“I do not condemn you, but do not sin again” (Jn 8,11)
Jesus was confronted by a mob who wanted to stone a woman caught committing adultery. They were ready to give her the punishment due to her as provided by the law. Jesus looked at the crowd, and challenged each one of them to cast the first stone IF no one among them had committed any sin. When all had left, Jesus looked at the woman and told her: “I do not condemn you, but do not sin again.” The sin may have been committed, but there is hope for transformation and renewal.
The Bishops of the Philippines in 1997 said that the greatest bane in the development of the Philippines is politics as it is practiced in the Philippines. Politics had compromised our very life as a nation; our aspirations and dreams as a people!
Jesus was confronted by a mob who wanted to stone a woman caught committing adultery. They were ready to give her the punishment due to her as provided by the law. Jesus looked at the crowd, and challenged each one of them to cast the first stone IF no one among them had committed any sin. When all had left, Jesus looked at the woman and told her: “I do not condemn you, but do not sin again.” The sin may have been committed, but there is hope for transformation and renewal.
The Bishops of the Philippines in 1997 said that the greatest bane in the development of the Philippines is politics as it is practiced in the Philippines. Politics had compromised our very life as a nation; our aspirations and dreams as a people!
We have been caught lying! We have been cheating! We have been buying votes and selling our right to choose rightly and responsibly! We have compromised our principles for money and power! We have been caught doing all these and we are now about to be condemned by our children, by those we are supposed to take care and nourish: by the generation coming after us!
But, we have heard the voice of the Lord for us: I do not condemn you, but sin no more!” It is not enough that we recognize how we have failed as a nation. We need to act! And act now!
Our cry: WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!
In the exercise of our right to vote, let us not be swayed by the color of money. Elections are meant to select persons who we want to lend the power which rightly belongs to us. For power is from the people, by the people and for the people! When we elect people to certain offices, we are allowing them to borrow the power that belongs to us with the belief that they will responsibly use that power for the common good.
To lend is a far cry from selling! For when we lend something to somebody, that something rightly still belongs to us! When the borrower destroys it or does not take care of it, we can confront him and demand satisfaction for the destroyed property! But when we sell that property, how can we demand satisfaction when the property is lost or destroyed? We have sold it. It has already been bought. It does not belong to us anymore. A borrower is not a buyer nor a lender, a seller!
WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!
Let us give dignity to our vote! WALANG HIHINGI! means we can choose the right persons who have integrity and competence to lead us. It means we are freeing ourselves from persons who are incompetent and untrustworthy. WALANG TATANGGAP! frees us from the moneyed but corrupt individuals from leading us! It frees us from the burden of paying back a “debt of gratitude” which is in reality is nothing but a selling and buying of our right! In reality, we do not owe anyone, anything!
“I do not condemn you”, says our Lord. But truly, let us sin no more. Enough is enough!
But, we have heard the voice of the Lord for us: I do not condemn you, but sin no more!” It is not enough that we recognize how we have failed as a nation. We need to act! And act now!
Our cry: WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!
In the exercise of our right to vote, let us not be swayed by the color of money. Elections are meant to select persons who we want to lend the power which rightly belongs to us. For power is from the people, by the people and for the people! When we elect people to certain offices, we are allowing them to borrow the power that belongs to us with the belief that they will responsibly use that power for the common good.
To lend is a far cry from selling! For when we lend something to somebody, that something rightly still belongs to us! When the borrower destroys it or does not take care of it, we can confront him and demand satisfaction for the destroyed property! But when we sell that property, how can we demand satisfaction when the property is lost or destroyed? We have sold it. It has already been bought. It does not belong to us anymore. A borrower is not a buyer nor a lender, a seller!
WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!
Let us give dignity to our vote! WALANG HIHINGI! means we can choose the right persons who have integrity and competence to lead us. It means we are freeing ourselves from persons who are incompetent and untrustworthy. WALANG TATANGGAP! frees us from the moneyed but corrupt individuals from leading us! It frees us from the burden of paying back a “debt of gratitude” which is in reality is nothing but a selling and buying of our right! In reality, we do not owe anyone, anything!
“I do not condemn you”, says our Lord. But truly, let us sin no more. Enough is enough!
WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!
BIGYANG DANGAL ANG ATING BOTO!
ANG KAPANGYARIHAN AY NASA ATIN!
