Spirituality cannot be Imposed…it is a choice

Spirituality cannot be Imposed
… it is a Choice
By Apolinario Villalobos

Spirituality cannot be imposed, instead, it can only be manifested to inspire and give guidance. It is a choice…unfortunately, the most difficult option.

A clear indication that it cannot be imposed is the failure of baptism given at a young age. The new born or young child is helpless and cannot resist the imposed rite being administered as a pre-requisite for acceptance to a sect or religion. As he grows, the child becomes exposed to other faiths and inadvertently, he develops the tendency to compare what he already has with those around him.

Patient evangelization also plays a great role in the decision of the faith bearer to choose what is aptly right for him. Sometimes the imposed faith is overwhelmed, most especially, if his family has a weak spiritual foundation.

For the faith to develop, the faith bearer should be helped with testimonies, with the most effective as the pious acts of the people around him. If a person is a baptized Christian for instance, he should see Christians doing acts expected of them to confirm that indeed, what is in his heart is the right faith. If the faith bearer sees the contrary, then there is a great probability that he will decide to be converted into a more meaningful faith.

With the proliferation of different “faiths”, the fundamental ones, especially, the monotheistic, should work hard to show their worth. Unnecessary competition that results to badmouthing should be avoided, as they are preaching THE SAME GOD, anyway.

Sa Amin…sa Mindanao

Sa Amin…sa Mindanao
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Luntiang kaparangang halos walang hangganan
Kabundukang kahi’t paano’y balot pa ng kagubatan
Mga batis na animo ay musika ang paglagaslas
‘Yan ang Mindanao na ganda’y ubod ng timyas.

Malalagong palay, sa ihip ng hangin ay umiindayog
Mga masisiglang alagang hayop, lahat ay malulusog
Mga halamanang gulay, mayayabong ang dahon
‘Yan ang Mindanao na nabibiyayaan ng panahon.

Maraming katutubo, iba’t ibang makukulay na tribu
Magkakapitbahay ay mga Muslim at mga Kristiyano
Sila’y nagbibigayan, taos-pusong nagkakaunawaan
‘Yan ang Mindanao na may pangakong kaunlaran.

Subali’t kung ang pagkagahama’y biglang umeksena
Ang mga minimithing pangarap, lahat ay nababalewala
Kung bakit naman kasi may mga taong puso’y sakim
At mga adhikaing baluktot na dulot ay paninimdim.

Sa amin sa Mindanao ay masaya at may kasaganaan
Kaya dinayo ng mga tao na ang hanap ay kapayapaan
Nguni’t dahil sa damdaming sakim ng ilang hangal
Nakakabahalang ang tinatamasa ay baka ‘di tumagal!

An Observed Fault in my Blog…thanks to a meticulous viewer

An Observed Fault in my Blog
…thanks to a meticulous viewer
By Apolinario Villalobos

Here’s a letter of explanation and gratitude to a meticulous viewer of my blogs, who observed a fault in my latest on “Democracy”…..

Hi, Perl….

My blog re “Democracy…” is some kind of a conclusion, after a series of blogs on corruption. Unfortunately, it has no “accompanying” background or basis. I presumed that with so many blogs that I made about corruption that touched on the metamorphosis of the “new” Philippines after the Martial Law that started under Cory Aquino up to the present, showing that corruption has just worsened, I presumed that viewers will recall my past blogs as basis for my latest on democracy. The past blogs showed that the administrations of Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and now, another Aquino, Pnoy…are oblivious to the unscrupulous abuse of democracy.

Based on the past “corruption blogs”, my latest on democracy implied that it has been grossly abused, that’s all I wanted to say. The Senate and Congress where lawmakers can be found, proved to be questionable in their democratic character, even the executive and judiciary branches, and still, even the police, because of unchecked corruption. The blog is a hanging conclusion which means that, if somebody can do something to remedy the situation, such opinion will be changed. Still unfortunately, I did not mention the Philippines in the blog because what was in my mind were the Filipino fb viewers. So I am thinking now that foreigners will definitely think that I am a communist after viewing it in wordpress, blogspot, twitter and Tumbler. I am grateful to you because I came to realize such oversight. My plan was actually to just post it only on my fb and not on the rest of my sites, but “automatically”, without much thought, I opened the said sites and uploaded the blog as some kind of my routine act. I will be forced to make a rejoinder to that blog, again, thanks to you for patiently checking my materials.

My problem in blogging is that if I shorten the material, it hangs in mid-air just like what happened to “Democracy….”. If I make the material thorough, making it long, just like what I did to “Ang Mga Pagkakamali ni Binay” and others, some viewers complain which I understand because I found out that many of them use smartphone only. If I really make my presentations concise, I might end up with enumerated bullet statements. Some viewers outside my loop, are even requesting for Pilipino and English translations, to which I comply. They are those who are able to view my blogs as shared/pasted on sites of other viewers. I receive their requests via email.

Here’s my sequence of action every time I open the computer: I check the email page first, because that is where your messages come in and act on them, while leaving the rest of messages which every day total almost 300, but go back to them shortly, later on; then I upload my blogs on fb, wordpress, blogspot and Tumbler. It is a good thing that whatever I blog on wordpress also gets published on twitter and fb. But still, I have to do a separate upload on fb for the convenience of viewers who have no time to open my wordpress, blogspot, or Tumbler sites. All these take 3 to 4 hours to do, giving me no time to browse the internet. I check the fb of friends for my update only three times a week during which I spend a longer time with my laptop.

Another big problem is the signal that is intermittently cut off, even for as long as about an hour. I just use a USB broadband for which I buy load of fifty pesos per use, and sometimes, I go to my neighbor who has a WIFI. I did not get a monthly post-plan as I find it costly and impractical, not suitable for a struggling blogger like me. The signal problem forces me to faithfully follow the sequence I mentioned which necessitates uploading first, so that in case the signal gets worse, or will not reconnect, my viewers can already have something to read. The rest of my time, I use doing random acts of you-already-know-what out in the field.

Rest assured that next time I will be more careful and not get confused because of the many sites that I use. I consider your comments on my blogs valuable. With this is my assurance still, that I hate communism to its very essence.

God bless you!…the same wish goes to the rest of the patient viewers, who read this share.

Bot V