Crossing the line

It’s the strength – and some would say weakness – of the Christian faith that a president of the republic can call God “stupid” without worrying about violent retaliation.

Instead Catholic bishops are either turning the other cheek or resorting to introspection, pondering why a product of a Jesuit school would develop such open contempt for God.

Duterte invokes freedom of expression. Being president, however, calls for limits on that freedom, which must be observed even if there is no law that requires self-restraint in the public pronouncements of the nation’s highest official. Presidential speeches are broadcast live and spread on social media. The networks can lose their franchise for airing pornographic, overly violent or offensive speech or content. Shouldn’t the president of the republic set the example in his public utterances?

In a country that remains predominantly Catholic, Duterte’s attack on God shows contempt for beliefs that are still held deeply by millions. Although some members of that other monotheistic religion – Islam – have also taken offense, he is widely seen to be targeting Christians. He has yet to heap similar profane insults on any other faith or religious sect.

In more progressive countries, his statement would be considered a religious hate speech. In our country, his political supporters – most of them undoubtedly Catholic who court the Church during election campaigns – even laugh and applaud his statements, thinking them amusing or cute.

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Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo is one Catholic who was not offended by the “stupid God” statement. Panelo, who recalls being first introduced to Duterte when the latter was mayor of Davao, says the latest presidential remarks against God and Catholic teachings were directed at theologians and authors of the Bible.

Facing “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News channel the other day, Panelo also reiterated Duterte’s explanation about one of the controversial remarks: it was directed at Australian nun Patricia Fox, whose God is not the President’s God.

Duterte further inflamed the faithful when he said God was stupid for creating a perfect Eden with Adam and Eve and then tempting them to commit sin.

The concept of free will – the freedom to choose between good and evil – is one of the bedrocks of the Christian faith. But Duterte isn’t the first or the only person to ask why God had to send the serpent to tempt Eve and give humankind the Original Sin.

In truth, Duterte is not the only person who harbors negative thoughts about God, even as he claims he believes there is a Supreme Being. Many other Christians who believe in God have wondered, in so many words, why God also created all the evils in the world.

The difference, of course, is that those with the questions are not the president of a republic where the Christian faith dominates almost all aspects of life, and where there is a strong need for unifying leadership.

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The faithful who are appalled by the insult can express their displeasure in the Christian, democratic way – through the ballot against Duterte diehards in the midterm elections next year.

People are starting to take note of the positions now being taken by politicians in this controversy – those for or against, and the fence sitters. Previous elections have shown that there is no Catholic vote in this country. But we might yet see a religious vote in 2019.

The principle of separation of church and state is enshrined in our Constitution. Will Duterte’s public disclosures of thoughts that are normally kept to oneself strengthen that principle?

So far, the consequent outrage seems to be going the other way and unifying public opinion against him. And Duterte appears chastened. Yesterday in another speech, he declared, “I have this deep and abiding faith in God… yung Diyos ko is forgiving.”

The past two millennia have shown that this Church wields the most powerful and enduring influence when it is persecuted. This is a faith built on the blood of many martyrs, with even the Son of God being tortured and dying on the cross.

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Panelo told us that he saw no need for the President to apologize for his remarks, as urged by certain groups. Still, there must be some administration officials who at least suspect that Duterte might have finally crossed the line.

Duterte has formed a team to meet with Church leaders – an unprecedented move in his two-year-old administration. Its members are his spokesman and adviser on human rights Harry Roque; former spokesman Ernesto Abella, now a foreign affairs undersecretary, who is a pastor; Pastor “Boy” Saycon who is not a pastor; and the latest addition yesterday, former priest-turned-Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.

Yesterday Duterte said he just wanted “to test the limits of everything” and he would keep his silence for now because he first wanted to see “how the nation reacts.”

“We are not precluded from sometimes being vicious,” he said. “There’s a time to be proper and a time to be a s**t.”

Off camera, Panelo told me that this President is not difficult to defend. Duterte does his own explanation, Panelo said, although sometimes the clarification or context can be found near the end of a presidential speech.

Some quarters are hoping that the public outrage will be sustained all the way to 2022, when Filipinos might be choking on a surfeit of profanity and unabashed sexist remarks in public discourse.

If voters stick to character, we will see a gentleman or lady ensconced in Malacañang, who gives unambiguous orders to his officials, who utilizes the power of the state with extreme care in keeping the public safe, perhaps even a statesman who harnesses rather than alienates international support for the good of the Philippines.

In short, the antithesis of the incumbent, who is the antithesis of his predecessor Noynoy Aquino. P-Noy in turn was seen as the antithesis of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose work ethic and record of overachievement were the opposite of Joseph Estrada. Fidel Ramos proved true to his moniker “Steady Eddie,” generally stabilizing a ship of state that was buffeted by the turbulence of coup attempts and was on sustained survival mode. Steady, however, can be boring, and Erap offered the missing excitement.

Now Rodrigo Duterte is making Filipinos ponder the importance of core values: the sanctity of life, respect for women, and those weighty imponderables, the belief in an eternal soul and a Creator.

Under siege, the faithful tend to circle the wagons. What doesn’t kill the Christian faith will make it stronger.

As they say, God works in mysterious ways.