Rona Co
Posted on 13. Nov, 2009 by Pepe in Oplan Pepe
Rona Co, 30, journalist, former Catholic:
I don’t consider myself a Catholic. Though I was raised by a conservative Catholic family and studied in a Catholic school, I’ve long decided that I don’t want to be one anymore.
I’ve always had so many questions about the religion which I felt was shoved down my throat while growing up. The first seeds of doubt came when one of my grade school teachers – a Dominican nun – told us a story about how the Virgin Mary stopped “God the Father” from literally axing the earth. She said, “God was so mad at everyone for being sinful that He decided to just end the world. But the Virgin Mary intervened, she said, and asked God to give us another chance.”
She told us that story to illustrate how powerful the Virgin Mary is and how we better stay as loyal and obedient minions of the Church. I was scared shit for several days after hearing that. But then again, I thought, “There’s no way she could have known about that story even if it were true.” Though her story does not reflect the entire teachings of the Catholic Church, that’s when the questions started pouring in.
In high school, I once thought that our barangay leaders in Tondo should help organize seminars on family planning because there were (and there still are) so many young teens getting pregnant, and parents without decent-paying jobs having more kids. But it was also during that time that many Catholic schools – including mine – actively mobilized their students to join protest actions against the UN Cairo conference in 1994. We were bombarded by posters and placards with photos of aborted babies, saying that abortion is what being pro-choice is about. I remember debating with myself on that issue, because even at that time I knew that family planning, population management, and caring for one’s reproductive health do not equate to abortion.
College was a breath of fresh air because things were openly discussed despite my university’s Christian leanings (DLSU). I began to seriously ask questions and formulate my own thoughts on issues such as the use of contraceptives, family planning, the absence of divorce in the Philippines, the correlation of our country’s economic development and overpopulation, the lack of respect of our society for same-sex relationships, and many other things.
After college, I decided that I don’t want to belong in a group that continually tries to hamper the growth of our country by blackmailing politicians for supporting causes/bills I support. And when I had my son in 2008, I refused to have him baptized in Catholic rites, despite my family’s protests. I told them that I want my son to grow up free from an oppressive belief system. Besides, I don’t want him added to the Catholic statistics in this country and be used as a convenient excuse not to pass the RH Bill.
I can no longer be an accessory to the Church’s crime of depriving the people – women especially – their much-needed reproductive health services. A new generation of Pinoys are growing up in my community in Tondo and the same things that happened to their parents – early pregnancy, not being able to finish school due to lack of resources, etc. – are happening to them as well. We cannot remain blinded by this cycle of poverty and ignorance because it’s something that we can prevent.
Lastly, I cannot stand by a religion that does not respect the rights, beliefs, and choices of human beings. Soon, our lawmakers have got to look at the possibility of passing laws on divorce and same-sex marriage without fear of getting blackmailed or – que horror – losing in the elections. And it will only happen if we – former Catholics, Catholics who support these causes, members of other religions, atheists, whatever – stand up for our beliefs and speak out.
We’ve got to be the balls for our lawmakers. And we’ve got to tell the Catholic Church that enough is enough.
Rona, part of a new generation of freethinkers, banding together to fight for a secular Philippines.
Rona, isa sa mga bagong Pepe na nagsalita na sapagka’t pagod na sya maging pipi.
[Rona, one of the new Pepe’s who has finally spoken up because she’s tired of being silenced].