Showing posts with label medieval catholicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medieval catholicism. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 02, 2015

CAINGAT CAYO!! ...Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere, and a Warning from the Catholic Church in Our History (REVISED 6/2/2015)

Noli Me Tangere and the Catholic Church in Our History
[Subtitle: Sa manga masasamang libro,t, casulatan]



“Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.”- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

“Most people would rather die than think, in fact, they do so”. – Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

" Fear history, for it respects no secrets" - Gregoria de Jesus  (widow of Andres Bonifacio)

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LET US NOT KEEP OUR HEADS IN THE SAND

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Hi All,

After the novel Noli Me Tangere, written by Dr. Jose P. Rizal, was published in 1887, the article CAINGAT CAYO was issued as a warning to Filipinos by a Spanish Catholic priest about God's damnation that will befall them for reading the novel.

I remember it was during my teens and only after leaving the seminary that I became aware, bought, and read Rizal's two novels: Noli Me Tangere and its sequel, El Filibusterismo (translation by Leon Ma. Guerrero). At the time, I read them voraciously, with feelings of anxiety, shock, and wonder.

It can safely be said that past, present, and future generations of us native Malay Filipinos were/are/will be conditioned in an atmosphere of fear of God (and of the church, i.e. hierarchy) and being recruited by Satan/Devil to a hell of eternal damnation. Such fears have created in us a habit of mind, of conscious and/or unconscious self-censorship in our thoughts, way of thinking, and action.

Like a herd of sheep we look and wait for our so-called God's shepherds to tell us what: to think, question, and do; or what not to think, question, or do. We learn to live and practice the admonition "let us not go there" when we talk about certain important issues, i.e. Christian religion/belief systems.

We do not seem to realize that till today, our Filipino Christianity is still mainly that of the medieval outlook/version as compared to those of many other considered Christian countries (though simultaneously strongly secularized). 


Given that some native Filipino priests are trained in still conservative Spanish theological schools/universities, I suspect not many progressive changes can be expected in such an outlook.


Our Filipino version of Christianity has worked:

- as an escape from reality, which makes Karl Marx's 165 plus-years old charge that “religion is the opium of the people” as valid and true;


- as a source of the conservative point-of-view, reactionary at worst; which has greatly contributed against the development of critical thinking (about our universe, about the establishment -our socio-economic-political systems and institutions, etc.) among us native Filipinos;

-and consequently served as a primary impediment to the requisite fundamental changes in ourselves as individuals and our homeland/society, i.e.internal and external obstacles to progress/common good.

Let us recognize and be reminded that, generally speaking, religion produces three tendencies: conservative, reactionary, and progressive.

It seems conservatives draw strength and comfort from the faith of their parents, as most native Filipinos (or for that matter many the world over do whatever their institutionalized religion, i.e. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, etc.).  The danger of conservatism is that it tends to defend the status quo. Under pressure, the conservative can become reactionary.

As we have witnessed, reactionaries and fundamentalists claim The Truth based on (their) scripture; convinced they possess the one true religion and advocate to enforce (their) supposed divinely revealed laws, i.e. Islamic order, Christian republic, a Jewish state.

Progressives cherish their traditions, narratives, myths, and doctrines but do not take them literally.  Thus they tend to be respectful of other traditions and more open to interfaith dialogue. They promote historical and critical approaches to scripture to locate the essence of religion -as a powerful source of either despair or hope-  in our individual spiritual quest (not the same as religious) and in our struggle for social justice.

- BERT M. DRONA

Addendum:

- I did not attempt to change the original(old style) Tagalog writing of the time. 

- History was not taught to us (our teachers did not know either or our Catholic schools did not allow it) :


SPANISH FRIAR WARNED THE NATIVE FILIPINO AGAINST READING "NOLI ME TANGERE" via 'CAINGAT CAYO!!" (An expression of monkish hatred of Jose Rizal by Augustinian Fr. Jose Rodriguez,1888.)

[NOTE: On August 3 of the same year, Marcelo H. Del Pilar writing under the name "Dolores Manapat" wrote a pamphlet in answer to Fr. Rodriguez's work which he entitled "KAIIGAT KAYO" (Be slippery as an eel).


It could be said that the malicious work of Fr. Rodriguez became the spark that ignited and destroyed the power of Spain over the Philippines.
- Transcribed by J.C. Balmaseda-J.C.B./Project Gutenberg]


[Paalala ng nagsalin: Ang sumusunod na pasimula ng taga pag-ingat ng libro ay isinasama sa edisyong ito bagaman hindi kasama sa orihinal na pagkakalimbag.


"Ang polyetong ito'y ipinangalat nang walang bayad halos noong taong 1888 bilang paghamak kay Dr. Rizal at sa mga akda nito. Ang may katha ay isang paring kastila sa pangkat ng mga agustino.


Noong ika-3 ng Agosto ng taon ding yaon, ang polyetong ito ay tinugon ni Marcelo H. del Pilar sa isang polyeto ring pinamagatan namang "KAIIGAT KAYO" na may lagdang "Dolores Manapat".


Masasabing ang 'kalikutang' ito ni Fr. Rodriguez ay siyang naging titis na nagsiklab at siyang pumugnaw sa Kapangyarihan ng Espanya sa Pilipinas.


J.C. Balmaseda-J.C.B."/Project Gutenberg
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"Upang maitindig natin ang bantayog ng ating lipunan, kailangang radikal nating baguhin hindi lamang ang ating mga institusyon kundi maging ang ating pag-iisip at pamumuhay. Kailangan ang rebolusyon, hindi lamang sa panlabas, kundi lalo na sa panloob!" --Apolinario Mabini, La Revolucion Filipina (1898)
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¡CAIÑGAT CAYO!

Sa mañga masasamang libro,t, casulatan.


May lubos na pahintulot ang mañga Puno


Ang librong ito,i malilimus sa halagang isang cuarta ang isa; sa halagang sangsalapi ang sangdaan, at sa halagang apat na piso ang sanglibo, doon sa Asilo de Huérfanos sa Guadalupe, sa bayan nang San Pedro Macati, provincia nang Mainila.

Ang sulat na hingi ay ipadala sa P. Director cun sa Hermano Inspector nang Asilo, at bahala sila magpadala sa ituturong padadalhan sa Mainila.

Pequeña Imp. del Asilo del Huérfanos 1888.
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I.
Caiñgat ñga cayo sa manga masasamang libro,t, casulatan, sapagca,t, dapat ninyong tantoin na may isang cautusan ang santa Iglesiang Ina natin na ipinagbabaual ang pagbasa nang manga masasamang libro,t, casulatan, pati nang pag-iingat at pagcacalat noon; at ipinag-uutos pa na ang sino mang magcamayroon nang gayong libro,i, ibigay agad sa manga Puno nang santa Iglesia, sa Confesor cun sa Amang Cura caya; at cun sacali,t, di maibibigay ay sunuguin man lamang tambing. At ang utos na ito,i, mahigpit na di sapala, na cun di ninyo ganapin ay icapagcacasala ninyo nang casalanang daquila, at cun magcaminsa,i, maguiguing excomulgado pa cayo dahil sa pagbasa noon. Caya cun cusain ninyong basahin ang isang librong natatalastas ninyong baual nang santa Iglesia ay magcacamit cayo nang casalanang daquila, at cun sa saui ninyong palad ay abutin cayo nang camatayan sa gayong calagayang ay mapapacasama cayong magpasaualang hangan.

