Check out the front page feature article in the Philippine Daily Innuendo earlier this week on the "textbook crusader" Antonio Calipjo-Go:Hahaha! I guess the sheer irony of this juxtaposition escapes these purveyors and abettors of extortion and blackmail. But then again this is a country where GODDESS WORSHIP is the dirty lil secret of the most powerful people around, even among the pseudo intellectual icons of mass media and politics. (I wonder if the anecdote is true that the Editor in Chief and the owners of the paper start their work day by kissing the feet of a graven stone idol of their favorite goddess.)MANILA, Philippines—A life-size image of the Virgin Mary stands on the small campus of Marian School of Quezon City run by Antonio Calipjo Go, its academic supervisor.
Inside a combined bookstore and library, where Go holds office, the walls are adorned with framed newspaper articles and full-page advertisements under a sign proclaiming them as specimens of “textbook boo-boos.”
Point of Inquiry Podcasts has a fascinating interview with science investigator Joe Nickell talking about weeping, bleeding, walking, heart-beating, or crying statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As an example of how IDOLATRY is alive and well in the Philppines and blinds even the normally sensible people to the real causes of our grief and grievances, take this story also in PDI, hand-wringing about the 10 year public school cycle, and how it really lacks 2 to 3 years more of education.
It's pretty obvious to any dispassionate observer that wtih 2 million babies born a year, 20 million already in the public schools, corrupt government, that OVERPOPULATION is main reason we can't afford to go to the global standard K-12 system.
The only thing saving us from having the Blessed Virgin Mary foisted on us as a GODDESS in the Catholic pantheon is of course the steadfastly patriarchal nature of the Catholic Church hierarchy, which is why her elevation to divine status has been consistently slapped down.
6 comments:
DJB
It is called Marian School for crying out loud!
Well it could be argued that the Blessed Virgin is a functional Goddess. But she isn't. Only to the Catholic fanatics and the ill informed Protestant fundamentalists that she is considered one.
Benedict XVI did not hesitate to excommunicate a small community of nuns for maintaining that opinion.
Let's be objective here. The images of the Holy Virgin are not idols but icons. An idol is a human creation considered that is elevated to be divine but in actuality is not. An icon is a human creation that is never considered divine but is sacred.
The Mass is the only situation where the work of human hands becomes divine. But it isn't PEOPLE that make it divine but the Divine himself. In the end the elements cease to become as elements and becomes the Divine.
The Blessed Virgin Mary has never been considered apart from the People of God. No amount of 16th century Protestant libel as what you are spouting now can change that.
You have no right to accuse people with a Marian devotion of idolatry.
The chief idolatrers in this country are those who worship money and power. These includes the national leadership, some power peddling bishops, executive ministers, all sorts of "brothers" and "apostles" and "sugo ng Diyos".
DJB, how very Protestant of you! The standard Roman Catholic reply is that Marian devotion is "hyperdoulia" (super-veneration) that still falls short of "latria" (divine adoration).
To my Protestant ears, this is lawyerly hair-splitting. On this we side with the Jews and Muslims against the apostolic succession churches (Church of Rome and Eastern Rite).
The impulse to deify Mary runs strong in Roman Catholicism, because of deep polytheistic leanings - but simply won't fly on account of doctrinal, Trinitarian monotheism.
DJB, you ought to see this! http://friendlyatheist.com/2008/06/15/and-you-thought-god-hated-atheists/
Serves them right, doesn't it?
show-ender,
hahaha, what a riot. a headless god, serves'em right is right!
that video is hilarious!
I once vandalised a Mary statue in school by dabbing red wax on her eyes and claiming it was crying blood the next day...ah good times...
Nashman, I am not Christian, and I care not for their woes lest it engulf the whole world, but that kind of vandalism I would say is an error on ethics on your part?
Let us defend ourselves when there is a need but let us not destroy others for the sake of a selfish laughter.
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