Should we wait for Divine Intervention?

Last September 26, we commemorated the biggest inundation Manila has ever seen with more houses being flooded to the roof than any other that happened in a lot of years. This was the worst tragedy brought about by rain that I have experienced with practically the whole of Manila being submerged in high water in only a matter of hours.

Looking back, I remember an old tale about a family trapped on top of their roof, nowhere to go. The family prayed hard for safety. A boat came and asked them to come aboard for safer grounds. The head of the family, being very religious, declined saying that God will help them. So they stayed and the water was not getting any lower. Another boat came and asked them if they would come aboard, but the man stood his ground saying God will provide. He and his family stayed there and prayed. The water never abated but on the contrary, was getting even higher. Another boat arrived and once again, the man declined and just prayed for the water to subside. However, albeit their prayers, the rains did not stop and the water became higher and the waves stronger. The man shouted, “MY God, why have you forgotten us?” The heavens opened and he heard a voice, “You fool! I have answered your prayers three times but you ignored them!”
There is a very famous saying in Filipino that goes like this: Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.” Mercy resides in God; deeds are in men. What this simply means is that we cannot be dependent on God’s graces all the time. We have to do something first.

This is how I view the controversial RH Bill that continues to divide the country today. The divide was even made wider when PNoy, son of the devout Catholic Cory, admitted that he was for the passing of the bill. There had been rumors that the church, which has repeatedly opposed any and all attempts to enact a law on family planning, was ready to excommunicate the president should he continue his support for the bill. Many arguments from both the anti and proponents of the bill have been said but the question still remains, will it ever come into fruition or will it divide the nation to oblivion?

I can understand where both camps are coming from. The church has the right to lead its flock to where it thinks is holy ground. The government, on the other hand, cannot wait for Divine Intervention but has to act immediately on a problem that it faces. Population growth has always been our problem. With more than 90 million people, it will not take long before we fight among ourselves for every bit of space and the dwindling resources that we have. For government to ignore that there is a problem is irresponsible and such a huge faux pas cannot be corrected by a simple statement of “I am sorry” or “oops, I made a mistake!”

What is wrong with keeping people informed? Why deny the people of information that can easily be had. If the church’s grasp on its followers is so strong, it does not need to worry, does it? For me, what the church does is to keep the people in the dark and tell us that they have all the answers. Do they not undermine a person’s ability to be informed and be able to choose his/her plight. At least let us try to help one another and not leave things to chance or the heavens above.