I find it painfully hypocritical that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) would suggest not giving communion to members of the church simply because of their stance on family planning. What about other members guilty of other “sins?” What about the politicos who steal from the people and still have the gall to show their faces at church every Sunday? That’s been going on for decades, and yet they pick this as a reason to kick somebody out? Why not also refuse to give communion to Gloria’s entourage who flew overseas just to watch Pacquiao’s bout, even as we were still reeling from Typhoon Frank’s aftermath?
Talk about double standards. While I don’t agree with Gabriela on many matters, I will side with their point that abortion happens simply because many women here have neither the financial nor the emotional means to care for their child. There are probably more reasons, but given our level of poverty, this is the most likely cause. If the church is so against abortion, then why don’t they care for the unwanted child? Or would they rather he or she grow in “a situation of sin,” where starvation and neglect will push them to resort to drastic actions just to stay alive?
I am angered especially because I am also a practicing Catholic. Since when did we end up with leaders with this backward thinking. Family planning does not equal anti-life. If anything, it ensures that the couple will have the means to properly care for their offspring.
As for the argument that sex education would lead to immoral acts, this flow of logic implies that reading about lock picking will also encourage us to commit thefts, or that reading about serial killers will turn us into murderers. Except that this doesn’t happen normally, unless the one reading is already mentally disturbed. This only reveals that the CBCP is selling their pulpit’s common sense and integrity short. We are smarter than that, and we certainly deserve better leaders than that.
-Antonio Yang III, Sta. Mesa, Metro Manila (via e-mail)
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September 9th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
We don’t have to reinvent the wheel…surf Malthus>the guy was born more than a century ago!
August 5th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Fine do it. Punish them. As long as you don’t claim artificial birth control as equivalent to abortion because they are totally different.
As long as there is no conception, you cannot claim that you are killing the unborn. To claim otherwise is being a narrow-minded.
The Catholic church is only in favor of natural birth control BECAUSE it is INEFFECTIVE, and in the same way makes them look like pro birth control where in fact they are not! Talking about politics!
They say birth control is not the solution, the solution is on the effectiveness of Government, I say that is not true! Why? No matter how efficient your government if the population is way out of proportion you’ll go nowhere but buried in poverty 6 feet underground. Why? Because humans are human resources, and they too are subject to the law of supply and demand. If the supply is high the value of it diminishes that is why the purchasing power of Filipinos is way below poverty lines. The reason why salaries here are so low is because we’re so plenty, no contest no argument!
Come on Catholic priests I am challenging you to a positive debate. Give me your arguments, I want it right now. Why? Because I can’t see why you are so persistent to an issue that is in fact a no-brainer issue with an obvious solution, to control the birth rate WITH an effective means.
@Carlos
quote
Promiscuity defines unwanted pregnancies (contraceptives are not 100% effective!) and leads to abortions.
unquote
It is not 100% effective but IT IS more effective than the ineffective natural birth control (natural birth control isn’t even a birth control because its success rate is way too low!)
I say, to born a baby you can’t upbring is far more worse than using contraceptives! I believe they’re the ones should go to prison for being irresponsible for giving birth to a child they can’t provide for. Way too worse! I REALLY HOPE PRIESTS KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??!! Let’s end this poverty right here right now! If not I’m leaving this country and change my citizenship and nationality and forget about being Filipino because escaping under the influence of the principles of Catholic church is worth dying for!
July 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Man never learns from the lessons of the past. If man continues his unrestrained desires it will eventually resolve the problem of world population. When food becomes scarce and people start dying of starvation; and when political crises worsen and lead to global wars. Only then will the problem resolve itself.
July 27th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Is it wrong when a woman (married or not) does’nt want to get pregnant? This is a choice that does not violate any law or creed. In this condition, she can do all precautionary measures available thru science and medicine to avoid getting pregnant. Not to allow pregnancy is entirely different from abortion. Preventing pregnancy does not necessarily mean a life is terminated. While in abortion, there is already a loss of life.
