Lenten Reflection on Giving

by Fr. A. R. Arboleda, SSP


A giant tree in an uninhabited jungle, a saying goes, doesn’t make any noise when it falls. The giant tree makes no noise because there is no one who hears it fall.

A man who lives by and for himself alone would be like that giant tree in the jungle. When he dies who would miss him? Who would remember him? What would be his life’s worth?

Jesus spelled real human greatness when he said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

This is one measure of greatness which is truly universal. It is a measure that goes beyond race, color of skin, culture, age, sex, wealth, and what have you. Anyone can lay his life down for his friends. All it takes is that greater love one puts into it, a love which is greater than one’s own self, a love which is capable of giving till “it hurts.”

In any state of life, the crucial point is really one’s ability to die to self, to lay down one’s life so that one’s friends, the person one loves, might have fuller and more meaningful lives.

It is sad that a good number of people end in marriage not really because they look at it as a real vocation wherein it is possible to live up to the measure of love Jesus proposed, but more out of desire to possess the person loved or, worse, because of convenience or because they have no choice any longer.

Marriage is a genuine vocation to which young couples have to give considerable thought and period of preparation. It is ever so easy to say, “I love you,” and “I do,” but it takes more than just human capacities to be able to translate these words into a lifetime commitment.

There are those who choose to forego marriage and commit themselves perhaps to the noble profession they exercise, or even just to the task of helping parents, brothers and sisters and trying to lift them up from a life of privation. At times they go through extreme sacrifices only to feel as if shackled by the seemingly unending and growing demands from them. At times they even feel they are doing a thankless job. These persons are like the seeds in the Gospel which have to die in order to give life to the plant.

And there are those who, feeling they are called to the religious or priestly life, take seriously the thought that their vocation is to singularly live Jesus’ ideal of love: to lay down their lives for their friends. When one tries to live such an ideal, he will find very real obstacles too: obstacles from outside, like times when he comes to discover how precious really are the things he has renounced. It takes some heroism to live such a life.

Jesus’ measure of real greatness isn’t that simple and easy. Strangely though, within the folds of a life of giving there is so much joy.

Lenten Reflection on Meaning

by Fr. A. R. Arboleda, SSP


What differentiates man from animals is the ability to look forward to tomorrow and to look beyond the externals. While man can see beauty in a flower and think of either God or a loved person and even of love itself, a beast will stop short at seeing the flower as something good to eat or not.

What makes man worthy of the same name is his capacity to see beyond the here and now and to perceive meanings.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl describes his experiences at the Nazi concentration camp where he was detained during World War II. In detention the prisoners were stripped of everything that made them experience personal worth: name, respect, profession, family, knowledge, wealth, etc. He noted that some of the prisoners gave up surviving when everything that made them feel important was taken away. Others got crazy and behaved even worse than beasts, capable of killing another person for a loaf of stale bread or a rotting potato.

And finally, he noted that those who had something or someone considered more precious than their own lives never lost their will to live even as they were not afraid to either suffer or die. From this experience, Viktor Frankl concluded that man’s life and even just his survival is determined by what meanings he perceives and chooses to live and die for.

We can push the statement further by saying that a person is worth what he chooses to live and die for. Heroes and saints, as well as villains and criminals, are a proof of this statement. Heroes and saints choose to live and die for causes and meanings greater than themselves; villains and criminals choose to live and die for things lower than themselves, like money or power.

How a person discovers what meaning to give his life is a story of both the environment he lives in and the choice he makes. What counts is what values in life he discovers and ultimately makes his own. “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Mt 6:21).

One of the most trying things about being young is that of being in a stage where one has to choose what values to live and die for. Human society is full of models and examples of persons who have embraced their own values. If there are rock stars and actors and actresses making it to the limelight and to wealth, there are also those who, like Francis of Assisi of long ago, leave behind them a life of ease and comfort to pursue ideals of nobility and service. And what is awful is that today’s young person is left alone to choose.

