Case Analysis In Theo 131 (Christian Morality and Spirituality)

BSA-3B/MWF/2:35 PM

Alabastro, Bruneson
Anung, Angela Bituin
Lafuente, Jamaica
Lim, Antonette Kristie
Lumbayon, Chryzl Anne
Oandasan, Andrea Paola
Pausal, Ianne Beth
Yap, Ayn Marizz

Submitted to: Lunar Fayloga

March 19, 2010

Case #12
Category/Title: Environmental Ethics
Background:
The export Cavendish banana industry is a major industry in the Davao Region
and has been adopted by most provinces as its major product under the One Town One
Product (OTOP) program of the government. The industry directly employs about
200,000 region-wide and brings in annual export revenues of more than $400 million.
The Supreme Court has yet to rule on the legality of a Davao City ordinance
banning aerial spraying, which had earlier been thrashed by the Court of Appeals in
Cagayan de Oro City. Banning aerial sprayingthe safest and most cost-efficient
methods against devastating lead diseasescould affect volume and quality of export
bananas which has gained worldwide acceptance as the most favorite tropical fruit from
Japan to China to the Middle East including Russia.
A health and environment assessment conducted by the Department of Health
(DOH) confirmed pesticide drift beyond banana plantations and into residential
communities. Pesticide contamination symptoms were noted, as traces of pesticides were
detected in the blood of villagers, as well as in air and soil samples.
DOH assistant secretary Paulyn-Jean Ubial said the heath agency is standing by
the result of its study that found aerial spraying harmful. "As a health agency, we look at
the health aspect, but now its up to the President and econ planners whether they will
ban it or not based on other perspective or other information on the economic
consideration," Ubial said.
"Voluminous evidence have shown that fungicides such as mancozeb and
chlorothalonil, which are aerially sprayed in banana plantations, cause acute health
effects and chronic effects (based on literature review) to workers and communities living
near plantations," DOH's report said.

Churchs stand:
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for
Social Action Justice and Peace, which Bishop Pabillo heads, has been organizing street
Masses and prayer rallies with seminarians, Religious, Catholic schools and others in
support of Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (citizens against aerial spraying). In its
letter addressed to PBGEA executive director Stephen Antig, the bishops, led by Manila
Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, described the aerial spraying of chemicals by
the countrys leading banana exporter as an immoral" act "that infringes upon human
health and dignity.
We also based our judgment on the findings of the DOH study which saids
praying harms people. He said he hopes the government will stand by the DOH
findings and do something to ban aerial spraying, because it affects a lot of people.
Pastoral Care:
One can contributed for the greater good of health of the workers and also
consider the part of banana plantation factories by, firstly, making a campaign addressed
to workers and owners alike in the industry about the health risks and hazards that one
may potentially directly or indirectly acquire due to exposure under such conditions.
These initiatives may be done through small groups or community-based groups from
nearing localities to advertise the cause that they are fighting for- which is good health
and sustainable healthy livelihood. These are ways on how people coming from the nearby communities in those localities can also benefit because of localized initiatives in that
area.
Another way in which one can engage the issue is through giving the workers an
incentive to leave their work and find other occupations which they can enter into that
entail less or no health risks for their work. These can be done by extending aid to them
in looking for jobs if they are interested or explaining to them that they can opt out of the
work that they are because it becomes more costly for them in the end.

Case #14
Category/Title: Prostitution (Sexual Ethics)
Background:
Prostitution involves the selling and buying of sex. It involves an exchange of
money for sex between a man and a woman*who have no legal, moral or emotional
attachment to each other.
The Bible teaches that sex is a good gift from God to any heterosexual couple
who in love and law promise enduring and exclusive fidelity to one another. Sex is Gods
gift to every bride and groom, to be unwrapped on the honeymoon and enjoyed
throughout the marriage. In short, scripture highly approves of sexual intimacy between a
man and a woman for the purposes of pleasure, love and procreation, provided they have
committed themselves to one another in the covenant of marriage.
When we appreciate what the Bible approves concerning sex, we can anticipate
what it disapproves. Take prostitution. If scripture teaches that the only right context for
sexual intimacy is marriage, then we can deduce that prostitution is wrong because it
involves sexual intimacy outside that right context. And if scripture teaches that one of
the good purposes for sexual intercourse is the expression of love, then we know
implicitly that prostitution is bad because it deliberately severs the sexual act from that
good purpose. So even if the Bible never specifically mentioned prostitution, we would
know that it is wrong because it falls outside of what God commends as good in sexual
matters.
Churchs Stand:
The Bible warns against women engaging in prostitution. Leviticus 19:29 states,
Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute. Prostitution degrades
women. Consequently, a woman is not permitted to become a prostitute, and no one is
permitted to make her one. So serious is the degradation involved in prostitution, that

Leviticus 21:9 declares, If a priests daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute,

she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire. Through prostitution a woman
stains herself and shames her relatives. Such evil is repulsive to God, and deserves severe
punishment.
Note the reference to daughter in the two Leviticus texts. This reminds us that
every prostitute is someones daughter. She is not an object with sexual attributes but a
person with family relationships. She is dear to the heart of some father and mother. Her
welfare is their desire and her woe is their distress. The man who uses a prostitute is
degrading not only a woman but also a daughter.
Such is the vileness of prostitution that the Lord refuses to accept any money
associated with it: You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male
prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your
God detests them both (Deuteronomy 23:18).
Pastoral Care:
A way in which we can sympathize with the plight of these prostitutes is to firstly
consider them as victims of circumstance as well. Even though the Church condemns the
practice of prostitution, it is vital to still respect the dignity of prostitutes just like any
other person. A means of caring for them would be for us to sympathize with them in
their condition of poverty.
There are many social-civil movements that establish programs and reach out
activities for these prostitutes by giving them food, clothing and alternative means of
earning money. Aside from joining these kinds of programs, the simple act of respecting
prostitutes for who they are and the line of work that they are in is a focal point to truly
show care for these individuals. By extending support, whether monetary, in kind or
through prayers, one can take an active role in showing these less fortunate individuals
that they can choose not to condemn themselves in the current job that they are in which
can enable them to realize that other individuals outside of their job cares for them and
their condition.