Excuses for Kamanyakan

     Beware, it's everywhere! It's in school, at the park, in the office, on the internet, in magazines, on TV, in the news, in newspapers, in books, in commercials-- kamanyakan has become a plague! If you're not yet aware of it, be on guard against those liberal minds behind lousy manyakis excuses justifying their kamanyakan.

     The number one excuse of all time, I believe, is the human nature excuse. While it's true that if most, if not all, of adults have sexual desires, self-control is also part of human nature. For example, a man with hyperglycemia can decide whether to satisfy his cravings for sweets or to help treat his condition by controlling his cravings. Obviously, choosing the former would worsen his health condition. Controlling one's sexual desires is natural, too. We are not like wild animals incapable of "taming" our urges.

      Another common excuse is health. They say that "doing it yourself" (DIY?) or doing "this and that" (details not necessary) can make you slimmer (slimmer doesn't necessarily mean healthier!) and smarter.  Some even claim it can boost your immune system and prevent cancer! Oh boy... First of all, some of these are NOT even medical facts. You want facts? If you really want to be smarter--study. If you want to be slimmer--manage your diet and exercise. If you want to boost your immune system--eat healthy food and take vitamins. If you want to prevent cancer--uuhmmmm.. go ask a doctor.  Come on man, this manyakis health excuse is really lame.

     This is probably the most cunning and deceptive excuse: LOVE. "Baby I love you. Let's do it even if I've done it with some other woman just a week ago."  Any form of sexual pleasure outside of marriage is not true love. Giving pleasure to one another outside the sacrament of marriage is treating each other like objects; It is without dignity. Dignity requires awareness that we are, in fact, made in the image and likeness of God. True love requires sacrifice--YES, sacrifice. Being chaste, resisting temptation, rejecting pleasure--these are some forms of sacrifice that reflect true love. You shouldn't say, "I love you 'cause you complete me," because God is the only one who can complete us.  He is Love and the only source of true love-- the only kind of love that can fill our emptiness. When we come to Him and we are filled with love, that's true love and that's the kind of love worth sharing.

      Kamanyakan excuses come in many forms. I mentioned only three. But really, no amount, size, or shape of excuse can justify kamanyakan.

Superstition

      It's bad luck to cut your nails at night. You won't get married if someone takes away their plate away from the table while you're still eating. Say "tabi-tabi po" if you walk across an ant mound so that dwarves won't harm you. Knock on wood if you say something that you don't want to happen so it won't happen. Turn your shirt inside out when you think you are lost so that you would find your way out. If you see a black cat crossing the road, you should get past it before it reaches the other side so you won't get jinxed. Well, these are called superstitions.

       When I was younger, I too believed in superstition. To defend it, I'd say things like "There's nothing wrong about it.", "What if it's true?", "It won't hurt if I follow. I'm just playing safe here.". But really, to believe in superstition means to surrender to a power--which you believe either consciously or subliminally--will punish you if you don't comply with its rules/rituals, no matter how ridiculous they may be. Think about it: if that power is a force that causes harm, where do you think does that power come from? It's surely not from a source of love and peace.

       Submitting to a power that's not from The Divine is offering one's self to the other side; I'm sure it makes "them" happy. I could compare it to offering food to duwendes (duwendes/dwarves are actually demons guised as small supernatural people. Some pretend to be nice.). In superstition you offer obedience instead. Even saying "tabi-tabi po" is an act of submission to duwendes. Look at it this way: "Po" is a unique Filipino word that we use, to show respect to an elderly or a superior. Would you consider a demon as your superior? If not, then why would you say a word that is meant for giving respect, to these creatures? You shouldn't be communicating with them in the first place.

       The first commandment of God tells us that we should have no other gods before Him. We should love Him above all. One cannot love God and yield to superstition at the same time. Jesus Christ taught us that we cannot have two masters. You can only devote yourself to one, and I pray that we all choose Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Meow!