What's The Best Investment In The World?

Here's a timely article from Bo Sanchez on investments. Be inspired.

When I was a kid, I learned that my mother lived during the war. With great excitement, I asked her, “Did you meet Magellan and Lapu-lapu?”

I was disappointed when she said, “No, I’m not 450 years old.” So I asked, “Did you meet Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio?”

That’s when she explained to me that she didn’t live through World War I but World War II.

She’s 84 years old today and I grew up with her war stories.

I remember her stories about the Japanese Peso.

“When the Japanese came, they printed their own money,” she said. “Eventually, we all got used to them. But after many months, the Japanese Peso began to lose its value. Soon, everyone called it Mickey Mouse money. It became play money.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because of the rumors that the Americans were coming back. You won’t believe me, but when we heard over the radio that the American planes were coming, I remember how I had to bring a bayong of Japanese money to buy a bayong of food. One duck egg cost P75…”

My friend, Nanay Coring, Founder of National Bookstore, also lived during the war. She too was a young woman when the war broke out. But unlike my mother, she had business savvy.

With her Japanese money, she bought goods that could be stored until the war ended. Early in the war, she saw what was going to happen. So she converted all her Japanese money to another currency—goods and inventory.

One day, a Japanese officer walked to her little store and asked if she wanted a warehouse filled with whisky. She said, “Yes, I’ll buy it,” not knowing where she’d get the money. She gathered as much Japanese pesos as she could find and bought the entire stock. When the US soldiers came, she sold every bottle to the Americans who paid her in US Dollars.

Mom didn’t do anything. She kept her Japanese money in her bayong. When the Americans came, the money was all burned because it had become useless.

No wonder Nanay Coring now owns 157 branches of National Bookstore all over the country while my mother runs a tiny bookshop in her house!

Why am I sharing this to you?


Question: Are You Business Wise?

When you die, all the money you hold becomes Mickey Mouse money. All. The Dollars, the Euros, the Yen, the Yuan, the Peso…

You know that.

But are you doing something about it?

You need to be business wise like Nanay Coring.

You need to start converting your material wealth into eternal wealth. How? Start giving generously to God and to the poor.

Giving to God isn’t just a spiritual thing. At the end of the day, it’s also the wisest, most practical thing to do. It makes all the business sense in the world.

I know of a lot of very rich businessmen who aren’t giving to God or to others. So their wealth will be very short lived. It will only last until their life on earth.

I strongly suggest you convert your worldly money to the only currency that Heaven will accept. Heaven has only one currency: Love. Loving God and others is really the only thing you can bring with you when you die.

Read carefully what Jesus says. You’ll be shocked:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.[1]

Wow. Can you believe it?

It’s actually possible to exchange what you have for the currency of your future home. While on planet earth, you can actually store great treasure in Heaven.
That’s why I believe generosity is the wisest, the best, the most perfect investment in the world.

How Much Is Your Balance?

Let me ask you a very important question: How much of your worldly wealth have you used to create your heavenly wealth?

How much investments have you already “wired” to Heaven?

When you put your money in the bank, the bank gives you a bank book. There, you find a history of your deposits. If Heaven issued you a “bank book”, how much deposits have you already made so far?

In other words, how much have you loved?

How much have you served?

How much have you used your material wealth to give love?


But Let Me Clarify:
It’s Building Heaven On Planet Earth!

Warning: What I’ll say next will be hard to swallow.

So chew on it. This is definitely not milk for those starting in the spiritual journey, but solid food for the mature.

I’ve met Christians whose only goal in life is to go to Heaven. Their only concern is to guarantee a Heavenly visa. To them, this is what salvation is all about.

Nothing else.

Friend, I want you to outgrow that attitude.

Because I don’t believe this is the point of Christianity.

Think with me: Today, there are 25,000 children who die every single day because of poverty and hunger—and all we can think of is our personal Heaven? Today, there are many people around us who are starving for God’s love—and all we can think of is our personal Heaven?

Jesus didn’t call you to be His disciple just so you can go to Heaven only. Jesus called you to be His disciple so that you can bring Heaven down to earth, specifically to those who are in “hell” right now because of their material, emotional, and spiritual poverty. Jesus called you to be His disciple to love the way He did. Jesus died on the Cross so that you too can die for others.

So what am I saying?

Everytime you’re generous because of love, you transfer your wealth to a particular Heaven that starts now, right here on planet earth. And it’s not a personal Heaven, but a Heaven for others.

I’ve got one last thing to say…


Among These 5,
Who Are You?

When it comes to managing money, there are five kinds of people in this world. Who are you?

#1: Gloria Gastadora:
Gloria Gastadora lives on 100% of her income. Sometimes, when she borrows money, she lives on 120% of her income. She’s never absent during Midnight Sales. Her credit cards are faded due to overuse. Even if she wants to give to God or invest in her future, she cannot. Obviously, after all is spent, she has nothing to give to God except her loose change. In Church, Gloria Gastadora isn’t a tither, but a tipper.

#2: Kunat Kuripot:
Kunat is a frugal and fearful fellow. He lives on 80% of his income, because he saves 20% or more for his future. He lives in fear. He feels safe only when he knows he’s got lots of money in the bank. It really seems safe, except that he doesn’t know that putting his life savings in the bank isn’t such a wise idea at all. When he retires, Kunat will realize that his savings isn’t enough. And like Gloria Gastadora, Kunat Kuripot can only give his spare change to God—because he’s always afraid of his future.

#3: Bertong Bulag:
As a kid, Berto was a financial whiz. Upon graduating from college, he already opened a mutual fund. He also started investing in a blue chip company in the stock market, putting small amounts of money every month. He also started a business, and it has done very well. Berto has become wealthy. The problem is that he still cannot give to God, because he sees it as an expense, like it was a luxury he can’t afford. He doesn’t realize that giving to God is also an investment—the most secure and long-term investment of them all.

#4: Wally Waldas:
Wally has no problem giving to others. He is very generous to others, but he isn’t generous to himself. Because he doesn’t invest for the future. Wally just likes giving his money away to people who end up abusing him. His close friends tell him that his giving is no longer helping others, because they have become parasites. But he’s blinded by his need for their attention. Wally, in the long run, cannot even give to God, because his money will be long gone.

#5: Manny Mapagmahal:
Manny gives to God, gives to others, and gives to himself. After receiving his income, the first thing he does is set aside 10% to God. The second thing he does is to set aside 20% to put in investment vehicles—such as funds, stocks, businesses, and real estate. He also has set aside an Emergency Fund—3 to 6 months of his salary in the bank. The third thing he does is to limit his expenses to 70% of his income.

Today, Manny is prosperous. He now gives 20% to God, invests 30%, and lives on 50% of his income. In his old age, he’ll continue to be even more generous. (If you’re interested to become like Manny Mapagmahal, join my TrulyRich Club and get trained in the principles of spiritual and material abundance. Log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now.)

Among these 5 people, who are you?

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Financial Literacy 101

Last Sunday, Bro. M gave a wonderful talk on financial literacy and taught us very important lessons on managing our finances well. The talk made me realize that life is not all about SSA. There are other things as equally important that we need to attend to – and one of them is finance. Bo Sanchez has said it very nicely in one of his books: “Money is not the most important thing in the world, but it affects every other important thing.” How true this is. As long as I am in the world, I will need money at least for my basic needs like food, shelter (rent and/or utilities), clothing, and of course cell phone loads!

Why am I bringing up this topic by the way? Well, partly because I think this is a special concern for us people with SSA. Apparently, there are some gay men who lavish money on wrong priorities including but not limited to their ‘boy toys’ and paramours. Many end up broke in the end – both financially and emotionally – because as soon as they are no longer capable of providing support, they are all by themselves, feeling used and abused.

In the meantime, here are the possible worst case scenarios to think about:

Case#1: What if I live long enough, say until 80 years old and still a certified bachelor, how will I be able to support myself financially beyond the age of retirement? Social security? You’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t think the pension from my social security will be enough to cover all of my basic needs including my medicines. It’s ‘mabuti lang sa wala’ but then is that the kind of life I want to have in my old age? Good thing I’m still young now and I still have time to save up for the rainy days. Can you count on your siblings or relatives to take care of you? Forget it. You might end up as a charity case.

Case#2: What if I die too soon and I am the breadwinner in the family, who will sustain my family’s needs? Who will continue to provide for the responsibilities I leave behind? Whenever I watch the news about a tragedy, most of the time the survivors are weeping bitterly not because they miss their loved one, but because they are left with the heavy responsibility of feeding the family and raising the kids the breadwinner has left behind. Even the cost of dying and providing a decent funeral is beyond the reach of many, most especially the poor.

Case#3: What if by some misfortune I contract a debilitating disease or suffer from an accident that will require long-term health care and render me invalid for the rest of my life? What now? I have seen this type of cases in nursing homes where their family/relatives have abandoned them because the cost of providing medical care is simply too much for them to bear, and it is really tragic because now they cannot do anything but to accept their fate.

As morbid as my case scenarios are they can happen to anyone. It can happen to you. On our part, it is our responsibility to know the ways and means that are available to us to improve the current state of our financial health. The bottom line here is what kind of life do you want to lead when you retire? Basically, the lessons I learned are:

1. Save, save, save. This is a matter of discipline for many of us. You may complain that what you’re earning presently is just barely enough. Well, try to do this simple exercise. Track your expenses for a month or two and then at the end make an evaluation report. You might be surprised to find how much money goes into your “trivial spending list”, which you could have saved instead. I tried doing this for a month and guess what’s on my top list of expenses? – FAST FOOD. By the way, you can use the Expense Manager feature of your cell phone to do this. Just give it a try because this will give you a graphic representation of your monthly expenditures and where you can cut down if you want to save more. Again, it’s not really how much you earn that matters; it’s how much you save.

