Author’s note: This post is spurred by the contrasting emotions and sentiments caused by an e-mail he received this morning – the sort of e-mail one does not expect first thing in the morning.

***

A “faggot” (or “fagot”) is a word used for a variety of ways. A denotation could mean a type of fabric stitch. Another would be the action of bundling rods or sticks. At times, it can be used to denote the actual bundle itself. However, today, it has come a long way from these denotations with its more popular use as a derogatory term for homosexuals.

I have nothing against homosexuals and as for religion, I have long since accepted that you need not shit on anyone’s faith. I promote tolerance for both sexuality and faith.

This morning, I received an e-mail from Ken Ocampo condemning this guy(/gay?) for being a “faggot” and being an anti-Christ.

The email cites:

I am writing to you with hopes that you spread our outrage to as many people possible. We’re appalled that one of the country’s top bloggers is a gay and an antichrist. The “faggotry” message he is spreading to the youth is very disturbing. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world read his website. Many children and youth read his filth. What is even more disturbing is he make a joke out of Jesus by posting very disturbing photos of British people mocking Jesus our savior on his website. It’s an insult to what Filipinos stand for, including our religion, our values, our traditions, our beliefs and our faith.

http://www.bryanboy.com/bryanboy_le_superstar_fab/
2006/10/jesus_is_our_fu.html

Now, I know a few other bloggers have discussed and cited this on their blogs, I think that I’d try to give out my two cents worth since I did receive the e-mail. It is not easy as I do have varying opinions for both sides as I have tried to look into the case for further detail.

I do understand that the Roman Catholic Church has been a bit accepting towards the fact that research has shown that a minority of the world’s population of human beings have natural homosexual orientation. Still, it has quite a negative view towards homosexual acts since for the Catholic Church, sex’s primary purpose is for procreation. A lengthier discourse on the Catholic position is found here. So with this premise, there will be no Brokeback action for Catholic human beings with testicles and penises. Lest they risk the eternal fires of hell.

I was born and raised a Catholic. But for some very personal reasons I found myself jaded with organized religion that I have not practiced the Sacraments for quite sometime now. For now, I would say that I am still in the process of soul searching. I am not an atheist, that’s for sure. I consider myself an agnostic but I am still inclined to stick with Judeo-Christian morality.

I am heterosexual. I have been attracted to women all my life. I have a girlfriend whom I really love. And I do believe that I will be loving her for the rest of my life. I have never been in a homosexual relationship or considered being in one. Now, will I engage into a homosexual relationship? As I have said, I am straight. As long as one is not out to violate my anus, another person being gay is fine by me.

However, a lot of my friends are gays, lesbians and bisexuals. For the better part of my life, I have accepted the fact that some people are gay. And believe me, these gay friends of mine are very close friends who know more than just my name or what I have been doing routinely. One of the best professors I had in college was gay and I am not ashamed to say that I admire the person. Does their liking another human bearing the same gonads as theirs make them any less human? No.

You can freely substitute the words “Jew” and “Christian” with “homos” and “straights” in Shylock’s speech and it will still be pretty much be coherent. But we do acknowledge the fact that machismo, regionalism, and religious fanaticism still runs high in the Filipino society such as this case in point.

Well, my personal bottom line is that sexual or religious fanaticism should be misplaced in modern society. Tolerance is still the key to keep adversity in check amidst diversity. And there is a word for easily-led automatons who condemn a whole race, practically erasing them from a part of the world – they are called “Nazis.” And for that fanaticism, 60 million people died around the globe.

Think of all the chaos that religious fanaticism has caused – the Crusades, the Holocaust, and the anti-Muslim fervor created by 9/11 and the US retaliation.

Talk about Filipino pride and morality? I bet that Inq7.net has more viewers worldwide than bryanboy. And don’t you think that just the sheer ratio of bad news to good news is quite lopsided in favor of the former? Everyday, all the news about corruption and the breakdown of the Philippine social and moral fabric does send the image that we are a race to be damned to hell because 1) as a democracy, these thieves are our collective choice as leaders and 2) faith in general has not helped much in everyone loving his/her neighbor. Have you read that hunger is at an all time high? But the Catholic doctrine as guided by Jesus’ words has cited that we should feed the hungry. But why do we not see an online petition raging against people standing below five feet? Why have I not received an invite for a signature on an online petition for the Filipino Web community to share a piece of pan de sal for those families in need.

This issue is all about tolerance and balance. For Mr. Ocampo, I think that I somehow have helped you in publicizing your “outrage” against this homosexual but I do not intend to be part of your online petition. I hope that you will not damn me to hell for not being a “good Christian” as I also hope that you do not consider that Ghandi is roasting in hell for not being Catholic (not that I am anywhere near Ghandi’s good deeds). As for that bryanboy blogger person, I do believe in freedom of speech but I also believe in social responsibility. His/her site could sure use a PG-warning for the visuals, content, and language.

What I could suggest is for readers to be open-minded yet critical to what the Internet has to offer. We could all choose not to view bryanboy.com if we want to. We all know that the Web is a war zone of good and bad information. And for Filipino adults wary about children reading such material as what is found in bryanboy.com, download and use any one of these. This issue all boils down to one’s responsibility to oneself and to others.

It is quite ironic for me to start closing this thing by referring to Michael Jackson, well, mostly to the song Man in the Mirror anyway. “If you want to make a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”

As much as I do not want to act oh-so-righteous about this thing I am pretty much sure that a handful of you who are reading this will think otherwise. But come on, if there is not one thing in this whole piece strikes as generally acceptable or, in the least, logical, then I would rest my case on this matter and shut up.

Faggot. I’d rather have ourselves examine our world of how our society’s moral fiber is stitched (faggot-stitched) from all angles not just because one loves the same sex or believes that there is no Jesus.

Check out these other posts:

1. Sex education in QC
2. Is religion hegemonic in the Philippine blogosphere?
3. A question of resources?
4. Why I hate Brian
5. Round 2: Malu Fernandez versus the Pinoy blogosphere