In addition, what is wrong is to allow pregnancies by irresponsible parents and let the children to be born in this world only to be neglected along the way. In so doing, we only have children that grow-up as citizens only to become being burden in a society.
And we all know that the rate of growth of the poor is higher than that of the middle class and above. Increasing the density of the poor by unmanaged growth hampered any kind of development that the government want to implement.
July 26th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
@De los Reyes
Agreed. In the end, it will be up to the couple’s decided course of action. Although to be quite frank, I think their choice will depend heavily on the sort of situation they’re in.
Even I find that abortion is horrible choice, but given the sort of situation some couples live in, to them, that may be the only available choice.
To the Catholics: Just because the choice is there doesn’t mean you have to take it. Fine, it’s a sin within our own laws, but don’t go shoving our own sense of morality down the throat of those who won’t have any of it, or those living under a different faith.
That’s where tyranny begins.
“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” - Matthew 22:21
July 26th, 2008 at 2:03 am
While the rest of the world is trying to curb population growth, our country seems to be going nowhere with regards to it’s population problem. It’s because everytime somebody in the government thinks of doing the right thing, stupid people in the Catholic church always interferes.
They’re teaching that contraception is is equivalent to abortion and results an abortion is complete lie. Contraception prevents the eggs from maturing so that fertilization wouldn’t occur. The Catholic church is responsible for spreading fallacies to promote their agenda. More people, more church contribution?
Rythm method simply does not work, period. You people got to choose and stop being dictated by your Church. It’s not even an issue here in the US. Yes, I’m a Catholic, but I don’t believe in everthing that the Church says.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
@ Antonio
Healthy sex life?
Behind contraception are two dispositions/frames of mind. First, it is an objective barrier between spouses’ full mutual self-giving in sex (not sharing the gift of fertility, resorting to physical barriers, lack of commitment etc.) Second, that sex is an unstoppable instinct and uncontrollable need.
It therefore degrades the spouses’ love for one another by restraining self-giving and seeing sex as a ‘necessary past time’ that often treats partners as objects for relieving sexual urge.
Contraceptives will only corrode marriages and encourage promiscuity. Promiscuity defines unwanted pregnancies (contraceptives are not 100% effective!) and leads to abortions.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
FAMILY PLANNING BEST LEFT TO COUPLE’S DISCRETION
People live in a world where they are guided by rules created by a government of men. These are rules that give people the freedom of choice and the right to exist.
People also have spiritual freedom and the choice to honor their Creator and to abide by the rules their religious beliefs impose on them. As a citizen, it is his/her bounded duty to follow the laws which the government has created for the good of the country and welfare of the people. It may happen such a law like population control may be contrary to the religious teachings of the Church. Nonetheless it cannot be denied the fundamental issue behind this is to prevent the imminent consequences of population explosion.
The two clashing forces, the government and the Church, have responsibilities to undertake. The govt’s responsibility is to provide food security to the people and to make sure the population can be sustained adequately by the dwindling food resources. The Church’s responsibility, on the other hand, is to save the souls of its flocks by keeping them from committing the sins of artificial birth controls.
This is where both institutions should draw the line. The govt has served notice telling the people to manage population growth or face the evil consequences of over-population. The Church too has reminded its flocks the consequences of committing mortal sin. Having said that, the people will decide what they believe is good for them. The choice is theirs not the bishops, not the government.
Those threats by the bishops denying the Holy Sacraments to any one violating the laws on pro-life will most likely be ignored. How many practicing Catholics today follow the church rules at heart? It is impressive indeed to see the large number of people receiving Holy Communion during Sunday Mass, almost emptying the church seats to line up for Communion, which must have flashed the thought in anyone’s mind, oh how nice to see so many deeply devoted people, especially men, receiving Communion. But have you wondered how many of them ever went to confession? Go see if there’s a long line to the confessional box. Nada! All this for show that they are not sinners? You get my drift?
