Are we still a Christian nation?

In a story shared by Fr. Leon Biernat on his online video reflection, there was an emperor who was preparing to execute a young man for a grave crime. The mother of the convict pleaded for mercy and the emperor’s response to the mother was that her son does not deserve mercy. The mother’s reply to the emperor was, “If my son deserved mercy, it would not be considered mercy then, would it?” 

The Philippines proudly claims it is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia. Yet, a significant number of Filipinos do not see the hypocrisy in tolerating, or worse, justifying the extra-judicial killings of alleged drug addicts and pushers. “Who is my neighbor?” Christ was once asked. He draws out the answer from his inquisitor, “A neighbor is one who shows mercy.” We might add, our neighbor, too, is one who begs for our mercy. 

But it is a call for mercy that we have ignored more than 1,800 times. Manuel Mogato of Reuters estimates 20 deaths per day to our Emperor’s all-out war. British freelance journalist Sean Williams opines this daily average of dead bodies is now comparable to the Syrian War. 

What has happened to our humanity? What has happened to our social conscience? 

Dr. Agustin Rodriguez of Ateneo’s Philosophy Department had an interesting reply in a recently-held forum. His insight: We must never assume that a person’s sense of right and wrong is instinctual. 

As analogy, he cites the issue of contractualization, an unfair labor practice that is adopted not just in corporations but in educational and religious institutions, including the Ateneo. There is also the case of a former general during martial law who tortured activists then but now begs for understanding from his victims, saying that “times were different back then.” He made his audience ponder: Why do these people think these behaviors are or were justifiable? How are they then different from those that defend EJKs? 

As I understand it, his point was that our appreciation of right and wrong is a social construct. What is good and evil is largely dependent on our experiences and interactions with each other. 

If that is so, then we have a big problem given that our interactions nowadays happen through social media. 

We have been fooled into believing that genuine social interaction is possible through social media. What it has instead brought us is the objectification of the other, an objectification that is so severe that we have relegated unto ourselves the fate of other people. Too easily have we condemned others to death through our explicit or tacit support of EJKs. 

These past few months, our Catholic priests have not been remiss in condemning EJKs. But Dr. Rodriguez’s insight poses a challenge to the Church, not just to priests but to the laity as well. There is a need for more discernment, through forums, seminars, and prayer sessions so that we may reflect as a community our response to the country’s drug problem. One-sided pastoral letters and homilies will not suffice. They are certainly no match to the propaganda materials produced daily by fanatics and paid hacks. 

However, more than what have been mentioned, I believe what the Church must provide to complement these intellectual exercises are opportunities for encounter with the marginalized. The naive among us have romanticized the poor as people deserving of better opportunities in life. In reality, not all seem to be deserving. Many have gone astray as an act of surrender or escape from the harsh realities of life. But the criminals, the drunkards, and the addicts are neighbors, too, who beg for our mercy. 

Among all the priests I’ve heard these past few months, there is none more vocal and passionate against EJKs than Msgr. Gerardo Santos of the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish. Yet what is truly admirable about Msgr. Santos is the walk behind the talk. He does not content himself with his homilies. Recently, he has invited his friend Bob Garon to enlighten parishioners about understanding the psychological problem that is addiction. Furthermore, his parish has also organized medical missions to reach out to the sick, including some forms of rehabilitation and counseling to drug dependents. Certainly, these interactions between neighbors will be much more effective in changing perspectives and eliciting empathy than engaging in social media wars.

The root of the many problems of our nation, whether poverty or the drug menace, is the social divide. The community, that is our church groups, is the sole cohesive agent in our society as it counts among its members both rich and poor. And it is only in our church communities where there are safe spaces for dialogue and encounter to counter the condemnation and self-righteousness prevalent nowadays. Only then can we rediscover our conscience as a people. Only then shall others know that ours, indeed, is a Christian nation through the love and mercy we show to our countrymen.