Hypocrisy and the Likes of Us

In the news a couple of weeks ago, incoming president Duterte spoke against the leaders of the Catholic Church, calling them hypocrites and 'sons of a whore'. He even declared that he's more influential than the bishops because no matter how they campaigned against him, the people just ignored the warnings and voted for him overwhelmingly. Is it a sign of people's silent protest against the Institution?

Many had lauded Duterte for his bold (most of the time, brazen) stance to go up against the Church. Opinions had been written in all media agreeing to his viewpoint. People seem to unite against the hypocrisy of these so-called religious leaders.  But this is really nothing new. The Bible recorded a lot of instances of hypocrisy. Prophets, upon God's instructions, spoke against leaders, even at the face of death. Jesus himself spoke against the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his time.  Yet the Bible also reminded us not to fall to the same pretensions.

There are people who are quick to equate religiosity with hypocrisy.  I can't really blame them.  They must have experienced hurts or condemnation by religious people once close to them. I also pity those leaders who are earnest and true to their calling. Are the CBCP leaders really hypocrites?  Or maybe they just happen to be on the unpopular side of the issue.  Being judgmental is as bad as hypocrisy.

To those of us who claim to be Christians, let us be discerning and not quick to judge.  I know of some people who grew up in Christian churches, who are now religious rebels.  First, they rebel against their own parents and relatives accusing them of hypocrisy. When you listen to the parents, they say they were just correcting an aberrant behavior. When we expect love begetting love, it does not always happen.  Second, they rebel against their religious leaders.  They are quick to listen to gossips and remember only the bad sides of the story.  So when they talk about hypocrisy, they have tons of information about leaders who have fallen.  Third, they will deny that they are rebelling against God. But their actions speak otherwise.  And when you talk about how good God is, they just give you a condescending look.

There is really this temptation when you go by the tide of public opinion. Who has fully obeyed the ten commandments? Are we actually listening to sermons when we go to church, or just waiting for words tingling our ears?  Or maybe we just sit there at the back for the sake of attendance and then look at the Priests or Pastors with suspecting eyes. At the back of our heads we ask, "How many girlfriends does he have? How many boys has he exploited? How much does he earn by using religion?"

Shouldn't we look beyond the messenger and focus on the message?  Perhaps in these days, moral uprightness is no longer a criteria we look for a political leader, and hypocrisy only applies to the religious. It is a very unfortunate sign of the times!

Five Reasons Why Floyd Mayweather Jr. Beat Manny Pacquiao

I watched the fight on pay per view paid  by my boss.  Seated on a corner in a room full of people who were more or less twice my age and were more noisier that I am, I was silently hoping for a knockout to blow the spectators away.  What would you expect from a fight called the "Fight of the Century"? I want blood.

But after twelve rounds, I wanted more.  Can they not add a few more rounds to determine the rightful winner?  After the announcement, my heart goes out the loser. I couldn't help by write here the five reasons why Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat Manny Pacquiao.

1.  It was Mayweather promoting the fight

Pacquiao was already a step behind.  He was underdog and all odds, whether it was betting or the media, were against him.  Mayweather controlled everything right from the start. All Pacquiao did was nod and agree.  Same with Arum and all the boys surrounding Manny.

2.  Mayweather is the face of American boxing

Mayweather's loss is America's loss. And it is in America where boxing is huge.  UFC is a threat alright.  But as long as Mayweather is there and unbeaten, there will be a massive business in boxing. Pacquiao is the face of Asia, but business-wise, it's just a fraction of what Las Vegas and Mayweather can produce.

3.  All bets were on Mayweather

"My heart is with Pacquiao but my money is on Mayweather" said my boss.  His sentiment is similar to some people I know, like my landlord who was a world title contender during the pre-Pacquiao era. "Mayweather is smarter" he says. What was the odds?  I heard that a P1k bet on Mayweather will only win P400. I may not have heard it correctly, but just the same, the bet was on Mayweather to win.

4. Mayweather was too scared

He's scared to lose a fight.  That is why he handpicked his opponents and controls every aspects from promotion to the actual fight itself, and event the post-fight events. He's too scared that he feints and dances  his way out of trouble when Pacquiao cornered him in the ropes.  He know full well his reach advantage. A few punches thrown wins him the round.  Maybe even his shoulder roll or his frequent hugging were counted as punches.

5.  Pacquiao did not do much damage

We want blood and a ugly-faced Mayweather after 12 rounds.  But there was none.  Pacquiao thought he won, but that's what many others thought too. If only he bloodied him like De La Hoya, or knocked him down like Hatton, then there would be no question as to who won the fight.

That Thing Called Tadhana

I must have been annoyed. Or was it the curiosity that led me to watch the movie "That Thing Called Tadhana"?  I saw some people posting something about the movie but I never consulted Google nor read further about it, before I got hold of one copy from the pirates.

Angelica should be angry at me. But I did sleep well after watching it last night with wifey.  My dear sat silently at one corner and I saw her giggle a bit at some scenes. There was a smile somewhere that only I can understand.

So what was the movie all about? It all started at the airport. The girl, Mace (played by Angelica Panganiban), was bringing lots of stuff and packing them in a large baggage. She must have not known about baggage allowance, or is not really a frequent traveller. Anthony (JM De Guzman), acting like a knight in shining armor, helped the damsel in distress of her excess baggage. Problem solved. Not really. Not yet.    

You have to listen intently to their conversation.  Crazy cliches! But it will make you think. Mace is too emotional, while Anthony seems not affected at all. He throws bits of sarcasm every now and then.  Mace catches those words like it was all meant for her. "Don't judge me", she says.  But I was annoyed at those 'put*ng*na' frequently uttered by her.  It somehow diminished her character a bit.

Familiar story? Probably in real life, if either one was not good looking, there will be no story at all.  Anthony admitted the reason why he approached Mace.  He finds her attractive, and a little bit scandalous.  For her, maybe he was the only suitable companion around for the time being.

She tells him her story even though she wasn't sure if he was interested at all.  Fresh from a failed relationship, she was vulnerable. Imagine she went to Baguio with a man she barely knows. Anthony also acted like he was about to take advantage of it but restrained himself. The Sagada thing could have been his opportunity.  But it shows that he was a different kind of animal - a gentleman that is.

He too was a kind of a hopeless romantic throwing a few lines that will make a girl think if he was wooing her or just helping ease her pain.  Mace was too focused on her past and on her hurts.  Maybe it did help.

But the ending.

There could be another story we don't know about Marco.  Or maybe it was there in the words of Anthony when he opened up about his past relationship and why he found it easy to move on.  Marco showed up at the ending bringing flowers that made Mace speechless.  Was it love resurrected at an instance? There was a little bit inconsistency here. If she was what she was as portrayed at the start of the movie, she wouldn't be speechless. Maybe there could be another scandalous scene of shouting and crying. Or maybe a hugging scene.

The last last part, which some could mistake as not part of the movie, shows Anthony driving with a book on hand written by Mace and illustrated by him.  Did they live happily ever after?

Wifey left after the credits rolled. I knew she wished for a different ending.