused. The patterns show an escalation from the less radical to the more radical measures of sterilization and abortion. Only recently, the Department of Justice has removed all legal impediments to contraceptive sterilization by officially granting it legal clearance. Where formerly, the population policy of the country explicitly gave the pledge not to encourage contraceptive sterilization, that reservation has now been dropped. In 1988, Cardinal Sin issued the Pastoral Letter entitled “The Population Question”. The Cardinal made a strong statement in favor of the Christian view of responsible parenthood as against contraception and sterilization. In the Cardinal’s view: … responsible parenthood is exercised either by the deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family, or by the decision made FOR GRAVE MOTIVES AND WITH DUE RESPECT FOR THE MORAL LAW, to avoid for the time being, or even for an indeterminate period, a new birth. It is therefore important for married couples to know how God designed their bodies. He gave the human body a natural cycle of fertility, and it is part of married life to know how to time the marital act according to their informed decision to have or not to have a child.
In sum, the bottom line is that the use of artificial contraception is not allowed because it is morally wrong to do so, and the Church objects to its dissemination and use. The only family planning method allowed is the natural family planning methods but only for “GRAVE MOTIVES”. Bishop Jesus Varela, in a statement issued on August 15, 1990 emphasized that “The Church, with constant firmness in its long standing teaching, condemns contraception, sterilization, and abortion.”
Clearly, where population and health is concerned, religion is expressed in terms of morality. With the question of morality at stake, the economy is not detached from the effects of religion for it is man’s nature to uphold his morality and preserve his dignity.
On Community Development
Religions for Filipinos define our being. We are raised according to our religion as individuals with respective beliefs and practices. Roman Catholics are conservative, or at east I would like to think so. We pray a lot, we say our prayers and practice our devotions, we acknowledge the lent, we are taught to say the rosary, hear mass every Sunday, we attend the dawn mass, we have prayer meetings, I could go on and on. Catholics are God fearing, and devotional, and loyal believers. The mysticisms and dogmas of our religion are accepted and completely embraced at an early age. So goes with other religions. Thus we are obviously left with no choice or option by our parents. The relevance of this is that we are raising our children, the forthcoming leaders to take everything by faith, and not practice their freedom to choose what religion best represents their ideals, their beliefs, their rights.
I can say that with youth comes fervor, and with fervor, idealism. Idealism is such a strong word that perhaps a lot of people lose their idealism as they age and once the get out to the real world. The coming of age also gives threat to the beliefs, the faith that we hold on to so dearly. The saddest point is when we question the existence of God in our lives. It is ironic yet so natural that we begin to ponder on things only when we are in need, or if there is a need to pin point where we failed. We isolate ourselves according to our religion, when we fail to identify an important fact is that we all acknowledge a God, a Lord, a savior whom we fear, and as it is written in Proverbs 8:13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, and the evil way.
A community is a group of individual who makes collective choices. Economic choices are affected by greatly by religion through nation-building. Nation-building is a dynamic phenomenon which includes all: the past, the present, and the future. While much of our actions to day determine the condition of our economy in the future, the spiritual link among us which binds and defines our sense of self are passed on from generations to generations, as though an invisible hand which binds all of us and serves as our guiding conscience when making decisions. Religion fosters spiritual growth, which is one of the determinants of an individual’s well- being. Well-being is the converse of poverty, identified with good health and disposition, the ability to exercise one’s rights and live a life of personal dignity, the freedom to make economic and political choices, and opportunity to participate in decision that affects the nation.
A strong point is that while we take pride in being the only Christian country in the whole of Asia, we rank second in the most corrupt Asian countries. A possible explanation is that while we are Christians in paper, in status, we do not live a Christian life. This entails that while we are Christians in the church of God, when we worship God, all of our being a Christian, remains inside the Church, or so long as the other Christians are around. Idealism now becomes a problem. Many old people, perhaps “experienced” and veterans in this world, would say that I do not know much about how things in this world works. Yes, perhaps that is quite true, but it doesn’t mean that we should forget who we are and what we believe in. Being a Christian means to be God fearing, not just to have faith in him. We must as he commanded us, love God above all things. Clearly, this isn’t the case nowadays. True enough, even the heads of the church, spiritual leaders, and religious groups become political vehicles, perhaps a sad example that while we claim that we choose our religion based on how a group embodies our beliefs, our faith, our rights. So much that similarly in choosing a political leader we become more interested in who will prioritize or support us. Hence, our spiritual will becomes tautological to political will and a frustrating logical deduction follows.
