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| The Droppings of a Flea A Conversation through the Neveragain Egroup August 07-13, 2003 PRAY FOR THE PHILIPPINE NATION Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has rightfully assessed, and by her own admission has confessed, that "over the last decades, our republic has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors." Forty years ago, we were only second to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand. Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is today. By the year 2030, our children will experience far worse conditions than what we have today: 1. A population of 160 Million 2. Of those, 70 to 90 million (equivalent to our current population) will live below the poverty line 3. Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$ 28B when Marcos fled, and US$ 53B today) 4. We will be competing, not against Thailand or Vietnam, but against Bangladesh 5. We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia, if not in the world (we are already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International). The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We have seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups and people's organizations devote themselves to the task of nation building, often times against insurmountable odds. But not even two people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward. We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm. It is time to claim God's promise of healing of the land for His people. It is time to gather God's people on its knees to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. Let's pray for a new breed of leadership to emerge from the masses, a leadership with vision, integrity, conviction, fortitude, honesty and dedication to service to the least of our Filipino brethren. Is prayer really the answer? Before you dismiss this as just another rambling of a religious fanatic, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history. England's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation - a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers. The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today � a strong faith in God and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land. Ours of course will not, should not, be a revival towards colonialism or imperialism, or for its sake. In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering. Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here there is genuine humbling and seeking of God through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES. We believe prayer can make a difference. Prayer heals! It's our only hope. Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. Let's pray for a new breed of leadership to emerge from the masses, a leadership with vision, integrity, conviction, fortitude, honesty and dedication to service to the least of our Filipino brethren. We do not ask for much. We only ask for 5 minutes of your time in a day, to forward this email to your close friends and relatives. This is the kind of unity, which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting your own prayer group or prayer center. We have tried people power twice; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. God never fails. Is there hope? If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, God will heal our land. By God's grace, we may yet see a better future for our children. God bless and God save our country! 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Mila Aguilar, [email protected] August 07, 2003 ��������������������������� No Philippine president has prayed as hard and as often as President Corazon Aquino did during her watch. And what good did that do her or the republic? Seven coup attempts against her government, including two led by the tireless and tiresome Gringo Honasan, the first time a Philippine president has ever had to grapple with coup attempts by the macho military, a phenomenon stoked by the wimpy 30-push-ups "punishment" imposed on the leaders of the first coup in July 1986. If she and her AFP chief-of-staff (Fidel Ramos) had punished those first coup leaders with court-martial and execution by firing squad, there would have been no other coup attempts after it, there would have been no Oakwood mutiny. Strong, visionary and decisive leadership - not prayers � is the most important ingredient in successful nation-building. Tony Abaya August 07, 2003 �������������������������� Tony, Prayers, if accompanied with "helping ourselves" with action, never hurt. In fact, if you are a believer, they will help. And, if you are not, it is a reminder that a fundamental moral change is needed starting with ourselves. Mila meant well. In the least, her post reflects the frustration, anger and impotence we all feel from time to time. If we need a strong leader with vision, we also need mothers like Mila to teach our children. And, that is for the fundamental moral change that is sorely needed. Mila, I love you. (wink) Gary Santos August 08, 2003 ������������������������ Oh, I didn't write it, Gary, I only forwarded it�after editing it a little. The post came to me simultaneously from several quarters; I don't even know where it came from, originally. When a post like that is disseminated simultaneously, it could only mean that it struck home. And I thought Tony was anti-communist. :) Are you thinking of only one strong, visionary and decisive leader praying, Tony? The Christian community--which includes both Catholics and Protestants--is thinking of praying for the whole nation--and the emergence of a strong, visionary and decisive leader, through its prayers. God bless you too, Tony. Mila August 08, 2003 ���������������������������� Hi, Mila, No offense. Being anti-communist has nothing to do with believing or not believing in the efficacy of prayers. I have always maintained that the best way to solve human problems is to use human resources and human ingenuity. The strong, visionary and decisive leader will emerge as a result of the dynamics of human interaction (e.g. Lee Kwan Yew, Mahathir Mohamad, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela, Anwar Sadat, Park Chung Hee, Deng Xiaoping, Jawaharlal Nehru, etc) not because gibbering multitudes prayed for his/her emergence. Tony Abaya ��������������������������� Sounds like a materialist philosophy to me, Tony. Dialectical materialist. Close as ever to the philosophical base of communism. Actually, as I write this, I'm smiling. I feel good ribbing you, and that's probably because, though we've never met, reading your columns on email has given me the privilege of looking at you up close, and knowing you won't take offense. Rather unmaterialist, this quality of the Internet. ;) Mila August 08, 2003 ������������������������ Yes, Mila, my views on history are materialist as well as secular, humanist and even dialectical. Not everything that Marxists believe in is rubbish. Tony Abaya August 09, 2003 ������������������������� Aha! That's all I needed to hear! :) I too am a dialectical materialist, Tony. My materialism, however, has since included the workings of the Spirit on both the human soul and its circumstances. Mao once said that social consciousness can become a material force. That is the other side of the truth, expounded by Marx, that material conditions determine social consciousness. The two together make up a dialectical process. Once, therefore, a consciousness of God's Spirit (and how it can work on humankind and its circumstances) is attained, you can imagine what a material force that can become, the material conditions it engenders further lifting social consciousness. But, of course, first, there must be belief. Faith, as Rica puts it. The reason I enjoy talking with you and Rica is that you both can talk about your disagreements with both candor and serenity. A piquant quality often associated with people of deep faith. Mila August 09, 2003 ������������������������� Exactly what I wanted to hear also, Mila. But I have doubts that Maoists will agree with you that prayers - specifically prayers to the Christian God - constitute "social consciousness" as they define it. After all, the Red Guards in the 1970s tried to eradicate all traces of Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian bourgeois cultures (which do not even posit a God), and the present Beijing leadership has been unduly harsh on the equally godless Falun Gong meditation cult. Why don't we ask the expert opinion of local Maoists and Maoist sympathizers who are or may be members of this egroup: Pete Lacaba, Luis Teodoro, Teddy Casino, Argee Guevara, Satur Ocampo, Bobbie Malay, Malou Mangahas, Karina David, RC Constantino, Dodong Nemenzo, Nelia Sancho, Ed de la Torre, Boy Morales, Marra Lanot, Conrado de Quiros, etc. Surely one or two or three of them can enlighten us ordinary mortals on the burning issues of the day, such as Do prayers to the Christian God constitute "social consciousness" in the Maoist sense? And, to return to the original subject of this exchange, Can prayers to the Christian God cause the emergence of a strong, visionary and decisive leader to save the Filipinos from themselves? Only Maoists need reply, please. Tony Abaya �������������������������� Okay, I won't answer your question, Tony. ;) But let me apprise you of this article I found recently on the Internet. It may give you an idea of the difference between the originator of Maoism and his followers. Mila August 11, 2003 MAO TSETUNG'S CONVERSATIONS WITH WANG HAI-JUNG December 21, 1970 Hai-jung: Class struggle is very acute in our school. I hear that reactionary slogans have been found, some written in English on the blackboard of our English Department. Chairman: What reactionary slogans have been written? Hai-jung: I know only one. It is, 'Chiang wan sui.' Chairman: How does it read in English? Hai-jung: 'Long live Chiang.' Chairman: What else has been written? Hai-jung: I don't know any others. I know only that one. Chairman: Well, let this person write more and post them outdoors for all people to see. Does he kill people? Hai-jung: I don't know if he kills people or not. If we find out who he is, we should dismiss him from school and send him away for labour reform. Chairman: Well, so long as he doesn't kill people, we should not dismiss him, nor should we send him away for labour reform. Let him stay in school and continue to study. You people should hold a meeting and ask him to explain in what way Chiang Kai-shek is good and what good things he has done. On our part, you may tell why Chiang Kai-shek is not good. Chairman: How many people are there in your school? Hai-jung: About 3,000, including faculty and staff members. Chairman: Among the 3,000 let us say there are seven or eight counter-revolutionaries. Hai-jung: Even one would be bad. How could we tolerate seven or eight? Chairman: You shouldn't be all stirred up by one slogan. Hai-jung: Why should there be seven or eight counter- revolutionaries? Chairman: When there are many, you can set up opposition. There can be teachers in opposition. Only they should not kill. Hai-jung: Our school has realized the class line. Among the new students 70 per cent are workers and sons and daughters of poor and lower-middle farmers. Others are sons and daughters of cadres and heroic officers and men. Chairman: How many sons and daughters of cadres are there in your class? Hai-jung: In addition to myself, there are two, while others are the sons and daughters of workers and poor and lower-middle farmers. They do well. I learn much from them. Chairman: Are they on good terms with you? Do they like you? Hai-jung: I think our relationship is good. I find it easy to associate with them and they find the same with me. Chairman: That's good. Hai-jung: But there is the son of a cadre who doesn't do well. In class he doesn't listen attentively to the teacher's lecture and after class, he doesn't do homework. He likes to read fiction. Sometimes he dozes off in the dormitory and sometimes he doesn't attend the Saturday afternoon meeting. On Sunday he doesn't return to school on time. Sometimes on Sunday when our class and section hold a meeting, he doesn't show up. All of us have a bad impression of him. Chairman: Do your teachers allow the students to take a nap or read fiction in class? We should let the students read fiction and take a nap in class, and we should look after their health. Teachers should lecture less and make the students read more. I believe the student you referred to will be very capable in the future since he had the courage to be absent from the Saturday meeting and not to return to school on time on Sunday. When you return to school, you may tell him that it is too early to return to school even at eight or nine in the evening, he may delay it until eleven or twelve. Whose fault is it that you should hold a meeting Sunday night? Hai-jung: When I studied at the normal School, we usually had no meeting Sunday night. We were allowed to do whatever we liked that night. One day several cadres of the branch headquarters of the League (I was then a committee member of the branch headquarters) agreed to lead an organized life on Sunday night but many other League members did not favour the idea. Some of them even said to the political counsellor that Sunday was a free day and if any meeting was called at night, it would be inconvenient for us to go home. The political counsellor eventually bowed to their opinion and told us to change the date for the meeting. Chairman: This political counsellor did the right thing. Hai-jung: But now our school spends the whole Sunday night holding meetings -- class meetings, branch headquarters committee meetings or meetings of study groups for party lessons. According to my calculation, from the beginning of the current semester to date, there has not been one Sunday or Sunday night without any meetings. Chairman: When you return to school, you should take the lead to rebel. Don't return to school on Sunday and don't attend any meetings on that day. Hai-jung: But I won't dare. This is the school system. All students are required to return to school on time. If I don't people will say that I violate the school system. Chairman: Don't care about the system. Just don't return to school. Just say you want to violate the school system. Hai-jung: I cannot do that. If I do, I will be criticized. Chairman: I don't think you will be very capable in the future. You are afraid of being accused of violating the school system, of criticism, of a bad record, of being expelled from school, of failing to get party membership. Why should you be afraid of so many things? The worst that can come to you is expulsion from school. The school should allow the students to rebel. Rebel when you return to school. Hai-jung: People will say that as the Chairman's relative, I fail to follow his instructions and play a leading role in upsetting the school system. They will accuse me of arrogance and self-content, and of lack of organization and discipline. Chairman: Look at you! You are afraid of being criticized for arrogance and self-content, and for lack of organization and discipline. Why should you be afraid? You can say that just because you are Chairman Mao's relative, you should follow his instructions to rebel. I think the student you mentioned will be more capable than you for he dared to violate the school system. I think you people are too metaphysical. On One Occasion Chairman Mao Discussed The Problem Of Study Hai-jung: People now are against reading classical works. But the son of a cadre in our class devotes all his time to reading them. All of us are busy practicing speaking English, but he is reading the Hung Lou Meng [Dream of the Red Chamber]. We are all critical of his reading this novel. Chairman: Have you ever read Hung Lou Meng? Hai-jung: Yes, I have Chairman: Which character do you like in this novel? Hai-jung: None. Chairman: Hung Lou Meng is worth reading. It is a good book. We should read it not for its story but as history. It is a historical novel. Its language is the best in classical fiction. The author, Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in, had made a lively portrayal of Feng Tzu. The characterization of Feng Tzu is excellent. You won't be able to do the same. If you don't read Hung Lou Meng, how could you know about feudal society? Before you read Hung Lou Meng, you should know these four sayings: 'The Chias are not false. They use white jade to build a hall and gold to make a horse.' [This refers to the Chia family.] 