Straight From Pastor Ey

There are some people who think that morals and money like the proverbial oil and water don’t mix. They assume that, for business to earn, ethics must take a back seat or step out altogether. Yet, still SM Cinemas imposed in 2002 its policy “not to screen movies classified by the MTRCB [Movie and Television Review and Classification Board] as R-18 … to offer wholesome and family-oriented entertainment.” (Jeffrey O. Valisno, “SM’s no-R-18 movies rule: How a mall can change an industry,” Business World, ” January 29-30, 2010, http://www.bworldonline.com/) R-18 rated movies are for adults only. Cinemas that show such movies do not allow anyone below the age of 18 to watch it. SM’s policy includes trailers of R-18 movies. Business World added, “With the SM Group controlling a third of all the 647 cinema screens nationwide, the movie industry is invariably affected by its policies. More importantly, since SM contributes more than half of the total gross revenues of the entire cinema indust...

Last week, January 12, a 7.0-magnitude quake rocked Port-au-Prince, flattening almost the entire capital of Haiti and left 2 million people homeless and up to 200,000 dead. According to one U.N. official, “No matter what the final numbers end up being we already know that it will be heartbreakingly high.” (Source: The Washington Post) But allow me to share an encouraging update that the Global Proclamation Academy got from one of its 2009 graduates: “Pastor Vijonet Demerothe says there is no hope, except spiritually. A lot of pastors, educators, university professors, professionals, and business men died during the earthquake. Some of the most important institutions (Churches, schools, government offices, and universities) are completely destroyed. They need to build hope in Haiti and right now there is no hope—but it’s a concept that needs to be created and we need to build an environment for hope with churches and universities … There are at least 40 people living in [Pastor Vijonet...

[Note: This is my personal position and does not in any way represent the stance of Makati Gospel Church.] As a parent of a child with autism, I am deeply hurt when I heard how Cebu Pacific treated children with special needs. Last December 23, 2009, Mrs. Maritess Alcantara and her 14-year-old son, Arvin, who has such a disability, boarded its plane in Hong Kong on their way back to our country. Just before takeoff, a crew member allegedly “in a rude and arrogant manner” tried to force them to deplane because supposedly “airline policy prohibited having more than one person with a ‘mental illness’ on the same flight.” (Source: Inquirer.net) It appears that there was another child with special needs on board, whom the crew also tried to force to deplane. But Alcantara refused to do so. In the end, the pilot relented and allowed them to stay on board. In fairness, Cebu Pacific apologized for the incident saying that “The attempt to offload a passenger with a developmental disability was...

This is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace, a Roman poet (65 BC-8 BC). “It is popularly translated as ‘seize the day’. Carpe means ‘pick, pluck, pluck off, gather’, but Horace uses the word to mean ‘enjoy, make use of.’” (Source: Wikipedia) What he actually wrote was, “Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero" ( “Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future” ). So, he meant it to mean, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” That’s living in the present with little or no thought at all about the future. But, I think Ephesians 5:15-16 has the best outlook in seizing the day: “ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ” (ESV) The word “walk” in verse 15 refers not to the physical act of putting your right foot forward then your left foot forward. It means “to live”. (The New Living Translation goes like this: “be careful how you live” .) But we are not just talking of living a...