The Search for The Truth

While discussing philosophy and religion with some friends, someone floated the seemingly iron-clad argument that “truth is relative; your truth may not be my truth and my truth may not be his truth”. In short, this puts truth (what we may define as the reality of life or, at least, our recognition of what the elusive ultimate reality is) as a subjective matter that can never be reduced to an absolute statement which we can apply to all people and all things at all times.

For instance, the “truth” or “reality” of gravity and how it works may illustrate this common argument. In outer space, things seem to float and behave as if gravity does not exist. Hence, since there is no gravity apparently acting on a satellite circling the Earth, we may say that it does not exist as far as that satellite is concerned. It does not apply and is therefore non-existent. Concluding then: Gravity is not a universal truth (that is, it is relative) for it only applies on the Earth’s surface.

Right? Wrong!

In reality, any object beyond Earth’s atmosphere (even planets and stars) remains in equilibrium amidst a set of various gravitational forces acting upon it, primary among which are the stars, the Sun, the Earth and the Moon. Moreover, its velocity prevents it from falling headlong into the Earth or into the Moon or out into space. The moment a force causes it to alter its path, it will be just a matter of time when the greatest gravitational attraction will capture it into its direction.

So it is with truth: What a person conceives as the truth exists as a tiny reflection (whether valid or not, like the Earth being flat or Newton’s Laws) of the total or absolute Truth that exists, whether we recognize it or not. Another person may therefore deem that person’s “truth” as false and thereby negate the validity of such a belief. It does not exist as far as the unbelieving person is concerned. His own “truth” or understanding of the world is what exists and what constitutes truth for him. He will live with it and may even die for it. Indeed, a person might kill someone whose beliefs might “endanger” his sacred truth. With a few exceptions, all wars have been waged due to our uncontrolled passion to defend our individual or collectives “truths”.

But The Truth – that absolute and irreducible principle – exists outside of every individual. Whether we accept a part of it or not, that Truth will remain as it is. Hence, what a person knows or believes is merely an accumulation of everything he learned from childhood, those things passed on to him and those he learned himself, whether right or wrong. Any view then is but a sum of all “truths” that have ever been accepted at any point in a person’s life. The totality of that “truth” may not remain static but may actually be in a constant state of growth or transformation. The truly imaginative or creative may find things that will refine or even alter one’s conception of truth.

Relative to the absolute Truth then, we are always moving until we approach it finally and surrender to its overpowering reality. Like the satellite that is finally captured by an overwhelming gravitational force somewhere in the galaxy. If indeed the Universe began as matter of infinite mass in an infinitely small space and expanded rapidly (the Big Bang), then the time will come when all matter will collapse and return to its original state in the beginning.

The Universe remains in perfect balance because the galaxies are in constant motion relative to one another as every matter or atom pulsates relative to other atoms. The moment the energy that propels the Universe ceases (when light is recalled – “Let there be no light!”), nothing will remain except the Truth that does not owe its existence to this physical dimension.

In the “beginning”, time, matter and space did not exist. Science recognizes that truth (with a slight variation) as a valid possibility of reality. The Bible speaks of that hypothesis as Truth itself. Or at least, part of The Truth that gives a cause or a reason for reality. That is, God created everything from nothing. This was our introduction to Truth – the one that remains infallible even if we do not believe it. The one that is independent of us, whether we have heard of it or not and whether we have experienced (or measured) it or not.

If so, a person who denies the testimony of God and His prophets does not hold a valid truth at all but a falsity. If a person prays in the name of Jesus, he acknowledges the Truth that Jesus Himself gave witness to. (That He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.”) Hence, when another person rejects that Truth, that person is deluded and dwells in un-Truth, in darkness because the Truth has not penetrated his or her life.

How then can we say that a person’s truth is as valid as any other person’s truth?

Socrates came up with a simple method to derive ultimate truth: by asking the question “why” for every underlying principle given for a proposition. For instance: An apple is a fruit. Why? Because it comes from a tree. But an avocado comes from a tree yet it is a vegetable to Americans. Why? Because they use it only for vegetable recipes whereas Fiipinos use it as a fruit dessert. Why? Because cultures have different ways of cooking. Why? Because they have different experiences? Why? And so on and so forth until the Socrates in us reaches the ultimate why?

In his life, Socrates came close to finding the Truth. Before his death by execution he said that “if there is such a thing as immortality then it is better to die than to remain here”. That kept him from weeping with his disciples who tried to console him.

Here was a man who, using his conscience and natural intelligence (and a lot of common sense), attained the stature of a wise prophet without a revealed Scripture to bank on. Yet, revelation of our beginning as humans and that of the Universe is clearly written for every person to feast on in various languages in the Bible. Science tries to muddle the issue with so much technical savvy while philosophy does it with a lot of opinionated baggage. Why? Because we have different values and tastes for truth? Because our education does not validate the obvious evidences found all around us? No, because we have allowed science and philosophy to delude us to believe that what we see with our eyes (the physical) and our minds (the philosophical or mystical) determines what is true. Many say that “to see is to believe” when in reality “to believe is to see”. Believe the Source of Truth and He will guide you into it.

Socrates thus proved that it is possible for humans to derive truth through logic or reasoning (alright, also through science), but such a method takes time and requires the abilities of a Socrates or an Einstein. The easier way to trace the Truth all the way to its beginning is to go back to it through the witness of the one Who was there working and bringing everything into existence. Who? No one else but Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1,3)

Moses wrote the testimony of Jesus when He revealed it to him on Mount Sinai. No, it was not Adam who first witnessed or experienced creation. The animals and the celestial bodies came ahead of him. Yes, after Adam was formed, his life served as witness to the reality of God’s creation. (To a certain degree, our own life does the same thing.) His aloneness gave rise to Eve’s creation. His marriage to Eve propelled the birth of human life through reproduction. Their sin led to the downfall of humans. But it also brought the salvation that the Maker Himself brought into completion at Calvary.