To discover which model one has to choose, one need not look beyond or outside himself. Instead, one should look into his heart. If he does, he will surely discover passions and drives that are either constructive or destructive: his capacity to love or hate, to give or possess, to build or destroy, to forgive or avenge. When he chooses what is positive and shuns what is negative, he will naturally discover what model or example to embrace. And there he will discover the meaning in his life.

Lenten Reflection on Life

by Fr. A. R. Arboleda, SSP

Life is, indeed, so short. And, oddly enough, it is much shorter for those who find their lives meaningful, while it is too long for those who find their lives meaningless.

Couldn’t it be that life is what meaning we put into it?

Now and then, I also ask what meaning has my life really. Often, I feel like I know, but at other times, my thinking looks like a useless mental exercise. Life is just so vast, so full of mysteries that before I can put meaning to my life, part of it is gone and the meaning I try putting on it is already partly exhausted.

Life, so it seems, is like dry sand slipping through my fingers. When I try to hold on to it very tightly, as if squeezing it, it slips away faster. But when I try to cast it away, it sticks to my hands. Sometimes, I think, to appreciate life best, one has neither to hold on to it tightly not to let it go so carelessly. The sand in the hourglass is life. It is better to let it flow freely, although not carelessly.

How we take life is often dictated by what priorities we have. And life, being so vast, offers everything which can be a priority to us. A student ever so eager to get out of poverty would say, “Life will be meaningless if I don’t finish my studies.” A woman terribly in love would say, “Should I lose him now, life will be meaningless to me.” And an alcoholic, trembling with the urge to drink, would be ready to give anything he has, even his dignity, for a bottle of liquor. Then, there, is this young ambitious businessman who desperately wants to make his first million before reaching forty. He easily forgets he has a wife, children and friends. Only the first million seems to matter.

But now, what are the things that last which could have real meaning in one’s life? St. Paul has spoken so eloquently about them:

“If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

“Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away…At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; than I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:1-3, 8-13).

Lenten Reflections 2010

For Holy Week 2010 I will be posting a series of mini-Lenten reflections on major life themes starting Holy Monday until Easter Sunday. These reflections were written by Fr. A. R. Arboleda, SSP, for the busy person to read and consider prayerfully with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The themes are as follows:


Holy Monday (March 29) - Life

Holy Tuesday (March 30) - Meaning

Holy Wednesday (March 31) - Giving

Maundy Thursday (April 1) - Loneliness

Good Friday (April 2) - Pain

Black Saturday (April 3) - Death

Easter Sunday (April 4) - Heaven


In connection to this, the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish - Cubao invites everyone to attend the 29th Araneta Lenten Retreat on April 1, 2 & 3 7 a.m. to 12 noon at the Araneta Coliseum. Admission is FREE.

The retreat masters are as follows:

April 1, Maundy Thursday - Rev. Fr. Arlo S. Yap, SVD

April 2, Good Friday - Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual

April 3, Black Saturday - Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco, DD


May you all have a blessed, fruitful, and meaningful celebration of Lent.

Weekly News (Fourth Week of March)

1. Pope Offers Life Lessons to Youth

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 26, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is telling youth how to live a beautiful and joyful life, saying that even sacrifice is attractive if there is a reason for it. [Read More]

2. Vatican Spokesman Refutes Murphy Case Accusations

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 25, 2010 (Zenit.org).- There were no cover-ups, the Vatican is confirming in response to media accusations that tried to implicate Benedict XVI in the case of a priest accused of abusing deaf children. [Read More]

3. Movement Launched to Counteract ‘Culture of Death’

MANILA, March 27, 2010—In an effort to counteract the 'culture of death' that is slowly encroaching the minds and lifestyle of the people, particularly the youth, a movement called Filipino Families for Life was launched at the Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, on March 24. [Read More]

4. Sex Education May Ruin Moral Values – Bishop

MANILA, March 24, 2010— A Catholic bishop said the Church still wants to keep sex education programs out of schools, despite promises by proponents that they would curb abortion and AIDS. [Read More]

5. Gates Neutralizes 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

A Pentagon advisor believes the restrictive new discharge policies put in place by Defense Secretary Robert Gates will effectively vacate the 1993 law banning homosexuals from military service. [Read More]

6. Clerical Abuse Reports Being Exploited to Discredit Catholics, Elizabeth Lev Charges

Washington D.C., Mar 24, 2010 / 03:03 am (CNA).- A prominent Catholic writer says “selective” and “salacious” reporting of Catholic clergy in the aftermath of clerical sexual abuse scandals is being used to discredit a “powerful moral voice” in public debate. Acknowledging genuine abuse, she says present day anti-clericalism echoes the slanders of pre-Revolutionary France. [Read More]

7. The Social Costs of Pornography

March 23, 2010 (ThePublicDiscourse) - Last week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Witherspoon Institute reported a set of scholarly findings and recommendations on the social costs of pornography. [Read More]

8. Grove City College Psychologist Warren Throckmorton Blasted for Backpedaling on Homosexuality

GROVE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, March 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A psychologist teaching at the conservative-Evangelical Grove City College has been making waves by endorsing same-sex civil union legislation, and claiming that homosexuals can live "normal, natural and healthy" lives. [Read More]

9. The Passing of the Patriarch of the Pro-Life Movement [Read More]

10. Heartfelt Homecoming

SEATTLE — Easter not only celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it’s also a time when non-Catholics join the Church and fallen-away Catholics often return to the practice of their faith. [Read More]


A Blessed Palm Sunday!

Father, I Forgive You

If you have father wounds, you can relate to this video. Take a moment to watch this clip and ask yourself if you are now ready and willing to forgive. Maybe now is the perfect time to let go...

The Safe Sex Illusion

Is there really such a thing as safe sex outside the confines of marriage? In this article, Alan Medinger shares his views about this hot topic that is ever so relevant today because of the rise in HIV/AIDS cases. Despite the alarming statistics showing that the majority of new cases of HIV/AIDS come from the so-called MSM sector (men having sex with men), some of us are still living in denial and pretend that we can go about our life as if this thing can never happen to us. This article is an honest-to-goodness look at the gay lifestyle in general, coming from someone who has been there and done that and lived to tell us the truth. I know that for many of us this isn't something we want to hear, but I hope and pray it's never too late for us to have a change of heart.


by Alan P. Medinger

Understandably, great numbers of gay men have sought a way to cope with the AIDS tragedy that would enable them to live with some semblance of the old life. To do this, they’ve placed their hope in one answer – safe sex. Hopefully, with some precautions, AIDS could be avoided and life could go on almost as usual. Leaders of the gay community, the media, churches, even the Surgeon General are putting forth safe sex as the answer – the only answer to the AIDS epidemic. The gay community desperately wants to believe that safe sex will work, but in their desperation could lie the seeds of further tragedy.

For many reasons, we believe that safe sex won’t work; that at best, it will only slow down the tragic toll of death in the gay community.

The risks inherent in safe sex are not being told for a number of reasons.

First is the good-old American belief that we can work anything out – even have our cake and eat it, too.

Second is that the alternatives to safe sex are just not acceptable to much of our population.

Third is the unwillingness of many leaders in the gay community to be willing to look at the gay lifestyle realistically, particularly if it means losing ground in the hard fought efforts to gain acceptability for the gay lifestyle.

Our belief that safe sex won’t work is not based on the merits or weaknesses of the condom, although they should be considered, but is rather based on the nature of man in general, and of gay men in particular. Please take a few minutes to hear us out – even if this is a message you don’t want to hear. As you consider the following reasons why we suggest that safe sex won’t work, honestly consider your own life and behavior and the lives and behavior of your closest friends. Judge each of the following points on its own merits, not on what you so, desperately want to believe.

1. There is a great tendency for promiscuity among male homosexuals. Gays have seldom wanted to discuss this, but we all know it’s true. The most widely accepted study on this subject (Bell and Weinberg, 1978) showed that forty-three per cent of the male homosexuals in San Francisco estimated that they had had sex with more than five hundred men, twenty-eight per cent with more than one thousand. We may debate the causes of this, but few of us who have been active homosexually doubt the statistics. Sex, at that rate, indicates a tremendous propensity towards sexual addiction. Perhaps it reflects the deep, unmet needs of homosexuals; perhaps, it’s inherent in the nature of male sex – the willingness to get involved sexually without relationship; perhaps it’s totally because of society’s refusal to support stable, gay relationships. The causes don’t matter; what does matter is that a large percentage of the gay population is hooked on a lifestyle of frequent sex, a pattern of behavior that will be terribly difficult to break. Sexual restraint isn’t in the cards for a great many gay men.

