Ex-CBCP President Oscar “the Borg” Cruz wrote a new post on his blog, and once again it defies logic, reason, and grammar. But what’s surprising in this post is it seems to defy Catholic theology as well. Then again, that could just be his poor writing skills. You be the judge.
He starts by praising the concept of “pro choice:”
“It is salutary to hear and encouraging contemplating. It is very human in its substance and humane in its implications. ‘Pro Choice’ properly means and correctly implies that all ordinary adults in particular, have their respective intellectual faculty plus will functions to depend on and use accordingly.”
Fair enough. But then it gets weird. Whether our choices result in good or bad, we take it for granted that choice is something that we have; choice implies having options. But Cruz seems to think that the choice we take for granted is optional:
“Strictly speaking wherefore, choosing instead what is inherently wrong and in effect unjust can be made an option – but for a cost always, for a profound and pervasive cost at times.” (emphasis mine)
After revealing his premise — that choice is optional — he starts to reveal his argument: We should not make choosing bad things a choice. Only the option that leads to what is good — by Oscar’s standards — should be given to people.
But again, his argument changes direction. While he first argued that choice is optional — that people can choose to make unethical choices — he now says that choice is not optional — that people can only choose what is ethical:
“Again, given his or her operative deliberative faculty, a man or a woman is only free to choose what is ethical or moral – certainly not what is unethical or immoral.” (emphasis mine)
Finally he reveals his twisted logic. He says that choice is only good to have when there are only good options to choose from:
“The phrase wherefore ‘Pro-Choice’ is great to contemplate and noble to act upon, not unless it is intentionally coined and twisted in order to purposely accommodate – – favor or defend – the freedom to choose what is objectively vicious or evil, purposely depraved or nefarious.”
So let’s review Oscar’s argument (the most recent version of it anyway). He is arguing that choice is good unless there are options that lead to bad outcomes. But there are always options that lead to bad outcomes. Does it then follow that choice is bad? Shockingly, Oscar thinks it is:
“Is there really a right or sound choice between life or death, between peace or war, between integrity or deceit, between poverty and development, and so on?”
Each person can and does make right or sound choices (based on their own judgment) on a daily basis. Although individual choices may be different , there is a right or sound choice between the options you mentioned above.
Catholic morality is based on prescribing a certain criteria for choosing among sound and unsound options. Why would such a criteria be necessary if only sound options were available? So yes. Most people believe — Catholic theologians, especially — that there is a “right or sound choice.”
“Is there? If there really is, then this is really a helpless world, a cursed humanity!”
Has Oscar heard of a Catholic doctrine called “free will“? For Oscar’s benefit, Catholics believe that free will is God’s gift to man. Is Oscar saying that free will is not a gift but a curse? Does he really think the world is helpless?
Oscar Cruz should go back to the seminary and brush up on his theology. (While he’s at it, he should brush up on logic, grammar, and rhetoric as well.) His message is not consistent with the creed he professes, which may lead some of his flock to do evil. Therefore, going back to the seminary is, by his own standards, the moral and ethical thing to do.
Does he have a choice?
Medically speaking, it is believed that a woman who hasn't had sex up to a certain age (around 40 if my memory serves me right), is susceptible to several ailments. I guess it also applies to men cause the good bishop is surely exhibiting the manifestations of some form of malady…:p
SHUT UP OSCAR CRUZ! TIME IS UP!!!
Archaic ideas that don't belong in post-global world. Stop living in the past you arrogant sheep in wolves clothing. You don't even do anything about the abuses of the clergy. You just deport them or transfer them to another diocese. Abstinence makes the church grow fondlers.
indeed it defies logic and GRAMMAR…choice is a God-given blesssing and we were not created as robots to be dictated on how we should live…
My golly is he even a bishop???????? And I thought Catholic clerics are thoroughly grounded in philosophy…
the other night i watched the old cardinal vidal inviting his flock to fight the rh bill.
then commented that if the bill will be approved he will be the first to violate it …
whats to violate?
does it means that he wont use condom??? as a sign of protest…
i dont mean disrespect on this holy man, but it seems that the hierarchy of this organization these men are leading just make me nuts…
and now here comes cruz with his theological view on cursed humanity… side effect for being a bachelor for too long…
which brought me to another quest…why are priests, catholics in particular, think that they can speak for the citizenry which the rh bill is intended for when they obviously are not into this business of reproduction?