The ongoing human process or struggle is a continuation of our search for enlightenment and perfection. Freedom allows us to discover so many possibilities and means. Yet, history will one day vindicate the originator of all Truth, for ample evidence has been given in nature, in history and in revelation to the simple Truth that governs life. A simple “yes” to that Truth by the child or the aged begins the road to real wisdom. What a liberating feeling to know one doesn’t need to be a genius or a college graduate to understand this Truth. It is simple, valuable and available. Now, if we can only divine its essence from the complications of formal religion, more people will see it as it really is.

In essence, Christ was there at the beginning and at the end of an age deluged by sin. He was there at the beginning bringing light into existence and giving life and He was there at the resurrection granting the light of salvation and bringing back life to condemned sinners. And He will be there also at the end of all things. That is the Truth.

This Truth could not be rejected without disrupting the whole essence of the Universe and of our own existence. Why? Because un-Truth destroys relationships; it alienates and divides us from others and from ourselves. The very rejection of Truth ruptures the purity and goodness of the original design of creation – hence, The Fall. And so, the judgment of God is righteous because He has given us everything that should lead us to the acknowledgment of His very being and nature. We share His divine nature and His image – the greatest gift we have – for His children we are and were created in His likeness. How could a child disobey or not believe its father? We all know the answer for we were all children once.

A father has all the right to discipline his erring children. A teacher has the duty to lead the unaware into the Truth as well. Of course, a child or a student may debate with a father or a teacher about certain principles. Such is the process of learning. We may even, as so many do, try to argue against or refute the Truth but we would simply end up walking around the Earth and still not prove it is round. Until someone shows us the shadow of the Earth on the Moon (that is, the Truth) and free us from our ignorance.


(Photo above: The newly opened SCTEx (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) from Tarlac to Subic offers a refreshing view of Philippine countryside. Almost like being lost in a pristine place you never imagined existed. The splendid rivers, hills and mountains stretched out before you remind you of the vast Cagayan Valley. Natural wealth that sadly doesn't seem to flow into economic wealth for a country so blessed by heaven. Something just doesn't compute.)

The Handy Power of Images

The ancient cave drawings gave us the beginnings of the human practice of replicating nature and life in still images. What for? Art, perhaps? But what we call artistic expression may have been a primal or natural leaning toward helping the mind “concretize” a memory or an imagination. That is, what humans saw with their eyes or mind, their memory or imagination expressed through a novel visual record.

Perhaps, it was for a practical use. The sketcher may have been telling another person what he actually saw and wanted to make that experience more real to the other person. Drawing something a person saw for his own use only would have been an improbable thing. More likely, the drawing produced social interaction, or vice versa. But then again, it may have been just for fun – the initial motivation of art? Nevertheless, not many artists – ancient or modern -- produced art merely to keep it to themselves after all the fun.

Obviously, there was always a story behind a drawing, whether a simple one or a series of events that may have required more complex drawings, as the Egyptians eventually learned to do. Today, we have the modern art of photography and cinematography – sleek documentations of not merely what we see but what we want to see. The mind, with its limitless imaginative power, has spread this art form throughout all cultures and lands, causing an explosion of images in such online providers such as youtube.com and flickr.com. Visit these sites and one morning would not be enough to browse the thousands upon thousands of very interesting products of ordinary people around the world.

We must admit that we get as much junk as sensible material online; but it only goes to show many of us still live within the confines of our own individual caves. The darkness within our souls still causes many of us to promote the unenlightened motives of our human character. Too much adherence to carnal display and senseless acts these media serve the baser instincts and would therefore lead to further corruption of our societies – or the global society that such media have unwittingly spawned.

What then began as an innocent pastime for cave-dwellers who may have been confined indoors due to inclement weather has developed into a sophisticated and profitable enterprise for many. But if we really try to divine the statistics, majority of those who subscribe to these popular Internet media are not making money at all. The pursuit of art merely for the sake of art is making such a great headway into our consciousness. As more and more people gain access to phones with digital cameras and video-cams, the ancient urge to dramatize real and reel life – a few moments after it happens or as it happens – overwhelms our minds and our lives like a rushing flood.

People constantly upload short video clips and old and new MTVs (many of them home-made) simply to share the fun and not to make money. The development of talent in such unified craft as music-video or music-photo has such immeasurable influence and power that will either aid us in enhancing our values or corrupting them. Everyone is into it; everyone is tuning into it as well. And as expected, everyone wants to cash in on it.

The legal and social structures of societies are certainly not sensitive and dynamic enough to keep up with these techno advancements. The recent expose of doctors and nurses in Cebu who were caught on video laughing while operating on a gay patient could only lead authorities to enforce existing laws that have to do with hospital rules and professional ethics. But nothing much was made to amend or even address the repercussions of this handy power of any individual to intrude into the privacy or sanctity of our homes and institutions. (Some even flaunt or sell their own nakedness online and thereby invite people to invade their privacy. If that is not foolishness, we don’t know right from wrong.)

Yes, any agency or group may restrict the use of cameras in certain areas but even TV networks don’t think twice about using spy cameras to entrap criminals. But isn’t “Trial by Publicity” (call this Entrapment or, simply, Gotcha on Camera!) a form of offense in itself when it seeks to convict a person rather than to reform and save him? That is, as a supposedly Christian nation, shouldn’t we go to a brother to tell him his sin instead of leading him to commit it? And worse than that, let the public feast upon his bad fortune of being caught by a posse of cops and media-people? Is this how we should teach our children? But as we said, there are big bucks in them TV formats. Reality sucks; but it sure brings in much money – and entertainment.

And so, we showcase the good and the bad (mostly the bad) for whatever purpose they may serve. Showcasing is often all that matters. The stage is ready; the cameras are available. So, let them roll! Action, camera and lights! (Photoshop or Ulead can enhance the colors later.)