On the Political Economy
“Corruption is like cancer, retarding economic development.1”
James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, Transition, 7(9-10), p9, September/October 1996.
According to Dr. Pernia and Dr. Deolalikar, in their paper Poverty, Growth and Institutions, The World Bank and the IMF, defined corruption among others as, “the abuse of public office for private gains,” serve as a backdrop of the discussion. Whenever a public office is abused, a public function or objective is set aside and compromised. Only if a public function is unproductive could it be that policy goals were not harmed by corruption. Nevertheless, the proposition that bribery can grease the machinery of commerce is often heard, and hence deserves a careful look at the evidence. And the evidence clearly rejects this hypothesis. While culture plays a role in determining what is considered a bribe versus a gift, the culture induced difference seems small. There is no evidence to support the notion that corruption in Asia, East Asia included, has smaller negative consequences. Corruption could be a symptom of many ills of a society. Hence, the fight against corruption has to be multi-fronted. While laws and law enforcement are indispensable, countries serious about fighting corruption should also pay attention to reforming the role of government in the economy, particularly those areas that give officials discretionary power which are hot beds for corruption. Recruiting and promoting civil servants on a merit basis and paying them a salary competitive to private sector alternatives help to attract high quality, moral civil servants. International pressure on corrupt countries, including criminalizing bribing foreign officials by multinational firms, is useful. But the success of any anti-corruption campaign ultimately depends on the reform of domestic institutions in currently corrupt countries.
First, for many questions such as how corruption affects foreign investment, perception -- and thus perhaps our measure -- could actually matter. Second, despite the very different sources of the surveys, the pair wise correlations among the indices are very high. For example, according to Wei (1997b), the correlations between the BI and TI indices and that between BI and GCR indices are 0.88 and 0.77, respectively. These high correlations suggest that statistical inference on the consequences of corruption is not very sensitive to the choice of corruption index.
Let us now turn to some statistical evidence based on the data on a large cross-section of countries. In a regression of total investment/GDP ratio, averaged over 1980-1985, on a constant and the corruption index, the point estimate of the slope is 0.012 (Table IV, in Mauro, 1995, p696). To illustrate the quantitative effect of corruption, let me do a sample calculation by taking literally the point estimate and the corruption ratings. If Philippines could reduce its corruption level to the Singapore level, other things being equal, it would have been able to raise its investment/GDP ratio by 6.6 percentage points (=(6.5-1)X0.012). This is quite a substantial increase in the investment. [When Mauro (1995) used linguistic and ethnic fractionalization as an instrumental variable for corruption in the above regression, he obtained an even larger point estimate on the effect of corruption on investment/GDP ratio, about twice as large.]
Many Asian countries offer substantial tax incentives to lure multinational firms to locate in their countries. For example, China offers all foreign invested firms an initial two years of tax holiday plus three subsequent years of half of the normal tax rate. This research thus suggests that these Asian countries would have attracted just as much or even more foreign investment without any tax incentive if they could get domestic corruption under control.
If corruption reduces domestic investment and reduces foreign investment, one would think that it would also reduce the economic growth rate. Mauro examined how the conditional growth rate (that is, the growth rate given the country’s starting point and population size) is affected by corruption.
On the size and composition of government expenditure Tanzi and Davoodi (1997) carried out a systematic study on the effect of corruption on government’s public finance. There are several important findings. (A) Corruption tends to increase the size of public investment (at the expense of private investment among other things) because many items in public expenditure lend themselves to manipulations by high level officials to get bribes. (B) Corruption skews the composition of public expenditure away from needed operation and maintenance towards expenditure on new equipment (see also Klitgaard, 1990, for this point). (C) Corruption skews the composition of public expenditure away from needed health and education funds, because these expenditures, relative to other public projects, are less easy for officials to extract rents from. (D) Corruption reduces the productivity of public investment and of a country’s infrastructure. (E) Corruption may reduce tax revenue because it compromises the government’s ability to collect taxes and tariffs, though the net effect depends on how the nominal tax rate and other regulatory burdens were chosen by corruption-prone officials (see Kaufmann and Wei, 1998). Similarly, Mauro (1997) found that corruption tends to skew public expenditure away from health and education, presumably because they are more difficult to manipulate for bribe purposes than are other projects.