2. There is the so often elusive dream of the monogamous relationship. Even before AIDS, most gay men longed for that one guy to whom they could commit their life, that one special man with whom they could settle down in a permanent, faithful relationship. Now, more than ever, that kind of relationship is sought after as a protection against AIDS. But we know what happens most of the time. You settle into this kind of relationship and in three months, or six months, it falls apart and you’re off looking for another “permanent” relationship. But with each new relationship comes a new set of exposures. And within each new relationship, how many times has he (or you) cheated? True, there is a much greater motivation to settle down with one person now, but the difficulties in finding that person haven’t decreased.

3. We have to consider the nature of “passion.” Here we’re not dealing with just gays; we’re dealing with human nature. There seems to be an inverse relationship between the amount of sexual interest, arousal, and excitement, and our ability to use sound judgment. Men have a terrible propensity to do stupid and careless things in the heat of passion. Perhaps, you went out not intending to connect, but you met somebody new and got carried away. Perhaps, you and your partner agreed to abstain from certain kinds of sex, or agreed to use a condom, but in the heat of it all, you threw caution and rational behavior to the wind. The world is filled with people whose parents used condoms faithfully – most of the time.

4. Sex is often accompanied by drinking or drugs. Take the risks just described and multiply them many times over if you’ve been drinking. In that setting, the best intentions become almost worthless.

5. “It won’t happen to me.” Mankind has a streak of irrationality in him that defies understanding. The cigarette smoker, the drinking driver, the gay who takes a chance just this one time, all operate on that fantasy that it won’t happen to them. Often it does.

6. Great numbers of gay men who have tested HIV positive, are still sexually active. Those who have not tested positive or don’t have AIDS can only imagine the emotional state of those who find they are infected. But we do see the responses: despair, hopelessness, denial, fatalism. Some plunge into homosexual activity with a vengeance. Some turn bitter. This is not to condemn those individuals; who knows how we would act, but many who know they are carriers, are very active sexually. And many overwhelmed with their own distress are not protecting their partners.

7. Many refuse to be tested. Often those who are most likely to be infected are the most fearful of being tested. Many of these are still very active, sometimes cynically, sometimes naively, sometimes with an attitude of: “We’re all going to die anyway.” All this says that safe sex is, at best, only going to slow down the toll of death and suffering. Safe sex, if used, is somewhat effective, but a realistic look at man, at gay men in particular, and especially at ourselves, says that there will be just too many times when safe sex won’t be used – and those times over the next several years could cost you your life.

So what is the answer? It’s pretty obvious, although it’s probably not what you want to hear. The answer is abstinence. Please, before you turn away, consider this option. It may be the only one that can save your life.

Take a few more minutes and consider the following:

Sexual abstinence is possible. It’s only a fairly recent idea that we have to have sex. Surely, mankind does not always live up to his lofty moral standards, but abstinence is possible for many people.

There actually are some very positive things to be said for abstinence, especially for those who have found that their sexual needs have controlled their lives. To break the power of addictive sexual behavior can be tremendously liberating – opening a person up to new kinds of relationships, whole new areas of interest. For so many, what was at first thought to be sexual freedom, has become sexual bondage, and abstinence has become the only way to break that bondage.

As with many forms of life-dominating behavior, total abstinence may be easier than constant restraint. Making daily decisions as to how far we can go can be far more difficult than making the one big decision to try to live abstinently.

Sexual abstinence often frees people to discover the needs that were driving them into sex in the first place; the needs for love, affirmation, and intimacy, needs that were short-circuited by the frequent sexual fix. Recognizing those needs, a person can start to seek new ways to meet them – ways that are not life-threatening.

Abstinence is an extremely hard road to follow, but there are people who will help. Great numbers of people in many organizations listed on this website have found that sexual abstinence does work.

