I stand for women and oppose Ayala Alabang Barangay Ordinance 01-2011

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By Marie Gonzalez • Filipino Freethinkers

I come from a devout Catholic family and studied in a grade and high school that was non-sectarian (secular) but run by Opus Dei, a conservative organization in the Catholic Church. In my freshman year in high school I was taught sex education for a few weeks during Health class. The sex ed portion was eventually scrapped because of some complaints from parents.

My whole family staunchly opposes the Reproductive Health bill and wholeheartedly supports the ordinance. My mom and I both attended the public hearing last Saturday, but she was on the pro side — I was on the anti side. I’m pretty much the only one in my family that is for the RH bill and against the ordinance — and yes, it can get quite lonely.

In light of last Saturday’s public hearing on Barangay Ayala Alabang Ordinance 01-2011, I would like to share with you this letter I mailed to the barangay chairman on how the ordinance is anti-woman and supports a culture of reproductive oppression. This letter was supposed to be my 5-minute speech but the format of the hearing was changed and I could not deliver it.

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21 March 2011

CHAIRMAN ALFRED XEREZ-BURGOS
Barangay Ayala Alabang
Narra St, Ayala Alabang Village

Dear Mr. Xerez-Burgos,

Many women may feel the same way I do about Barangay Ayala Alabang Ordinance 01-2011 and some of them cannot speak for themselves because they are scared of how society will brand them. I am writing this letter on behalf of these women and oppose Barangay Ayala Alabang Ordinance 01-2011.

For my entire life, I have been blessed to live in a country where I can receive a university education, choose a career, and participate in elections. I can wear whatever I want and I am not required to cover myself head to toe in cloth. Arranged marriages are a thing of the past – I can actually choose my own husband and I can marry when I please. I have been so privileged compared to my female ancestors, but one thing that has not changed is that I still live in a culture of reproductive oppression.

I believe this ordinance will continue to uphold this culture of reproductive oppression instead of eradicate it. By censoring the sex education I and other residents in this village would like to receive, I will be deprived of my right to learn about my sexual rights. The first time I heard about sex was in 5th grade, in a conversation with classmates. The school I attended for my elementary and high school education forbade sex education to be taught. My mother did eventually tell me about sex, but again, it was very limited. I have learned about the process of conception but I have yet to arm myself with the right information to protect myself from sexually transmitted infections, defend myself from unwanted sex and sexual harassment, or avoid pregnancies. When this ordinance is passed, it will become illegal for me to learn about birth control – other than natural means – in the confines of this barangay. I will continue to be a victim of dishonest sex education.

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IGNORANCE CAN KILL

I’m against abortion but I’m for prevention of disease and unwanted pregnancy.

Do you know IGNORANCE CAN KILL ?

Do you remember Galileo Galilei?
A great scientist , mathematician and the so called heresy during his time? He almost got executed by the church and state when he announced that the world is “round” and it moves around the sun. Either tortured or blinded by his persecutors and he was refused to be buried in consecrated ground). Finally, in 1992, Pope John Paul II declared that the church was mistaken in condemning Galileo.

Do you know that Joan of Arc?
A French heroine and was executed by the state and church on account of the charge of heresy and the monstrous dress? She declared that the voices came from God . They tried to discredit her because she was poor and had no education. Joan was sold by John of Luxembourg to the English for a sum amount . They could not put her to death for having beaten them, but they could get her sentenced as a witch and a heretic.

And do you know that scientists now believe that there is God?
After calculating the universe time thru the movement of the stars and planets, scientist found the solution they couldn’t see in the Bible. For those who are still reluctant to believe, read the Story of NASA below:
“Did you know that NASA’s space programmes are busy proving that what has been called ‘myth’ in the Bible is true? Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis engine Company in Baltimore , and a consultant in the space programmes, relates the following incident:

“One of the most amazing things that God has for us today happened
recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Green Belt, Maryland .
They were checking out the positions of the sun, moon and planets out in
space where they would be 100, and 1000 years from now. We have to know
this as we do not want a satellite to collide with any of these in its orbits.
We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite and
where the planets will be so the whole project will not bog down.

Computer measurements and data were run back and forth over the
centuries when suddenly it came to a halt, displaying a red signal,
which meant that either there was something wrong with the information
fed into it, or with the results as compared to the standards. They
called in the service department to check it out, and the technicians
asked what was wrong. The scientists had discovered that somewhere in space in elapsed time a
day was missing.. Nobody seemed able to come up with a solution to the problem.
Finally one of the team, a Christian, said: “You know, when I was still
in Sunday school, they spoke about the sun standing still.”While his colleagues didn’t believe him, they did not have an answereither, so they said: “Show us.”He got a Bible and opened it at the book of Joshua where they found a pretty ridiculous statement for any one with ‘common sense’. There they
read about the Lord saying to Joshua: “Fear them not, I have deliveredthem into thy hand; there shall not be a man of them stand before thee.”(Joshua 10:8).

Joshua was concerned because the enemy had surrounded him, and if
darkness fell, they would overpower him. So Joshua asked the Lord to
make the sun stand still! That’s right – “And the sun stood still and
the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their
enemies. Is this not written in the book of Ja’-sher? So the sun stood
still in the midst of heaven and hastened not to go down about a whole
day.” (Joshua 10:13).

The astronauts and scientists said: “There is the missing day!”

They checked the computers going back into the time it was written and
found it, but it was not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing
back in Joshua’s day was 23 hours and 20 minutes – not a whole day.
They read the Bible again and there it was: “about (approximately) a day.”
These little words in the Bible were important, but they were still in
trouble, because another 40 minutes were still unaccounted for, and this
could mean trouble 1000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found
because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits. As the Christian
employee thought about it, he remembered somewhere in the Bible which
said the sun went backwards. The scientists told him he was out of his
mind, but once again they opened the Book and read these words in 2
Kings. Hezekiah, on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet, Isaiah,
who told him he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for some sign as
proof. Isaiah said: “Shall the sun go forward ten degrees, or go back
ten degrees?”

And Hezekiah answered: “It is a light thing for the shadow to go down
ten degrees; nay, but let the shadow return backwards ten degrees.”

And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord, and He brought the shadow
ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.”
(2 Kings 20:9 -11).

Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes! Twenty-three hours and twenty
minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in 2 Kings accounted for the missing day in the universe!”

Many people refuse to believe on what they see, hear or feel because ignorance still exists ; they don’t want to learn or to know to make things better. Its easier to judge on people and persecute them.

Now, there is no reason to be ignorant. Informations are all over the net – much faster to learn than thousand years ago! Let’s consider every decisions or actions we make in this world. Learn from the past and use your intellect to search for an answer.

At this time, Religion and Science must work hand in hand for the prosperity of humanity.

Let’s eliminate IGNORANCE!

South Africa

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