MEMA ENTRY #3

James Stephen H. Balbuena

2020-05374

The early societies have been organized and stabilized by these innovations:
bureaucratic administration, alphabetic writing, and portable congregational religions. 1 These
pillars do not exist in a vacuum and have been interdependent and influenced not only the
society but each other. Therefore, this proves how entrenched religions are in our writings, our
government institutions, and society. It is evident in how the writing system during the pre-
Spanish era is based on Brahmi scripts in Asoka Inscriptions. 2 Furthermore, the church still
holds influence in issues and legislation about divorce3, SOGIE bill4, and RH bill5. These
philosophical and religious thoughts serve as the guiding and stabilizing principle for societies to
make inequality and insecurity more bearable. They also gave legitimacy to conquests and
states like sultanates, kingdoms, and empires.

However, we must consider that religions also enabled backward policies, violence and
immorality, and worse, wars. If these religions are fundamental in establishing and developing
societies, is it still possible without all of these? Even if they are hailed as bringers of stability
and hope, they also emerged as enabler of instability and death. If it is not possible to create a
civil society without religion, is anarchy more preferrable than the status quo?

I believe that morality is not exclusive from a higher being, for even Buddhism emerged
without the belief in a god. Therefore, morality emanates from humanity and its recognition
could be the guiding principle of early societies. The exclusive value with the acknowledgement
of humanity as the source of morality removes the concept of absolutism, which makes dogmas
unquestionable for it is beyond our comprehension. This fluidity incentivizes society to exist
without ideological hegemony and allow principles to be more dynamic and relevant. Even if it
fails to make a civic society, I would still argue that it is more justifiable, for conflicts created are
more individualistic and micro-scale for no institutions would be empowered and established to
have a monopoly of violence, which empowers select few.
References:

1. McNeill, John and McNeill, William. "Webs and Civilizations in the Old World, 3500 bce -
200 ce" in The Human Web: A Bird's-eye View of History (pp. 60-68)
2. Rosa Vallejo, “Books and Bookmaking in the Philippines,” National Commission for
Culture and the Arts, June 2, 2015, https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-
3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-cultural-heritagesch/libraries-and-information-
services/books-and-bookmaking-in-the-philippines/.
3. David Hutt, “The Missionary Position: Divorce in the Philippines,” The Diplomat, August
2, 2016, https://thediplomat.com/2016/08/the-missionary-position-divorce-in-the-
philippines/.
4. Aika Rey, “Is It Dangerous or about Love? Church Groups Split over SOGIE Bill,”
Rappler (Rappler, September 4, 2019), https://www.rappler.com/nation/church-groups-
split-sogie-bill.
5. Jovic Yee, “Church Opposition Stalling Reproductive Health Law,” INQUIRER.net, July
22, 2019, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1144442/church-opposition-stalling-reproductive-
health-law.