Legalizing Homosexuals Having Family in the Philippines

Philippine is not Ready for Legalizing Homo having a Family?

By: Rev. Jesse Amiel A. Ramoso

Thesis Statement: This Paper is a thesis regarding the homosexual having a family in the Philippines. This paper may prove the readiness of the Filipino people, government and Churches if theyre ready for homosexual having a family.

I.

Introduction: It is just recently a local tv channel ABSCBN documented an

interview of a gay pastor of MCC, Metropolitian Community Church a church for gay and lesbian I didnt know that there is an existing gay
.[1]

church here in the Philippines. Since their pastor is marriage to a certain guy, then there would be a possibility that gay marriage will be legalized soon. Last years election, we heard news that Supreme Court approved the Ladlad Party list Gay/lesbian Partylist Group to join on election and just this day Philippine Vice President Binay is willing to support AnitDiscrimination (ABD bill) advocate by gays. Therefore, this paper
[2]

anticipates the future claim of the right for this group of people to marriage and family. In this paper I would like to deal the issues and concern of gay marriage family and parenting. Is the Filipino and its government is ready for this? Just want to clarify that family here is referring to a small unit of society which composed of father, mother and children; sometimes this will extend to in laws and kinship .
[3]

II.

Ancient Context of Marriage According to Don Browning sited Thomas Aquinas, marriage

originates from the first man on Earth, Adam and Eve and exclusive for male and female only. The attachment and intimacy that is observe to
[4]

animal is same as in man and this will lead to lasting matrimony Filipino
.[5]

strongly believed on this doctrine. Asian in general is very particular with marriage; there is a union vow of couple and it is very costly due to dowry

and exchange of gifts. Once they joined together, theyre expected to raise their children and pass their legacies to them. The ancient view of marriage is very important especially in the political context or royal achievements. In the movie Alexander the Great based on book of Iliad, marriage is one of the reason why they had political dispute. It is also important to preserve
[6]

and protect their children to inherit their dynasties and properties, as Alexander experienced a hired teacher Aristotle
.[7]

Marriage in the ancient context is important because of their culture which they can back track their ancestors up to 600B.C Chinese and
.[8]

Jewish culture is still intact when it comes to this kind of preservation. Obviously, the marriage should be from female and male only. This is the same as we observe the natural sources the animals. Brown used the observation of the mammals on how they brought up their young when it comes to parenting Children feel secured and complete when they grow
.[9]

up with their parents. It is also unusual for a child to wake up one day and very confuse because his/her parents are same sex, whereas in their school thought biology that children should be produce from a male and female parents.

III.

Definition of Family in Philippine Context.

A. Cultural and Sociological. As I mentioned above that cultures preserve marriage due to inheritance or preservation of dynasties and legacies. Some, families can

trace back their ancestors and their contribution to society even in royal court, military, engineering or even the economic status. In India, they still practice cast system that traces the economic status of a family name. They do this in order to carefully choose their partner in order to preserve this bloodline of legacy. Here in the Philippines we still value our ancestors if not ancestors to our immediate parents, giving honor to parents or immediate family is highly practiced today. Just recently the Academy Award 2011, almost all those who received award publicly honor their parents Mom and Dad or some honor their wife or husband and children
[10] .

The Filipino value is quite strong and still active even today as the writer Looking at it to a marriage and family, marriage should be strictly

Jacano saidgood manners and right conduct is the heart of Filipino value.
[11]

male and female only for procreation by bloodline. Most of the family, after they marry they still stay in the house of one of the in laws. The in-laws or grandparents still parenting their married sons or daughterthey keep their families intact in spite of difficulties. One of the marks of the culture
[12]

in Filipinos is BAYANIHAN. The highlight of this is helping a family moving their house to another place
.[13]

This is applicable also for rescue,

attack/fighting/war or as simple as babysitting and building simple community facilities like, canals, water system, public schools. In the book Philippine Folklore says, you are out cast of the society if you will not make pakisama give favor in spite of. In the book Reflection on Philippine
[14]

Culture and Society, stated that year the local people in the country celebrate competitive feasting. This is to show how ancestors fight, worship and celebrate marriage and even death. In tribal areas there is no gay
[15]

and it will never appear in tribal history around the country, most of their activity is all about worship, war or wife. In Filipino tribal war, sometimes

war ends by joining the son and daughter of the opposite tribes and made allied each other. In tribal group of people, every human exist in only two choices male or female, warrior or a wife, a hunter or gatherer? The Filipino are strong in the so called kinship system a social structured system of relationships in which individuals are bound one to another by complex interlocking and ramifying ties
.[16]

It is a culture that makes everybody do

good worked and acceptable by the community. Marriage in the Philippines is majority arrange by parents as describe by F. Cannel, as it is a gratitude for the gift of life
.[17]

B. Psychological: Today it is not yet tested if we have a professional counselor for LGBT family. All I knew if I am not mistaken, that there is only one Doctor of Psychiatry in Philippines and thats our professor it is in our Seminary, Dr. Sonia Tapiener. My concern is not the absence of a professional counselor but how it is effective if we have one because this cannot be address by a simple counseling. How can they address the psychological issue of children having a parent whos the same sex in the midst of a strong family oriented culture country? In 1974, gay became a legal or depathologized in USA and yet gay people here in Philippines are not yet
[18]

that influential. In fact according to SWS survey, Filipino families are now decreasing its moral value. Gay and lesbianism is disrespectful acts. One of Filipino strongest culture is pag-galang RESPECT it means defining principle of rights and obligations inherent in the structural position each individual Filipino occupies in his kinship system
.[19]

That is why gay is not

that influential because if there is, the community will say and justify that because he/she is come from problematic family no, father or no mother or both.

IV.

Theological Issue regarding Gay and Lesbian. Homosexuality is categorize and sinful as unfaithfulness in marriage or

drunkenness and never share in Gods kingdom 1Cor 6:9-10. Therefore homosexuality and adulterers and the rest of the sins share the same amount of punishment in hell. If adultery is forgivable therefore homosexuality is also forgivable, same as with the drunkard and immoral persons. The Bible clearly defines forgiveness by a pure repentance after accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. The mark of a person being forgiven is a transformed life. If a homosexual repents and transformed person and does not involve in any form of immorality or adultery then he/she is forgiven and has the right to become children of God. However, if there is no transformation after accepting Jesus then that person is a self proclaimed save, but not yet. In the book of Genesis, homosexuality is punishable by death. Romans 1: clearly defines homosexual as a punishment and in Genesis Sodom and Gomorrah punished because of sin and one of these sin is the sin of homosexuality. I wish I could find an article that talk about gay and lesbianisms whose sex viewed as purity and virginity or viewed as abstinence. In Jewish history, practices of homosexuality existed but unacceptable in their culture because of Abraham was one of the witnesses how homosexual cities Sodom and Gomorrah were being punished. You

cannot see in the passage of the Bible, even to the wicked kings and leaders in Israel never became homosexual. However, when Alexander the great conquered the world he also spread the Greek influence. We knew that homosexuality is apparent during the time of Alexander; some commented that Alexander was a homosexual? Hellenistic influence
[20]

expanded until time of Jesus. Jesus did not escape this kind of influence as he lived and worked as a carpenter in the highly urbanized Roman city called Nazareth. That is why people from Jerusalem rejected them Galilean or Nazarenes and treated them as lower class citizen because they lived with Gentiles. So if we ask did Jesus live with criminals or homosexuals, the answer is yes. Once there was Coliseum in every kingdom that Alexander conquered there were a gladiator fighting and also porn shows and Roman god worship we knew this in Greek history. However, Jesus never participates on watching this shows I guess. This does not mean that Jesus tolerate homosexual, Jesus focus His ministry to Israelites only; therefore He did not say anything for the Romans. If Jesus touches the sinful Romans like Homosexuality and cruelty of slaves for gladiator fighting then this will defeat the prophecy. Likewise in Jewish law disobedient child is punishable by death therefore Jesus did not touch
[21]

the issue of homosexuality because this does not exist in Jewish people. Therefore no homosexual exist in Israel because if there is one, their own father will kill them
.[22]

Jesus does not deal this issue in Jerusalem because

this does not exist in Israel. Islamism and Buddhism have the same standard with regards as family as Prophet Muhammad said They value high respect of mother and father
.[23]

You cannot found homosexual When Paul, preaches to

practices in their history because procreation and giving highest value on parenting is one of the highest values for Islam
.[24]

the Romans this is the time, Paul touches the Roman sexual issues homosexuality. Romans practices homosexuality but it was condemned by Paul in Romans 1 and 1 Cor 6 as it is unnatural and it is against procreation theology of God. It is unusual to know that Jewish and Islam did not practice homosexuality, all we knew Islam and Jewish has the same ancestor Father Abraham. Only in the time of Abraham that God judged the sins in Sodom and Gomorrah, after Abraham no homosexual affair in the history of Islam and Jewish culture until today. Philippine share the same faith, raising children is the highest value as Philippine Heritage are coming from Christianity and Islamism and circumcisions is the mark of manhood.

