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President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has questioned the basic tenet of Christian theology and the existence of God. He openly dared the people to show him “one single witness, only one” who can prove the existence of God with at least a photograph or a selfie.
Further he questioned the propriety of the concept of the original sin. (As per the Bible, Adam and Eve committed the original sin when they ate the forbidden fruit while they were in Eden, which was passed on to every human being. The only way of expiating for it was by turning to the Lord.)
It is this concept that the President considered stupid as it punishes everyone though no sin has been committed. Naturally the Catholic Priests are rallying against him and calling him an “evil man”, besides stringently criticising his policies. The President, who has never taken kindly to organized religion, is reported to have once used an obscenity to describe Pope. He also criticized the Church for collecting funds from its members, accusing them of using the donations to “maintain the palaces and the luxurious things that the rest of humanity does not have.”
Before colonialism, the Philippinoes were following various primitive creeds. Buddhism was also one of them. It was only during the colonial rule that Christianity, and Islam to some extent, spread in the islands. Yet, according to reports, people there were following the religion only as a way of life, without giving credence to myths and fables.
The officials of the Philippines have arranged for a meeting between President Duterte and the head of the Catholic bishops. The president is so firm in his opinion that there is no chance of there being any shift in his stand.