Manny Pacquiao, the Christian

I have written several times about Manny Pacquiao, the boxer. This time, I would like to express my two-cents worth of thoughts about him as a Christian. Earlier this week, he was in the news, unfavorable news, though. Pacquiao has been receiving flak after his controversial “worse than animals” comment on homosexual relations. Local and international celebrities maligned him for that statement.

Even before Manny Pacquiao became a Christian, I have already a high regard for him because of his numerous admirable traits, like his being a hard working person, with very strong determination, and his compassionate attitude toward those who have less in life materially.

I don’t blame Pacquiao for uttering those words. From the bottom of my heart, I know he didn’t mean it the way it was taken by those who were offended. I think he was just expressing his stand against same sex relations. "'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” (Leviticus 20:13). In his zeal to stress a point, he used the wrong words, and that is his mistake, for which he made a public apology. In his apology, he clarified that what he had denounced was the sexual acts of same gender people, and not the LGBT community themselves. Yes, God loves everybody, it is the sin that people do that God hates.  However, his stand is still the same. He is against same sex marriage.

By quoting those verses in the Bible about the subject, he is not being judgmental. It is written in the Bible. Sexual relations between people of the same sex is sin, that even if it is legalized by man, it is still a sin. Man’s laws cannot make moral what God has declared immoral.

I don’t think this particular incident will affect Manny’s chance in the forthcoming election. People will forgive him for this.

Go, Manny, God has placed you where you are now. As you persuade people to vote for you, and to choose wisely whom they will vote, don’t stop telling them to obey God’s commandments. Impart to them the truth that “Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation” (Proverbs 14:34)