Straight From Pastor Ey

54,769,354 views. That’s the latest, overwhelming number of views that “Dumb Ways to Die” got on YouTube.  Melbourne Metro Trains in Australia came up with this out-of-the-box public safety announcement because people tend to fatally ignore those warnings. According to John Mescall, McCann executive creative director, “The aim of this campaign is to engage an audience that really doesn’t want to hear any kind of safety message, and we think Dumb Ways to Die will.” (Source: http://www.3aw.com.au/ ) Using cute animated creatures, the video highlighted the (what else?) dumb ways people do to die preventable deaths such as trying to race a rampaging train at the intersection.   Chloe Alsop, marketing manager of Metro Trains, explained why they took the shock approach.  “This campaign is designed to draw people to the safety message, rather than frighten them away. Especially in our younger segments. We want to create a lasting understanding that you shouldn’t take ris

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday, July 22, 2013, what President Benigno S. Aquino III did not say is as loud as what he did.  Image source:  http://www.interaksyon.com/ Mind you, the president is known for being so confrontational. He did not mince words to shame people in public before. No occasion is sacred. Even anniversaries where people expected to hear feel-good, pat-on-the-back speeches were not spared.  One of the scathing remarks he gave in that SONA was poured out on the Bureau of Customs.  “Saan po kaya kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha ang mga kawani sa ahensyang ito? Marami pong gabi bago ako matulog, talaga pong aking iniisip, kulang na lang ay sabihin nilang, ‘Wala akong pakialam kung mapunta sa masasamang loob ang armas; wala akong pakialam kung ilang buhay ang masira ng droga; wala akong pakialam kung habambuhay na matigang ang mga sakahan. Ang mahalaga, yumaman ako; bahala ka sa buhay mo.’ Hindi maaaring ganito ang kalakaran sa pamahalaan. Kung

“Don’t go there. Don’t condone homosexuals.” Those were the words of a devout religious woman telling me not to patronize beauty parlors. Why? In her own words, “So, you don’t condone homosexuals.” Simply put, if I don’t have my haircut there, they won’t earn money to use for their homosexual lifestyle. If I have my hair done there, I am supporting it. In my naiveté (I was a teenager at that time), I complied for a while. I confess I even felt that holier-than-thou feeling in doing so. (Of course, I only speak for myself. I have to assume that she was sincere and her advice was well meaning.) However, later on, I decided to go back to my gay stylist for my haircut. Why? He cut my hair better than any barber available at that time. It’s that simple. The issue was his skill, not his sexual preferences. Plus, what if the barber was a womanizer? So, going by the same argument, am I condoning his philandering, too? If I have my haircut in his barbershop, he would earn money

Image source: Yahoo! Philippines OMG! Disclosure #1: I haven’t watched a single episode of the daring gay-themed “My Husband’s Lover” (MHL) teleserye. GMA-7 TV Network took a risky, bold move when it came out with the series about three weeks ago. “The controversial series tells the story of Vincent ([played by actor] Tom Rodriguez), a closeted gay who chose to marry his girlfriend Lally (Carla Abellana) after he got her pregnant in college. But Tom’s heart only beats for his greatest love, Eric (Dennis Trillo).” (Source: Yahoo! Philippines OMG! )  I don’t watch the series not because of its storyline but because I simply have no taste and time for soap. Disclosure #2: I have gay and lesbian friends. We agreed to disagree. I believe they know my stance regarding the homosexual lifestyle. They know I am a pastor. However, I treat them with loving respect. And I felt the same in return. Image source: Remate Predictably, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippine