Non-equals

In today’s dawn mass, the priest mentioned something about the grace and blessings of god; that god has showered us all with ample and equal blessings, and receiving it involves 90% human action and 10% divine intervention.

Simply stated, it means that you have to work for your blessings.  If you pray for the grace of god to let you win the lottery, you have to place your bet first.  If you pray for the grace of god to help you pass an exam, you have to study hard for it.  I would agree that it sounds reasonable and logical.  You really cannot and ought not expect something without doing anything about it.  But what bothers me is the church’s claim that we are all equally blessed.

It may be true that with the 10% divine intervention one can say that all are equally blessed.  However, that 10% translates to nothing without the 90% human effort.  Considering that the poor would necessarily exert more effort in attaining their blessings compared to the rich, the balance of blessings tilts with great fervor in favor of the rich.  With more means to attain their desires, this also means that the probability of the rich getting what they prayed for is extremely higher than that of the poor.

This leads me to conclude that this is the church’s way to justify its claim that men are all equal in the eyes of god.  By saying that without exerting effort you should not expect god’s grace is a convenient excuse to the qualms that god rarely grants prayers.

At this point I remember the priest saying something like “do not think that god doesn’t hear your prayers because he does. before you even express your desire in words, he has already granted your prayers. you just have to look for it. you just have to do your part and work for it.”  With that argument, the church can always say that you did not receive god’s grace because you either (i) didn’t pray much about it or (ii) you didn’t do anything to deserve it.  Then the believers will just admit to having failed in one of these things because they cannot question the word of god and the teachings of the church the way they were told and raised.  The fact of the matter is, men are not equal.  It is bad enough as it is, and the church seducing everyone to thinking that we are all equally blessed makes it worse.

Fire Private Lawyers

Fire private lawyers.  This was the advice given by SolGen Devanadera to OIC Nario of PCGG on account of the “inefficient and uncooperative” private lawyers retained by the latter to pursue ill-gotten wealth cases against the Marcoses and their cronies.

Sounds like a good advice right? Only if OSG also fires its “inefficient and uncooperative” lawyers who collect huge retainer fees from government agencies despite doing nothing. 

Most government agencies (except the OSG of course) would admit their OSG lawyer (in some agencies it’s “lawyers”) rarely gives due attention to their cases.  This is precisely the reason why government agencies hire private lawyers who are willing to at least do something with their pending cases. 

So doesn’t that solve the problem?  Not really. Government agencies can’t hire private lawyers without the approval of OSG and COA. However, OSG can approve hiring of private lawyers if it admits that it does not have enough lawyers to handle the cases of the requesting government agency. Now, can you honestly believe they will admit to such fact? Moreso when “[t]here is now a sufficient number of OSG lawyers to actively prosecute ill-gotten wealth cases instituted by the PCGG in the Sandiganbayan”.

Yeah right! I may agree with the claim on sufficiency of OSG lawyers, but not on the claim that they will actively prosecute cases, unless maybe when the case involves wide media attention.

 

Source:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=175996

12 Mental Exercises to a Keener and More Flexible Mind

Saw this at Yahoo. Followed the link, and read a bit of it. I intend to read it later… when I’m not as busy. So I thought of blogging it just so I won’t forget.  Now I think I really have to get on it as soon as possible.

In case curiosity gets the best of you and would want to know and try it out, here are the 12 exercises (without their deeper explanation):

1. Spend an hour each day without saying anything except in answer to direct questions, in the midst of the usual group, without creating the impression that you’re sulking or ill. Be as ordinary as possible. But do not volunteer remarks or try to draw out information.
2. Think for 30 minutes a day about one subject exclusively. Start with five minutes.
3. Write a letter without using the words I, me, mine, my.
4. Talk for 15 minutes a day without using I, me, my, mine.
5. Write a letter in a “successful” or placid tone. No misstatements, no lying. Look for aspects or activities that can be honestly reported that way.
6. Pause on the threshold of any crowded room and size it up.
7. Keep a new acquaintance talking about himself or herself without allowing him to become conscious of it. Turn back any courteous reciprocal questions in a way that your auditor doesn’t feel rebuffed.
8. Talk exclusively about yourself and your interests without complaining, boasting, or boring your companions.
9. Cut “I mean” or “As a matter of fact” or any other verbal mannerism out of your conversation.
10. Plan two hours of a day and stick to the plan.
11. Set yourself twelve tasks at random: e.g., go twenty miles from home using ordinary conveyance; go 12 hours without food; go eat a meal in the unlikeliest place you can find; say nothing all day except in answer to questions; stay up all night and work.
12. From time to time, give yourself a day when you answer “yes” to any reasonable request.

 

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/12-surprising-and-product_b_147769.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4710154/Dorothea-Brande-Wake-Up-and-Live