This may be the point at your life in which you have to make the hardest decision you’ve ever made. Let someone help you who has already been down that road. Your life is precious. Don’t throw it away. In your desperate desire to have both ways, don’t let the safe sex illusion draw you in. Consider all of your alternatives, and choose life.



Copyright © 1987 Regeneration, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

About the author

Alan Medinger is the founder and director emeritus of Regeneration, a ministry to the sexually broken in Baltimore, MD and Fairfax, VA.

Weekly News (Third Week of March)

1. Holy See Confirms Creation of Medjugorje Commission

Vatican City, Mar 17, 2010 / 09:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A statement was released by the Holy See on Wednesday confirming the formation of a commission to investigate the “phenomenon” of Medjugorje. [Read More]

2. ‘Knights’ Gear Up For Nationwide Rally vs Condoms, Pills

MANILA, March 19, 2010—The country’s biggest organization of Catholic men is ready for marches in several Philippine cities on Saturday to protest the government’s aggressive campaign for the use of contraceptives, organizers said. [Read More]

3. Church Forms Alliance to Fight AIDS ‘Rise’

MANILA, March 15, 2010—The Roman Catholic Church is helping the government combat rising HIV infections in the country but denounce role of condoms in its fight. [Read More]

4. New Sex-Ed Bill in England Draws Ire of Catholic Leader

London, England, Mar 18, 2010 / 12:28 am (CNA).- The House of Lords in Britain is currently debating a new bill that will require Catholic schools to provide, among other things, “non-judgmental” information on access to abortion and contraception to students as part of a new sex education initiative. In response, one Catholic politician has called the new legislation “radical” and “a crisis of conscience for parents and teachers alike.” [Read More]

5. Retired General: Gays Made Dutch Weak in Bosnia

WASHINGTON -- A retired U.S. general says Dutch troops failed to defend against the 1995 genocide in the Bosnian war because the army was weakened, partly because it included openly gay soldiers. [Read More]

6. Unintended Consequences of a Lesbian Bishop

A religious watchdog organization says the election of a lesbian as a bishop in the Episcopal Church will cause problems in a number of areas. [Read More]

7. 'Bella' Actor and 7000 Youth Rally for Chastity in Guatemala City

GUATEMALA CITY, March 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - More than 7,000 young people between 12 and 25 participated in a rally in Guatemala City and pledged themselves to chastity this week. The rally was part of the first National Congress of Catholic Youth, an event organised by the Augustinian Recollect Youth (JAR), March 13-14. [Read More]

8. Catholic Doctors, More Bishops Insist: Catholic Teaching Incompatible with ObamaCare

WASHINGTON, DC, March 19, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Several more U.S. Catholic bishops, as well as a national association of Catholic medical doctors, have stepped up to rescue the Catholic name from organizations claiming the abortion-laden Senate health care bill is compatible with Church teaching. [Read More]

9. CDC: Gay Men’s HIV Rate 44 Times that of Other Men; Syphilis Rate 46 Times Higher

A data analysis released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores the disproportionate impact of HIV and syphilis among gay and bisexual men in the United States. [Read More]

10. Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ and the Persecution of Civil Society

Advocates of same-sex “marriage” present the idea as a step forward for tolerance and respect. But recent developments place that interpretation very much in doubt. [Read More]

11. March Men [Read More]

12. Should Catholic Schools Accept Children of Homosexual "Parents"?

Archbishop Chaput deserves another round of kudos for a stand he has taken regarding a school in his archdiocese. Basically, he backed the school up when it refused to allow two children of lesbian “parents” to renew their enrollment. [Read More]

Pray to Joseph

Sublime thoughts from St. Teresa of Avila on devotion to St. Joseph:

"To gain a favorable hearing with our Lord, I took Saint Joseph as advocate and protector and prayed very specially to him. His help was most strikingly shown. As a tender spiritual father and a loving protector, he quickly cured me of my sickness (while still so young, she was seriously paralyzed) just as he had saved me from greater dangers of other sorts which were menacing my honor and my eternal salvation.