2. Eliminate debt. Fortunately, I don’t have credit cards because if I do I would be drowning in debt neck deep by now. It’s just too tempting to spend the money you haven't even earned yet on so many things including the useless ones. If you can do away with those credit cards I highly advise you to do so.

3. Invest. Do you know how banks profit from the money you deposit in your account? While you earn a measly interest of 1% per annum, they earn many times over by investing your money at 10% to 12% interest! In effect, they are profiting more on your own money than you do. What is worse is that the value of your money depreciates over time due to inflation if you just let it sit in the bank. Therefore, it is wise to find avenues where you can invest your money and earn at a higher interest rate.

4. Insure yourself. This is related to case#3 above. Sadly, this is not so popular among Filipinos. Life is full of uncertainties, but just in case of any eventuality would you not feel relieved that you’ve got yourself covered and your hospital bills paid?

5. Increase your income. Times are hard and the income from your regular full-time job may not be enough especially if you are raising a family. Find a part-time job. Turn your hobby into an enterprise. Upgrade your skills for better paying jobs. Sell something. Etc, etc.


Apart from all the things I have mentioned above, I believe that the most important step is to educate yourself on financial matters. There are many excellent financial books out there, but I recommend reading Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad series and Francisco Colayco’s Wealth Within Your Reach. On the internet, you can also visit a number of blogs but I recommend Fitz Villafuerte’s blog Ready To Be Rich and Frugal Pinoy .

I hope my post today has made you realize your money’s worth. This has nothing to do with being materialistic or greedy. This is a practical lesson on financial stewardship. You are doing this because you want a better life not just for yourself and your loved ones, but also because you want to be a blessing to others as well.


"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - Benjamin Franklin

News & Commentaries


1. Pope Prays for Dying Filipino Leader [weblink]

2. "It Is Never Enough, Until We Give It Away" - Biblical Reflections for 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time B [weblink]

3. Ethicist Hopes New Breakthrough Will Eliminate 'Need' to Destroy Human Embryos [weblink]

4. Media Almost Outnumber Protesters at Anti-Mormon 'Kiss-in' at San Diego Temple [weblink]

5. Role of Gay Men in Spreading Virus Is Ignored in Africa, Study Finds [weblink]

6. Commentary: Countering The Lies of Same-Sex Attractions [weblink]

7. Canada Court Rules Marriage Commissioners Must "Marry" Homosexuals [weblink]

8. Episcopal Bishop Rejects Homosexual Marriage, Ordination of Practicing Homosexuals [weblink]

9. Lawsuit Challenges Wisconsin Same-Sex 'Domestic Partner' Scheme [weblink]

10. Actress Uma Thurman to 'Become' a Nun [weblink]



Quote for the week:

"Lord, make me chaste but not yet." - St. Augustine

(Don't you love that quote? I do.)

On Toxic Shame

Let me share with you some excerpts about shame from the book Healing The Shame That Binds You by John Bradshaw. It's the most comprehensive book I have found (online) so far dealing specifically on the topic of shame and I hope to find a copy of this book soon. At this point, I think it is worthwhile to examine ourselves if we are living in toxic shame. Many of us have done 'very bad things' in the past and the memories of those events still continue to bring about feelings of shame and guilt in us. This I believe can present a significant challenge for us in moving on with our life. John Bradshaw calls this demon toxic shame, the shame that binds us all.


Shame As The Core And Fuel Of All Addiction

Neurotic shame is the root and fuel of all compulsive/addictive behaviors. My general working definition of compulsive/addictive behavior is “a pathological relationship to any mood-altering experience that has life damaging consequences”.

The drivenness in any addiction is about the ruptured self, the belief that one is flawed as a person. The content of the addiction, whether it be an ingestive addiction or any activity addiction (like work, buying or gambling) is an attempt at an intimate relationship. The workaholic with his work, or the alcoholic with his booze, are having a love affair. Each one mood alters to avoid the feeling of loneliness and hurt in the underbelly of shame. Each addictive acting out creates life-damaging consequences which create more shame.

I used to drink to solve the problems caused by drinking. The more I drank to relieve my shame-based loneliness and hurt, the more I felt ashamed. Shame begets shame. The cycle begins with the false belief system that all addicts have, that no one could want them or love them as they are. In fact, addicts can’t love themselves. They are an object of scorn to themselves. This deep internalized shame gives rise to distorted thinking. The distorted thinking can be reduced to the belief that I’ll be okay if I drink, eat, have sex, get more money, work harder, etc. The shame turns once into what Kellogg has termed a “human doing”, rather than a human being.


Neurotic Syndromes of Shame

"What is the shame that binds you? How did it get set up in your life? What happens to healthy shame in the process?

Toxic shame, the shame that binds you, is experienced as the all pervasive sense that I am flawed and defective as a human being. Toxic shame is no longer an emotion that signals our limits, it is a state of being, a core identity. Toxic shame gives you a sense of worthlessness, a sense of failing and falling short as a human being. Toxic shame is a rupture of the self with the self.