July 25th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
@titov
The Church encourages natural family planning method - aka the rhythm method - as the only proper means of curbing unwanted births.
The problem is that the Rhythm method has repeatedly been proven by scientific research to to be unreliable.
The church may tell us it is wrong, and ask us to abstain. The problem is that a healthy sex life IS one important requisite to a long lasting marriage.
That aside, the Catholic teaching you’ve posted is based on the Humanae Vitae pastoral letter of 1968.
I’ve read parts of it, and quite frankly, it needs to be updated. It’s criticisms may have been relevant in line with the existing research of the time, but it just isn’t the case anymore with today’s scenarios.
Sink or swim.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
“A culture that is closed to new life in the act that creates new life will not be welcoming to life once it is conceived. Both contraception and abortion find their roots in the notion that in order to avoid children, artificial and intrusive measures may be used to thwart the body’s natural procreative capacity. The use of contraception treats the procreation of new life as an outcome to be avoided at all costs, through harmful drugs, devices, and even self-mutilating surgery.” from cuf.org
July 24th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
They (Gloria Arroyo,Miriam Defensor Santiago, Juan Ponce Enrile,Neri,Garci) did not accept publicly that they are unrepentantly corrupt. While in the case of some Catholic legislators, they publicly declare their support to the anti-life bill, an act which is not in communion with the Church.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Revision:
1. Erap Estrada
2. Gloria Arroyo
3. JDV
4. Chavit Singson
5. Juan Ponce Enrile
6. Garci
7. Miriam Defensor Santiago
Feed them to the lions!
also, lets not forget about Erap. he was the worst of them all. i think it would be btter if he’s left out of the history books. not making us proud AT ALL.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:54 am
In addition, this is also due the in-ability of the government to address this menace as there is resistance or interference from the religious blocks especially the Catholic Church. If there is an attempt by the government to initiate population control or management, this is interpreted as encouraging abortion as seen by the Church. We all know that there are other ways to control or manage excessive growth of the population other than abortion, but the Church is also against these methods. Tolits.
============
In order to control the population the church position is that women and men must abstain from engaging in sexual intercourse, inappropriately or in an untimely fashion. But many have given up their ability to control their sexual impulses. The lack of understanding of this basic human needs is exacerbated by the fantasies of ignorant sexually deprived men and women whose exploits become sources of income through books and stories peddled to young people to wet their interest and wonderment so that they will seek to buy their books, their sexually arousing songs, their movies, and television programs. Their grossly unfounded presentation of what sexual drive as mainly a source of pleasure specially when engaged in illicitly tiltillate unprepared growing youngsters to seek pleasure and thus engage in sexual deprivation, siring children unprepared for parenthood.
The churches have given up on this issue. The educated leaders are just as ignorant as the youngsters and the uneducated ones. The political leaders are condoning the proliferations of smut and x-rated movies, television programs and printed materials, as well as prostitution around the neighborhood and communities of the Philippines. If nothing is done with this prevailing problem, the Philippines is headed in the direction of the African continents. There is a healthy side of sexual intercourse. Like food, it is created as a need for a purpose. And just like eating food, if not done properly, can render enormous problems, to the individual and to the nation as well. Health is becoming number one issue in the children of the United States, along with improper sexual orientation. Obesity and diabetes are growing problems of American children. Would it not be nice to insist that we subscribe to the higher calling through observing high moral standard while at the same time, objectively and factually, educate our youngsters about sex: why it must be dealt with intelligently and factually? The goal is to enable all men and women to control their sexual impulses and practice sexual intercourse responsibly so that they don’t sire children like pigs!
July 24th, 2008 at 1:14 am
15
Pogito Says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
To Titov,
You want good examples of unrepentant corrupt politician, here you go:
1. Gloria Arroyo
2. Miriam Defensor Santiago
3. Juan Ponce Enrile
4. Neri
5. Garci
Shall we feed them to the dogs?
