RAIN OF FIRE

Doctor of stupidity
CESAR BONILLA

SAN NICOLAS, Ilocos Norte -- The advent season has started and inhabitants of Ilocandia are preparing activities like town fiestas while the influx of foreign visitors and balikbayan friends are eagerly awaited.

Commercialism is also evident in the countryside and the spacious lot in front of the church is not spared by grandiose merry-making. Children dressed in shabby clothes go inside the church while mass is being consecrated.

While ordinary mortals are very much concerned with the poverty in our midst, the government in this respect should find a better alternative to promote a program applicable to them so they can live decent lives and would not be the object of ridicule by rich, arrogant people.
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The Christian world is aware that in every place, the prince of hell dazzles people and emergence of vigilant and upright leaders can be the antidote to prevent further corruption of minds and souls by the devil.

For the rebellious angel before his failed coup in heaven enjoyed the privilege being one in the kingdom of God until his beautiful face transformed into a dreadful contortion of eternal damnation.
This entity inculcates evil among possessed individuals for it is the doctor of stupidity and mayhem. Even gifted professionals are the subject of its machinations. This is manifest in social circles where in disguise, it ignites jealousy, hatred, unfair competition, greed for power, favoritism, self-centeredness and even physical harm just to be on top of everything.

If someone is a pseudo-doctor with rhetoric fancy, be careful not to follow his example for he or she might be possessed by the famous doctor of stupidity. Beauty and fanciful display of charity maybe the world’s standard in the selection of worthy Christians and many rich saints have been included in the noble book of life. There are indeed true martyrs and defenders of faith, but we are still in a doubt of what sainthood is all about.

Maybe, all of us could become saints if we follow the humility and living example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember, the enemy of God mastered the ways of the world by manipulating people and playing on their pride dividing and causing trouble among the chosen flock of the Great Shepherd.
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Teaching is a noble vocation because, in their hands, the teachers have the opportunity to mold the destiny of their students. Being a teacher entails a lot of sacrifice to mold the young so they can have a brighter future notwithstanding discourteous remarks being ascribed to them in the exercise of their profession.

Being a parent to their students while inside the academe, they have to swallow on occasions invectives to the extent of being slapped by bad remarks or immature evaluation of their worth and competence as a teacher. While some students are focused on their studies, others are there to give impression that they belong to a certain institution.

I observed this when I was still a student and my past experience as a teacher. In my high school days, I was very emotional and cried in protest when a group of spoiled and ill-bred students who prided themselves as children of influential and rich families took turns in embarrassing the poor teacher although the poor educator managed to control the situation.

Now, the educator whom they shamed is a well-respected educator occupying a high position in Region 1. In fairness to students, teacher should be models of modesty, morality, character and proper ethics. When I passed by an elementary school in our respective municipality, I heard the loud voice of a teacher saying bad words to her pupils. Here was a teacher of good education who lacked proper breeding and good manners.

Then there are teachers who are business-oriented who use the school for commercial enterprise like selling insurance or other products to students. Refusal to buy or get insured is tantamount to getting a low or failing grade from vindictive teachers even if the student deserves a higher grade.

There are some who downgrade the educational profession but in Ilocos Norte, there are shining and exemplary examples of teachers who became successful in their chosen career. Some became principals, deans, professors and the like.

There is now a mandatory requirement that to be able to teach in a higher level of educational hierarchy, a teacher must have a masteral degree. This is good so teachers can have educational advancement. However, it also requires some sort of intellectual and moral rebirth. That is why all professors holding master’s degrees must be efficient and competent so that their students, who are also teachers, can learn and pass the education to the younger generation.