Sec 22.e just to mention 1 states that " Any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent or provisions of this Act." the bill did not bother to explain what disinformation means, without clear definition judgment depends solely on their interpretation of what constitutes disinformation. he is, in as much as we, who are against the bill, are in danger of being subjected to the penalties that the bill is proposing. to say something that is not in line, per their judgment, with the contraceptive agenda of the bill constitutes a violation.
[" Any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent or provisions of this Act." the bill did not bother to explain what disinformation means, without clear definition judgment depends solely on their interpretation of what constitutes disinformation.]
Let's start with the RCC's tired old rant of claiming that the RH Bil will foster a "culture of death," of the next zealot who tries to claim that the bill will lead to something akin to China's one-child policy.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/colum…
And you then go on to say…
[…with the contraceptive agenda of the bill constitutes a violation. ]
Read the whole bill please. Contraceptives education is only a fragment of its purpose – the majority of it will discuss RH education, post and pre-natal care, among other matters.
It's ironic that you would cry out for a proper definition of "misinformation", when you would blatantly engage in it as well. Thank you for providing an excellent example 🙂
i am not a catholic, so why should i let the catholic church make decisions on my behalf?
Thank you for explaining… Reading his text alone will make me crazy!! hahahaha…
I always believe in choice, whether it's good or bad. But one should be strong enough to stand by their own choices and take responsibility for all the consequences.
religion should teach people to be strong, fearless and to love themselves, not to fear… to hide… or to be STRAIGHT. 😀
GO RH BILL!
how did he even become a priest if he himself doesn't know what catholics believe in (that catholics believe that free will is a gift from God)?
if I'm not mistaken, he is saying that having a choice or the action of choosing is a curse or something that people shouldn't do.
if people are not going to choose one thing over another, is he implying that we should just wait for the apocalypse? do nothing even if our lives are miserable?
a man who contradicts himself.in the first part, he is saying that man is inclined to choose one thing that he will benefit from, which is quite true. but then, on the last part of his post, he is saying that having a choice is a curse. it's like he's saying that we should all wait for our love ones to die.
I think approval for being a priest, in some seminaries, is not by some Objective set of Test Standards , like in a bureaucracy, but how enthusiastic is the applicant. It is after all Faith or Pagkakasama is more important than being able to contribute to a more objective view, otherwise you'd have a very fractured church not a monolithic one.
And yet the Catholic Church went against Zwingli for even proposing pre-destination.
Actually this is pretty accurate and in line with what we learned from the Jesuits in our school. I don't agree with it, but that's pretty much what they told us as well.
The writer of this article obviously doesn't understand what Free Will is based on Theology.
Elucidate us then, unless I misunderstood your comment. Was it Bishop Cruz who doesn't understand Free Will or was it the author of this blog ?
Free will starts at Genesis. If man had no free will, God would not have put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil in Eden, or maybe God would have put an electrified fence around it. By putting it there, God gave man a choice. Not without its consequences, but choice it is albeit.
And Cruz's blog post doesn't understand what reality and commons sense are
Love this ! Let's measure them with their own stick !
Choices between life of death – The Catholic Church has been directly or indirectly involved in the deaths of 3 Million people. By omission, involved in the death of 6 Million Jews through the Concordat with Hitler.
Peace or War- One word : The Crusades.
Integrity or Deceit : The Vatican keeping from the public one chapter of the book of Matthew. Not de-frocking New York pedophiles but instead re-assigning them, of all places, to Bohol !
Poverty and Development : They torched Tycho Brahe and were about to torch Copernicus and Galileo for defying the Ptolemaic "doctrine" of Cosmology. How does that forward "Development" ?
nice. Bohol? Wow. LOL
Hey I like this blog ! I think I'll become a member of this !
This is where the Catholic Church goes from its perceived role as "Shepherd" to that of "Dictator".
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