In his eagerness to make me happy, he has always answered my prayers far beyond my expectations. To this very day, I do not remember ever having asked him anything that he did not give me. What a picture I would have before my eyes if I could recall all the signal graces which God gave me, and all the dangers, bodily and spiritual, from which he delivered me through the intercession of this good saint. To the other saints, God gives the grace to help us in certain particular needs, but to Saint Joseph, I know by experience, He gives power to help us in all our needs.

Our Lord wants us to understand that just as He was obedient in this land of exile, recognizing in Joseph the authority of a foster-father and a master, so now He is happy to do his will in Heaven by listening to all his demands. Other persons whom I advised to pray to this incomparable protector have agreed with me; the number of his clients is growing and every day the happy effects of his mediation confirm my words.

Knowing now, by long experience, Joseph's power with God, I would like to persuade everyone to pray to him. I have seen persons with a real solid devotion to him progress steadily in virtue, for he helps in a very striking manner those who pray for help along the path of perfection.

I dare the skeptics to try praying to Saint Joseph, and they will see by experience the advantage of praying to this great Patriarch and honoring him with a special devotion."

(Saint Joseph As Seen by Mystics and Historians, pp. 369-370)


On a personal note, although I have special reverence and admiration for this great saint, I realized I never really had a true devotion to him. Much of my "devotion" is just mere sentimentality and a feel-good attitude towards him with occasional prayers here and there at best. I guess I really need to take St. Teresa's advice seriously, for true devotion is marked not only by our high esteem and veneration, but that we should always have recourse to them at all times and strive really hard to imitate them, and in St. Joseph's case, total obedience and surrender to the will of God and chastity. It sounds like I need a lot of growing up to do.


Today, March 19, is the solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary.

On Pro-Gay Politicians

This is a letter that was made by Courage Philippines head Rolando delos Reyes II on the issue of politicians supporting Ang Ladlad party list this upcoming May elections in particular Joey de Venecia III, Atty. Adel Tamano, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Liza Maza. A copy of this letter was sent to both gentlemen mentioned above, but so far only Mr. De Venecia III has replied back to us. As one can expect the argument centers around "discrimination" of gay people, but I bet this guy has not heard of the principle of just versus unjust discrimination. So, am I going to vote for these guys? The obvious answer is NO. I hope you won't take that as a discriminatory statement.


Mr. De Venecia,

I am writing as a concerned citizen and as a leader of a support group for persons with same-sex attractions Courage Philippines (www.couragephilippines.blogspot.com).

I am saddened by the fact that you openly support the LGBT group Ang Ladlad. Please note the following objections we have against this group, and know that because of your support to them, we and our allies shall be campaigning against you.

1. LADLAD cannot be classified as a sectoral party under R.A.7941 since they do not represent any of the following sectors enumerated in Section 5 :labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers, and professionals.

2. LADLAD cannot be classified as a sectoral organization, or a group of citizens or a coalition of groups of citizens who share similar physical attributes or characteristics, employment, interests or concerns. This is because our groups (Courage, Bagong Pag-asa, AfterCall, Ichtus Community, Gentlemen of the Lord - www.presentsanctuary.com and www.bagongpagasa. org) exist. We are support groups and organizations of persons with same-sex attractions (or what popular media calls homosexuals) , but we do not share the same interests and concerns of the group LadLad. This is because we believe that we are not born gay, and that we can change our character and behavior since homosexuality is a product of deep-seated psycho-spiritual developmental concerns which can be addressed properly. Ladlad, on the other hand, believes that homosexuality is inborn and so they are pushing for the legalization of the homosexual lifestyle. Though we may have similar attributes, Ladlad does not represent us.

3. LADLAD may be a political party, since their desire to be represented in Congress is to speed up the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill (currently House Bill 956 and Senate Bill 11) pending in Congress, and which our groups have been fighting against in both and national and local arenas (the latest hearing of HB956 happened last December 16, 2008 where three of our groups including myself are represented) . This is clearly part of Ladlad's agenda (http://www.angladla d.org/about. asp), and together with their desire to repeal the Anti-Vagrancy Law, they will attempt to legalize every homosexual behavior in the Philippines, and possibly introduce same-sex marriage in our country. Please note that the bills they are endorsing have a repealing clause that will incapacitate all our criminal laws. Through these laws, homosexuals will have a freehand on any behavior they choose.

