Man’s Inhumanity to Man
By Apolinario Villalobos
In the Old Testament, it says that despite Moses’ plea, the king of Edom refused passage to the band of Israelites through Kadesh in the course of their wandering in the desert (Numbers, Chapter 20). History is repeating itself, as lately, some European countries refuse passage to refugees/immigrants on their way to countries that are willing to give them refuge. Some parties are even questioning their status whether refugees or immigrants. Will that matter, especially, as lives are at stake? The two mentioned cases are just classic example of man’s inhumanity to man today!
No question about it…greed is the root cause of all the inhumanities that have taken place in the days of the old and still are happening on earth at this very moment. Such desire is what can be found beyond the line of satisfaction. Survival should have been enough to spell satisfaction, but the hideous side of man most often brings out greed which is oftentimes masked with compassion.
When Spain embarked on a spree of colonization, in which the Philippines was not spared, she brought forth “religion” as the reason – to spread Christianity, in particular, Catholicism. As soon as the cross was firmly planted, the sword followed. In the course of their “spiritual effort”, centuries-old cultures of natives have been replaced with Catholicism which even during that time was already facing insurmountable questions that resulted to schism or division. Opposing natives who refused to give in were systematically eradicated in the name of “God”, when what the missionaries presented to the natives were also paganistic rituals, only using statues with different faces.
When the Americans took over the stranglehold of the Philippines, the same fervor of masked compassion was shown, but this time, democracy was used followed by evangelization of Protestant missionaries. The “assimilation” had a high price as what happened during the time of the Spaniards – death to the defiant natives.
Practically, the whole face of the planet is not only pockmarked with inhumanity, but is practically, denuded by its many forms foremost of which are exploitation and corruption. It has come to a point that survival of the fittest has become the norm of life again, despite his having been “civilized”.
In the African continent, the prevailing force, ISIS, are razing down archaeological landmarks that have been painstakingly preserved as manifestations of man’s intellectual superiority. Villages of the weak suffer the same fate as human occupants and fragile homes are devastated without mercy. Refugees who trek over mountains or brave the ocean squalls are refused passage to friendly countries. And, in Asia, greed of a once dormant country, China, has systematically jumbled the once tranquil setting with its garrulous territorial claims.
For all these injustices, who will pass the judgment? On earth, the man-made United Nations seems helpless and inutile. Man is then, left with nothing else, but the Ultimate Judge whose verdict may, yet to come…
penpowersong 