V. Philippines.

Fatherhood and motherhood Issue in Raising Children in the

According to the book Counseling Psychology in the Philippines by Rose Marie Salazar-Clemena said Filipino is Theocentric people and therefore their views of family standard is based on the family of God. Mary is the iconic mother figure in Philippines and it reflect down to
[25]

the famous Filipino culture called Maria Elena for Santa Cruzan celebrated every month of May and famous single lady culture called Maria Clara. Maria Clara is the highest value of single woman that men when courted they need to pass the test of sacrifices from parents and kinsmen. Speaking of kinship in the Filipino culture, they are very close to family ties, interconnected and intertwined that even a single detail and news spread accurately detailed as far as Luzon to Mindanao. This will give us clue that

it is impossible to have a mutual understanding that gay marriage is acceptable in this kind of set up in the family. Because gay is a derogative word used in ancient Philippines as weak and helpless guy who will not be able to conquer fear even in courtship. Nobody wants to be called gay in the Philippines even children. Jesus likewise is viewed as a father of mercy, grace and savior reflected in every local radio/tv stations throughout the nation every 3 oclock in the afternoon. This will cause dispute, if not from immediate family in an extended family. This will ostracize not only for the couple but also for their adopted children. This will create a painful experience to the next generation children, because aside from looking his/her true parents they cannot experience a true love from immediate family. Another problem is once the baby is adopted, we cannot guarantee a mutual acceptance of a child that his/her parents are gay. This will require more professional guidance. The fatherhood in the family is absent if booth couples are female. The most important role of fatherhood is to model manhood of the child. This is not applicable for male child but also to female child. The love of the father is very important to demonstrate to booth female and male children. Most of the child who does not have father had experience prone to have a wrong perception of men and female are confused what is fatherly love and intimate love from opposite sex. This is in order to provide neutral environment that is suitable for a child to grow according to its kind. If she is a woman then the feminism should be properly modeled and figuratively or virtually be seen in the family. If this will not be modeled or provided in the family then we create confused and disoriented children. If we approve gay marriage and family then, we agree to raise a generation of disoriented

people.

VI.

The Analysis of Gay Marriage and Family in the Philippines Philippines is not yet ready for gay marriage. Majority of population

in the Philippines still want to marry an opposite sex to procreate. We have levels of crisis, first is the crisis of having girl/boyfriend, second when to get marry, and if married when to have children? This is one of the crisis that created by society, a pressure to produce offspring. According to the book Marriage, Family and Sexuality written by Kerby Anderson he said Marriage is more than social convention, it is a legal institution that offers protection for safe place for the production and raising of children, lesbian and gay cannot produce their own children therefore they dont need marriage
.[26]

Though the gay marriage family can produce children through

artificial insemination, adoption or surrogate mothering, in parenting issue of this couple would deny that mother is not important or father is not important. This is a criminal act or unconstitutional, because this is
[27]

indirect attack to the constitution family code which clearly define the importance of father and mother in the family. In section 1, article XV of
[28]

the said Constitution provides: The state recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the Nation.
[29]

of the 1987 Gay and Lesbian couples would

go against cultural and social understanding of the so called family. Therefore, it is neither the gay/lesbian couples that would compromise or their children would supper a disoriented and ostracized by their peers. This will create a psychopathological issue for the whole family which Philippine government is not yet ready to deal this kind of problem. I

therefore, conclude that we are not yet ready and never be ready to legalize Gay Marriage because of these following reasons. First, they have to change first the Philippine culture, the warrior and vigorous male figure. Second, they have also to change the religious views which is Marry as mother figure and Jesus as a model of men in righteousness. Third, they have to change and amend constitution specially the separation of church and state section and the definition of Family Code. Fourth, they have to change the mindset of the people, that motherhood or fatherhood is not important in the family. Fifth, they have to re-write the Philippine history and omit the father figure of our heroes. Sixth, they have to change the natural evidence of what is a real family. This can be seen in animals, how the motherhood is important to birds, and fatherhood to mammals. All animals do not produce children in the same sex. Seventh and last, Gay and lesbian dont want to marry because according to famous website for gay It has fewer benefits; dont want to live monogamy and high risk. In the
[30]

web site CatholicBrigde.com recorded and monitored the activities of gay and lesbian community in the country that legalize marriage, to my surprise after legalizing gay marriage many of gay and lesbian does not want to get marry
.[31]

VII. Bibliography

Jesus T. Peralta. Reflections on Philippine Culture and Society FEstchrift in honor of William Henrey Scott. Editted by. Ateneo de Manila University Philippines.
Jim V. Lopez. The Law On Annulment of Marriage. Rules of Disengagement. How to Regain Your Freedom to Remarry in the Philippines.