Ang manga Puno nang santa Iglesia, sa macatouid, ang santo Papa at ang manga Poong Cardenal na pinatungculan niya, sampon nang mang̃a Guinoong Obispo, ay mayroon silang capangyarihan macapagbabaual nang balang mamasam-in nilanglibrong icasasama nang mang̃a calolouang quinacaling̃a nila; at caya ng̃acatungculan naman nang baua,t, sino mang cristianong sundi,t, ganaping lubos ang canilang mang̃a utos tungcol dito. Ang balang minamasama,t, ibinabaual nila,i, tinatandaan nama,t, isinasacay sa isang librong pinacalistahan nang mang̃a librong baual at masasama.

Ng̃uni,t, palibhasa,i, hindi mangyayaring mabalitaan nila,t, maquita ang lahat na mang̃a masasamang librong ipinagcacalat sa sangcacristianohan; na caya,t, di naman mangyayaring matang̃ing maipagbaual na lahat; at sa cabila nama,i, cun itulot na basahin hangan di tang̃ing ipagbaual ang mang̃a gayong libro,i, macasasamang lubha sa mang̃a caloloua; dahil dito,i, ang santa Iglesia, ang mang̃a nasabing Puno baga nang santa Iglesia, upang mahadlang̃an hangan macacayanan din lamang, ang gayong mang̃a calaguim-laguim na capahamacan, ay mayroong ibinigay sa atin nang mang̃a utos na paraang pagcacaquilanlan nang mang̃a libro, na, cun di pa tang̃ing ipinagbaual, ay dapat nating parahing baual; at cun sacali,t, basahin ay ipagcacasala natin nang casalanang daquila, na para rin cun basahin ang tang̃i nang ipinagbaual. Isusunod co ng̃ang sasaysayin dito ang mang̃a pang̃ulong utos na paraang aquing sinabi, at nang mapagquilala mo, guiniguilio cong bumabasa nito, ang dapat mong asalin tungcol dito sa lubhang mahalagang bagay na icaliligtas nang caloloua mo sa capahamacang ualang hangan.

II.
Ang caunaunaha,i, baual ang lahat na mang̃a libro sa Santong Casulatan na inihulog nang mang̃a ereje sa uicang castila, cun sa uicang tagalog, cun sa alin mang uica; cun sacali,t, cristiano man ang maghulog ay cun ualang pahintulot ang mang̃a Puno.—Caya ng̃a ang lahat na mang̃a libritong hang̃o sa santong Sulat sa bagong Testamento, na ipinagcacalat na limbag sa Oxfort at sa Hong-kong sa uicang castila at cung magcabihira,i, sa tagalog, ay pauang baual; sampon niyang mang̃a Evangeliong uicang castila cun tagalog caya, na iniing̃atan nang marami, cun isinasabit sa liig na parang anting-anting, ay baual din naman.

Ang icalaua,i, baual din ang mang̃a librong sadyang nagtutucoy, nagsasalita, cunnagtuturo caya nang calibugan, cahit doo,i, ualang nahahalong maling aral cun erejía caya.—Alinsunod dito,i, baual iyang lahat na mang̃a palasintaha,t, auit at corridong paraparang mahahalay, na totoong quinauiuilihang basahing nang caramihang mang̃a tagalog, lalaqui man at babayi man. ¡Daming ba pa nang mang̃a nang̃apapang̃anyayang caloloua dahil dito sa mang̃a tampalasang auit at palasintahan! Cun touirin ninyong mabuti ay agad matatalastas na ang pagcapang̃anyaya nang di mabilang na mang̃a bagong-tauo,t, dalaga,i, nagmula sa pagbasa nitong mang̃a baual na auit at palasintahan.

Ang icatlo,i, baual naman ang mang̃a devociones cun tauaguin, ang mang̃a panalang̃in, at mang̃a casulatang quinapapalamnan nang mang̃a pang̃acong sinung̃aling, na di umano,i, ang mang̃a gayo,t, gayon ay ualang di pangyayari.—Caya ng̃a,t, alinsunod dito,i, iyang mang̃a panalang̃in, at iyang mang̃a casulatan na di umano,i, nalaglag sa Lang̃it, at nasumpung̃ang nacababao sa santo Sepulcro, sa altar cayang pinagmimisahan nang santo Papa, at iba,t, iba pang ganito na ipinalimbag sa mang̃a panahong ito sa uicang castila ma,t, sa uicang tagalog, at ipinagcacalat na mainam nang mang̃a alagad nang demonio, ay pauang baual, at ipagcacasala nang sino man ang pagdarasal at ang pagbasa noon, pati nang pagcacalat at pagiing̃at niyon.

Ang icapat ay baual din naman ang lahat na mang̃a libro, mang̃a munting fojas, at munti man mang̃a casulatang nagtuturo nang panghuhula, panggagayuma, pangculam, at iba,t, iba pa.—Ayon dito,i, ipinagcacasala ang pagbasa,t, pag-iing̃at ang mang̃a lunario, cun tauaguin nang iba; at iyang lahat na mang̃a casulatang iniing̃atan nang mang̃a hang̃al na ualang namumuang̃an; na marahil cun caya iniing̃ata,t, pinaniniualaan ay di umano,i, sulat yaon nang mang̃a matatanda, na mang̃a hang̃al pa sa canila.

Ang icalima,i, baual na lahat ang mang̃a libro na hangan sa taon 1584 at hangan ng̃ayo,i, nilimbag ó lilimbaguing ualang itinuturong pang̃alan nang sumulat ó cumatha, nang nagpalimbag, nang pinaglilimbagan, pati nang panahong ipinagpalimbag; at cun sacali ma,t, may itinuro ang lahat nang ito,i, mang̃a hindi totoo ang itinuturo, at paconouari lamang;sapagca,t, ito,i, nagpapaquilalang dapat pang̃anibang may taglay na lico,t masasamang aral na di dapat basahin nang isang cristiano.—Alinsunod dito,i, ang lahat na mang̃a auit at corrido, na arao-arao,i, ipinalilimbag na ualang pahintulot, at ualang itinuturong may catha, (na palibhasa,i, iquinahihiya ang sinulat ay di ibig na maquilala) ay paraparang baual na lahat; lalong lalo na,t, ang caramihan niyang mang̃a auit ay mang̃a punong puno nang mang̃a camaliang di naayon sa mang̃a aral nang santa Iglesia.