With so much power in our hands to reduce humanity into banal images (the cave-people did not worship animals but hunted them for food and clothing), we have remained like hunters trying to gain the upper-hand over our presumed enemies. With enough laws at hand and much more in the making, we have not learned to look at each other as essential spirits within and bearing the divine goodness planted in us from the beginning. We look upon one another not as brothers and sisters but more often as competitors and rivals. We do not want to know the goodness or the potentials of others but how we can use them for our purposes.

Perhaps, we should look forward to that day when we will invent a camera that will record the inner workings of our souls and spirits. Photographs and movies are great for documenting human drama, whether real of fictional. Some of the greatest films have captured the best expressions and illustrations of human qualities such as courage, nobility, sacrifice and love. But if we were allowed to take images of the spirit in every person we met, then perhaps we could see our own real spiritual or moral condition. It would show us how dark the souls are of those who, clad in the best and most expensive apparel and glittering under the spotlights, parade before us onscreen. It would show us how corrupt the spirits are of those who preach holiness and flatter with words borrowed from God Himself. And it would expose the wickedness of some of those who sit high and mighty in the halls of government and deliver speeches espousing their self-serving programs.

On the other hand, it could also bring out the best that is in each of us.

But that sounds like sci-fi or idealistic junk. Yet, that very idea has always been the objective of art, whether we talk of visual art or music: To highlight the worst and best of the human condition and to convict or inspire us. Art seeks to gratify our senses and to enhance our character, all in one simple act of reading a book or watching an opera, a concert or a movie. This will remain as the great challenge for artists. Perhaps, we can keep up with the boom in information by strengthening this ancient and noble goal in every project we produce – whether by a major movie company or a YouTube-subscriber.

(Photo above: What was a shot taken by my photography student has been enhanced to make the historic Spanish-style road in Vigan look deserted. Once in a while, the author peeks into the camera. Just for fun!)

A Riddle for Our Times

To find out the answer, highlight the space between the arrowheads below.


Answer: <Nobody is using the water. >






You see it often because people do it often.


Every drop counts. Conserve water and have a. . .

Happy Earth Day!


(Photo courtesy of my best-friend, Andy Bernal.)

The Mild Creature that Gives us the Rice we Eat

(Pencil sketch of a carabao, one of nature's mildest creatures. The farmer's friend and fellow land-tiller. Together , man and beast provide society with food. The simplicity of life in the barrio is a far cry from the complexity of city life.)

Reviving the Unwritten Moral Laws for Producers, Directors and Actors

It has happened a lot of times before and even after Aga Mulach and Janice de Belen did it in the ‘80’s. However, teenage pregnancies, whether among celebrities or not, occur more often now than before. Why and how this has come to pass is a dilemma which parents, sociologists and psychologists will tackle for many more years.

Let us take a brief look at this problem and try to show how and why this social malady has been aggravated by many sectors of society. From there we might find ways to solve it.

Firstly, media – particularly TV and the movies – have provided an easy access for teenagers to derive unsupervised or ill-advised exposure to normal and abnormal sexual practices. Normal sex-display, in the sense of married couples performing the act on-screen whether done with or without artistic finesse, will ultimately lead curious teeners to experience arousal and provide them the early motivation to indulge in sexual activities. Abnormal sexual acts, in the case of unmarried, homosexual or bestial partners exhibiting their passions in wild and shameless abandon, will go several steps toward distorting, if not totally destroying young people’s perceptions about sex, love and marital relationships.

With this unprecedented unbridled accessibility to adult information and entertainment formerly confined to certain individuals with perverted values, we have let loose the gates of promiscuity and immorality. The former normal social controls no longer apply and new ones implemented, if any at all, have no power to prevent our kids from being exploited economically by greedy business-people and purveyors of sleaze.

Secondly, parental guidance has all but given itself to parental “allowance”. Yes, parents still mouth the same old taboos or warnings to their children but nevertheless watch such seemingly harmless noontime shows that parade women in sexy clothes dancing seductively right in the privacy of their homes. This gradual neglect of the former strict adherence to modesty and propriety in appearance and behavior has led to the abandonment of our traditional respect for women and for the value and sanctity of the human body in our national psyche. We have unconsciously taught our children that certain things (like pumping your butt while dancing or uttering sexual innuendos) are as acceptable as overeating or staying late to watch TV. Devitalized spiritual and social values go hand in hand with our devitalized dietary and diurnal habits. Unhealthful values lead to sickly lives.

Thirdly, our civil laws have not been implemented strictly upon violators of our laws on marriage and moral behaviors. A lad who gets a girl pregnant is certainly not a criminal who deserves to be punished especially if there is no foul-play involved. However, in most cases, the parents or guardians should be held responsible for their children’s behavior. Often, such “accidents” are swept under the rug and lead to so many single mothers nowadays. If there were a commensurate sanction against parents who allow these things to happen, then there would be less of such things happening.

In older times, pregnancies led to marriages. It legitimized the relationship and oftentimes caused couples to live and grow together to become mature parents. The social controls were much stronger and more effective because the degree of responsibility and accountability expected of every individual was much higher then. Today, we have lost that sense of integrity toward oneself and toward others.

Finally, our spiritual awareness – particularly our fear of God and His punishment – has diminished to such an extent that we do not even pay heed to our laws. Corruption in every level of society is but a symptom of the ongoing social and moral decay. We have not established our children’s lives upon a strong moral foundation of solid divine teachings, thereby leaving them ill-prepared to face the threats and challenges of mature living. (Church-going, in general, no longer provides the social and spiritual deterrent to immoral behavior. Something more essential is needed to reverse the trend.) Without such moorings, they find themselves being carried by their passions and the prodding of their peers like spineless slugs.

Young actors and actresses who parade on-screen or on-stage, blinded by the glare of stardom and glamour are some of the people who become most-prone victims to immoral behavior. Their exposure to such utter lack of social control (and self-control as well) makes them easy pickings for wicked exploiters. And we know these shady characters are there operating in some dark, filthy corners of showbiz corridors.