It is like internal bleeding. Exposure to oneself lies at the heart of toxic shame. A shame-based person will guard against exposing his inner self to others, but more significantly, he will guard against exposing himself to himself.

Toxic shame is so excruciating because it is the painful exposure of the believed failure of self to the self. [selves to selves too we believe] In toxic shame the self becomes an object that can't be trusted, one exeriences oneself [selves] as untrustworthy. Toxic shame is experienced as inner torment, a sickness of the soul. If I'm an object that can't be trusted, then I'm not in me. Toxic shame is paradoxical and self-generating. There is shame about shame. People will readily admit guilt, hurt or fear before they will admit shame. Toxic shame is the feeling of being isolated and alone in a complete sense. A shame-based person is haunted by a sense of absence and emptiness..."


Shame as an Identity - Internalization of Shame

Any human emotion can become internalized. When internalized, an emotion stops functioning in the manner of an emotion and becomes a characterological style. You probably know of someone who could be labeled 'an angry person', or someone you'd call a 'sad sack'. In both cases the emotion has become the core of the person's character, her identity. The person doesn't have anger or melancholy, she is angry and melancholy.

In the case of shame, internalization involves at least three processes:

1)Identification with unreliable and shame based models
2)The trauma of abandonment, and the binding of feelings, needs and drives with shame
3)The interconnection of memory imprints which forms collages of shame

Internalization is a gradual process and happens over a period of time. Every human being has to contend with certain aspects of this process. Internalization takes place when all three processes are consistently reinforced."


Shame as Self-Alienation and Isolation

When one suffers from alienation, it means that one experiences parts of one's self as alien to one's self.

For example, if you were never allowed to express anger in your family, your anger becomes an alienated part of yourself. You experience toxic shame when you feel angry. This part of you must be disowned or severed. There is no way to get rid of your emotional power of anger. Anger is the self-preserving and self-protecting energy. Without this energy you become a doormat and a people-pleaser. As your feelings, needs and drives are bound by toxic shame, more and more of you is alienated.

Finally, when shame has been completely internalized, nothing about you is okay. You feel flawed and inferior; you have a sense of being a failure. There is no way you can share your inner self because you are an object of contempt to yourself. When you are contemptible to yourself, you are no longer in you. To feel shame is to feel seen in an exposed and diminished way. When you're an object to yourself, you turn your eyes inward, watching and scrutinizing every minute detail of behavior. This internal critical observation is excruciating. It generates a tormenting self-consciousness which Kaufman describes as, 'creating a binding and paralyzing effect upon the self.' This paralyzing internal monitoring causes withdrawal, passivity and inaction.

The severed parts of self are projected in relationships. They are often the basis of hatred and prejudice. The severed parts of the self may be experienced as a split personality or even multiple personalities. This happens often with victims who have been through physical and sexual violation.

To be severed and alienated within oneself also creates a sense of unreality. One may have an all-pervasive sense of never quite belonging, of being on the outside looking in. The condition of inner alienation and isolation is also pervaded by a low grade chronic depression. This has to do with the sadness of losing one's authentic self. Perhaps the deepest and most devastating aspect of neurotic shame is the rejection of the self by the self."


Shame as False Self

Because the exposure of self to self lies at the heart of neurotic shame, escape from the self is necessary. The escape from self is accomplished by creating a false self. The false self is always more or less than human. The false self may be a perfectionist or a slob, a family hero or a family scapegoat. As the false self is formed, the authentic self goes into hiding. Years later the layers of defense and pretense are so intense that one loses all awareness of who one really is.

It is crucial to see that the false self may be as polar opposite as a superachieving perfectionist or an addict in an alley. Both are driven to cover up their deep sense of self-rupture, the hole in their soul. They may cover up in ways that look polar opposite, but each is still driven by neurotic shame. In fact, the most paradoxical aspect of neurotic shame is that it is the core motivator of the superachieved and the underachieved, the Star and the Scapegoat, the 'Righteous' and the wretched, the powerful and the pathetic."


Shame as Co-Dependency

Much has been written about co-dependency. All agree that it is about the loss of selfhood. Co-dependency is a condition wherein one has no inner life. Happiness is on the outside. Good feelings and self-validation lie on the outside. They can never be generated from within. [until one begins to recover] Pia Mellody's definition of co-dependency is a 'state of dis-ease whereby the authentic self is unknown or kept hidden, so that a sense of self...of mattering... of esteem and connectedness to others is distorted, creating pain and distorted relationships.' There is no significant difference in that definition and the way I have described internalized shame. It is my belief that internalized shame is the essence of co-dependency.


Functional Autonomy

Once internalized, toxic shame is functionally autonomous, which means that it can be triggered internally without any attending stimulus. One can imagine a situation and feel deep shame. One can be alone and trigger a shaming spiral through internal self-talk. The more one experiences shame, the more one is ashamed and the beat goes on.