Gayon din naman iyang mang̃a libro,t casulatang ipinagcacalat ng̃ayon sa uicang castila at sa uicang tagalog na aula ring itinuturong may gaua,t, may palimbag; at ang laman niyon ay pauang cabulaanang laban sa señor Arzobispo at sa mang̃a Pareng religioso, na pati nang mang̃a cagalang-galang na mang̃a Madre religiosa, ay di rin quinaalang-alang̃anan nang tampalasan nilang pluma, ay ang lahat na ganiyang mang̃a libro,t, casulatan ay baual na basahin, at ipagcacasala nang daquila ang pagbasa,t, pag-iing̃at noon, at lalong lalo na ang pagcacalat.

Pauang cabulaanan, uica co; sapagca,t, cun mapatotohanan nila sana ang canilang mang̃a sinasabi ay hindi nilang ipagmamacahiyang maalaman ang canilang mang̃a pang̃alan; at cun totoo sana ang laman niyang mang̃a carimarimaring sulat ay ualang sucat icatacot ang may catha man, ang lumimbag man, ó ang nagpapalimbag, at nagpapacalat caya, cahit sila,i, ipaghabla,t, isacdal sa Justicia nang mang̃a pinararatang̃an nila nang gayong mang̃a casamaan. Tunay ng̃a pala na ang mang̃a nagcacalat nang mang̃a gayong sulat na anónimo (ualang pang̃alan) ay sucat ipaquibilang sila sa mang̃a tauong ualang hiya!

Ang icaanim ay baual ang lahat na mang̃a librong sulatin cun ipang̃alat, na ang taglay na laman ay mang̃a maling caisipa,t, mang̃a aral na laban sa pinasasampalatayanan sa atin nang santa Iglesia.—Gaya nang̃a baga nang librong catha nang Dr. Rizal, na ang pang̃ala,i, Noli me tangere, na pinupuri,t, binabasang ualang agam-agam nang maraming natuturang cristiano, baga ma,t, sa pagbasang ito,i, nagcacamit sila nang casalanang daquila; sapagca,t, ang nasabing libro,i, punong puno nang mang̃a erejía,t, mang̃a aral na laban sa ating santa Religión.

Halos sa baua,t, fojas at sa baua,t, talata ay may mababasa roong mang̃a sabing sinung̃aling, mang̃a udyoc na capangahasan, mang̃a nacamumuhi,t, mahalay na iparing̃ig sa mang̃a tunay na cristiano, mang̃a paglalapastang̃an sa mang̃a cagalang-galang na Puno nang santa Iglesia at sa caramihang cristiano, mang̃a pagsisiphayo sa Dios, mang̃a camangmang̃a,t, cahunghang̃ang humihicayat sa pagcampi sa tacsil at sucab na si Lutero at sa iba pang mang̃a ereje, mang̃a aral na lubhang lihis at mang̃a erejíang tunay; ano pa,t, hangan sa umuudyoc upang houag sampalatayanang may Dios. Ang lahat nang ito,i, pauang mababasa diyan sa tampalasang libro, at caya baual na basahin, at ang pagbasa noo,i, isang lubhang mabigat na casalanan. At ang may catha noon, ang Dr. Rizal baga, cun taimtim sa caniyang loob ang mang̃a sinulat niya sa nasabing libro at hindi pa niya pinagsisisiha,t, tinatalicdan, ay dapat na ariin siyang tacsil at tampalasan sa Dios, ereje at excomulgado.

Tingni, mang̃a guiniguilio cong tagalog, tingni,t, masdan itong caauaaua capoua ninyong tagalog, na pinupuri nang marami sa inyo na parang ualang capara sa carunung̃an; ualang dao ga sino si Rizal; di umano,i, capurihan dao nang lahi ninyong tagalog, na sucat ninyong ipagparang̃alan. ¡Ay sa aba co! At lalong catampatang sabihin, na sucat inyong ipagmamacahiya ang gayong cahabag-habag na bulag na loob; sapagca,t, siyang caunaunahang tagalog na cusang gumamit nang caniyang camay sa pagsulat nang mang̃a catacot-tacot na catampalasanan sa Dios, sa ating santa Religión cristiana, at sa mang̃a sinasampalatayanan natin.

Bucod pa sa siya,i, tampalasan, ay hañgal pa naman sa madlang bagay; sapagca,t, cun siyasatin ang pagcagaua nang nasabing libro,i, isip ninyong hindi ang camay nang may bait na tauo, cundi ang paa nang isang mangmang ang isinulat noon; at halos sa lahat nang fojas ay mapagmahal na ang gumaua,i, hang̃al na hang̃al sa paghahanay nang masanghayang pananalita, lalong lalo na sa uicang castila; ang totoong tang̃ing matatanghal doon ang sino man ay ang isang sucab at tacsil na pagcapoot niya sa ating santa Religión at sa España.

Ang icapito,t, catapusa,i, baual ang lahat na mang̃a librong malaqui ma,t, maliliit, ang mang̃a munting calat na casulatan, ang mang̃a diario, at balang nang sulat na ang laman ay lumalaban sa mang̃a aral nang santa Iglesia; ang tanang casulatang nagpupuri sa mang̃a camaliang hinati,t, sinala nang santo Papa, gaya nang mang̃a sinala ni Pio IX sa caniyang casulatang padala sa sangcacristianohan, nang 8 de Diciembre de 1864; ang balang nang sulat na cumucut-ya sa mang̃a Santong guinagalang nating sa mang̃a altar, cun nagsasalita caya nang mang̃a cabulaana,t, ipinataratang sa canila nang mang̃a gaua, mang̃a uica,t, mang̃a acalang di ucol sa cabanalan; ang lahat nang mang̃a librong nanunuya sa mang̃a Sacramento,t, sa mang̃a ugaling paraang na ipinag-uutos nang santa Iglesia sa pagmimisa, pagdarasal, at sa iba,t, ibang mang̃a gauang magaling; at sa cauacasa,i, ang dilang casulatang sa conouari ma,t, di conouari ay cumacampi sa mang̃a camaliang aral na laban sa pananampalataya at sa mang̃a mabanal na asal.—Laban dito sa cautusang itong bigay nang santo Papang si Pio IX, upang masaula ang mang̃a cristiano sa pagbasa nangmg̃a masasamang diario, ay hindi lamang nagcasala ang mang̃a bumabasa nang balang na sa mang̃a nasabing casulatan, cundi pa naman ang nang̃acacatulong sa pagpalimbag at sa pagcacalat, gaya baga cun limbaguin, ipagbili, bilhin, pasulat at iba pa.

Ang pitong utos na ito,i hang̃ong lahat sa libro nang indice sa naturang casulatan ni Pio IX na dapat nating talimahi,t, ganapin, cun tunay nating ibig na mapacagaling.