Should not talent managers, producers, directors and movie and TV networks be held responsible and accountable – in the same way that parents should be – for the failure of some of their wards to abide by strict moral and social standards? Is a pregnant actress simply a victim of her own frailty or a product of a well-orchestrated albeit unadvertised program to orient our children to a way of life and a way of thinking which makes them moral weaklings?

Notice how liquor companies now bankroll young and innocent-looking stars to endorse their products? Or how seductive, porn-oriented magazines convince teenage stars to bare themselves before the cameras? While parents and social groups find ways to prevent such blatant exploitation, the business-people continue stashing away their booty. Decent and moral people who are helpless in protecting their children from so much trash raise their hands in desperation. Some simply smile and dance to the tune of the times.

In spite of the obvious desire of producers to instill moral values in local movie and TV scripts, we see in the actual lives of some celebrities the propensity to live “abnormal” lives without fear of being held legally or even socially liable. Their lifestyles of popularity and wealth (an almost a foregone choice as opposed to obscure poverty) have made them role-models for many innocent kids who put their hopes and dreams on becoming like their idols. Not even their idols’ worst mistakes or sins can topple them from their pedestals.

Remember Mel Gibson? After raking in his millions with his landmark movie, “The Passion of the Christ”, he got caught driving under the influence of alcohol and even cursing Jews when he was arrested. 80% of those interviewed said the offense did not affect their decision to watch Gibson’s movies. Shows you how many people thought how innocuous the deed was to them. Yes, Gibson apologized and eventually submitted himself to a rehabilitation program. Here, we know of so many drunken drivers every night who are never even accosted by policemen. (I don’t think we even have the structure to prevent speeding along EDSA. We used to have highway patrolmen decades ago.) And so, we hear often of celebrities involved in muggings and altercations but rarely hear of any of them ever convicted or punished. That fact alone convinces our youth that popularity “does pay”. In Hollywood as in Manila, they do so in more ways than one.

What do we do with these people who disregard our written and unwritten laws?

We cannot expect our political leaders to hail parents and all these media practitioners to court (or to a senate hearing – heaven forbid) to answer for their failures to raise up or train their wards according to the timeless rules of decency and propriety. That would be like the tree-and-fruit syndrome: Which is rotten, the tree or the fruit? Perhaps, we all deserve to suffer the fate of what society is going through – broken marriages, corruption, immorality, criminality and impending social chaos.

We do not wish to paint a negative picture of our society but we cannot find the reason to paint a rosy picture of it either. We seem to simply follow what happens in Hollywood where the rich, young and famous celebrities live lives of wild abandon. Unfortunately, we see and know where we are headed for but fly at such a speed that we can no longer stop. Before we get there, let us decide to slam on the brakes and get off the road to oblivion. For our children’s sake and for our children’s children’s sake.

(Photo above: The family is the living cell of the human society. Break it and you destroy a living body.)

Oprah: Live Your Own Truth (The Gay Issue)

The die has been cast. Or was it cast a long time ago? Its rolling noise only echoes more loudly now with every renewed assault on our values.

It sounded so convincing and so contemporary, anyone hearing would have nodded smugly to the tune of it. But it was an invitation to greater suffering and pain. No, a free ticket direct to hell! As if Sodom and Gomorrah never happened. As if violating your own physical gifts and those of others (it takes two to “gay out”) were as natural as buying new clothes.

But talk of hell is not chic. It is of the old school -- the one that established strong, ancient societies and upon which the one we now have dangerously totters, ready to fall from the weakened, porous timbers of moral behavior.

Nobody cares about replacing those termite-infested supports with massive steel and reinforced concrete to preserve and to protect the tested ways of decent and upright living. People have grown tired of those old, unexciting ways. We have let loose the monsters of permissiveness and there is no turning back. Never!

The idols of popular media today dictate their opinions on the masses who somehow comply, willingly or unwillingly. Or, perhaps, these wealth-and-fame-powered proclaimers simply see what the masses are already doing and only make official pronouncements that affirm those behaviors. Their honeyed word gives deviant ways a stamp of legitimacy.

Here is how they do it:

Pick out several gay couples, exhibit them as being normal, happy and fulfilled persons and let the audience cheer them for their courageous decision. Show how emotionally sincere and patently innocent they are to prove to one and all that they are no different from the rest of us. Yes, like those news reports on newly-born, pitiable conjoined twins who had no choice at birth but to suffer a fate that could have only come from God. That’s right: show how these couples have become victims of society’s rules and that their choice (their “truth”) is as equally allowable and even admirable.

Gays have long been victims. Let them have their day of triumph. Let them have their freedom. And everyone is welcome to join.

Hence, people agree to do something that a once-despised or once-ostracized minority has succeeded in making acceptable and a normal function of society through a gradual process of assimilation. And the fact that such people suffer deep psychological imbalance and spiritual turmoil that have led to callousness is swept under the rug. Why? Because they realize that they can never reproduce as normal individuals can. (And if they had the choice, they would want to raise normal kids.) And so, whether they reconstruct their biological make-up to deceive themselves or retain their functions, they remain unsatisfied or unfulfilled because they go directly against nature’s order. If that is truth then it is so unscientific and illogical.

The Romans were perhaps some of the first people to make sexual promiscuity, among other immoral behavior, as being acceptable, if not by the whole society, at least by the aristocracy. The writer who first referred to the Americans as the New Romans may have not been that far from the truth. We wonder if the extreme reactions of terrorists (obviously defenders of moral conservatism) who wish to bring down the “wicked empire” simply express their frustration against disrespect for those moral laws embedded in ancient civilizations as well as in societies that still practice them.

In truth, God executes His judgments in many forms: by violent catastrophes or through violent invaders. This was so in the past; it is so today. As the sins go; the sinners will likewise follow. We may deceive ourselves as modern and sophisticated; but we all ultimately remain as potential food for worms.

We mock God with our disrespect for His laws. What particular law, in this case? That He “made them male and female”. No in-betweens. No mistakes in design. No crossing of roles or confusion of biological functions. This is the truth. There is no other.

When God sent fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, it was to condemn homosexuality, specifically, and immorality, in general. Those people did not need the Law of Moses to know what was right. Their conscience was enough to guide them. No excuses allowed. Not even one for Lot’s wife who dared look back to her dreadful life in Sodom.

How abominable is homosexuality? Nobody who ever had some respect for God would make bones about the issue. Or perhaps, we can wait for the forthcoming movie “Pompeii” to give us a glimpse of how it was in those two sin cities. But why wait? Reading the Bible already allows us a view of such harsh judgment, if we had any fear at all.

But people no longer fear death or judgment. They want to live their lives as freely as they want. They want to live their “own truth”. This is the new gospel according to Oprah.

(Photo above: A dragonfly, unlike a person who knows to use a door to go out, remains trapped inside a glass room, a victim of ignorance.)

Doris Day and Beyoncé: How the Song Died

(Click on these links to listen to)
"Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles
"I Am Your Sister" Reynaldo Lapuz/Alina Smith

Whoever said we cannot compare apples and oranges must have lived in the Dark Ages. Or, he must have been a fruit seller arguing with a buyer who wanted to buy them at the same price. Fresh oranges are definitely more expensive than fresh apples in Manila. And I don’t know why. But as juices in tetra packs, they cost exactly the same. So, who said we can’t compare them? I just did. They are the same, both being fruits. They are different, having different tastes and nutritional values.

So then, let us compare Doris Day and Beyonce. Both are female singers. They have totally different styles and have their own separate bunch of starry-eyed fans. But why compare them at all?

We know that Doris Day sings (or sang) candy-flavored ditties that our parents and baby-boomers slurped on. On the other hand, the young ones today wriggle and pump their hips to the tune of Beyonce. But let’s forget about the beat or the itch to dance to the music. Let’s just talk about the message, the words of the song. No, let’s talk about whether we can hear or pick up the words at all.

Yes, we can see Beyonce’s lips move. We can certainly see that she is saying words and phrases (To the left, to the left….). After that the words are lost in all the wailing and scatting. So what is she saying? Phrases do not make sentences and therefore do not complete a thought or a picture in our minds. And without a complete picture, we have no story.

Without a story to connect us with others, society dies. We see images, we hear sounds, we feel the beat but we think of nothing that endures and keeps us company when we get old. And we wonder why the youth today are more confused than ever.

Doris Day sang out clear words and told simple stories. Each word came out and each thought stood out. Que sera sera, whatever will be will be…. From childhood, I heard that line and understood that there were principles at work in life. No it didn’t teach me fatalism; it taught me to be realistic. It helped me attain balance between fatalism and faith. All because a singer could not only sing well, and clearly at that, but could also live and live up to her words.

Beyonce, from what I’ve read, is a believer of Christ. Her family supports her career actively. But I still have to hear her sing of her struggles as a child of God or as a struggling Christian artist in a world of glitter and glamour. (If she has, I certainly have not heard it or must not have heard the words at all.)

Honestly speaking, I see inconsistency in believer-celebs who behave as if there was no such words as modesty and purity. This may sound harsh but I merely wish to express my disappointment at talented people who cannot stand up for their beliefs or even make the spoken word clear – if not the good word – at least the words of their songs. Or are they hiding the fact that they (or their writers) really have nothing interesting to say at all?

Too many notes and too much beat and rhythm can kill a song and its message. Or is it a given today among music producers that the message is secondary or unnecessary just as long as they get the public to plug in and pump to the music? Too much waste of talent and opportunity to do good.

Hence, the story or the message of the song has been lost in the noise of vocal and instrumental sounds. The contest has gone beyond the musical virtuosity among rival bands and singers to that of competition between the instruments and the voices themselves. The more agilely you can outplay the instrument, the better for the song. Never mind the listener. They have successfully killed the song and its story and people still buy; so why bother with the song? Just keep the music playing.

Yet, composers have the responsibility of making both words and melody merge into one functional and aesthetic composition. There are thousands of ways to do this, obviously. The Beatles did it with painful poignancy through Paul’s “Eleanor Rigby”. The first time I heard it (Note: I heard and got the story the first time without checking the song book), I felt the impact of loneliness right through the core of my being. And it still does every time I hear it. The Rolling Stones brought a similar heartfelt jolt with their “As Tears Go By”, the Zombies with “Summertime” and Harry Chapin with “Cat’s in the Cradle”. Yes, songs you don’t dance to but listen to, learn from and embrace life thereby.

When Elvis came along, he crooned ballads that spoke of tender and sweet love and belted out rough songs with gyrating music that let loose the prisoners of inhibition. Yeah, at first he spoke clearly and straight to the heart of many a young pimply idealistic lad. But when he picked up speed and shifted from his baritone to that falsetto, he had many people either confused or taken for a ride in wild abandon. The words got lost in the process. Anger and rebellion became the theme. Music became a vessel to induce a trance, a hypnotic spell that could take you to heights of passion only drugs and alcohol could match. Many more followed his steps. Once that happened, the song eventually died. Yes, the music lived on somehow (notice how they use old songs in rap songs?) but the song would take a long time to come back since the 70’s. It barely survived through the 90’s. Thanks to Josh Groban and others who have kept the sanity.

I was born and raised in an era when stories not only entertained but built society. My family would gather after supper in a half circle around the radio to listen to a comedy program. We listened, we laughed and we learned as a family. Hence, the first and foremost consideration in the ritual was a clear broadcast reception. Our radio, a wooden-framed console with a phonograph did the job well. Music and drama told stories of love and adventure. Our radio was a virtual school that relayed information and recreation.

And, of course, there were the movies back then that relived the books I loved to read: The Count of Monte Cristo, Time Machine and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The music used to be a non-distractive tool for telling the story, whether in a song or in drama. But MTV married sloppy story-telling with equally sloppy music and caused a destructive explosion. When the smoke cleared, the movie survived but not the song.

Today, through high-tech gadgets, information and entertainment come on the go. Inside the elevator and while you ride the train, hip-hop and rock fill your brain. Other mindless beats and yappity raps assault us without let-up. A few are worth listening to, to be honest, especially the ones that slow down the beat and relapse to that dying practice of telling a story with clear and well-paced words. Never mind the melody if they can’t carry one, as long as the conscious mind is involved through the story, we can ride along. A good laugh from an amusing story is good enough. But noise disguised as music – now, that, is a rip-off!

Apples and oranges. Doris and Beyonce. After all is heard and done, we all want to be filled with good nutrition or good emotional release. The thing we should be thankful for is that we still have the choice not to eat rotten apples or oranges.

(Photo above: A high school buddy listens intently to '60's music on a radio, the size of which could contain about 20 iPods.)

Idolatry Everywhere

There is a thin line between dedication and idolatry, whether we talk about journalistic profession or religious expression.

We admire those brave reporters and photographers who die while covering violent situations in their effort to take home the prized scoop or shot. We are astonished at those who have themselves nailed on the cross to keep their religious vows or at those who die in their attempt to touch an “image” of Christ. Both classes of people surely qualify for awards for dedication. But are these “sacrifices” necessary and totally unavoidable? Perhaps not. With a few exceptions, they fall squarely under the untouchable “I” word in this predominantly Catholic country and a media-dominated society like ours.

But let us make it very clear: Idolatry abounds everywhere. In Bombay, Macau, Havana, Hollywood and Manila, it is not only a way of life for many; it is the only way to live. Once it becomes a habit, everything else – one’s thoughts, one’s diet and one’s family affairs – revolves around the focused object or objective.

Unavoidably, when a person agrees to work as a field reporter, he embraces certain professional parameters that grant him the privilege of becoming what he was educated to become. Or to put it another way, one’s idealism will be slowly eroded by the realities of the bigger world beyond the campus. What used to be taboo for young, unaffected students – like dissipation, gossip or intrigue – become common fare for a newcomer in the industry, in media or in sales, which is not much different. Oftentimes, in college, the habits begin to emerge.

Age-old and newly-formed norms become the guide-posts for those who enter the busy markets and bustling fields of our institutions. For a newspaper to survive, you have to compete with others in the gladiatorial arenas of journalistic contests. Networks have to battle over fertile territories. Just as selling requires you to put your foot against the open door, getting the scoop requires you to push that mike under the VIP’s nose. A salesman hands over the pen to the prospect in order to close the sale just as a photographer pokes his camera in front of an armed rebel to take the best close-up. Tricks of the trade learned from the previous masters of the industry.

It’s always been that way and it will always be that way. The news is a god. It moves and breathes 24/7 and is eternal.

And so is the wooden or golden image. Step on the other person’s foot to keep him from getting ahead of you. No, better still, step all over him so he will not cause you to fall and be stepped upon by others. All this time, the photographers and reporters are having a heyday documenting the carnage. Idolaters – or at least, servants of idolaters -- all keeping watch over their fellow idolaters. The number of those who die in the process will be bannered or broadcast in tomorrow’s papers or radios as it has always been done before. And it will be that way again next year. And always.

The priests and religious leaders may sound an alarm but they will never mention the “I” word. Much less condemn or stop the practices altogether. There is too much at stake for the organization – as it is for the news networks. All part of a riotous but otherwise normal working day for all.

In a land full of idols – things people would willingly die for but not necessarily be jailed for – we lose our sanity and sense of order and proportion. Rights to one’s religion or one’s profession vie for equality and protection under the laws of the land. Because of their clout, the defenders of these practices prevail. In such an environment, idolatry flourishes in many forms.

A journalist would proudly claim: There is no law that prevents a reporter from risking his own life in the line of duty. Oh, yeah? Did not God say, “You shall have no other gods before Me”? Why would you die – whether willfully or mindlessly -- for something that tradition or modern culture deems more important that your own life? God precisely forbade idolatry in order to stop people from offering their lives or their infants to lifeless and inutile gods who could not see, talk or even walk a step. So why endanger yourself for something that you know could and might put your life on the altar of false-worship?

And idolatrous worship is that irrational and disproportionate dedication we place upon so many things – yes, things other than God Himself: money, position, fame, beauty, possessions, vanity and power.

The government is duly instituted by God to establish order and to preserve life. Even if it means preventing a person from causing harm upon one’s self. Obviously, it is run by people who are themselves subject to the errors and weaknesses of others. For no one is exempt. One way or another, each of us has a propensity to put too much focus, time and effort on certain idols. But the laws exist to prevent our excesses somehow.

Satan, the great Deceiver, had long perfected the art of disguise and delusion. He and his cohorts lurk behind every idol. And he does this for one sole purpose: to win over God’s entire creation and to destroy all goodness in this world. How successful he has been, we can only deduce from the flow of money (Mammon, the great idol) into such things as we have mentioned: false religion, false beauty, false entertainment, false knowledge, false power and false glory.

It takes wisdom to discern an idol. No one can claim such ability for one’s self unless God grants it. Remember that even Aaron, Moses’ own brother and the would-be high priest of Israel, utterly fell for it. And even Moses fell for it when he thought his own position and privilege gave him the right to lash out in anger against the Israelites.

Watch out then what you value in life; that is, what you pay good money for, what you spend much time with and what you have great passion for. All these things, God had given us to make us whole and for us to have abundant joy. Your health, your youth and your beauty are all gifts from Him just as the fruits of Paradise were for Adam and Eve. Just remember: In every garden, there is a poisoned fruit that looks so good, tastes truly delicious and can make you become like God. Elementary Lesson #1 reviewed: Avoid the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. More often than not, they lead to idols -- false fronts that ultimately lead to sin.

An idol, in short, puts on a false front or image that seems desirable but leads to death. The trick then in avoiding idols is to look at what is behind them. Why? Because behind the forbidden tree slithered the serpent named Satan.

Today, Satan exists everywhere and so idols also abound. Watch where you go, my dear friend.