It is this dead-end quality of shame that makes it so hopeless. The possibility for repair seems foreclosed if one is essentially flawed as a human being. Add to that the self-generating quality of shame, and one can see the devastating, soul-murdering power of neurotic shame.

The reader can begin to see how dramatic it was for me to discover the dynamics of shame. By being aware of the dynamics of shame, by naming it, we gain some power over it."

The excruciating loneliness fostered by toxic shame is dehumanizing. As a person isolates more and more, he loses the benefit of human feedback. He loses the mirroring eyes of others. Erik Erikson has demonstrated clearly that identity formation is always a social process. He defines identity as 'an inner sense of sameness and continuity which is matched by the mirroring eyes of at least one significant other'. Remember, it was the contaminated mirroring by our significant relationships that fostered our toxic shame.

In order to be healed we must come out of isolation and hiding. This means finding a group of significant others that we are willing to trust. This is tough for shame-based people.

Shame becomes toxic shame because of premature exposure. We are exposed either unexpectedly or before we are ready to be exposed. We feel helpless and powerless. No wonder then that we fear the scrutinizing eyes of others. However the only way out of toxic shame is to embrace the shame...we must come out of hiding."


Shame As Spiritual Bankruptcy

The problem of toxic shame is ultimately a spiritual problem. I call it “spiritual bankruptcy”. I suggested earlier that spirituality is the essence of human existence. We are not material beings on a spiritual journey; we are spiritual beings who need an earthly journey to become fully spiritual.

Spirituality is lifestyle – that which enhances and expands life. Therefore, spirituality is about growth and expansion, newness and creativity. Spirituality is about being. Being is that victorious thrust whereby we triumph over nothingness. Being is about why there is something, rather than nothing. Being is the ground of all the beings that are.


And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed - Genesis 2:25

Shame On Me

Any man who has felt deeply ashamed of his own moral failure will be able to relate to this article on the toxic effect unnecessary shame can have on the recovery process.

This article is posted on this blog with permission from Joe Dallas .

"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
-Job 42: 6

In January of 1984, I had my crises of truth. I was a Christian who'd backslidden into destructive sexual behaviors, and the conflict between my sexual and spiritual desires reached its peak. That was the beginning of my recovery and - oddly enough, the darkest time of my life.

All my porn had to go, of course. I had my cable service turned off, cancelled my subscriptions to erotic publications, then located another place to live in another city. Only then did it hit me that I'd ruined everything good I'd been given. By indulging in my sins, I 'd abandoned a fruitful ministry, a loving family, great potential - all wasted in a public, shameful way. And the more I thought about it, the more I sank into a bottomless disgust with myself. I began sleeping through the days, then waking up horrified at myself, remembering what I'd done, each time seeing it in a worse light. I'd cry, thrashing around in my bed in fits of weeping and moaning.

The poet Robert Bly wrote:
"Where a man's wound is,
there he finds his genius."

As part of my "penance", I called all my old friends to apologize and tell them I'd repented. I could only find a few, but one of them permanently interrupted the "I Hate Joe" cycle I'd gotten myself into.

When I got him on the phone and told him what was happening with me, the dam burst and I poured out my guilt, the miserable state I was in, and my fear that there was no future for me.

"Don't you think all this energy
you're putting into self-pity could be
put into doing something useful
with what's left of your life?"

"Well, Joe", he said, "if banging your head into the wall is going to build up the Body of Christ, please keep doing it. But if it won't, don't you think all this energy you're putting into self-pity could be put into doing something useful with what's left of your life?

That shut me up.

"And", he continued, "who knows but that someday, after you get through all this, you might have learned something worth passing on?"

I'd been drowning in shame, beating myself up but accomplishing nothing worthwhile in the process. I determined that night to find something more useful to do with my pain. And oddly enough, it was that very pain which led me into my own counseling, and then into a desire to become a trained counselor, and finally into the opportunity to work with hundreds of other men who'd made mistakes so similar to my own.

"Where a man's wound is", the poet Robert Bly wrote, "there he finds his genius."

Be sorry for your sin, by all means. But don't wallow in shame. Instead, take the time to prayerfully consider how God can convert your worst failures into useful opportunities. You just might be amazed at the genius lurking behind the wound.


Acknowledgments:

This article is by Joe Dallas, Copyright 2003

This material may not be duplicated in any form without express written
permission from the author.