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III.
Bucod pa sa rito,i, cun caya gayon ang ipinag-uutos nang santa Iglesia sapagca,t, ito,i, utos din naman nang Dios, na turo sa atin nang catutubo nating bait; na cahit di ipagbaual nang santa Iglesia, at mauala man ang listahan nang mang̃a librong baual na, at cahit di nagcaroon nang mang̃a utos na paraang pagcacaquilanlan nang mang̃a masasamang libro, ay nagtuturo sa atin ang catutubo nating bait na di dapat basahin ang mang̃a gayong librong masasama. At sa catunaya,i, magsabi ca sa aquin: ¿di caya baga mabigat na casalanang laban sa icalimang utos nang Dios ang cumain cun uminum caya nang lasong icatatapus nang sariling buhay, at icamamatay nang ating catauan? Ay ano ¿di caya baga lalong mabigat na casalanan ang cumain nang lasong icatatapus nang buhay nang atin caloloua, na icamamatay baga niya dahil sa pagcauala sa caniya nang pananampalataya?

Diyata,i, pinatotohanan co sa iyo na ualang mabisang lasong icamamatay nang ating catauan na sucat mapara sa lasong taglay nang masasamang libro; lasong sacdal nang bisa sa icasisira nang pananampalataya,t, icamamatay tuloy nang ating caloloua; lason ng̃ang camatay-matay na capag nahahalata nating nasisilid sa ano mang casulatan ay catungculan nating pang̃ilagan, at cun dili,i, magcacamit tayo nang mabigat na casalanan cun ituloy nating basahin. Caya ng̃a ualang maimatouid ang maraming bumabasa nang mang̃a librong limbag ma,t, sulat camay, gaya nang mang̃a cay Rizal, na ang itinututol nila,i, di pa ipinagbaual; sapagca,t, cun di pa tang̃ing ipinagbaual, ay baual na talaga, ayon sa mang̃a cautusang sinasaysay na; at bucod pa sa rito,i, capag naquiquitang may lason nang mang̃a erejía at mang̃a lisiyang aral ay ipinagbabaual nang catutubo nating bait, na nagpapaquilala sa ating yao,i, utos nang Dios. Sucat na lamang na sabihin sa iyo nang Confesor ó nang ibang mabait na Sacerdote, cun nang iba pa mang tauo na nacacaalam, at cahit icao man ang Páhiná 19macamasid na ang gayong libro,i, masama, at pagdaca,i, dapat mong bitiua,t, ibigay sa iyong Confesor cun sa iyong Amang Cura, at cun dili caya ipagatong mo sa apoy; sapagca,t, cun pabayaan mo muna sa bahay may pang̃anib na mabasa; at ang cusang lumalagay sa pang̃anib ay diyan siya mapapang̃anyaya, uica nang Dios Espíritu Santo.

Caya ng̃a, cristianong bumabasa nito, ay houag cang paraya sa iyong sarili, na gaya nang ibang marami na ang acala,i, hindi totoong nacacapahamac ang pagbasa nang mang̃a masasamang libro; sapagca,t, hindi masama lamang, cundi casamasamaan ang quinasasapitan nang sumusuay sa mang̃a utos na ito. ¡Ay capatid co! Sinong macapagsasalaysay nang mang̃a casiraang nangyayari sa mang̃a caloloua dahil sa pagbasa nang Páhiná 20mang̃a masasamang libro? Ang uica nang P. Doctor Sardá: «na ang isang masamang librong may taglay na mang̃a tacsil na udyoc, cun mang̃a mahahalay ang halimbaua ay higuit ang casamaan sa mapagcanulong caibigan, higuit ang cahunghang̃an sa mahunghang na maestro, at lalong dapat capootan sa magdaraya,t, mapaghibong tauo.

Ualang imic-imic, at di nang̃adaramdaman ay unti-unting binabagbag ang puso, inililigao ang lalong matalinong isip, sinisira ang lalong maayos na cabaitan, hinihila ang calooban sa mang̃a lisiyang asal, pinupucao ang mang̃a mahahalay na pita, pinapaniniig sa maruruming gaua at malibughaang casalanan». ¿Ano caya ang dahil na yaong binatang dating mabait at masunurin sa magulang ay ng̃ayo,i, naguíng mapagyabang at ualang cahihiyan? Cun ano,t, yaong dalagang dating masayang loob at mahinhing asal ay ng̃ayo,i, laguing namamanglao at caguitla-guitlang ugali? Cun sino ang nagnacao sa canila nang cabaitan, nang cahinhinan, nang casayahan nang loob, sampon nang casiglahan nang canilang catauan?

¡Ay sa aba co! Yaon palang tampalasang libro, yaong mahalay na auit, yaong carumal-dumal na palasintahan, yaong maruruming tula, na paraparang pinatutuloy sa bahay nang ualang pag-iing̃at na magulang! ¡Ay sa aba ninyo, mang̃a magulang! at cayo ng̃a ang hihing̃ang sulit nitong mang̃a casiraang iquinapapahamac nang di mabilang na mang̃a masasama na di ninyo pinalalayo sa inyong bahay at sa camay at mata nang inyong mang̃a anac! Sapagca,t, maniuala cayo,t, dili, ay uuliting cong sabihin ang sinabi co nang madalas: Ay nagcacasala nang daquilang casalanan ang sino mang cristiano, na baga ma,t, natatalastas niyang baual, ó dapat man lamang ipagbaual, ay bumabasa nang mang̃a tampalasang libro. At di lamang nagcacasala ang bumabasa nang mang̃a librong yaon, cundi pa naman ang nag-iing̃at, sapagca,t, utos nang santa Iglesia na ibigay sa mang̃a Puno, cun dili caya,i, sunuguin. At nagcacasala rin nang daquila ang magpahiram sa ibang ualang pahintulot sa pagbasa nang masasamang libro.

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IV.
Alinsunod dito sa mang̃a sinabi co magpahang̃an ng̃ayo,i, marahil nasain mo, cristianong bumabasa, ang ilang malinao,t, tapat na hatol, na parang pinacareglang aalinsunurin; na cun sundin mo naman ay macapang̃ing̃ilag ca sampon nang iyong mang̃a casambahay, mang̃a caibigan nama,t, caquilala, sa mang̃a daquilang pang̃anib na laguing nasusumpung̃an sa pagbasa nang mang̃a masasamang libro. Isasaysay co ng̃a sa iyo ang mang̃a inaacala cong lalong quinacailang̃an at lalong bagay sa pagtatamo nang ninanasa nating paquinabang.

Una-una. Capag banta mong bumili cun bumasa nang anomang libro, munti ma,t, malaqui man, nang diariong may mang̃a lamina,t, uala, nang auit man, tula man, maguing limbag maguing sulat camay, ay bago mong bilhin ó basahin ay dapat mong usisain muna cun baual, cun dili caya; ó cun dapat maguing baual sapagca,t, masama.—Ang pag-uusisa nito,i, nacacailang̃ang siyasatin mo cun ang librong bibilhin ó babasahin ay natatamaan nang alin man sa mang̃a pitong utos na paraang pagcacaquilanlan nang mang̃a librong dapat na ipagbaual, na baual na talaga; at ang lalong maigui sa lahat ay magtanong ca sa Confesor, cun sa Cura caya, cun sa canino mang banal na sacerdote; at ang paraan na ito,i, lalong magaling, sapagca,t, malalayo ca sa pang̃anib nang pagcacamali.

