A Catholic prelate is for the passage of a bill seeking to make Bible reading mandatory in all public and elementary schools.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, former head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate, said he is for the passage of the bill in order for more people to know about the Word of God.
“This is very good. I hope this gets approved. A good news for us to read the Good News of God,” he said.
Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth, also welcomed House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante Jr.’s filing of House Bill 2069 or the Mandatory Bible Reading Act which seeks to make Bible reading a part of the curriculum of public schools.
“If only Biblical discipline, principles, and standards are taught and inculcated in the minds of our children, there would be no much problems on leadership, governance, and peace and order,” Abante said.
“This is great news and relevant act. This will support the presidential proclamations on the significance of the Bible which we celebrate every year especially during the month of January,” Bastes said.
Caloocan Bishop Pablo David said while there is nothing wrong about religious instruction being allowed in public schools, it should be done in a manner that is “respectful” of the students’ religious affiliations.
“I would understand making Bible reading mandatory in schools run by Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, etc. It will not be right to make Bible reading mandatory for students in public schools who are Muslims, Buddhists, Animists,” he said.
Making Bible reading mandatory in all public elementary and secondary schools is a violation of the Constitution, an education advocate said yesterday.
Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada said that this proposal is “violative of the principle of separation of Church and State and the non-establishment of religion provision in our Constitution.”
Estrada, who also serves as the Managing Director Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations – the largest organization of private schools in the country – pointed out that “allowing the citizens to practice their religion is not equivalent to establishment or fusion of Church and State.” He added that “while establishment of religion is not allowed in government agencies, ‘accommodation’ of practice of religion is permissible according to the Supreme Court.”
The government, Estrada noted, accommodates the practice of religion in government agencies without violating the non-establishment clause of the Constitution such as “our Muslim brethren, who are government employees, are allowed to worship their Allah even during office hours inside their own offices; the Seventh Day Adventists are exempted from rendering Saturday duty because their religion prohibits them from working on a Saturday; even Christians have been allowed to conduct their own bible studies in their own offices; exemption of members of Iglesia ni Cristo from the coverage of a closed shop agreement between their employer and a union; and exemption of members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses from observing the flag ceremony out of respect for their religious beliefs.” (Leslie Ann Aquino and Ina Malipot)