GENESIS COUNSELING, 17632 Irvine Blvd., Suite 220, Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 508-6953
jdallas@socal.rr.com

News & Commentaries


1. Benedict XVI Healing From Fractured Wrist [weblink]

2. Jesus, The Compassionate Shepherd of God [weblink]

3. Church Confident to Beat Family Planning Bill [weblink]

4. Anglicans Split Over Homosexuality [weblink]

5. Controversial Homosexual "Hate Crimes" Act Set for Senate Vote Thursday [weblink]

6. Letter to a Critic: Will You Respect and Defend OUR Freedom to Disagree? [weblink]

7. Prominent Homosexual Activists Terrorize Boston Church Sponsoring Ex-Gay Religious Event [weblink]

8. Abolishing Celibacy Would Not Lead to More Vocations, Says Argentinean Bishop [weblink]

9. Abortion Issue Clouds Health-Care Reform [weblink]

10. Global Health Conference Chooses Life [weblink]



Quote for the week:

"The most loving thing we can do for anyone caught in the grips of sexual sin is to help them bring their sin to the Cross of Jesus and there find forgiveness, redemption, healing and hope for a new beginning." - Rev. Mario Bergner

Tell Them That It's Urgent

In followup from my previous post Save Our Children, Fr. Shay is now appealing to the President to certify the Anti-Child Pornography Bill as urgent. At the end of this article, there is an instruction there on how you can help on this matter.


If there is one great thing that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can do with her awesome power in the Philippines, it is to use it for the well being and protection of vulnerable children. All she has to do in her State of the Nation Address on 27th of July to win a place in legal history is to tell her Congress that the Anti-Child Pornography Bill is "urgent". All the Representatives have to do is to vote "yes" and they will save thousands of children from rape and abuse in the years to come.

That alone will be enough for the Congress to pass this Bill, the Senate version has already been approved. It's very shameful that the Philippines, a nation where the vast majority children are loved, cherished and protected by their families that the State has failed in its obligations under international treaties and protocols to protect them by law from the sexual abuse that is inevitable in the making and distribution of child pornography. This is a moral issue of the highest order; the dignity of the nation is at stake before the world.

In most countries with updated anti-child pornography laws, the crime is seen as heinous and penalties can be 5 to 20 years in prison. In the United States, an offender with multiple images in his possession can get life in prison. Most Filipinos have never seen child pornography, if they did and realized how terrible it is, then there would be public outrage and rightly so.

The developed countries are offering training in computer forensics to Philippine law enforcers to enable them to detect, identify abusers sending illegal images over the internet once the law is passed and the guidelines for its implementation are published.

Last week, two journalists were visiting the sex capitol of Central Luzon, Angeles City. Foreign and local sex tourists flock there to abuse women and children with impunity and the blessings of the politicians who issue operating permits to the sex clubs. They must be held accountable too.

The journalists were offered a DVD with the title "child abuse", "that's for free", the pimp told them, "maybe you want the real thing too" he said offering them a 15 year-old child for as little as twenty Euro( US$28 18GBP). They took the DVD and disgusted, declined the offer of the child. Not far away, police looked on unconcerned. But the journalists learned just how prevalent is the trafficking and selling of young girls and child-porn on the streets of many a Philippine town like Angeles City with a thriving sex business.

This is the shame that all decent Filipinos don't have to live with before the world. Rather than hiding in shame, we have to step forward, take a stand for the dignity of Filipinos everywhere and speak out against crimes against children. Not to do so is a form of silence that is consent.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has yet to support this important bill and urge the president to mark it as urgent. I have every confidence they will. Then, when passed, the abusers can be brought to justice. The video taken by the journalists showed a Caucasian 10 year-old blond girl being sexually-abused, they reported. This kind of child pornography entices Caucasian sex tourists to seek children to abuse in their home countries. In another clip, they said, an Asian child was being abused by a Caucasian man with a British accent and he is fully recognizable.

It is a crime that has life-long consequences as it played over the internet to a worldwide audience. A child abused at an early age and now 15 said. "Knowing that some sick person is looking at me on the computer every day in a way that no child should ever be looked at . . . makes me feel violated (again). It makes me want to throw up."

So we desperately need the President to certify the pending anti-child porn law as urgent and together we can save thousands of children from abuse.

Whatever you can do, please do it. Write P.O. Box 68, Olongapo City, Philippines. Email: shaycullen@gmail.com

Visit www.preda.org for more related articles.


*******

This is Fr. Shay Cullen's open letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appealing for the decalaraton of the Anti-Child Pornography Bill No.684 as urgent.


July 2009

Dear Madame President,

At no time in the history of the Philippines has there been a greater opportunity for the President to act decisively to protect Filipino children at grave risk than the present historical moment. Thousands of Filipino children are damaged for life when abused in the making of child pornography.

The abuse continues when the images of the sexually abused children are spread around the world through the internet and are availbale on the streets of the Philippines for all to purchase with impunity. They are shown to other children as training videos to seduce them into becoming Commercially Sexually Exploited Children and they too are abused and damaged for life.

By immediately certifying as "urgent " the anti-child pornography bill pending before the House of Representatives, House Bill No.684 entitled "An Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties Thereof, and for Other Purposes" you will save thousands of children for years to come.

The Philippines needs this law urgently to protect children and to fulfill the nations international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international protocols undertaken by the State on behalf of the Filipino People.

The passing of House Bill No.684 at your behest will be a proud historical legacy and provide protection for children for future generations.