Leonardo N. Mercado. Filipino Religious Psychology. Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiya and the Divine Word University. Philippines 2007. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/current-affairs-programs/03/14/11/patrol-ng-pilipinogay-church. . http://www.ladlad.org/
Browning, Don. Marriage and Modernization How Globalization Threatens marriage and What to Do about It. Grand Rapids, Michigan: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2003.

http://ant.sillydog.org/blog/2005/000541.php. 3 17 2011 http://www.jewishgen.org/dna/genbygen.html Landa Jocano. Filipino Value System. A Cultural Defination. http://www.philippines-virtual-guide.com/filipino-family-values/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayanihan http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html http://www.rodneyohebsion.com/death-penalty.htm#_ftn46 http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Lifecycle_Ritual/Why_Lifecycle_Ritu als/Lifecycle_and_Tradition.shtml http://www.helium.com/items/286031-traditions-and-values-in-muslim-families Anderson. Marriage, Family and Sexuality: Probing the Headlines That Impact Your family. Probe Ministries. Punlad Research House Inc. Tandangsora Philippines. 1997 Jim V. Lopez. The Law On Annulment of Marriage. Rules of Disengagement. How to Regain Your Freedom to Remarry in the Philippines. Anvil Publishing Inc. Pasig Philippines. 2001 Jose N. Nolledo. The Family Code of the Philippines Annotated. National Bookstore Philippines. 1997 http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/xtra_gay_marriage_quotes.htm http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/why_catholics_against_gay_marriage.htm Rose Marie Salazar-Clemena: Counseling Psychology in the Philippines: Research and Practice second edition. DLSU Press Inc. Manila, 1991

Yasuki Kicuchi. Philippine Kinship and Society New Day Publishing QC, Philippines.1989

[1] http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/current-affairs-programs/03/14/11/patrol-ng-pilipino-gay-church. (Access March 18, 2011) [2] Ladlad Partylist. http://www.ladlad.org/ March 18 2011 [3] Yasuki Kicuchi. Philippine Kinship and Society New Day Publishing QC, Philippines.1989

[4] Browning, Don. Marriage and Modernization How Globalization Threatens marriage and What to Do about It.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2003. p. 85

[5] Ibid. p. 86 [6] Alexander The Great Movie. http://ant.sillydog.org/blog/2005/000541.php. 3 17 2011, 1-24-2005 [7] Ibid [8] Jewish Ancestors. http://www.jewishgen.org/dna/genbygen.html March 18 2011 [9] Browning. 172 [10] Academy Award. [11] F. Landa Jocano. Filipino Value System. A Cultural Defination. P. 51 [12] http://www.philippines-virtual-guide.com/filipino-family-values/ March 18 2011 [13] Bayanihan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayanihan March 18 2011 [14] Lopez M. L. A Handbook of Philippine Folklore. P. 167 [15] William Henrey Scott p. 54 [16] Yasushi Kikuchi. Philippine Kinship and Society. P 2. [17] Fenella Cannel. Power and Intimacy in the Christian Philippines. [18] Amanda [19] Leonardo N. Mercado. Filipino Religious Psychology. P 72 [20] Alexander the Great. http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html March 18 2011 [21] Site this verse in the bible: http://www.rodneyohebsion.com/death-penalty.htm#_ftn46 March 19 2011 [22] Site a Jewish Cultural bookhttp://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Lifecycle_Ritual/Why_Lifecycle_Rituals/Lifecycle _and_Tradition.shtml March 19 2011

[23] http://www.helium.com/items/286031-traditions-and-values-in-muslim-families March 19 2011 [24] Browning. [25] Rose Marie Salazar-Clemena: Counseling Psychology in the Philippines: Research and Practice second edition. Manila, 1991 p. 28 [26] Anderson. Marriage, Family and Sexuality: Probing the Headlines That Impact Your family. Probe Ministries. P 67 [27] Ibid. p 69 [28] Jim V. Lopez. The Law On Annulment of Marriage. Rules of Disengagement. How to Regain Your Freedom to Remarry in the Philippines. P. 15 [29] Jose N. Nolledo. The Family Code of the Philippines Annotated. P. 4 [30] Xtra Gay Magazine. http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/xtra_gay_marriage_quotes.htm (access MArch 18 2011) [31] Catholic Bridge.com. http://www.davidmacd.com/catholic/why_catholics_against_gay_marriage.htm