Religion in the Philippines

Most Filipinos are Catholics, and it is true that Philippines is the only Asian Country who is Catholic. Most Filipinos are Catholics because the first thing the Spaniards do when they landed into our lands was to teach us their religion, and that religion is Catholicism. Most of our ancestors were pagans and were believer of Bathala. As the result, the Philippines was the third largest catholic nation in the world. Images of Jesus, Virgin Mary and the Santo Nino were almost everywhere, but with all these. Can we say that our religion is strong? In general, is it getting stronger or is it declining?

I think that the religion in general is declining; it is because we are on a fast paced world, and we want things to be fast. We want things to be instant. What people can claim as a strengthening of faith are usually just last ditch efforts. We just pray on the last resort. During the year, we are not that religious. We just pray only when we need something. Religions in the Philippines nowadays are declining because we don’t even know who we worship. There is vagueness in our religion. Take the example of Catholics, you ask a common man randomly in the streets and ask who the twelve apostles are, they will get the first 3 answers like Peter, James, John, and the next three answers you will get Tito, Vic and Joey. How can a common man know the first three answers and the last three will be the famous host of a famous television programs. It is because that religion especially Catholism is declining, people nowadays just prayed if they need something, they don’t reflect and don’t go to mass regularly. Another reason why I said that Religion in the Philippines is declining is because, people now today are confused of what their religion are telling them to do, some people are too confused that they go to other religion. People started to transfer to Born Again; Jesus is Lord, Temple of the child Jesus and many other sects. Now how can you say that the religion in the Philippines is not declining? Why is it that when it is Good Friday, many people volunteered to be crucified on the cross? Does it make them less sinful? I think that it is not a good example to get rid of our sins; I think that the best way is to sacrifice our time with our Lord, Another example is when the great tsunami killed hundred of thousands of people, people just started to pray, but did they pray before making their trip? I think some did, but mostly they tend to remember God only when they needed something. As time by, we can say that there are more options to choose on what religion a person will join, there is now Rizalism, Aglipayanism, faith healers. People are very confused that they worship Rizal for the belief that Rizal will save them not only from the Spaniards but also from their sins. People created new religions for they believe that the new religion will save them from eternal damnation, but the new religions invented by people are half cooked, or meaning the wholeness and the fullness of it is incomplete.