We the concerned citizens, representatives of agencies and organizations working for the protection of the dignity of the Filipino people and the rights of the child strongly appeal for you to act and announce the bill as an urgent priority.


Please copy this and send to the following e-mail addresses (updated list):

pinglacsomngov@yahoo.com
gringo-chq@yahoo.com
senzubiri@yahoo.com.ph
senjinggoyestrada@senate.gov.ph
opsnews2004@gmail.com
nasserp@dar.gov.ph
eicabral@dswd.gov.ph
efa@dost.gov.ph
ftduque@co.doh.gov.ph
osec@deped.gov.ph
osec@denr.gov.ph
jadurano@tourism.gov.ph
osec@dole.gov.ph
pbfavila@boi.gov.ph
rvpuno@dilg.gov.ph
mis@hudcc.gov.ph
edgardo_angara@hotmail.com
sbsa_iii@noynoyaquino.ph
office_sen_jokerarroyo@yahoo.com
pongbiazon@yahoo.com
alancayetano@yahoo.com
pia@senatorpiacayetano.com
miriam@miriam.com.ph
senmds@yahoo.com
senator_enrile@senate.gov.ph
sen.escudero@gmail.com
jinggoy@senjinggoyestrada.com
senjinggoyestrada@senate.gov.ph
rjgordon@senate.gov.ph
gringo_chq@yahoo.com
ospml@yahoo.com
sen.litolapid@senate.gov.ph
loren_b_legarda@yahoo.com.ph
mam@senate.gov.ph
kilosko2004@yahoo.com
kikopangilinan@gmail.com
aqp@senate.gov.ph
rcroffice@yahoo.com.ph
senbongrevilla@senate.gov.ph
mar@marroxas.com
senatortrillanes@gmail.com
mb_villar@yahoo.com
senzubiri@yahoo.com.ph
media_sen_lacson@yahoo.com
ednasy@yahoo.com
rlneri@neda.gov.ph
osnd@philonline.com
sec.yap@da.gov.ph
arthuryap@yahoo.com
akonmf@rocketmail.com
nast@dost.gov.ph
mlperez@dost.gov.ph
ftdp@dost.gov.ph
csrwg@yahoo.com
mpo@dost.gov.ph
cmy@dost.gov.ph
mpbravo@dost.gov.ph
spu@dost.gov.ph
ellen@dost.gov.ph
bejust@dost.gov.ph
jsreyesjr@dost.gov.ph
eaf@dost.gov.ph
ebdane.jun@dpwh.gov.ph
bonoan.manuel@dpwh.gov.ph
rasuman.bashir@dpwh.gov.ph
asis.raul@dpwh.gov.ph
cabral.ma_catalina@dpwh.gov.ph
pacanan.jaime@dpwh.gov.ph
comm-osec@deped.gov.ph
hea@denr.gov.ph
oppalabyab@tourism.gov.ph
sdsarabia@tourism.gov.ph
paalburo@tourism.gov.ph
ejarquejr@tourism.gov.ph
mtmartinez@tourism.gov.ph
fsdy@tourism.gov.ph
Ralph@RalphRecto.com
ftarzaga@shfcph.com
vp@ovp.gov.ph

Save Our Children

Below is a newsletter article by PREDA (People's Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance) written by Fr. Shay Cullen exposing the horrible reality of child pornography and abuse in the Philippines. Fr. Cullen is a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and missionary priest from Ireland and a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban. He has worked in protecting women, children, and human rights in our country since 1969. At present, he is actively lobbying for the passage of House Bill No. 684 or the Anti-Child Pornography Bill. I hope that our Church leaders will throw their full support behind this initiative to help rescue vulnerable children from sexual predators and pedophiles.


Pornography and especially images depicting children being sexually abused and exploited are available on DVD's under the tables of most street-side vendors in the Philippines and other Asian countries. The absence of a strong specific law that makes it illegal to make, copy, distribute or possess such materials damages the lives of thousands of children. Such images are evidence of horrific crime against children and that's why in all civilized countries where the rule of law prevails, child pornography is anathema and violators get lengthy prison sentences. But not yet in the Philippines.

Not only are the children abused in the making of the videos, but thousands more innocent children are corrupted and led into perverted sexual acts with small children after viewing such materials. What 12 year-old Jopin did to a six year old, who can't be named, is extremely shocking. He learned what sex acts to do from a pornographic video that was left in the video machine by a visiting relative. Jopin secretly viewed the pornographic video and soon after he tried out the perverse acts on a six year old. It had tragic consequences for the child victim and Jopin.

Child pornography has spread across the world through the internet and so as the advertising and promotion of child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Every time children and minors are used in the making of the perverse videos, they are violated and damaged.

The revelation on YouTube and copied to dvd's and cell phones of a sexually explicit video of an actress and a doctor performing before the camera with mutual consent caused public debate in the Philippine these past weeks and was subject to a Senate Hearing. Many Congress people and civic leaders expressed disgust, shock and even outrage. Much of it is pure hypocrisy considering that there is a thriving child sex-trade in the Philippines with alleged official approval. However with child pornography, things could change soon.