4. LADLAD does not represent a group that is marginalized by society. I argue that because homosexuality is something that is vaguely understood by the people, discrimination springs from ignorance and misconceptions (quoting Hon. Etta Rosales on her introductory note for HB634), and not from a malicious intent of judgment. After all, persons with good experiences with homosexuals tend to love homosexuals - notwithstanding the efforts of the gay community to desensitize the public through their independent "gay" films like DayBreak, Dose, Ang Lihim ni Antonio, just to name a few. If truly the gay community is marginalized, gay parades, gay beauty pageants, gay films, gay magazines and other manifestation of "gayness" will not be allowed in Philippine society. But the fact is they are accepted by the public, and the true cases of homosexual discrimination may be caused by poverty or ignorance.

5. LADLAD represents a behavior-based group, not like the other sectors enumerated in Section 5 of RA 7941. They do not rest on substantial distinctions (People v. Cayat) that have relative permanency (such as the elderly or women), but only on superficial difference that changes relatively in time. As such, they may represent a group that may recklessly impose their own behavior standards on the public. They represent a group that promotes and celebrates the homosexual lifestyle - cruising, gay-bars, same-sex relationships and sexual activities. I don't think the law (RA7941) was created for the purpose of including behavior-based groups. If you will allow LadLad to be a candidate for partylist, then we should also allow shoppers, car enthusiasts, pedophiles and mountain hikers to file their candidacies as well.

We shall all be praying for you as you make your decision to continue supporting them or not.

Rest assured that our groups are here to provide compassion and care for persons with same-sex attractions. We owe it to God who reveals to us the exact nature of our wrongs and who we really are in His eyes.

May God bless and keep you always!

Sincerely Yours,


Rolando C. delos Reyes II
President
Courage Philippines


*************************************************************************************


Dear Mr. de los Reyes,

Thank you for your letter expressing your concern for my support for Ang Ladlad. While I respect your opinion, I feel that you and your group may have some misconceptions about the support that I extend them.

While it is true that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group have achieved tremendous strides in receiving public acceptance for their chosen lifestyle over the past few decades, we cannot deny that there is still a large segment of our countrymen who would still openly or secretly discriminate against them.

The Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police are just two examples, but there are countless others. There are still many fields where openly gay Filipinos do not find acceptance, including professional and amateur sports, national and local politics, and civic organizations, among others.

From my standpoint, any form of discrimination against the gay community because they may look or act a little differently from what we call "normal" behavior is simply unacceptable. I will not engage your organization in a debate over whether homosexuality is an inborn or developed condition. But I know you will agree with me that no gay person anywhere in the world should be deprived of his or her basic human rights.

In the end, it is the Filipino electorate which will decide whether or not Ang Ladlad is deserving of party-list representation in the House of Representatives. You and I and some 40 million Filipino voters will have the chance to determine this on election day.

I hope this clarifies my stand on Ang Ladlad's bid for party-list representation. We may disagree on this one area, but I am sure there are many more where we share a common stand. I hope we will have an opportunity to work together some day.

With my best regards to you and your organization,

I remain

Very Truly Yours,

joey de venecia III

"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"

*************************************************************************************

Comment:

In my personal opinion, Mr. De Venecia's support for Ang Ladlad is solely anchored on the "discrimination issue" and is devoid of real knowledge of what the gay agenda really stands for. I hope he is not riding on the issue of "discrimination" as a means to gain sympathy votes from the public at large who unfortunately is largely misinformed and equally ignorant of the matter as well.

In his reply above, he quoted the AFP and PNP among many as "discriminatory" against the gay community. May I suggest that he peruse this article regarding that issue. You see Mr. De Venecia III, entering the military profession is not, I repeat, NOT a constitutional right of every citizen in this country. Certain qualifications and criteria have to be met before you can be even allowed to train in military schools and this of course does not constitute an "unjust discrimination" towards anybody who cannot make it there simply because the military profession demands a certain level of physical, emotional, and psychological fitness for you to be of service. Can you imagine perhaps a wheelchair-bound person engaging in mortal combat with the enemies of the state? In the above example, do you then find it "discriminatory"to forbid physically disabled persons to join the military?

