Bishop Cruz errs; Bible vs. mental ailments

BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

  LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love...” (Galatians 5:13, the Holy Bible).

-ooo-

BIBLE READING CAN CURE MENTAL ILLNESSES: Two interesting postings appeared at the “Science and Health” section of Inquirer.net, the online version of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. One was entitled “Persons with mental troubles need family to recover” while the other was captioned “Relaxing in today’s stressful world”.

Both of these articles said that more and more Filipinos are suffering from mental disorders nowadays, largely because of the many problems of daily living, and not knowing how to cope up. The articles then recommended various steps to avoid being afflicted with mental illnesses.

The recommendations are all scientifically-proven, and could be of real help. But there is one sure-fire step which can help us overcome stress, and the possible mental problems that come with them---it is reading the Bible on a daily basis.

“Do not forget to read the Book of the Law; meditate on it day and night, carefully following all that is written in it. Then, you will live long, and greatly prosper,” Joshua 1:8 of the Bible promises. The same promise is actually made by many other verses of the Bible, but our readers here may want to read Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Proverbs 3:1-2, Isaiah 40:31, and Matthew 7:24-27.

-ooo-

BISHOP CRUZ ERRS, THIS TIME: This time, the argument of former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz is non-sequiteur---meaning, it does not follow that just because President Aquino is supporting the Reproductive Health Bill, his government is already admitting its inability to address poverty. Aquino’s support for the RH bill, precisely, is one of his programs to ease up poverty among Filipinos.

-ooo-

DIOKNO SHOULD REALLY RESIGN: Good, but not good enough---the decision of Prisons Director Ernesto “Totoy” Diokno, I mean, to go on leave from his post effective immediately. He should have followed our advice for him to resign over the issue of VIP prisoners at the National Penitentiary, to save his long-time friend, President Aquino, from further woes.

-ooo-

ROTARY’S 102ND ANNUAL MEET OPENS: The 102nd annual convention of Rotary International in Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, got to a rousing kick-off Sunday, May 22, 211, with RI President Rey Klinginsmith pushing Rotarians to make all Rotary clubs worldwide “bigger, better and bolder” in giving service above self.

The appearance of entertainment celebrities King’n Trio, Michael Martin Murphey (who introduced Klinginsmith through a cowboy song whose idea the RI president adopted as his theme), the Ronnie Kole Septet, Lacy J. Dalton, and the South Central Rotary Youth Exchange conducted by District Gov. Steven M. Selvick of the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, left everybody thrilled and inspired.

The members of King’n Trio, Murphey, Lacy J. Dalton, and the drummer of the Ronnie Kole Septet, are all Rotarians. King’n Trio and Dalton sang songs based on Rotary’s Four Way Test personally composed by them, to the delight of the crowd.


---

Bishop Cruz, mali; Bibliya vs. sakit sa isip



INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “… Kayo, mga kapatid, ay tinawag upang maging malaya. Subalit huwag ninyong gagamitin ang inyong kalayaan para sa tawag ng laman; manapa’y maglingkod kayo sa isa’t isa… (Galacia 5:13, Bibliya).

-ooo-

BIBLIYA, MAGAGAMIT KONTRA SAKIT SA ISIP: Mayroong dalawang magagandang mga artikulo sa “Science and Health” section ng Inquirer.net, ang Internet version ng Philippine Daily Inquirer. Ang una ay may titulong “Mga taong may sakit sa isip, kailangan ng pamilya upang gumaling”, samantalang ang isa naman ay pinamagatang “Pagre-relax sa magulong mundo”.

Ang mga artikulong ito ay nagsasabing dumarami ang mga Pilipinong nagkakaroon ng sira sa isip ngayon, dala ng kabigatan ng mga suliranin sa araw-araw na hindi nila mabigyang-kalutasan. Inerekomenda ng mga artikulong ito ang ilang mga pagkilos upang maiwasan ang sakit sa isip.

Ang mga rekomendasyon nila ay aprubado ng siyensiya, at talaga namang mabisa. Pero mayroong isang siguradong remedyo na makakatulong ng malaki laban sa mga suliranin, at makakatulong iwasan ang sakit sa utak---ito ay ang pagbabasa ng Bibliya araw-araw.

“Huwag mong kaliligtaang basahin ang Aklat ng Kautusan; pagbulay-bulayan mo ito araw at gabi, upang matupad mo ang lahat ng nakasaad doon. Sa ganun, giginhawa ka at lalawig ang iyong buhay,” ayon sa Josue 1:8 ng Bibliya. Ang pangakong ito ay makikita din sa iba pang bersikulo, kasama na ang Deuteronomio 28:1-14, Kawikaan 3:1-2, Isaias 40:31 at Mateo 7:24-27.

-ooo-

BISHOP CRUZ, MALI: Ngayon naman, nagkamali ang argumento ni dating Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz---hindi ibig sabihin na dahil sumusuporta ang Pangulong Aquino sa Reproductive Health Bill, ang kanyang pamahalaan ay umaaming di nito kaya ang problema sa kahirapan. Ang suporta ni Aquino sa RH bill ay isa nga sa mga proyekto niya upang labanan ang paghihirap ng mga Pinoy.

-ooo-

DIOKNO DAPAT TALAGA MAG-RESIGN: Maganda, pero kulang pa rin. Ang tinutukoy ko dito ay ang desisyon ni Prisons Director Ernesto “Totoy” Diokno na pansamantalang mag-leave muna sa puwesto. Dapat ay sinunod niya ang ating payo na dapat ay nag-resign na siya noon pa man, upang maiiwas niya ang kanyang kaibigan ng matagal ng panahon, si Pangulong Aquino, sa mas maraming problema.

-ooo-

ROTARY 102ND ANNUAL MEET, NAG-UMPISA NA: Naging makulay ang umpisa noong Linggo, Mayo 22, 2011, ng ika-102 annual convention ng Rotary International sa Ernest Morial Convention Center sa New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, kasabay ng panawagan ni RI President Rey Klinginsmith na gawin ng mga Rotarians ang kanilang mga clubs na “mas malaki, mas mahusay at mas agresibo” sa paglilingkod ng higit sa sarili.

Dumalo ang mga entertainment celebrities, kabilang sina King’n Trio, Michael Martin Murphey (na siyang nagpakilala kay Klinginsmith sa pamamagitan ng awit), the Ronnie Kole Septet, Lacy J. Daltan, at ang South Central Rotary Youth Exchange sa pamumuno ni District Gov. Steven M. Selvick ng Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Ang mga kasapi ng King’n Trio, si Murphey, Lacy J. Dalton, at ang drummer ng Ronnie Kole Septet, ay pawang mga Rotarians. Umawit ang King’n Trio at si Dalton ng mga sarili nilang komposisyon na hango sa Four Way Test, na tunay na nagustuhan ng mga dumalo.