Statement of Pastor Kakay Pamaran of the Metropolitan Community Church-Quezon City on the Manny Pacquiao debacle.
I was quickly admonished by friends who found it odd that I chose to engage the recent issue on Cong. Pacquiao’s statement and eventual apology regarding LGBT persons via Bible-verse face off. The thing is, we will never be able to see eye to eye if we keep at this proof-texting and hurling Bible verses at each other. The Bible is good. But it is also very old. And like ma(n)ny of you, as a student of Theology, I hold it in very high esteem. For in it are stories written from ages past: stories of struggle and reprieve; stories of hope amidst atrocities. Stories to inspire us, to comfort us, to rebuke us and remind us that we are never ever alone – that God is always with us.
That said, I think it is a tad bit disrespectful to expect this Good Book to answer 21st century questions. Regardless of what we believe, this Book is still a product of its time. Many of its assumptions are time-bound. We have to at least acknowledge that or risk facing a crisis of Faith altogether.
Moreover, I think it is unfair to the Bible to insist on a singular interpretation of its hallowed passages as THE singular truth that everyone must accept. Uniformity and singularity, I daresay, are an antithesis to the divine design. We are all created beautiful and unique. No two creatures are exactly alike.
I believe that God spoke through the Bible. I also believe that God spoke in many other ways and that God to this day is still speaking–through the lives that we live and the Love that we share among all God’s children: non-human and human alike.
We all have a special place in God’s household. The biggest tragedy is when we start thinking that some of us deserve it more than others.
