JGL Eye Column

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

(© 2011 Journal Group Link International)

C HICAGO (jGLi) –Like the major Christian-Judaic-Islamic religions, I do not believe in re-incarnation. But some signs are pointing to their inevitabilities if not possibilities. Although, a long shot. Maybe a very long shot.

In some countries, like India, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism believe that after one dies, his soul or spirit comes back to life in a new form, such as another animal or anything that is living. But once reborn, some things from a person’s previous life are forgotten.

And this where the re-incarnation and the belief of Abrahamic religions (Christian-Judeo-Islamic) part ways. The latter believe that when one leads an honorable life, he will be rewarded with a ticket to heaven. But if one does the opposite, he burns in hell.

But for those not baptized but innocent with righteous souls as those infants or people who lived before the coming of Christ, they are assigned in an intermediate place or state of confinement in oblivion and neglect.

Since Philippine national hero Jose Rizal considered himself as a Christian and his descendants in the same mold, it is easy to assume that if his relatives would agree to Rizal’s teachings and beliefs, these relatives are not actually Rizal’s re-incarnations but branches of a Rizal tree.

IF RIZAL AGED 150

F or this reason, Rizal’s relatives like Dr. Ramon G. Lopez, the great-grandnephew of Dr. Rizal, could be drawing inspiration from the national hero when Dr. Lopez promoted beliefs and aspirations had Rizal got to live to 150 years old today.

In excerpts to the book, “Remembering Rizal, Voices From the Diaspora,” an anthology edited by Edwin Agustin Lozada (Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc., San Francisco, 2011),  Dr. Lopez messaged that if his martyred great granduncle were alive today, he would have still dreamed of making sure his passion of plucking the 92-million Filipinos out of the throes of abject poverty.

Dr. Lopez continued: “His (Rizal’s) clarion call resounds for the 23-million impoverished Filipinos subsisting on less than two U.S. dollars per day (84 pesos).

“His clarion call resounds for the poorest of the poor. For the estimated 1.2 million of the Philippines’ street children, 50,000 to 70,000 alone are roaming the streets of Manila – children born into poverty and hopelessly mired n poverty.”

He said, “In my mind, if Dr. Jose Rizal were still alive today, he would be a very active and progressive liberal, always looking for reforms, and always cognizant of opportunities to improve the lot of his people.

WALL OF SEPARATION

“He would espouse issues for human capital development, for gender equality, for social protection and for agrarian reform. He would work for the economic stability and progress of the Philippines in order to attract back its expatriates. He would demand for an honest, effective and transparent governance of the country. He would be for the Jeffersonian philosophy of “wall of separation” between church and state.

“Knowing his humanism, he would support an effective, sustainable “Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health” bill. Dr. Jose Rizal would be a national and international leader.

“But he would refuse to be President.

“Instead, what I see is him standing at the world podium, proclaiming what the Roman orator and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero said n 63 B.C. (and what was repeated by President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural):

“Ask not what your country can do for you,

but rather what you can do for your country.”

Indeed, spoken by a chip off the old block of the martyred hero, Dr. Lopez’ re-instatement of some of Rizal's passions should be heeded by the Catholic Hierarchy which is moving heaven and earth to oppose the Reproductive Bill.

I always believe that there should be liberal interpretation of the Biblical injunction to “go and multiply.” The edict should not be narrowly interpreted as to prop up population explosion.

With the Philippines ranked as the 12th most populous country in the world, according to a United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) estimates, the Philippines cannot afford to keep this dubious distinction that would only exacerbate the Philippine situation.

Jose Rizal should be cringing from his grave if the Catholic Church will not reconsider its stand on the RH bill. # # #

Editor’s Note: To contact the author, please e-mail him at: (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)