The RH Bill Controversy

The RH Bill issue in the Philippines reflects the long-standing standing dispute between the church and the state.

The Reproductive Health Care Act of 2008 is an act that aims to provide families the choice of choosing artificial family planning. The Catholic Church states that the act of choosing artificial family planning is immoral and against the teachings of God.

What does Rizal have to say to this?

In Rizal's letters to Father Pastells, he states that: "Although I do not know at all what deeds of mine Your Reverence is referring to, nonetheless it does not seem to me so objectionable that one should look at his own affairs through the prism of his own judgment and self-love, for God must have given them to us for some purpose. For if we should do so through prisms not our own, this would be quite impractical, and since there would be as many prisms as individuals, we should not know which to choose..."

Rizal is saying that submitting to the judgment of others is not utilizing what God gave us when we were born: judgment and conscience. Indeed, it is quite impractical to depend solely on the judgment of others but connecting this to the RH Bill issue, are we really following our own discerning judgment?

The church has no right to decide for the Filipino people which family planning method is better (clearly, natural family planning is having no effect considering the still increasing population of the Philippines).

People should think for themselves and make a decision that truly came from discernment.

Below is a link to an "anti RH Bill video".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOmdTVAGGks