Is Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) assisting in the propagation of a hedonistic Philippine society?
I read Mr. Romy Aquino's published letter-to-the-editor ("
Nature shows sex not merely for procreation", page A16, PDI, 4/12/10) and was particularly alarmed by his thesis statement: "... sex among human beings is mainly for pleasure and not for a 'higher purpose which is to procreate'".
Mr. Aquino elaborated further by enumerating five (5) "empirical evidences" to back-up his claim. But, I think, these are more "superficial, amateurish speculations" interpreting human sexuality's natural processes than "scientifically verifiable conclusions" valid as evidences.
Mr. Aquino erroneously equated "procreation" to "animal reproduction". PDI editors should be aware that human procreation is very different from animal reproduction. Since a human being is a unity of a material body and a spiritual soul, where each soul is uniquely created by an infinitely perfect spiritual being called God and is not a piece from the mother and father's souls, human procreation is a category of its own. We can say, when our parents procreate, God is always involve in each and every sexual act, even if, in some cases, it does not result in a new human being. Animal reproduction is purely material while procreation is both material and spiritual.
All of Mr. Aquino's arguments disregarded the spiritual dimension of human sexuality. We cannot properly explain human sexuality if the spiritual aspect is not also discussed. Human sexuality's spirituality could be gleaned from Christian anthropology and theology, not from popular, laical interpretations. Human beings have a spiritual calling to form communities through sincere mutual self-giving with each other as what happens in marriages; human sex is the essential bodily component of this calling while the marriage vows forms the other part.
I am very worried PDI, the most widely-read broadsheet, published Mr. Aquino's letter and read by the Filipino public. This might influence public opinion and contribute to mainstreaming the notion that "SEX IS JUST FOR PLEASURE"! Does PDI realizes it might be helping fortify the practice of snatching or conning rural young girls to be instruments of sexual pleasure in tourist resorts and other establishments?
I suggest PDI moderates closely publishing letters-to-the-editor and take careful look at the philosophy and ideology behind each and every letter. As they say, "ideas do have consequences".