Icalaua. Dapat mong tandaang pinacalandas di dapat sinsayan ang houag bumili, at houag bumasa nang ano mang libro, auit, at casulatang uala sa unang fojas na may lubos na pahintulot ang mañga PUNO. Sapagca,t, ang ayao huming̃i nang pahintulot sa mang̃a Puno ay marahil hindi cristiano, at cun ganoon sucat nang ipaquibilang sa mang̃a baual ang quinathang libro; at cun cristiano naman, at ayao huming̃i nang pahintulot ay hayag siyang souail na cristiano, at masasapantahang magtuturo nang camalian.

Tanto cong magaling na yaong ibang libro,i, di nagcacailang̃an nang pahintulot, at nang mailimbag; at mababasa ng̃a cahit uala ang gayong pahintulot; datapoua,t, sang-ano man ang pag-iing̃at tungcol dito,i, alang̃an pa; sapagca,t, sa casamaang nang mang̃a panahong quinalalag-yan natin ay pati sa mang̃a librong di nagcacailang̃an nang pahintulot, cun magcabihira,i, iguiniguiit din ang mang̃a erejía at mang̃a lisiyang aral: caya ng̃a cailang̃an din sumigao na ualang tugot: ¡Caing̃at cayo sa mang̃a masasamang libro,t, casulatan!

Napagunaua mo na marahil, na sa toui cong sinasabing cailang̃an ang pahintulot nang mang̃a Puno, ang tinutucoy cong mang̃a Puno ay ang sa santa Iglesia, ang Santo Papa baga at ang mang̃a Poong Obispo, palibhasa,i, sila na lamang ang macahahatol nang cagaling̃an at casamaan nang ano mang libro.

Icatlo. Cun totoong totoo,t, ninanasa mong houag magcamali dito sa daquilang bagay na ito, ang lalong mabisang paraan, na nasasaclauan nang lahat na mang̃a ibang paraang iyong mapipili, ay ito ng̃a: Na houag cang bumili, at houag bumasa nang ano mang libro, diario, auit at ano mang casulatan na di ca maquipagsanguni muna sa iyong Confesor, sa iyong Amang Cura, cun sa ibang banal na Sacerdote. At ito rin ang dapat mong ipasunod sa iyong mang̃a nasasacupan. Sapagca,t, doon pa sa mang̃a librong hindi masama, at may pahintulot ang mang̃a Puno sa paglimbag, ay marami rin ang di mo nararapat basahin, sapagca,t, marahil macasasama sa iyo; at caya ualang macapaghahatol sa iyo nang tapat gaya nang mang̃a may catungculang magsaquit sa icagagaling nang iyong caloloua.

Sundin mo ng̃a, guilio cong cristiano, itong mang̃a bilin co sa iyo, at ipasunod mo naman sa iyong mang̃a nasasacupan, at hindi ninyong icapapang̃anyaya ang mang̃a masasamang casulatan. At cun sacali,t, dala nang di ninyo carunung̃an nang dacong arao ay may pinatuloy cayo sa inyong bahay na mang̃a librong masasama ay inyong pagsicapang hanapin, ay dalhin ninyo agad sa Amang Cura cun sa Confesor, na ito ng̃a ang lalong magaling; ng̃uni,t, cun di ninyo magagaua ito,i, sunuguin ninyong tambing. Sunuguin, sunuguing ualang aua,t, hinayang sa salaping ibinili niyong mang̃a libro, at nang houag cayo,i, masunog sa infierno dahilan sa canila.

¡Ay capatid co! cun tularan mo sana ang magandang halimbauang ipinaquita niyaong isang babaying nang̃ang̃alacal nang libro, ayon sa sinasalita ni P. Mach sa caniyang librong «Tesoro del Catequista»:

Nang malapit nang mangyari yaong balitaa,t, malaquing pagcagulo doon sa caharian nang Francía, ay may isang babaying nang̃ang̃alacal nang libro na dinatnan nang balita, na si P. Borgar (Beauregard) ay lubhang mariquit na magsermon, na caya ng̃a hinahang̃aan siya nang lahat na taga Paris.

Dala nang balitang ito,i napasa simbahan nang Nuestra Señora de Paris ang nasabing babayi, at gayac siyang maquiquinyig nang pang̃ang̃aral nang Pareng yaon; at nagcataon naman na ang mang̃a sinasabi nang Pare noong gabing yaon ay pauang nauucol sa mang̃a masasamang libro. Ang naturang babayi, baga ma,t, timtima,t, may puri, ay nagbibili nang mang̃a librong laban sa ating santa Religión at laban din sa magagaling na asal. Anaqui nabulagan siya nang casaquiman sa salapi, gaya nang pagcabulag nang maraming naglalaco,t, nang̃ang̃alacal nang mang̃a mahahalay na palasintahan, auit, corrido at iba,t, iba pang mang̃a masasamang casulatan, at di nila inaanumana ang mang̃a casalanang di mabilang na quinacamtan nila, at ang mang̃a quinacamtan nang iba dahilan sa canila.

Ng̃uni,t, ang babaying yao,i, dahil sa pang̃ang̃aral nang Pare ay iminulat niya ang mata nang caniyang isip, caya,t, napagquilala, na ang mang̃a tampalasang librong lumalaban sa santa Religión, at umaaquit sa maruruming hilig nang catauan, ay parang bucal nang camatay-matay na lasong sumisira sa caloloua,t, puso nang tauo; at ang mang̃a nagpapalimbag, nagbibili, cun tumutulong sa papaano mang paraan nang pagcacalat sa mang̃a gayong libro ay catulad nang mang̃a manglalason; at darating ang arao, at sila,i, hihing̃an nang Pang̃inoong-Dios nang mahigpit na pagsusulit sa mang̃a caguluha,t, casalanang nangyari dahil sa canila.

Halos di ng̃a magcasiya sa loob nang babaying yaon ang sisi sa sarili, at napag-unaua na ang pang̃ang̃alacal niya,i, lubhang di carapat-dapat sa isang calolouang may iniing̃atan pang cahihiyan at pagquilala sa Dios; caya ng̃a,t, minabuti niyang lisanin magpacailan man ang paghahanap buhay na yaon. Nang matapus ang sermon ay tinung̃o niya ang bahay nang Pare, at nagsabi sa caniya nang ganito: Aquin napagquiquilala, Ama co, ang cadaquilaan nang aquing pagcacasala sa pagbibili co nang mang̃a masasamang libro; ng̃uni,t, yayang minulan na ninyo ang paggamot sa aquing caloloua,i, lubusin ninyong pagcagaling̃in: pumaroon po cayo sa aquing tindahan, tignan ninyo ang mang̃a librong naroroon, at sunuguin po ninyo ang lahat na mamasamain ninyo.