The desire to extract bribes distorts the behavior in a variety of ways. In particular, less “manipulatable” public projects often do not get into the budget adequately, even if they have high social value. Large scale defense projects are often favored by politicians and bureaucrats because their size and secrecy are often conducive to kickbacks.8 Defense contracts are often budgeted at the expense of rural health clinics specializing in preventive care (Gray and Kaufmann, 1998). To the extent that rural residents tend to have lower incomes than their urban counterparts, this corruption-induced policy bias may worsen the income distribution, and at the same time, divert the needed resources away from the countryside. The last example shows that poverty can be made worse and more persistent by corruption. In fact, one can expect that corruption would make poverty worse in cities as well as in rural areas, as poor people have less means to bribe officials and less political power in general. Rose Ackerman (1997) listed several channels through which poor people are hurt by corruption. (A) The poor will receive a lower level of social services. (B) Infrastructure investment will be biased against projects that aid the poor. (C) The poor may face higher tax or fewer services. (D) The poor are disadvantaged in selling their agricultural produce. And (E) their ability to escape poverty using indigenous, small scale enterprise is diminished.
Using cross-country regressions over the period 1980-97, Gupta, Davoodi, and Alonso-Terme (1998) show that high and rising corruption, increases income inequality and poverty. Several channels have been identified in the paper through which corruption worsens the (relative and sometimes absolute) poverty: corruption lowers economic growth, biases the tax system to favor the rich and well-connected, reduces the effectiveness of targeting of social programs, biases government policies towards favoring inequality in asset ownership, lowers social spending, reduces access to education by the poor, and increases the risk of investment by the poor.
Mathew 12:33 tells us that we either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit. The future is in our hands and for all it is worth, we should strive to be the tree that will bear good and great fruits, for the next generation to come. History tells us that the seed of corruption is imbedded in our culture, but to say that we are powerless and point that no man is not tempted in front of a treasure box is a clear submission to the devil. I see the role of religion is issuing a natural order, that which exists whereby an enlightened or God-fearing man, though with selfish tendencies and the goal or self- preservation adds up which guides and drives each one of us in pursuing our own gain, as though an invisible hand which directs our goals toward the maximum good of the society.
Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth
In the article of Dr. Emmanuel S. de Dios and Ricardo D. Ferrer* entitled Corruption in the Philippines: Framework and context they argued that there is a larger dimension to corruption that is determined by the historical and social context. The ultimate factors are those affecting social cohesion (e.g., income and wealth, education, ethnic and other differences), the economic strategies pursued by the government (e.g., minimalist versus interventionist), the political system (the autonomy of the bureaucracy, the degree of centralization), the extent of market transactions (local, global), and the rate and sources of economic growth. It is these factors that determine the credibility of the formal institutional constraints (however designed) on the behaviour of public officials and private agents alike. Alex Brillantes sees religious groups as guided by its own needs, interests, and conditions, as well as insights. Dr Emmanuel de Dios acknowledges the role of religion in poverty reduction which lies importantly on the mobilization of the community and its organizations, thus putting people participation the key factor. In the economic view, Pareto efficiency which states that the best possible allocation is one where one can be made better off without making one worse off, Pareto principle. In Christian view, self sacrifice, just as Christ has died for our sins, and compassion of the rich to the poor, the willingness to reach out and help is an effective tool in reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth.
The laws concerning Corn Law everywhere are compared to the laws concerning religion. The people feel themselves so much interested in what relates either to their subsistence in this life, or to the happiness in a life to come. The Government must yield to their prejudices and in order to preserve the public tranquility, establish that system which they approve of- Religion. ( Smith, Adam. Wealth of Nations, 1776. )
Where if altruism fails to exist, faith as promulgated by religion can work as an invisible hand, a seed which rekindles the goodness in us for us to be better members of our society, the Christian in us which we boast to all the neighboring Asian countries and to the world as a whole, and eliminate the apathy and indifference which separates us from one another. We should not strive not just for a strong economy, for a opposite a strong economy is a weak one. We should not live with a beggar thy neighbor mentality, but as proponents of fully actualized and dignified labor force of an efficient market, not as producers for an efficient market where clearing ends inside the country but as an exporting economy, producing not for the sustenance of the people, but to reach out and sustain the needs of other countries. If we fret about the future of our economy, all we should do is find the Christian seed in each one of us, and practice the economic view that was presented in this paper, and we will realize that victory is not too impossible. With God, nothing is impossible.
Additional Notes on the role of Religion in Health Sector
The Pastoral Letter included the “Position Paper on the Population Question”, which summarized the official Catholic Church teaching on birth regulation and the population issue. This is reproduced below for those not familiar with the teachings of the Church.
1. The Church realizes that a rapid growth in population may present an obstacle to a country's development. However, it is not proved that "all demographic growth is incompatible with orderly development"
(Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. 25).
2. The Church is not against birth regulation as such. NOR is it against aiming at a particular growth rate for the country. The demographic factor can be taken into consideration when a couple is deciding the number of their children.
3. The Church believes that it is the parents who must decide conscientiously and responsibly the number of their offspring. It objects to any measure that will coerce into a decision or action to limit births.
4. The Church teaches that direct abortion, direct sterilization, and direct contraception are intrinsically wrong, i.e., that they are wrong not only because of a Church prohibition but because they are contrary to God's law. And they are wrong not only for Catholics but for any human married couple. The Church's teaching condemns artificial contraception as objectively wrong but passes no judgment on the subjective guilt of those who resort to it. Because the Church teachers that direct artificial contraception is objectively and intrinsically wrong, Catholic centers cannot be expected to prescribe procedures of direct artificial contraception or refer people to centers employing such procedures. The most that the Church personnel can do is to tolerate such procedures.
5. The Church approves of Natural Family Planning as the unique licit method of birth regulation.
6. In the Philippines, our underdevelopment, we believe, stems not so much from overpopulation as from injustice. While we are not absolutely opposed to the slowing down of our growth rate, we are against an antinatalist mentality, and we wish to emphasize the necessity for greater initiative and spirit of enterprise, a more just distribution of wealth and power, and a wiser use of our resources as solutions to our underdevelopment.
“Guiding Principles of the CBCP on Population Control.” In 1990, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) states:
1. Respect should be given to the sacredness of human life in all its stages.
2. Marriage and the marital act have two aspects: the unitive and procreative. These two aspects are never to be separated through man’s initiative. Though it is not forbidden for couples to engage in the marital act during infertile periods.
3. Directly willed abortion, the use of abortifacients, sterilization and contraception are wrong in themselves. They are wrong not because the Church forbids them; the Church forbids them because they are morally wrong.
4. The Church teaches the need for responsible parenthood. This means, among other things, that couples should bring into this world generously the children whom they can raise up as good human beings, but they should seek to bring into the world only those that they can raise up as good human beings.
5. The Church advocates Natural Family Planning as the only morally acceptable way of practicing responsible procreation.
6. The Church rejects the contraceptive morality, i.e., the attitude that selfishly avoids the procreation of offspring solely because the couples do not want to bear the responsibility that comes with having a child. It is wrong to use even Natural Family Planning methods in pursuit of such a contraceptive mentality.
7. The Church teaches that the decision on the number of children lies solely on the parents. No one can make the decision for them. But the parents are to make their decision responsibly, that is, with a sense of their responsibility to each other, to their children already born, to their children still to be born, to society and to God.
8. Hence, the Church is against any coercion exercised on couples to pressure or force them to limit or increase the number of their children. It is also against any coercion exercised on any other person involved in helping in the regulation of birth.
9. The increase or decrease of population growth does not by itself spell development or underdevelopment. The Church does not forbid the advocacy of the acceleration or deceleration of our population growth, according to circumstances, provided this is achieved within the parameters of freedom of conscience, the responsible decision of couples and the principles of sexual and family morality. It should be kept in mind that injustice in society is a more fundamental cause of poverty in our country.
10. Because the Church regards artificial contraception as wrong in itself, the Church will object to [its] dissemination and use. Further, Church personnel and institutions cannot be expected to cooperate with the dissemination and use of contraceptives.
11. The Church acknowledges religious freedom of conscience. But she has the duty to announce and promote the moral law regarding the regulation of population.
References:
Brillantes, Alex, 2003. Public Sector Reform and Poverty Reduction.
Collier, Paul, 1998. Social Capital and Poverty. WBSCIW , Paper no. 4.
De Dios, E.S. Ferrer, 2000. Corruption in the Philippine Framework and Context.
Deolalikar, A.B. E.M. Pernia, 2003. Poverty Reduction: Approaches and Role of Political Institutions in Developing Asia.
Malthus, T.R. The Principles of Political Economy.
Marx, K. Engels, F., 1848. The Communist Manifesto.
Marx, Karl, 1867. Das Kapital.
Racelic, M. Castro, Guevarra, 2003. Socio-cultural Factors affecting Poverty and Poverty reduction.
Smith, Adam, 1776. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth: The Wealth of Nations.
Stiglits, 2003. Economics of the Public Sector.
The Holy Bible
Turgot, A. 1774. Reflections on the Formation and Distribution of Wealth.
