The Construct

I’ve been totally out of my element for the past few days mostly due to lack of sleep. And quite honestly, I channel all my meager energies in writing stuff for LifeSpy that I’ve not been able to make rounds as of late until just a few moments ago before I decided to make some rounds here and there. Di bale, it’s my “lunch break” from LifeSpying.

I didn’t consider going to the Philippine Blog Awards. Not that I’m being a sore bummer or anything, it was just my turn to watch over our mother that night. So I practically missed the whole prayer thing that had Benj all riled up about. Here are links to Benj‘s posts on the matter – The Politically-Incorrect Philippine Blog Awards and Apathy Towards Zealotry Is Not An Option.

Sure, Benj, is an atheist and he’s all for the political correctness and the freedom to exercise his (non-)belief. And I respect that. I also respect all the other bloggers out there who are proud to stand by theirs – whether they be Catholic, Christian, INC, Buddhist, or Zoroastrian.

As for myself, I’m baptized Roman Catholic though I haven’t really practiced it for quite some time now (and believe it or not, it started when I was in Ateneo). I’m more of a Buddhist by philosophy though I still go by Judeo-Christian morality most of the time. Still, as long as you don’t shit on my beliefs, you can go ahead and worship a Tickle-Me-Elmo Extreme doll for all I care (idolatry!).

I wasn’t in the PBA so I wouldn’t try to think about the matter in the context of that particular event. I’d rather dwell and ponder on the whole thought whether religion breeds hegemony (an ideology of a dominant bloc) in the blogosphere.

Let’s get the facts straight. The Philppines is still, by numbers, a Roman Catholic country and I believe that this is also reflected in the blogosphere (though I sense that a good number of bloggers are Christian). But as Benj pointed out in large screaming red letters:

RECKLESSLY CLAIMING THAT SHEER NUMBERS CAN JUSTIFY ACTS OF BIGOTRY, INSENSITIVITY AND INTOLERANCE IS SIMPLY NONSENSICAL AND ILLOGICAL .

But let’s face it. In these modern times, we still somehow are not open-minded enough as a people. I have a fellow graduate student who believes that the origin of the different languages is the Tower of Babel event. Never mind all the linguistic and anthropological evidences that have surfaced over the last century.

It’s pretty much difficult to educate ourselves on diversity. It’s not like the US which have problems on racial issues. We, Filipinos, are of the same race. And usually our diversities are pinpointed either by region (whether one’s Tagalog, Kapampangan, or Bisaya) or by social class. As for religion, hasn’t the Christian versus Muslim been around for so long. And even that strikes the schism between Muslim Mindanao and the rest of us. Tsk.

The point is, we must start opening our eyes to our own diversity. Benj and I hail from a non-sectarian university and definitely one thing that we like about it is the absence of mandated prayers and services. Though I believe that whenever an invocation is needed, they just refer to a “greater being” (to which Benj will still probably have an issue with ) or just wish humanity well in a very logical sense.

As for the blogosphere I love how Shari puts it:

The Philippine blogosphere might be composed of just a minority of middle to upper class people in the country, but we need not forget the fact that there still exists diversity among us. And this is what makes the blogosphere rich and such an interesting place to share our thoughts and opinions, and also learn from other people. It just so happens that we have one definite thing in common, and that is we blog.

Though if you may allow me one quip on the prayer issue, it think that, going by Catholic morality, a lot of bloggers will be burning (our) souls in hell. Hehehe.

I think that the PBA is a great endeavor and I hope that Benj’s call would not go unheeded the next time there is a blogging event. If we’re all for the freedom of speech in the blogosphere, I hope that we exhibit the same open-mindedness in terms of belief systems.

In any case, it’s domination by numbers and all the rest who do not share the same beliefs could only voice out and hope that the majority would stop being isolationist. Though, I still believe that the blogsphere is hegemonic in itself. Haha.

Check out these other posts:

1. Wee, I’m cited by the Blog Herald!
2. The Philippine Blog Awards: Probing the idea of ‘the best’
3. The faggotry of Styx
4. Hoping to make it to the 3rd Philippine Blogging Summit
5. A principalia in the Pinoy blogoshpere?