According to the DADT (Don't ask, don't tell) policy, accepting openly gay persons in the military "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability." Perhaps the ultimate question is - how can admission of gay men and women in the military and police service make it a better and stronger institution than it is now? Do you honestly believe that "homosexual behaviors" are compatible with military service? Don't ask, don't lie.

*************************************************************************************

In response to Mr. De Venecia III's reply above, Brother Rollie sent him this e-mail as a counter rebuttal and a lecture on what would be the possible scenario should Ang Ladlad be allowed representation in Congress:


Dear Mr. De Venecia,

Thank you so much for graciously replying to your email. I could see that you have a genuine concern over the people.

However, I would like to direct you to the two platforms of the Ang Ladlad partylist and enumerate the reasons why we oppose such platforms to be implemented in our nation.

1. Support for the Anti-Discrimination Bill that gives LGBT Filipinos equal opportunities in employment and equal treatment in schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers, and government offices.

@ We believe this bill is the wrong answer to the right question, because of the following reasons
* There is no wide-scale discrimination against homosexual persons in the Philippines that would necessitate a nationwide legislation of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

* Cases of discrimination of homosexuals is not due to the persons themselves but to the behavior that they exhibited (or a collective knowledge of behaviors of homosexual persons) – which in authentic criminal law should be judged as good or bad accordingly

* The terms Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity are political terms that only advances the gay agenda and are not recognized in binding principles by international laws

* The Anti-discrimination bill may be used to incriminate people who does not approve of the homosexual lifestyle and behavior


2. Re-filing of the bill to repeal the Anti-Vagrancy Law that some unscrupulous policemen use to extort bribes from gay men without ID cards;

@ We believe that this will just legitimate homosexual persons performing sexual acts in public like movie houses and parks etc.
This is the main reason why gays are implicated using the anti-vagrancy law. Do we mean to put an exception to homosexual activities done in public places?


Please remember that we, members of Courage and other ex-gay ministries, and the members of Ang Ladlad and pro-gay groups, are situated in the like manner since we both experience same-sex attractions. Our difference lies in the choices that we made and how these choices affect not only lives but also the lives of other people as well. Ang Ladlad does not embody our vision, since they would like to implement a non-binding document called Yogyakarta Principles that seeks to legitimize homosexuality by doing the following legislative measures (among others):

1. Repeal criminal and other legal provisions that prohibit or are, in effect, employed to prohibit consensual sexual activity among people of the same sex who are over the age of consent, and ensure that an equal age of consent applies to both same-sex and different-sex sexual activity;

2. Take all necessary legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure that procedures exist whereby all State-issued identity papers which indicate a person’s gender/sex — including birth certificates, passports, electoral records and other documents — reflect the person’s profound self-defined gender identity;

3. Take all necessary legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure the right of each person, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, to enjoy the private sphere, intimate decisions, and human relations, including consensual sexual activity among persons who are over the age of consent, without arbitrary interference;

4. Repeal any law that prohibits or criminalises the expression of gender identity, including through dress, speech or mannerisms, or that denies to individuals the opportunity to change their bodies as a means of expressing their gender identity;

5. Release all those held on remand or on the basis of a criminal conviction, if their detention is related to consensual sexual activity among persons who are over the age of consent, or is related to gender identity;

6. Take all necessary legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure the right to found a family, including through access to adoption or assisted procreation (including donor insemination) , without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity;

Do you support these possible legislative measures, Mr. De Venecia? Do you not see the extent of influence that Ang Ladlad seeks by running for Congress to implement these measures in our country? Please do reflect carefully on each of these measures and share us your thoughts. Would you still be supporting Ang Ladlad with these in mind? We would be awaiting your reply. Thank you.

Rolando C. delos Reyes II
President
Courage Philippines