The word of God

I have never been a religious person. No, I am far from ever being considered that. I don’t go to Mass every Sunday. The only brief time that I did was when I was about six years old. I dragged my nanny to church at 7 in the morning every Sunday for a year.

I really don’t know what changed. Maybe it’s because I grew up? Or realized that there are so many things to do with so little time? I really don’t know. Growing up, I started believing that we don’t necessarily need to be in the house of God to communicate with Him; He is an omnipotent God who is with us wherever we go. But once in a blue moon, I do go to Mass.

Not too long ago, I went to church, and I immediately regretted going. Not because I didn’t want to hear Mass and not because I think I have better things to do. No, I regretted going because of what message the priests are conveying nowadays in their homilies.

The homilies always start out with the Scripture, and suddenly, out of nowhere, become all about the reproductive health (RH) bill. As much as I want to tune this part out, it’s like watching a car crash; I can’t help not looking away and I can’t help not listening to every word being uttered.

One priest would talk about the RH bill being the ploy of other countries to prevent our country from being as progressive as it could be without it. Another would equate the RH bill with murder. Another would say it’s against the word of the Lord.

How could this possibly be? How could they know that for sure? Did God appear to them and specifically tell them that?

I was taught in school that my God accepts us for what we are. That He gave us free will so that we can decide for ourselves what we want to do with our lives. That we are our own captain.

Why then are the priests allowed to do this? Who gave them the right to dictate what we should or should not believe in? Even God Himself provided us the right to choose.

Isn’t a homily supposed to be about the Scripture? Why then are matters not concerning the teachings of the Church inserted in the sermon? (No, not inserted in, but monopolizing the sermon.) Why are priests trying so hard to work their way into political matters? They are priests, not legislators.

Delivering a homily is not equivalent to being given free rein to force one’s own beliefs on people. People go to church to hear the word of the Lord, not the priests’ word. The more that the priests mention the RH bill in their homilies, the more that they drive people away from God.

Is that really what they want?

Cherry Diane Lee, 20, is a fourth-year management student of the University of the Philippines Visayas (Tacloban College).