In the Senate, Senate Bill No. 2317 entitled "An Act Prohibiting Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties for the Commission Thereof and for Other Purposes" passed the Third and Final Reading last November 24, 2008. All Senators unanimously voted for the approval. Two days after, the Bill was forwarded to the lower house requesting for concurrence. In the House of Representatives, House Bill No.684 entitled "An Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties Thereof, and for Other Purposes" has passed First Reading and has been forwarded to the Committee on Justice, Committee on the Welfare of Children and Committee on Appropriations for review and amendment. Once the lower house version has passed Second and Third Reading, a bi-cameral session will be held to come-up with a consolidated version of the Senate Bill and House Bill.

That's why it is of utmost importance for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify as urgent this important bill. The protection of vulnerable children is of the highest national importance and the presidential certification of the bill as urgent will guarantee its swift passing, that will be a crowning achievement. So readers of this column are asked to write to the president at Malacanang Palace, Manila and encourage her to make it so.

The internet is the international channel for the proliferation of child pornography. Thousands have been arrested worldwide for downloading the illegal images, but the server corporations make billions of dollars out of facilitating the evil trade, that's the one reason they do not want to install anti-child porn filters and set-up an independent monitoring group that finds the source and either blocks the offending website or helps police identify the offenders. If all the server corporations agree to do it then no one would have advantage over the other. But they can't agree. The new law must make blocking mandatory for all, voluntary self-regulation should never be a substitute for the law. So let's write letters and send e-mails, WE NEED THAT LAW CERTIFIED AS URGENT! It will save children from abuse and will help us rescue and give them a new start in life.

News & Commentaries


1. Benedict XVI Offers Commentary on Encyclical [weblink]

2. Pope Benedict Spoke to Obama on Right to Life, Freedom of Conscience [weblink]

3. Jesus Sends Us to Teach And Heal [weblink]

4. Mindanao Bishop is New CBCP Chief [weblink]

5. Mike Heath Predicts Victory for Traditional Marriage in Maine [weblink]

6. Sign a 'Gay Marriage' Bill, Lose Some Luster [weblink]

7. India Supreme Court Accepts Challenge to Legalization of Homosexual Sex [weblink]

8. Sotomayor Supported Censoring Biblical Verse on Homosexuality from New York City Billboard [weblink]

9. Redeeming the Rainbow: A Christian Response to the 'Gay' Agenda [weblink] - A powerful new online book by Dr. Scott Lively on defeating the gay agenda. You can download the entire book or by individual chapters in PDF format.

10. Same-Sex 'Marriage' and the Persecution of Civil Society [weblink]



Quote for the week:

"It's true he was a sinner. But don't pass so final a judgement. Have pity in your heart and don't forget that he may yet be an Augustine, while you remain just another mediocrity." - St. Josémaria Escriva

Approval Versus Affirmation

I got this short article by yet another unknown author which made me realize something about myself. All my life it seems I have 'tried' so hard to be the best that I can be only to gain others' approval and mistake it for the 'real thing' which is love. I have only myself to blame. I think that seeking other's approval has a lot of narcissistic elements into it because we want to be noticed, admired, needed, and accepted. It's all about me really. Never mistake affection for true love.


I recall exactly where I was standing some years ago when an extremely simple, yet profound truth suddenly dawned on me as I said to myself, "The reason I felt empty inside is because I am."

Like thousands of other kids I grew up suffering from love-deprivation and for a big part of my life worked tirelessly to gain approval, not realizing that I was substituting this for the love I yearned for deep inside.

Approval can look very much like love. It can be given in love but it isn't love, and when substituted for love it never satisfies.

Approval is based on what we do, but we need to feel loved and affirmed for who we are. Approval is a good thing when given and received for the right reasons, but when substituted for love it can become another addiction to anesthetize the pain of not feeling loved. It can be like a drug. The more we get, the less it satisfies, so the more we seek after it.

Affirmation is based on who we are apart from what we do. And only when we feel affirmed, can we get off the merry-go-round of doing all sorts of things to get approval.

More than anything else we need to know God the Heavenly Father's love and affirmation at the very core of our being. This, I believe, is one of the greatest needs of every human heart without which we may believe in God with our head but still feel disconnected from him in our heart.

And how can I know God the Father's love and affirmation at the core of my being? First, by believing that God loves me because his Word says so and taking this by faith. Second, by sharing my total self over time (especially my dark side) with one or two safe, trusted friends who will love and accept me just as I am—warts and all. As they do this for me, little by little I come to love and accept myself and in so doing I feel affirmed and open myself to accepting God the Father's love and acceptance through them.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please give me a friend or two with whom I can be totally open and honest, friends who know me and will love me still, and through whom I can feel and know your love and affirmation at the very core of my being. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, Amen."


"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV).