Place of worship

It was a devastating Sunday when news broke out that the cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, was bombed in a terrorist attack. What could have been a day to worship God became a tragic event for everybody. It was a strong message dividing both religions that dominated Mindanao, killing innocent people who were only there to fulfill their Sunday obligation.

Of course, the effect that followed suit was another travel advisory issued by the United Kingdom which mentioned Cebu. The proximity of South Cebu to Mindanao gave the foreign countries every reason to keep their citizens away from danger. It also placed the whole of the nation on heightened alert to keep all agencies on their toes for another possible attack.

The incident could give one many reasons to be angry, but as for me I am sad at what happened. Sad because people have forgotten to respect one another. Aren't we entitled to our own differences and religion? If there is a certain angst against the government or belief, why vent it out on innocent people? It is also sad to note that we are victims in our own country by our own countrymen. That is why we never prosper as a nation. Over the years we become so divided that all we want to achieve are our own interests. Well, that shouldn't be the case. If we want to be in a united country, then we must not terrorize our fellowmen.

The agenda of the terrorists is different, apart from beliefs they could be into it for financial reasons. Was it worth it? I hope their conscience lets them sleep soundly at night. I can't imagine how they can kill others while they have their own families to feed and secure at night.

It is my fear that we no longer have the freedom to go into places of worship because we are scared by the possibility of more attacks. These places of worship are our refuge and are very sacred for some of us. I don't think they have the right to take away others’ rights to praise and worship God. We have been known to be very religious people and that keeps us sane. Personally, my safe house is also our church. Breaking the image of that place being safe creates an innate fear that makes us lose our confidence in ourselves and what we can do as a people.

The authorities will be investigating the incident and we have to wait as the story unfolds. I only wish for peace in this country; true genuine peace among us brothers and sisters. After all, we are all human beings living in one country. We cannot go against the law since we are born into it. I hope we can all understand that in order to co-exist we must first of all respect one another and understand our differences. It gets very basic but even adults don't get it. It’s getting sadder as the days go by.