'The A Fang Palaces spread for 300 li, but they could not accommodate a Shih.' [This refers to the Shih family.] 'The Eastern Ocean lacks a white jade bed, but the Dragon King invites the King of Ch'en Ling to visit him.' [This refers to Feng Tzu's family or the Wang family] 'What a big snow in this year of plenty - pearls cheap like earth and gold like iron!' [This refers to Hsueh Pao- chi's family.] These four saying summarize the story of Hung Lou Meng. Chairman: Have you read Tu Fu's long poem 'The Northward March? Hai-jung: No, It is not in T'ang Ssu San Pai Shou [Three Hundred Poems of T'ang]. Chairman: It is in T'ang Ssu Pi Tsai [Another Anthology of T'ang Poetry]. (The Chairman took out the book, turned to that poem and told me to read it over and over again.) Hai-jung: What problems should I pay attention to when I read this poem? What precaution should I take against its influence? Chairman: You are always metaphysical. Why should you take precaution? No, you should receive some influence. You should go deep in it and then emerge from it. Read it over and over again but not necessarily memorize it. Chairman: Are you required to study the Holy Bible and Buddhis sutras? Hai-jung: No, Why should we read them? Chairman: How can you do translations or handle foreign affairs if you do not study the Holy Bible and Buddhist sutras? Have you read Liao Chai [Stories from the Strange Studio]? Hai-jung: No. Chairman: Liao Chai is worth reading. It is well-written. The fox spirits in Liao Chai are kind-hearted. They voluntarily help mankind. Chairman: How do you say 'chih shih fen tze' [intellectual] in English? Hai-jung: I don't know. Chairman: You have studied English for half a year. You are a chih shih fen tze yourself and yet you don't know how to say it in English. Hai-jung: Let me look it up in the Chinese-English Dictionary. Chairman: Look it up. Is there such a term? Hai-jung: (After leafing the pages of the dictionary) Too bad. There is no such term in your Chinese-English Dictionary. It has only the term chih shih, but no chih shih fen tze. Chairman: Let me take a look. (I handed the dictionary to the Chairman.) You found chih shih, but no chih shih fen tze. This dictionary is useless. It is short of many words. When you return to school, ask them to compile a better Chinese-English Dictionary. It should have all political terms and there should be sentences to illustrate the use of each word. Hai-jung: How can our school compile a dictionary? We have neither time not personnel to do it. Chairman: There are many teachers and students in your school. Why should you doubt their ability to compile a dictionary? Let this dictionary be compiled by your school. Hai-jung: All right. I will transmit your order to our leadership when I return to school. I think we can perform this task �������������������������� Is that all, Mila? If so, then you are making a mountain out of the droppings of a flea. But let's hear it from the Maoists themselves. Tony Abaya August 12, 2003 ��������������������������� Perceptions always differ, Tony. That is why one must never be too sure of oneself, and be open to the opinions of others. Again, God bless you, Mila August 12, 2003 �������������������������� Mila: . You were the one who was so sure of herself and was not open to my opinion that there was no empirical evidence to support your contention. But you may have the last word. Unless our Maoist friends step in and enlighten us. Mao's blessings on you. Tony August 12, 2003 ���������������������� Thank you for your generosity, Tony. Perceptions are one thing, belief another. I am sure of my beliefs only because they are not based on my own authority. God bless you, as He did Mao,) Mila August 13, 2003 ����������������������� And so another earth-shaking issue was settled without the need to occupy the Oakwood Premiere serviced apartments.. ........................................................................................ |
| It was very interesting reading the exchange of comments between you and Mila. I for one, do not believe that we should rely on prayers to save our country. How many million Jews were slaughtered during WWII and how many prayers do you think were recited everyday? How many Filipinos were slaughtered during the Japanese occupation and up to this day I still could remember how my grandmother related to us the prayers she and her family and friends recited all day in order to be saved. Prayers did not save them. I believe that we should do something to make things happen, I believe that we should make every Filipino take a small step at a time towards making a change in Philippine politics. Too much politicking without concern for the people and the country. If only every person could enlighten another person in one week, think how many filipinos would be enlightened in a years time. To teach and to educate our next of kin and next door neighbor about the corrupt people in our government is one good step. To lead an honest life for the whole family and the neighbors to see is another small step. Let us try to be honest first, then teach honesty to everyone, slowly, there will be more honest people in this world than dishonest ones. These are the people we want to govern the land. I laud and commend GMA for her guts in dealing with the corrupt opposition. I admire her tough stances and courage. I am all for her, and we all should help her not just pray for her. Thank you. Merlie Hammer, [email protected] September 10, 2003 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |