LGBT: Let Grace Be Total?

Ever since the gigantic move made by the US last August that shook
the world when they legalized gay marriage, pleads from the Filipino voices
proposing the parallelism of action and modification of laws were heard all
throughout the nation. Is it a time to stand up for the nations overall status
as a Christian country? Or should we follow in suit?
As of now, liberalization is what the world deems acceptable.
Movements that protect the sanctity of humans in general are considered
more important than what the Big Guy up there wants. The thing is, here in
the Philippines, those views arent tolerated. More often than not, theyre
shunned, humiliated, and demonized. Here are a few reasons why.
Firstly, we have our reputation as a solid Catholic country, the only
Christian nation in the giant that is Asia, if I might add. In the event that
many Filipinos are fed with the narrow-minded perception that being gay is
unnatural and youd go to hell for it, acceptance remains at an all time low.
Though many may argue that they accept those people as who they
are, the fact still remains that when they are presented with the possibility of
an eternity in a lake of fire, they would try to get them to see reason and
convert themselves to faith. Hence, a low level of acceptance, if you can even
call it that.
Many Christians will also be unable to get over the fact that what is
biblical may not always be legal and what is legal may not always be biblical.
This is what the separation of church and state is for. The state cannot
endorse a religion that everyone must follow. In the same way, the church
cannot promote or make its own government wherein the laws of the state
do not apply to them. However, things go into a frenzy when both parties
meddle with each others affairs, therefore putting the issued unheard
minority into a blinding spotlight and leading them to oppression coming from
the disagreeing cluster.
Second, we follow a strict set of rules imposed to us by society and of
which was also generated by decades and decades of cultivation. From
childhood, we are indoctrinated the things that we are expected to do, the
Filipino way, to be exact. While theres nothing exactly wrong with the
Filipino way, it endorses unrealistic contemplations of traditional habits
which are sometimes inapplicable to modern times.
A man, for example, is considered as the one who will raise the family
and guide it towards success. Expectations are automatically pressed upon

him that he is supposed to be intelligent, physically fit, and businessoriented. He is anticipated to marry a beautiful wife, have three kids, and live
happily. In simpler terms, from birth a man is to be a padre de familia.
Breaking one of these breeds disappointment and dispute within the family.
Why waste your time on another padre de familia? He has his own family to
feed!
Lets proceed to that of the womans. Ever since then, the roles of
women as the caretakers and domestic ones within the society has long been
abolished. However, the qualities of a domestic woman is still pressed to that
of the modern one. She should know how to cook, clean the house, do the
laundry, wash the dishes, run errands, and avoid sex up until marriage for it
will sully her, therefore rendering her worth less than what it was before. If
this woman was to love another woman, she is a waste in the sense that her
talents were molded that way so that she can serve her future husband well.
Lastly, our political system was made in such a way that religion is
intertwined deeply with it. Recite the Panatang Makabayan and Akoy
Pilipino. Sing Lupang Hinirang. If these arent strong enough evidences to
you that prove that God and this countrys constitution can be technically
called husband and wife, then I dont know what will. Also, it is directly
specified in the 1987 constitution concerning the family code that in a
household, there must be a wife and a husband. There is a law here that
directly tackles the possibility of gay marriage, wherein in the USA, the
definition of who can be married was vague and filled with loopholes the
movement took advantage of.
Before making judgments that concerns the law, we have to remember
to take things into context. America is an entirely different nation as the
Philippines, possessing different laws and enshrining different values. Piece of
advice for the LGBT community out there? Marry in the countries that allow
gay marriage and be happy. Dont let the Philippines become your closed
walls.
In the near future, propaganda concerning gay marriage may end up in
failure or end up in success here in our nation. If however that grace becomes
equal in all of the nation regarding rights to marry, it should hinder no faith
and obstruct no joy.
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