(Editors’ note: The Midland Courier is reprinting the columns of the late Atty. Benedicto T. Carantes as a tribute to one of its long-time columnists. This piece was published on April 1, 2012.)
God created the universe in a span of a week – six days work, before resting on the seventh day. Of course the week that we speak of here could pertain to an actually longer time, from pre-historic to the birth of civilization.
And within that same period, God molded Adam into His own image. Later, to assuage his loneliness, He took out one of Adam’s ribs and gave him a companion in life – a woman named Eve. Shortly after, she allowed herself to be tempted by a serpent, and Paradise was quickly lost to the couple.
Since then the women have learned their lesson, and now it is they who can charm the venom off a snake. The men, alas, are still as naïve as Adam, unable to rid themselves of both snakes and women in their lives, who could be one or the other.
This biblical version is naturally disputed by men of science, who claim that mankind evolved from the ape, although some are willing to concede that Adam and Eve were likely the very first apes of the planet.
Anyway, this simply means science and religion are not unlike or have dissimilar beliefs but differ only in presentation. In other words, biblical stories of the creation of both Earth and man are just embellished stories (with a human touch) of scientific facts.
But is there a God? To us Catholics, God exists, provided we have faith in His existence.You lose the faith, and God ceased to exist in your life. It is akin to the faith healing principle. You are not getting healed because you have no faith.
But in all the time that Earth and mankind came into being, God appeared only once – in the form of a fireball, when He gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, to be obeyed by all creatures with active minds and possessed with the ability to communicate.
Unlike mankind, animals have no language skills, only growls, barks, and other similar sounds, so they do not count. A dog for example, cannot be held liable for scandalous conduct because he does his thing right in the middle of the street – in midday too, even if he neither moans nor drools.
One can’t help but wonder why Moses didn’t suffer third degree burns or at least got zinged upon receiving the Tablets. But if the Son can walk on water, well, so can He chill the flame.
I write this because if God does not make an appearance, soon, the battle for supremacy of outer space and earth will be won by evil.
How ironic that rebellions are staged to depose tyrants, not to install one. But I supposed Lucifer, the fallen angel and first rebel, knows this. Frankly, things are looking up for “good” old Luci, a.k.a. Satan or the devil.
The only way to turn the tide of battle is for God to come out and lead the charge, if only to drive Lucifer back to hell. No need, says Jesus, just stay the hell away from sin, and victory shall be ours. But it is precisely the pleasures of sin that cater to the weal and feeble, and mankind, like Adam, is inherently a sissy, neither strong of mind or body.
Think about it, the only Catholic country in the Far East has the highest crime rate in the region, and we are currently ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt countries.Morals mean nothing, only money counts.
Every Filipino commits himself to becoming rich no matter how. The good of heart go to work abroad, while the greedy go into a life of crime – no, not just kidnapping, carnapping, robberies, hold-ups, or illegal gambling or logging, but all kinds of money-making schemes that border on evil.
Mind you, practically everyone is into the game, many holding high and sensitive positions in government.
“Pagkakaperahan ba ‘yan?” is the favorite Pinoy expression.
We are a hopelessly lost nation, Holy Weeks will come and go, the faithful will continue to fill the churches, but unless and until the Blessed Mother appears and wags a finger warning us to stick to the straight and narrow path, we are all headed for hell.
Money, or the love of it, is the root of all evil. True, we love and worship God, but we worship money more. Power and fame, perhaps equally so. We call out His name only when on the brink of death, but not before hiding the loot.
Happy Easter!