(Photo above: The University of the Philippines Oblation in Diliman, Quezon City -- the symbol of pure, living sacrifice -- seems to glow at UP's Centennial celebration kickoff-rites last January 8. Some have misrepresented and corrupted its ideal meaning with their shameless naked run on campus. And, of course, every time, media cover it with relish.)

From Fact to Law to Truth

Acquiring knowledge follows a certain process that is intuitive or innate to the workings of the human mind. By this, we mean that the mind is able to discern a process or a fact of nature – like gravity, for example. Newton made observations regarding the phenomenon and from there laid down the Law of Gravitation. And so, after centuries of knowing how, more or less, gravity works, we know it to be a universal truth.

But let us consider a more tangible example; for instance, the wetness of water as perceived by the sense of touch and of sight. When water adheres to our hands and fingers, we get that feeling of “wetness”.

That reality or fact becomes a habitual or constant stimulus for as long as the senses and the mind can validate it as the “wetness” previously observed. The reality then – or the fact – assumes a status of being a law or a characteristic of nature that applies wherever or whenever one encounters the fact. Water in the North Pole, though frozen, will have “wetness” once it melts into liquid. And so will water vapor when it condenses on windows and walls.

The fact has now become a law or rule of nature that forms a small part of what we perceive as the reality of nature or life itself. Hence, with or without science, humans can come to the same conclusion that certain substances appear or behave in particular and established ways. The law or rule of nature eventually assumes a quality of universal truthfulness – in space and time. Thus, the “wetness” of liquid water has always been that way and will always be that way on Earth or anywhere else in the Universe, given the same conditions.

Science, however, through Mathematics can provide us with certain criteria as to the physical attributes of liquid water. At certain temperatures, water will be liquid. It can be cold or hot to the touch but the quality of wetness will remain. The density of water may also vary at certain temperatures and pressures. Still the “wetness” – which is actually an inherent physical characteristic of water’s being liquid – would not have changed at all.

Some would say, “wetness” is not a scientific or precise term to describe water’s liquidity. We would have to establish all the physical conditions within which water is found to describe exactly how water behaves, what its precise state is and how it affects our environment. Science then brings fact, law and truth to a level of sophistication or accuracy that is beyond our common view or normal use.

When someone jokes that the “rain is wet”, we laugh because we already know that. It is a fact, law and a truth we take for granted. On the other hand, meteorologists would not be satisfied with such a simple description of rain. They would need to know the atmospheric pressure, temperature, amount of rain and exact weather conditions that brought about the rain in the first place. All for the purpose ascertaining that the present conditions are measured accurately in order to be able to predict possible weather conditions in the future. Wetness then, to scientists, is a subjective quality and has no quantifiable and unique value to scientific observation. In fact, they would prefer to use the term “viscosity” or “fluidity” and proceed to measure it according to certain parameters. Such matters should not be left to unreliable and subjective standards.

Truth then can be seen both in terms of complex science and of simple human awareness. Science emphasizes the utilitarian value or the practical usefulness of knowledge. For many of us, truth or anything close to it (that the latest blockbuster movie currently showing must be worth watching) allows us to make decisions that affect our lives, if not to raise our existence to a higher level, then to simply amuse us.

When Moses wrote his five books, we presume that the things he wrote down were facts, in the first place. He could not have been writing as a fictionist or a mystic speculating on certain things or events. (No truth to the rumor that he got so bored with tending sheep that he thought of forming a new religion.) Having learned from the Egyptians how history is stringently recorded and how precise measurements are used to build structures, he could not have shifted to a sloppy form of thinking and writing that would only confuse his readers. Of much greater value than any scientific or even mere literary usefulness, his stories carry life-preserving and life-enhancing benefits. Hence, from those facts, we are able to derive the laws of God as delivered to Moses and as received and practiced by the Israelites. And as we delve more deeply into the study of the Torah, we are then led to accept – by enlightened faith – that what Moses wrote were true and therefore established the Truth that God wanted for humans to appreciate and acknowledge, as far as His dealing with the Israelite nation was concerned and as far as we Gentiles are able to discern some use from it.

How those facts were used or applied by their receptors in the time of Moses, teaches us how we can also react to the same historical facts. (Although science would readily deny their validity for the lack of measurable evidences, their truthfulness remains valid because of the testimonies of those who witnessed and wrote those facts and are therefore no less reliable than scientific facts. Why should modern science have exclusive right to the reliability of observations?) We may accept them as laws – or mere guidelines – to help us live our lives. We may even reject them as mere suggestions or even impractical ethics that have no use for our times. But certainly, the fact that Adam and Eve died because of sin gives us the first and only reliable teaching or law on why humans die. The fact that they died and the fact that we will also die confirms the law that came from God’s mouth. “On the day you eat thereof (Because of sin), you will surely die.” Moses told it as it happened and we know from his testimony that the law was and is sure. The truth applied then and it applies now. (Perhaps, if we could measure sin and death, we would find out they are equivalent in weight or value to the infinite decimal-point. Remove one and you remove the other. No sin, no death. In death, there is definitely no sin. Hence, no death (that is, eternal life in Christ), no sin.)

And so it is with other Old Testament facts that have the potential to become laws; not ceremonial laws like the Passover or burnt sacrifices, for those were “true” or applicable only to the Israelites. We refer to facts that apply to all humans, Jews or otherwise. For instance, the law against murder -- or, as it is put under a new and better law: Love one another. But we have jumped to the New Testament, which is an entirely different matter. Or is it?

(Photo above: Modern Philippine political history began with violent uprising against imperialistic powers. In the late 1900's, military leaders led battles atop horses just as Pharaoh and his soldiers rode in horse-drawn chariots when they chased the Israelites. Simple facts that tell us not much has changed in how humans think and behave.)

Light

Edvard Grieg's 'Peer Gynt' Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - 'Morning'

What power has light to overcome the darkness? What blinding attractions to imbue us with bliss?

In the beginning, light dispersed the chaos and the gloom. Tonight, it illumines the thick swathe of endless space with its piercing gaze. A star may be a tiny glint in the sky but it holds the secrets to the Universe and the portals to eternity. Put up a thousand in the vaults of heaven and behold an array of jewels to make the peasant a king and the king a pauper.

Who thought of light that it should keep us spellbound? What mind could fathom the complexity of its essence?

In the beginning, light began its journey. Now, it moves along as before, bringing us all through space and time and showing us a glimpse of what everlasting life must be. This moment may be but a glimmer of cosmic reality but it joins with infinite others to form a string of one living continuum.

The Star of Bethlehem: Was it an angel’s torch to guide shepherds and scholars or an angel’s mirror for the Light Incarnate?

In the beginning, light dispelled fear and death. Today, it emboldens the spirit still through the errant ways that have enslaved and afflicted the many who are lost. A soul may be a small gift everyone possesses but it carries the seed of Divine Life and the hope of Eternal Reunion. Call up a thousand around the Majestic Throne with their heavenly songs to make the sorrowful jubilant and the arrogant humble.

Who then sees the light and remains blind forever? Who then lives and belies the goodness of all creation.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.

Achieving Ideal Elections

Here are a few suggestions on how we may finally attain the elusive dream of creating a majority of intelligent voters in our electoral processes. The idea is based on the principle that to be able to develop an educated electorate, we must first have educated candidates. It goes without saying that an educated – as in, creative, independent and unbiased -- Commission on Elections must also be established. In the meantime, we can settle for educated candidates, that is, people sensitive to the needs and sensibilities of people.

1. Limit the use of vehicle convoys and of loud sound systems for campaigning in public places only; such as, commercial places, parks, auditoriums, Barangay-centers and malls.

Rationale: Subdivisions, residential areas, government centers and schools must remain as sanctuaries for people who desire to have quiet privacy and undistracted peace of mind. Blaring campaigns intrude into our homes in the form of noise pollution. Instead of attracting people to appreciate the festive and entertaining effect supposedly conceived by campaigners, it only irritates most people and exhibits apathy for public sensibilities. Besides, an ideal election requires people to choose qualified candidates and the best way that is achieved is for the voters to really get to know these position seekers, not just their names. And that’s all that noisy convoys amount to in general – gaining name recall. There are other ways to achieve that as shown below.

2. In the last senatorial elections, we were introduced to high-tech, multi-media campaigning, such as through podcasts, YouTube and phone text messages. The best and perhaps the most informative and closest to our elusive quest are those Internet-based virtual campaign materials that included each candidate’s qualifications, his/her stand on vital issues and audio-video clips of candidates expressing themselves.

Rationale: In terms of “getting to know you candidates”, those publicly accessible and practically free close encounters with candidates provided a democratizing step toward our goal of ideal election campaigns. This method is a lot cheaper than printing all those posters and materials. If candidates and the government worked together to institutionalize this, even those who have access only to radio and TV may be benefited by this high-tech-based info.

3. Developing intelligent voters presumes bringing the whole electoral process to a much higher level. How? By educating candidates and voters of their distinct roles and responsibilities. Going back to the basics of this democratic process involves training the public of all the steps involved. The best tool available for achieving this in the least amount of time is through multi-media. Schools and public forums will remain as the base for electoral awareness but multi-media will have a more effective influence in directing where we will be years from now.

Rationale: Campaigning has become the crux of the electoral process and not selfless service arising from a sincere patriotic fervor and not for any personal ambition or gain. As such, elections are dominated by personalities who have succeeded in perpetuating the old traditional politics. Democratizing access to vital information – and that includes knowing your candidate well – is crucial in our search for ideal and intelligent elections.

We would like to see someday a person who does not crave for public adulation and even shies away from people but who has the heart to serve people – and that is what we are after for, after all – given equal chance to be heard and elected. And that can only be possible if we allow anyone to campaign – make himself/herself known – through the various media outlets available without so much expense and so much dependence on the traditional methods available only to the moneyed and powerful vested interests in our society. Let talent, experience and sincerity overtake showbiz techniques and dirty politicking in our midst and we will rest easy that the people who run our government have our lives and our best interest in their hearts and minds.

Three simple steps which if we work on seriously, we can be on the road to progress, sooner or later. We hope sooner.

First Love, Last Love

"First Love" by Seals & Croft

I think there ought to be a law that says: First love should be the last love. Consider the following compelling reasons:

1. As they always say in songs, poems, essays and public-toilet walls, “First love never dies.” So, why go against common sense and suffer for a lifetime?
2. As they also say, “Love is lovelier the second time around.” So, why look somewhere else or complicate matters. Once you have love, never lose it.
3. When you grow older, you realize first love’s innocence and freshness has not diminished at all. So, why fight against logic and your memory? Age may take away health but not your youthful feelings.
4. First love is the mother of all other loves. It taught us the fundamentals of falling in love and opened our hearts to the magic of romance – even if much of it was make-believe. And even if your elementary teacher was your first love (OK, maybe just a crush), it was your first love who truly weaned you out of parental influence. So, why wander so far and lose that first and lasting ecstasy?
5. First love is often mutual. Why be both second or third or fourth?
6. In older societies, the first touch or kiss occasioned by first love led to marriage (by desire or by force). Why fight tradition?
7. Most people married their first love anyway. Why fight statistics?
8. As they say, “Love conquers all.” So, first love allows us to conquer everything right away. First love makes us winners the rest of our lives.
9. The Bible says, “The first will be last.” I rest my case.

Exceptions? Laws should not bother with them. We need the law precisely to prevent exceptions. Those who violate the law must not be allowed to love anymore, unless they are able to find their first love. Why should we allow anyone to disobey the law? So, you see, promulgating this law will lead to a harmonious and loving society.

Tomorrow, I will go to my friend who is a congressman and request him to file the bill.

(Photo above: In first-love's fields, we played, we fought and we learned love most of all.)