FAITH AND DEATH

Abraham is said to have offered his son Isaac as sacrifice to show his faithfulness to God. That was during Biblical times. Nowadays, being faithful is measured not in terms of killing (although probably among organizations with nefarious activities that is the norm), but rather in terms of being united with the principles of the organization, like a political party extracting unwavering loyalty among its members.

However, that faith or loyalty can be questioned if the political party is mandated by a higher goal and that is to protect and serve a greater number of people, or the national interests instead of their particular concerns, such as insuring the victory at the polls.

Difficult isn't it to be in a party, as you will have to challenge the leadership of people who espouse such truncated set of values that give more premium to continuous political power, instead of the interests of the people. Quezon aptly said, "My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins." He died of tuberculosis at Saranac lake while in exile in the United States, and at the height of the Japanese regime in our country. Nonetheless, his statement is oft quoted because of its ardent love of country seldom? or often found among politicians.

I would not delve into political life so much as the short time we have on this earth. How long can an individual live, 70, 80 or 90 or 110 years? What happens when people age - wrinkles, grey hair, absentmindedness, decrepit bodies -- everyone seems to be vulnerable to all these changes in life, probably except those who drink goji and other berry juices, supposed to be rejuvenators of cells in the body.

And when we die, what happens to our bodies? They turn to dust, or would turn to dust if exposed to the elements. Buddhists say that the individual assumes another life, whether another human or an insect's body, it all depends on the karma earned while living. Christians say that we either sit on the right side of Christ, live in paradise, or in hell, no longer any in-between like purgatory. So what happens after death, can we still be repentant and ask the Almighty for another good life on earth?

I am sure that all those who have died ask themselves, I wonder what I had done on earth. Did I live truthfully? What is living a truthful life? Necessarily a truthful life lets other people live truthfully and humanely, I would say. No other positive life is worth commending than that of being humane to other folks especially those in need.

But supposing, instead of doing that, an individual schemes to make life hellish for other people, like divesting them of jobs, making sure that they would not be able to earn a living, or make them feel insecure for the rest of their lives, or even for a short while, would he or she still merit a good place in paradise, or any another life that is full of blissful blessings?

I think we Christians or Buddhists or any other faiths, know that there is some norm to follow to define what is a humane life. And faith has nothing to do with that at all. Instead, let us talk of the moral life -- of being humane to others -- ensuring that they have the right to live decently and humanely and not use them for whatever evil purposes -- this is the only kind of life that I know of. Maybe it also has some hint of being faithful -- faithful to some principles in life as this in itself -- to lead a moral life, an ethical life -- is a principle -- and so it must be embraced by all.

If the countries in the world are not able to surmount the great materialistic tendencies in politics -- whether for silver or greed for political power -- then it is time for us to prepare ourselves for a higher cause. With that, we need to start with the young, to insure that they will be the right guardians of the world not only in the realm of politics.