====
YES!!!!
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
To Titov,
You want good examples of unrepentant corrupt politician, here you go:
1. Gloria Arroyo
2. Miriam Defensor Santiago
3. Juan Ponce Enrile
4. Neri
5. Garci
Shall we feed them to the dogs?
July 20th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
The basic needs of the population to consider their existence in this world as human are food, clothing, and shelter. Provisions for these basic needs are proportional to the composition of an ordinary family structure, i.e. the bigger the family, the more efforts to sustain these needs. This is in addition to providing the proper education and other social needs to enable each child to develop and become a responsible member of the society. As responsible parents, we have to realize the number of children we can support to give them the bright future out of the income we generate. Beyond our capability to raise our children properly, they become part of the problem rather than being assets of the society.
The root cause of population explosion as what is happening to our country having the highest rate of population growth of 2.3 % is ignorance on the part of the parents in general to properly manage their growth. In addition, this is also due the in-ability of the government to address this menace as there is resistance or interference from the religious blocks especially the Catholic Church. If there is an attempt by the government to initiate population control or management, this is interpreted as encouraging abortion as seen by the Church. We all know that there are other ways to control or manage excessive growth of the population other than abortion, but the Church is also against these methods.
The rate of 2.3 % population growth according to our economist will require at least 8 % in the growth of our economy to sustain the basic needs of the population in terms of employment.
We can only conclude that the present economic state of the Philippines will not achieve the rate of progress that happened to our neighbors in the region due to higher rate of population growth, graft and corruption in all government levels, and our country being a disaster prone area.
It is now a matter of government priority and political will to manage the population growth by any other means except abortion. We don’t need approval from the religious sector about this action as it is the government itself that has the broad responsibility to ensure that the entire population growth do no out pace the growth of our economy.
The Church should realize that supply and demand will dictate the stability of a nation. if the demand (due bigger population) is grater than supply, the costs of human needs can no longer be controlled favorably.
July 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
To Jose Maria Alcasid: The church is NOT INFALLIBLE! If the church is infallible, the sun, and everything else, would have revolved from the earth.
Wake up Kiddo! If there’s one who’s gotta be excommunicated, it’s gotta be Gloria Arroyo! She’s as bad as it gets!
July 19th, 2008 at 12:37 am
To all priest/Nuns,
Dapat ang sariling ninyung problima/baho ang dapat ninyung linisin bago kayu makialam sa problima ng iba.
una, maraming pare na may kabit, asawa at anak. - ang masama pa ay na punta pa sa ROMA-italy.
Pangalawa, nagasawa at may anak na ngayun at pinabalik pa pagkapari.
Pangatlo, pari at madri nagasawa at ang masam pa ang kapatida na babai ng madri ay inasawa and kapatid at hiniwalayan ang madri.
ito ay nangyari mismo sa province namin at kilala kopa at malapit sa pamilya.
So- ano ang pagkakaiba ninyu sa politiko.
Ako at marami pang iba ay wala ng tiwal sa inyo, hangat hindi mag babago ang kaparian ay dadami ang ibang sekto na magpapayaman din.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Mr. Yang, can you pinpoint without reasonable doubt an unrepentant corrupt politician so the Church can refuse him the communion?
July 18th, 2008 at 4:33 am
what can you expect from the corrupt government official’s.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:48 am
According to the Catholic Catechism (Listed Below) life begins at conception.
According to the definitions listed below, Abortion is to terminate a pregnancy which can only take place after conception has occurred.
Contraception or the use of a contraceptive is to prevent conception or impregnation, and as such no conception or pregnancy takes place. Contraception is not by definition considered aborting, or terminating a pregnancy before term.
“Natural Birth Control” is also by definition Contraception and or Contraceptive practice.
………………………………………………………………
From: Catholic Bishops-Catechism of the Catholic Church
Office for the Catechism
ARTICLE 5
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
ABORTION
2270
Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from “The Moment Of Conception”. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.(Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I, 1.)
2271
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and
men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with
the utmost care from “The Moment Of Conception”: abortion and infanticide are
abominable crimes
2274
Since it must be treated “From Conception” as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
…………………………………………………………..
DEFINITIONS
Main: Abort
Etymology: Latin abortus miscarried (ptp. of aborīrī to disappear, miscarry)
Abortion: The termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.
A: spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation — miscarriage.
B: induced expulsion of a human fetus.
C: to terminate the pregnancy of before term.
(Hence to end the process already active.)
Main: contraception
Etymology: contra + conception
Contra: against; in opposition or contrast to.
Conception: 1. the act of conceiving; the state of being conceived.
2. Fertilization; inception of pregnancy.
3. Origination; beginning.
Contraception: The deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices; birth control.
Contraceptive: Tending or serving to prevent conception or impregnation.
(Hence to prevent the process from beginning.)
July 18th, 2008 at 2:09 am
You consider yourself a practicing Catholic and yet you conveniently brush aside an infallible teaching of the Church on artificial contraceptive use. I suggest you read more on the subject before ranting here.
http://www.tfp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=526
The Church does not frown on family planning so long as couples resort to natural methods. And yes, family planning is anti-life if one uses artificial contraceptives because they can also act as abortifacients.
And how compassionate of Gabriela! They are so caught up with the idea that the child won’t be taken care of adequately after birth they’d rather kill it!
The Church has every right to punish its erring members. The right to excommunicate is an immediate and necessary consequence of the fact
that the Church is a society. Every society has the right to exclude and deprive of their rights and social advantages its unworthy or grievously culpable members, either temporarily or permanently. This right is necessary to every society in order that it may be well be administered and survive. The
fundamental proof, therefore, of the Church’s right to excommunicate is based on her status as a spiritual society, whose members, governed by legitimate
authority, seek one and the same end through suitable means. Members who, by
their obstinate disobedience, reject the means of attaining this common end
deserve to be removed from such a society. This rational argument is confirmed by texts of the New Testament, the example of the Apostles, and the practice of the Church from the first ages down to the present.
July 17th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
You are very right. The Catholic Church here is not really interested to improve the life of people, because it is the poor people who fills the churches nd pray for divine help which never will happen. The rule is “sacrifice for a better heavenly life” after you died on your sacrifice.
However, what family planning and articicial birth control have to do with anti-life and immorality? By using contraceptives, people avoid creating new life, not killing it. And that there are many reasons why abortion could be needed is also nothing news.
But there are also many reports that the Church supports unwanted kids, esp. reports from some european and US countries. It just happens that these kids are kids of priests who cannot make public their fatherhood but also cannot convince the mothers to abort. Such reports are very open published, even not by the Church itself.
If catholic priests would be alowed to marry, like Lutheran Reformed priests f.i., they wuld not only not need the many published sexual affairs and abuses, they also would be able to understand and family problemsand guide their believers out of their own personal experience instead out of an antiquated religious manner and rule.
We should not forget that the senseless Celibate is not an ultimate rule since the creation of the Roman Catholic Church. Several popes changed this rule, several popes had families, mistresses and children, legal and illegal, honest and criminal like the Borgias.
Look which countries have highest standards of life, it’s really not those with the highest birth rate. The Church should not permanent meddle in matters where it cannot prevent people from the negative effects.
Maybe it would need politicians who do not be afraid of the “no communion” order for supporters of the family planning bill. They should know that this is not smething which has been practized by Jesus, so they could tell the bishops “just eat your hostia yourself”. They could be the same good or bad Catholics, with or without communion. Up to now, the Church also did not care if they are honest or corrupt.