Sang-ano man ang maguing capang̃aluguihan co, at mauala man sa aquin ang lahat cong mang̃a tinubo, ay mamagaanin cong lahat, houag lamang mapacasama ang aquing caloloua. Pinuri ni P. Borgar ang gayong magandang banta, at nang̃acong tutulong̃an siya sa pagganap nang caniyang ninanasa. Quinabucasa,i, naparoon siya, ibinucod ang mang̃a masasamang libro,t, itinuro sa babayi, na quinuha nito,t, isinugbang lahat sa isang malaquing siga na caniyang inihanda. Ang halaga nang mang̃a sinunog na libro,i, mahiguit dao sa sanglibo,t, dalauang daang piso; at magmula noo,i, pinagtiticahan niyang mahigpit na hindi na magbibili nang mang̃a ibang libro, cundi yaon lamang macapagpapagaling sa mang̃a caloloua.

¡Tularan naua itong magandang halimbaua nang mang̃a sederang naglalaco nang mang̃a bagay bagay na auit at masasamang libro! Tularan mo rin ng̃a, guiniguilio cong bumabasa, cun sacali,t, sa mang̃a nacaraang arao,i, di ca nagpacaing̃at capara nitong babayi; at tungcol sa haharaping arao ay houag cang lumihis munti man sa mang̃a itinuro sa iyo dito sa libritong ito. At isinasamo co pa sa iyo na ipaquilala mo ang libritong ito sa iyong mang̃a hinlog, mang̃a catoto,t, mang̃a caquilala, at nang sila nama,i, gumanap nang mang̃a bilin dito: at cun magcaganoon ay mahahadlang̃an ang marami sa mang̃a capahamacang dala nang masasamang libro,t, casulatan.

¡Loobin naua nang catamis-tamisang Puso ni Jesús at nang calinis-linisang Puso ni Maria, sampon nang maloualhating Poon san José, na pagpalain nila,t, gauaran nang mahal nilang bendición itong munti cong pagod, upang mapaquinabang̃an nang mang̃a caloloua, at mapatungcol na lahat sa lalong capurihan nang Dios. Siya naua.

Fr. José Rodriguez
Religioso sa Orden ni san Agustin.

Source: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:T8ZPj1G7baMJ:onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/bparchive%3Fyear%3D2006%26post%3D2006-04-12,3+caingat+cayo+gutenberg&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us (THIS SOURCE NOT IN WEB ANYMORE, BUT I FOUND A NEW SOURCE LINK ON PROJECT GUTENBERG - Bert 6/2/2015: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18141/18141-h/18141-h.htm. u http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18141/18141-h/18141-h.htm.
u

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed people, the heart of the heartless world, and the soul of the soulless conditions, it is the opium of the people.” – Karl Marx

“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal

“There is no literate population in the world that is poor; there is no illiterate population that is anything but poor.” – John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006)

“If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them”. – Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992


Thursday, March 20, 2008

SPLIT-LEVEL CHRISTIANITY by Fr.Jaime Bulatao,S.J. (1966) - Part 1 of 2 [UPDATED]

"Many Filipinos are what I call Sunday-religious, that is they go to church every Sunday, take in confession and communion, but the rest of the week they bribe and do corrupt deeds..."
- Dr. Pura Santillan-Castrence


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3/26/2014
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Hi All,

It's been eons ago when I first read this enlightening essay on "split-level" Christianity by Fr. Jaime Bulatao, S.J.. Given the interest on Filipino ethical/moral values, I am posting it here.

Fast forward today, I find that the given situational samples in the essay were quite "simple" and "mild." In fact, I find them almost laughable compared to the excessiveness and gravity that characterize "split-leveling" in current times. Anyway, the bottom line is that "split-leveling" by a self-proclaimed Christian is to be unChristian (vis-a-vis what I understand as being Christian from my years of Roman Catholic upbringing).

As to the Roman Catholic Church in our homeland, it is amusing (at best) to wonder why the Catholic Church, despite its dominant influence in the homeland, seems to have failed to instill what it always claim to develop: "the whole person."

Given the prevailing social conditions in our so-called only Christian country in Asia, they only demonstrate that the church, despite its proclamation of being the "church of/for the Poor," has consistently and continually failed in its mission to teach and lead the Filipino Christians to live up according to Catholic social teachings.


  • Has our Catholic Church in the homeland been stressing something else rather than addressing our present social realities, of our illiterate, ignorant and impoverished majority?
  • How come Filipino Catholicism is more concerned about its religious liturgy and tradition and personal piety than its proclaimed concern/message of social justice? Such attitude and behavior have only made our homeland Christianity an effective and efficient nurturer of hypocrisy among its hierarchy and followers.

I would qualify however that there are Christians, i.e. more specifically evangelical Protestants (Calvinist variety), who can not be expected to care/act about social teachings or social justice issues since their essential belief system does not put value on social works; for Calvinists: "salvation" depended SOLELY on absolute faith in Jesus (i.e. good works do not count).

Here's Fr. Bulatao's essay, though written forty years ago but, still very relevant in gaining knowledge and understanding of our Filipino selves and maybe even lead to changes to better ourselves in terms of acting for social justice -- not towards empty religiosity-- and a better homeland society for most native Filipinos, if not all, and the future generations.  

(essay posted in two parts).



NOTES: 

  1. I think and believe that ethics and morality do not necessarily emanate only out of having a religion or being a believer in a God (Christian God as traditionally or Biblically understood). There are many atheists, agnostics, pagans, non-Christians and what have you who are more ethical, moral and act for social justice than those who are supposedly religious Christians of various shades: Catholics, mainline Protestants, Pentecostals or Evangelicals.
  2. This post addresses actually touches the issue of culture, i.e. our native Filipino culture. As we know, it is imperative that we obtain a deep awareness of our native history and society/culture; our society --through our home, church and school, etc.--  which embed in the subconscious Filipino mind within each of us a culture, our native society's worldview: the source of our values, attitudes and behaviors- which has been formed by a complex mix of geography, still primitive/traditional economic relations, religion, and long, divisive colonial history, etc.
  3. Here our native culture is looked at just from the religious point of view. Frankly, I see this point of view as limited/inadequate, based on what I have alluded to regarding source in the preceding paragraph. I will go back, try a broader and deeper look into the issue of our native Filipino culture, i.e. cultural aspects which I see as obstacles to national development sometime later.



- Bert, 9/18/2013

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SPLIT-LEVEL CHRISTIANITY

The following story invariably provokes a good deal of laughter from a Filipino audience:

"A mother superior of a convent was once given a talented parrot as a gift, which she received and showed off to the other nuns. she pulled the parrot's right leg and the parrot, with downcast eyes, began to recite the Our father to the end. She then pulled its left leg and, just as devoutly, it recited the whole of the Hail Mary. at this juncture one of the young nuns thought to herself what would happen if she pulled both legs simultaneously. So she went up to the parrot and both of its legs hard. Immediately the parrot cried,"Putres, madadapa ako!" ("Damn, you'll make me fall!")

The laughter that greets the cry of the all-too-human parrot stems in great part from the aptness with which it reflects the culture at large: the special behavior which people show in the presence of society, authority figures, and the occasional breakthrough of one's spontaneous self. Lumamabas ang katotohanan. (The truth will out"). 

Furthermore, the story is linking the foreign language with a formalized type of behavior and untranslatable native tongue with one's spontaneous reactions reflect too the double set of automatisms of the Filipino: his behavior as conditioned by formal schooling and as conditioned by home influences, where the conditioning links are provided by one's native tongue.

The existence of two set of learned reflexes side by side seems to be a valid phenomenon worth investigating. For want of a better term we can provisionally give it the name "split-level Christianity." While this phenomenon may also be found in other parts of the world, the Philippines with its history of simultaneous colonization and Christianization by an outside power seems to lend it a special home.


Description

Split-level Christianity may be described as the coexistence within the same person of two or more thought-and-behavior systems which are inconsistent with each other. The image is of two apartments at different levels, each of which contains a family, one rarely talking tho the other.

So it is with the split-leveled person; at one level he professes allegiance to ideas, attitudes and ways of behaving which are mainly borrowed from the Christian West, at another level he holds convictions which are more properly his "own" ways of living and believing which were handed down from his ancestors, which do not always find their way into an explicit philosophical system, but nevertheless now and then flow into action.

Perhaps from another point of view, they may be described as two value systems, differing from each other in explicitation, one more abstract than the other, one of them coming to the fore under certain circumstances and receding to the background at other times. An example is the following incident, faithfully recorded by a participant-observer:

A group of alumni, sixteen years after graduating from a catholic high school, meet together one evening at a private home for a class reunion. Present at their reunion are two priests, their former teachers. The evening passes pleasantly, amid fond recollections of schooldays. At about 2230 hrs an offer is made to send the two priests by car back to the school. After the two priests left, the group transfers to Pasay to a certain nightclub of ill repute. Almost everyone goes along and a number end up with prostitutes. There is much joking about the fact that the wives think them "safe" in a class reunion.

Quite noticeable in this recorded incident is the allegiance to the school and to its authority figures. On the other hand, there is also an allegiance to what the culture considers to be the right thing to do for men when they find themselves together away from their wives. This second set of principles is accepted as a part of the talagang ganyan ways which are part of "reality."

A few more examples are given to illustrate this phenomenon of split-leveling:
1. a priest and a justice of the Supreme court enter a businessman's restaurant in the ermita district of manila, and sit down for lunch. Upon their entrance, the club entertainer stops singing and waits impatiently until they finish lunch. When they leave she resumes her naughty singing:
"Gusto kong humilig Sa tabi ng pu- Sa tabi ng pu- Sa tabi ng punong kawayan, etc."
(The Split" reverence for the priest and the justice versus "vulgar" signing.)

A Peace Corps girl, rooming with a Filipina at a local university, notices the following phenomenon. Her roommate on Sundays goes to a local church which has a big sign prohibiting sleeveless dresses. However, every night she brings pornographic literature with her, which she reads under a blanket before going to sleep. (The Split: submission to very restrictive rules on dress versus pornographic "inner life.")

3. A foreign priest steps into a public bus. A woman respectfully makes a room for him on the seat beside her.Immediately nasty remarks in the vernacular circulate about the bus. The priest, not knowing the vernacular, is not affected. (The Split: external reverence for the priest versus hostile attitudes towards him. Note the authority figure's "cultural deafness.'')

4. In a research seminar in a normal school, the students learn the latest methods in statistics which make for the utmost accuracy in the handling of data. they then apply what they have learned to actual research which they hope to publish in the school journal. To the teacher's consternation he discovers that his students, instead of actually gathering empirical data, have been making up numbers, to which they then apply the most modern statistical techniques. (The Split: scientific technical proficiency versus absence of scientific spirit in the search for truth.)

5. A policeman in the downtown district of Manila goes fairly regularly to mass and considers himself a catholic. nevertheless, he collects "tong'' from the small stores in the district as protection money. he feels he has a right to it because he their protector against gangsters. (The Split; the modern Catholic principles of justice versus a feudal attitude that the lord may tax those whom he protects.)

6. The Civil Liberties Union is a group dedicated to democracy, especially to academic freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. When a bill was presented to congress making compulsory the reading of the NOLI and the FILI (books which hurt the religious feelings of a large number of Catholics , the civil Liberties Union lead a rally in favor of the bill. (The Split: allegiance to the "Western" view of academic freedom and freedom of religion versus a conviction of the rightness of authoritarian approaches in education.)

7. In a catholic College for girls, the students in a group discussion discover that they do much cheating in class, but that most of the cheating occurs during examinations in ethics class.
(The Split: a highly refined conceptual system of ethics versus the compulsions arising from cultural expectations of high marks.)

8. An AB graduate (cum laude) from a Catholic Boys' College marries immediately after college, and takes up residence in Negros. Every time he comes to Manila he seeks out other women. Once, suspecting his wife of unfaithfulness, he hits her with his fist and drives her out of the house. When charged with inconsistency he says:"I was never serious about those other women. My wife has no right to go out with another man." When asked to reconcile the double standard with principles learned in school ("Thou shalt not commit adultery.") he answers: "it's just human weakness. In Negros every hacendero has a querida. Some have several." (The Split: catholic rules regarding marriage versus cultural norms.)


Conviction of Fitness


Often, the following of the second set of principles is rationalized as "human weakness," "ako'y tao lamang." But split-level Christianity is quite a different phenomenon from that human weakness which presupposes an allegiance to only one set of principles and, simultaneously, a temptation to diverge from those principles. hence human weakness still involves a sense of guilt a discomfort with oneself for loss of integrity.

But split-leveling involves the absence of a sense of guilt, or the presence of only a very minimal amount. There is a conviction "in one's gut" that the thing one has done, while something to be shielded from society's gaze like defecation or urination, is nevertheless not wrong. This sense of fitness while noticeable in the examples given above is brought out clearly in a case study by Dr. Jocano (1964) regarding the drinking habit of the Christians of Malitbog in the province of Aklan, where the Christians look on drinking as an "adult game," a thing which adults do in their playtime after work. In fact, drinking is seen as necessary for work. A parishioner is quoted here:

"Look at it this way. I will not say that these "vices" are right. You, as a pastor, an educated man, know that. But to us here in Malitbog, i do not think these things are vices nor are they as bad as you have described them. these are part of what you are supposed to do when you become grown-up. when we were young, our parents admonished us not to drink tuba or any liquor from the Chinese store. These are drinks of adults, we were told. we were supposed to drink soft-drinks and water. 


