UPDATE (2/1/2011): The House has just passed the RH Bill yesterday :-) It now moves on to the second reading. Stay updated, stay informed. Here's a link to the full consolidated text of the RH Bill.
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I've just been listening to RockEd Radio's live broadcast of a discussion about the RH bill. The special guest was JC Delos Reyes, who ran for president in the recent national elections (but lost, obviously), and he was there as the anti-RH bill resource person.
So many thoughts and views were raised about the economic, spiritual, and health aspects of the issue. Here are my key takeaways:
"Myth of Overpopulation"
JC delos Reyes made a very good point with the idea that overpopulation is a myth. He used his regular travels between Manila and Subic as an example, pointing out that one could see sprawling land on the left and right sides of NLEX & SCTEX. He declared, "There is no overpopulation", then clarified his point by saying that, we are not overpopulated but there are overpopulated areas. Areas where a large amount of people are concentrated in, such as Metro Manila. A perfect example is Tondo. Now this part, I agree with completely. Despite the tales of woe and misadventure in what many mistook as "the place where dreams come true", a lot of probinsyanos and probinsyanas still trek all the way to this overcrowded, polluted, ugly concrete mess that is Manila and stay here.
So here's an idea: what if the government considered that perspective and, instead of standardizing the RH policy for the entire country, focus first on studying and dealing with the problems in the heavily populated areas? For all we know, the priority concern might not be overpopulation but the quality of life and the drivers behind the choices that these people make. Start with the obvious question: "Why do you live here?" I'm sure you will find all sorts of reasons and cause-and-effect scenarios. That's why it's a potentially good place to start practical reform that truly hits home.
Outrageous Misinformation & Biblical Misquotes about Contraceptives
While there are merits to some of JC delos Reyes' arguments against contraceptive methods (i.e., some of them might not be legal or safe, or will only advance certain drug companies' capitalist agenda), I can't bring myself to agree with the belief that using birth control is the same as abortion. Isn't contraception the opposite of conception? How can you abort what doesn't exist?
(On the other hand, abortifacient methods -- different from contraceptives -- are without a doubt, murder. I vote NO to that.)
Also, he presented a radical (and IMHO, dangerously presumptive) view that using contraceptives will adversely affect your spirituality. I... I am dumbfounded by that. It belongs in the same box of nuts as "condoms cause promiscuity". That's downright crazy talk. And here's why:
Nowhere is it said in the Bible that it is explicitly against contraceptives. Besides, condoms were not invented until the 17th century. You know what else were not invented during the Biblical times? Computers, cars, phones, TV, the internet, vaccines, lasers, guns, etc. These are all merely THINGS. It's what we do with these things that will define what they are.
The Bible provides a set of instructions and principles that can guide us in different situations, even in the use of inanimate objects. Because in the Lord's eyes, these objects are not as important as what's in our hearts.
What the Bible Really Says About Sex, Contraceptives, Condoms, Promiscuity
As I mentioned earlier, contraceptives are simply things. To guide us on how to deal with these, the Bible gives these guidelines on what sex is and should be:
#1 - Sex is for Married People ONLY
Sex is a privilege reserved for husband and wife that should be enjoyed only on an undefiled marriage bed. What God considers to be sexually sinful are clearly detailed in a number of verses, Leviticus 18 is one of these. It's pretty straightforward, don't you think?
#2 - God knows we feel the "itch" sometimes
Condoms cannot cause promiscuity because, as history -- and, yes, the Bible -- has proven, we humans will sometimes want to get it on. And as I mentioned earlier, condoms weren't invented until the 17th century.
God's very much aware of the "itch", so His answer to that is to get married and enjoy sex within the boundaries that are acceptable to Him. This also means, NO to promiscuity and premarital sex. I'm pretty sure that also covers what God thinks about hormonal teenagers "exploring" their sexual identity.
Moreover, using contraceptives cannot possibly affect our spirituality because, apparently, the Bible's also OK with holding off on sex sometimes. The Bible has other good reasons for allowing this.
#3 - Sex is NOT for Procreation only
JC delos Reyes echoed CBCP's belief that marriage=procreation. Would it surprise them then, to learn that no where does it say in the Bible that procreation is the main reason why people should get married? Furthermore, it's wrong to impose that belief especially on women who already had 5 kids and want to stop having more, even if the husbands want to keep sowing their seeds, when this verse and another verse say that women have the right to make that choice. Mutual consent, hello? Yes, wives are to submit to their husbands, but husbands must also love their wives. Does real love force oneself upon another?
An overused "proof" that some people quote in their "pro-life" argument is Genesis 38:8-10. But if you read this passage carefully, you'll realize Onan was punished not for the "spilling of the seed" but for the malice in his heart.
So, what is marriage for then? We don't have to look further than Adam & Eve to know what God originally intended marriage for: love and companionship. Procreation was just secondary to the union. If it wasn't, then why didn't God immediately bless certain married people with children, such as Abraham, Hannah (Samuel's mom), Elizabeth (Mary's cousin & John the Baptist's mom), Rachel (Jacob's true love & Joseph the Dreamer's mom), Rebecca (Isaac's wife)?
Moreover, to insist that "marriage=procreation" is insensitive when some married couples can never have children no matter how much they try.
The Bible & Population Management#
A lot of misinformation abound in this debate, but one Bible verse that's often overlooked -- which should actually guide our intentions during sex -- is found in 1 Timothy 5:8. That's right: you are heartless if you are not able to provide your family's needs.
Before expecting to get lucky tonight, get a serious reality check. Children are blessings AND also responsibilities. God is very serious about good parenting, He will definitely hold you accountable for how your kids turn out.
My bottomline on the RH bill still is that, at its very core, it is a FAMILY issue. Whether or not it gets passed, the husband & the wife should be aware that they will be accountable for the decisions they make, and that these will affect their future, even also their extended family and community. Each married couple should make it their own responsibility to seek factual information about family planning, agree on a plan, pray together about it, and then work together to make it happen.
Do what is best for your family's future.
More helpful resources about the RH bill and birth control:
The Reproductive Health Bill and what The Bible Says
Christian Birth Control Options
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