Asia?s Finance Minister of the Year. That award went to Secretary Margarito Teves, the Philippines? finance secretary.

What an honor for the Philippines, and, of course, for Secretary Teves.

I have known Gary for over a quarter of a century and I can fully agree with The Bankers magazine of London that he more than deserves this honor. Gary is one of the most decent, honorable (in the true sense of the word) gentlemen in this country. On top of that, I know how he, his wife Nini and kids live?he?s honest, and I?ll attest to that in any forum.

A good measure of a man is how he treats his staff. You ask anyone who?s worked for him, whether it?s in Congress, LandBank, the private sector (where he was for a time with the Ayalas), or today at the Finance Department. You?ll hear only of respect and affection.

I join so many others in congratulating him and wishing him continued success in this most difficult job.

***

The Church wants to save every single life from the very moment it is conceived. I agree. But I just have two problems. When does life begin and what about life after conception?

I had an argument with a religious recently on this. He said every life was precious, not just those born, but those being created. I couldn?t agree more, so why is the Catholic Church responsible for more wars and deaths than almost any other organization ever has been? He also argued that life began at conception, i.e. from the moment the sperm meets the ovum to produce a zygote.

Science has proven, and let me stress that, has proven there is no sign whatsoever of life until well after the ovum is fertilized. Let me quote some scientific facts: Firstly, there is no ?moment of fertilization? at all. Scientists have shown that fertilization is a process that occurs over a period of 12 to 24 hours. After sperm are released, they must remain in the female reproductive tract for about seven hours before they are capable of fertilizing the egg. Approximately 10 hours are required for the sperm to travel up to the fallopian tube where they find the egg. The meeting of the egg and the sperm itself is not even an instantaneous process, but rather a complex biochemical interaction through which the sperm ultimately reaches the inner portion of the egg. Following fertilization, the chromosomes contained within the sperm and the chromosomes of the egg meet to form a diploid organism, now called a zygote, over a period of 24 hours. Thus, even if one were to argue that life begins at fertilization, fertilization is not a moment, but rather a continuous process lasting 12 to 24 hours, with an additional 24 hours required to complete the formation of a diploid individual.

In effect, the creation of a genetically unique individual takes place after the fertilization is completed, which takes about 48 hours (two days) from the moment the egg and sperm unite. This would be the very minimum time to even begin to consider that there is life.

The more logical view would be what is called the embryological view which states that life begins at gastrulation, which starts when the embryo implants into the uterus. It is the point at which a developing embryo forms distinct layers that grow into different organs.

None of them considers conception as the beginning, it?s much too early.

What particularly worries me is the story being peddled that contraceptives are abortifacients. This is deliberate deception. There is no way at all that a condom is an abortifacient, and so too of most modern contraceptives. Is the world still flat? Or the center of the universe? Yet the Church refuses to accept these scientific facts, as they have so many other scientific facts until they?ve been overwhelmed by them. As to life after conception, history tells us that the bulk of wars and human death was over religion. Religious who profess to revere life happily kill ?unbelievers.? Why can?t Jews and Arabs just share Jerusalem in peace? Is that so difficult?

Here at home, what is causing the greatest number of deaths? Religion. Some 120,000 people have been killed in just the last four decades in the fight between peace-loving Muslims and peace-loving Christians in the Philippines.

If the Catholic Church truly believes in the sanctity of life, then it should go to extreme lengths to help achieve peaceful co-existence with our Muslim brothers and sisters. Save human lives that have been born and are unquestionably alive. God didn?t design Christians. He designed human beings. They were there way before Christ appeared on the scene. I suppose God is pleased Christians recognize him, but other religious do, too. Wouldn?t God want all His people to live amicably together? I?d think so.

The Church is against any modern method of birth control arguing that it is against God?s will. That it is ?artificially? interfering in God?s intention for children to be conceived.

If this is the case, then the Church must also condemn any modern, ?artificial? methods of extending life as this too is thwarting God?s intention for a human being. If God wants someone in Heaven now, who are we to prevent this? I think we?d all agree that is an absurd logic. In fact, it can be even more absurd, we shouldn?t even use modern medicines to cure illnesses. God gave man a mind, one he didn?t give animals for a very specific reason?to think, to develop his life.

If God intended that acts of intimacy were to be just for procreation, he?d have designed us like the animals: To be interested in the female only when she was ?in heat.? He didn?t, he meant for us to enjoy sex, for it to be a bond between husband and wife. To withdraw is unnatural, and to abstain goes against normal human desire. How bishops who theoretically have no sexual desires can dictate to those of us who want to live a normal, God-designed life I?ve no idea. But it?s time we put a stop to their dictatorial impositions, particularly on those who are not Catholic. The state is responsible for all Filipinos of all creeds, it must cater to all as required by the Constitution.

But the bottom line for me is that whatever side you?re on, you have no right to suppress information. The most important part of the reproductive health bill is that it informs couples of the options available to them. The Church has no right to prevent this. What it can do is advise its flock from what they?ve learnt, this is what?s acceptable and this is what?s not.

Finally, another point, the President has said she?ll veto the reproductive health bill if it passes Congress because it is against her religious beliefs.

She can?t do that. She was elected to represent the people in a sectarian state where the Constitution very clearly separates Church from state. Her personal beliefs cannot override her responsibility to the Constitution she?s sworn to uphold.

She must abide by the Constitution. A Social Weather Stations survey found 70 percent of Filipinos want the reproductive health bill a law, she must provide what the people who elected her want. And the congressmen, our ?Representatives,? must do what their title tells them to do: ?represent the people.? The people want that bill passed.

The most the President can do is let the bill lapse into law. If she insists she wants to veto it then she must step down as the people?s representative.

God?s laws overrule man?s?but only to his flock, to his believers. If the Philippines were a Church state, she could and should follow the dictate of God. Or at least obey what God?s representatives believe is God?s will (in this particular case I don?t think its God?s will at all). But the Philippines is not a Catholic Church state, it is one of many faiths that includes agnostics and atheists, their needs must be EQUALLY met even if they?re a small minority. The Constitution says so.

I suppose I?ve antagonized some of my deeply religious friends, but please think a little more fairly.

Excuse my irreverence but an amusing thought occurred to me. San Antonio church has a poster outside advising acceptable clothing to wear. Anything too revealing is not allowed. Yet didn?t God design man and woman naked? Surely if we?re to truly worship God as He designed us we should go to church naked. To hide the naked body is to hide God?s creation. How, I wonder, do the bishops rationalize that?

***

I had intended for my column today to be on an assessment and some recommendations regarding the financial crisis. But it was much too long. If you?d like to read it, it can be accessed on our Web site: www.dataphil.com.

Comments to my columns can be sent to plw@mydestiny.net