REGULARIZING SCANDALS

With the advent of social media, a simple catfight between sisters spreads like a wildfire in our nation who has the penchant for "interesting news." Cases of bribery are easily exposed. Abuses committed by an authority are revealed in broad daylight. These are called scandals. They have become more prevalent and widely known today, further infuriating more people. 

Scandals are harmful to our faith communities in two counts. First, due to our creative minds, upon hearing a scandal, we are led to gossip among ourselves; to have our assumptions about the persons involved; maligning them through ill-founded conjectures and guesses. Secondly, scandals normalize sins. In the beginning, we may be horrified by the disagreeable behavior of a person, but later we are led to believe that such actions are fine since they become widespread and more and more people are doing it. In the normal course of things, sins are hidden because they are something to be shameful for. Today, when some people sin, they even go so far as to publicize their sins. A case in point is the separation of husbands and wives. Famous married couples after their break up would instantly post them in their social media account. Others are led to believe that separation and divorce are acceptable and fine in marriage since famous people are doing it and it is already rampant in society.

Thus, a sin broadcasted is regularized, and worse is, scandalous sinners are made champions and guides in the lives of many. No millstones were put around their necks. They were not thrown into the sea (Lk 17:1-6). They were even asked to stand on a pedestal and entertainingly lecture us on morality based on their sinful experiences as norms. More and more people take the counsels of Vice Ganda than that of Cardinal Tagle. Thus, what should scandalize us further is the fact that fewer and fewer people are scandalized by scandalous deeds. Truly, the spread of perverse counsels under the cover of glorified scandals lead us today further to sin; separating us from God (cf. Wis 1:1-7).

      

And so, we pray that the Lord may guide us; lead us not into sin, into scandals, into scandalizing others, into leading our neighbors to sin. Surrounded by scandalous sins or by circumstances that regularize sins, we cannot tread the road to everlasting life by ourselves. We might lose our sight on what is right, allured by the scandals beautifully promoted today. Thus, we beg the Lord like the apostles: Lord, increase our faith (cf. Lk 17:1-6) in you. Strengthen us to hold firm on what is right; to lead our neighbor not to sin but to You alone.