But now that we are adults, I do not see any reason why we should not drink tuba. Moreover, let us be practical. If I want my field plowed and I offer no tuba or liquor, who will come up to help me? None. Furthermore  if drinking tuba or liquor is bad, why does not the government prohibit the sale of these liquors? because there is no prohibition, then this is not bad. The government is not stupid.

Let us take cockfighting. This is, according to you, a vice; a form of gambling. But doesn't San Pedro bring along with him a cock? he must have been playing cockfighting too --and look at him now, he is a saint. Let us be serious. when we were small boys, we played hole-ins, balinsay(jacks) and blowing rubber-bands  what would you think of us if you see us adults still playing hole-ins or blowing rubber-bands  

You see, what i am trying to say, pastor  is this: each age has its own games --cockfighting and cards are adult games. each occasion has its own social requirements. To have your field plowed you have to offer tuba or liquor or no one comes to help you. Do you understand, pastor?"

There is a conviction that drinking, even though inconsistent with the Christian teaching, is nevertheless right.

Because of this sense of the rightness of both systems, the inconsistency, while at times noticed, is not felt keenly. Thus the Christians of Malitbog believe firmly in spirits and enkantus, and in the baylan (witch doctor) who has power with them.

(Roman Catholic saints) are conceived in Malitbog to have been elevated to their present status because they possess powers similar to those of the enkantus and that they could be manipulated for personal gains....many of the details of knowledge of powers and how an individual can avail himself of their powers...are known to specialists...the priests....On the other hand, knowledge concerning the enkantus and other environmental spirits are known to another group of specialists...the baylan or mediums.

We have two theological systems, side by side, the Christian and the pagan exisitng within one man.


Unconscious Conflict


Thus one characteristic of the split-level type of Christianity is the conviction of the fitness of each of two objectively inconsistent thought-and-behavior systems. A second characteristic is the fact that the inconsistency itself is either not perceived at all, or is pushed into the rear portions of consciousness. at the most, it is taken for granted and simply "forgotten." 


Thus the feeling of inconsistency does not arise. neither is there a feeling of hypocrisy. consequently, there is no particular drive to make one system conform to the other either by a change in behavior or by the elaboration of a conceptual system, of somehow reconciling both. Both systems are left to coexist without disturbance and without guilt.

There are however, special cases in whom the unconscious has become conscious. Usually of the better-educated class, they are quite aware of the inconsistency between their philosophical system and their actual way of life. nevertheless, they use their superior awareness deliberately to manipulate their environment. These are politicians, modern Machiavellians, who allow themselves to be photographed in church receiving Holy Communion while at the same time they are blackmailing some business firm into making "political contributions" to them. One may debate whether to apply such individuals the name "split-level Christians" or not call them Christians at all.

Nevertheless, in most cases, the inconsistency remains unconscious or only semi-conscious, so that the individual within himself remains at peace with himself. The only possible source of upset is when the authority figure should "discover'' the existence of the split. Such a piercing through of the masking surface level is capable of arousing hiya to an intense degree, a calamity which must be avoided at all costs. accordingly, there arises a third characteristic of the split-level, namely, a need to keep the authority figure at a distance.



Distance making


This mechanism of defense against hiya consists of removing the self as far as possible from the gaze of the person in authority, since, as representative of Christian level, he might blame and criticize the ego for consisting with another level. hence the attempt is made figuratively and, at times, literally to push the authority figures as far away from oneself as possible. In the examples given above, the priests are sent home early by the alumni who look forward to a night on the town. 


The naughty singer waits impatiently for the justice and the priest to leave the dining club before resuming her singing. The girl reading the pornographic books hides under the blanket from her peace corps roommate. The drink-loving citizens of Malitbog try to keep the teetolating Protestant minister from intruding into their lives, and upon failure, to do so return to Roman cartholicism, as can be read in the following account from Dr. Jocano:

"And why did you re-embrace Roman Catholicism?" I asked.

"I am not satisfied with what took place after I was converted to the Protestant Church. I mean with the church activities. it demanded so much of my time --anybody's time for that matter. I really can not keep up with the restrictions and teaching of the church!. How about Roman Catholicism?"

"Oh the priest does not have so many restrictions. he lets you alone, that is, to do what you like. he does not come here often and tell "don't do that," "don't do this" and so on. he does not live here, you know. But the pastor? he keeps coming to your house calling your attention to whatever you do. Sometimes it is embarrassing because the neighbors talk. They know what you have done because the pastor preaches about them during Sundays."


From the above account one can see how the catholic priest is preferred to the protestant minister precisely because he is at a distance from these people who love their evening tuba.

One can see the same distance-making trend in the insistence, especially in the provinces, that the priest should stay in the convento and not mix with the people. A priest who visits his parishioners is bound to arouse talk. Sometimes the interdiction affects not only the social visits but even "official" visits in the exercise of ministry. parishioners are often left to die without the last sacraments because of the in-congruence within peoples' minds of the picture of a priest entering their own home.

This distance making need is socio-syntonic that even the priests themselves and the bishops enjoin their own separation from the people, usually for ascetic or moral "reasons." Distance is the socially accepted thing, and is the actual social effect whether the conscious reason is "reverence for priests," "self-protection," "prayer" or anything else.


Dynamics


It may be interesting to enter into the dynamics of this situation and study the forces that bring about such an unconscious splitting of the ethical psyche. Where do the two levels come from? What keeps them apart? What keeps their in-congruence unconscious? Such questions obviously call for speculation and hypothesis formation.


Sources of Content


A study of the two levels may bring out the following analysis. the top or surface level is the more "Christian" part. it is made up of rules and beliefs picked up in school or in church. In large part it is conceptualized, or at least verbalized, usually in a foreign language like English, Spanish or Latin. Much of it is learned by rote, from the catechism or from books. It is the side which is presented to the authority figure in much the same way as a conductor plate in a condenser presents its positive charge on its surface to another conductor plate bearing negative charges.

The lower or deeper level is made up of the rules, beliefs, attitudes and action tendencies which are more common in the environment, which are picked up at home and in the street rather than at school. A large part of it is never verbalized, but acts as a sort of unspoken philosophy, spontaneously flowing into action when the occasion calls it forth and the inhibitory forces are removed. Thus in Malitbog the beliefs are drinking is an adult game spontaneously found expression in the evening when work was done and as long as the priest was away.

to be continued....next is Part 2 of 2, Click -->  Split-level Christianity, Part 2 of 2 




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Hi All,

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- Bert

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"Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual; the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country." - Karl Kraus, 1874-1936.

"We shall be better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know..." – SOCRATES

“In the long-run every Government is the exact symbol of its People, with their WISDOM and UNWISDOM; we have to say, Like People like Government. “ - Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, Scottish Philosopher, Author



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"Beware of the yeast of Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops." (Luke 12, NRSV)