July 17th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I agree with you, but let me clarify the issue compare against the word of God. The word of God in (1 John 1:9) says “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, and so communion to the Catholic Priest is man made not God’s. You don’t need to go to a Priest to seek forgiveness, if you are a Renewed Christian or in (John 3:3) a Born again Christian. The problem is our beliefs in religion, tradition and the Pride of Life that hinders us to the truth.
The communion in Catholic is derived from the Old Testament during the dispensation of the law; of which a Priest represents the Israelites to God in the Tabernacles for forgiveness of sin. Now after Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected from the grave no need for a Priest to ask forgiveness. And if you believe and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we are already a Priest to Him look at the beautiful word in (1 Peter 2:9) that says; “But you are a chosen people, a royal Priesthood a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness unto marvelous light”
All of our problems in society derived from the deceived way of thinking that are not Biblical, that’s the reason why there is no revelation and conviction coming from God which is the true Wisdom, especially to our Religious Leaders they are deceived by human teaching. See the word of God in (1 Corinthians 2:19) “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness”. “We must be born again” (John 3:3) because all things derived from the Spiritual realm, we must settle our Spiritual Life in God, attend a church that study the whole concept of the Bible. We can’t be saved by mere Religion, Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life no one cometh unto the Father (GOD) except by me” (John 14:6). The only way we can be save, change and influence the society, and that will be a good & Godly leader!
July 17th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Population management is not anti-Christ. If you starve your children to death, that is a mortal sin.
May God Bless All of Us!
July 17th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
The priests not all of them though majority, not only that the have just shown their lack of knowledge on the issues they are defending but blind on the real truth behind it.
What are their competents on the issues? First and foremost they should not in the first place, involve on the responsibility of the government on this issue.
If they really in the business of God, they should stick on the primordial duty of a CHRISTIAN to preach the gospel and make disciples every people or nations.
They are doing the opposite of the gospel that should have been preach. That is “DO NOT CONFORM TO THE STANDARD OF THIS WORLD”
I will not trust the salvation of my soul to these priests.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
The issue on reproductive health - family planning has once again resurrected and comes into the air as another bill was filed in congress. The catholic church leaders especially the Bishops are erred about it because accordingly it promotes inhuman way of controlling birth does tantamount of commiting sins against the commandments of God.
The catholic church since the very beginning is against artificial birth control and thus promoting natural way and perhaps abstinence as the case maybe… the church is looking at the moral and spiritual implications of the artificial way into the life of every catholic devotee and the Philippines as a catholic country, and because of this, they have threathened politicos or any church members who sponsor/supporting the bill of not giving them communion.
On the other hand, do catholic church leaders consider also corrupt politicians, drug lord catholics, catholic gambling operators, swindlers, extortionist, rapist, maniacs, etc giving huge amount of donations to the church of not giving them communion or even totally banning them from attending masses for they are sinners?
Do catholic church leaders consider also rich and wealthy businessmen who are tax evaders and “opportunists” not giving them communion? or do they (catholic church leaders) consider also human rights violators and oppressive government authorities into the listings of those who are not supposed to be given communion? Remember, that even Jesus Christ himself did not only chose the rigtheous as his disciples but has chosen also a sinner as his disciple… catholic church leaders should not be “myopic” in giving its opinion towards the issue.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
The operative word here is hypocritical, and the author is right. GMA is a hypocrite and so are most of the CBCP members.
In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. GMA is making the most out of this.
GMA sold her soul to GARCI long before, now it’s the bishops turn. Or maybe they had already.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I just want to comment on the statement of Bishop Cruz that the problem in the country is not overpopulation but corruption. I really agree with him that corruption is the biggest problem that pulls our country down. However, it does not necessarily mean also that overpopulation is not an issue that we just have to dismiss. Corruption is an astounding issue but very difficult to contain inasmuch as desires of the corrupt people are not within our control. On the issue pertaining overpopulation, however, is very much within our control. So, we will momentarily confront the issue that is well within our control, i.e., helping in efforts that will limit our population. growth.