Have you opened your friendster messages, email inbox or friendster bulletin with a very catchy title yet after opening it, instead of the title being its contents, you end up with a curse saying that you or one of your loved ones would die if you would not pass the chain letter. I have always been annoyed by these chain letters that always tests (not my faith but) my patience but I never really made a big deal out of these. Usually I just delete it or return it to the sender. But last week, my seemingly long string of patience had finally knotted its last when, after my Grandmother died, I saw in my inbox terrible forwarded messages about curses, about how I would die and my family would be hurt if I would not pass the message, which ironically is a prayer etcetera etcetera.

I know that these senders doesn?t have any clue that my beloved grandmother, who strove to fight death until her last breath, succumbed to the laws of nature unto death. But what my ego cannot take is that how can mature, christian people can ever put their faith on a stupid curse, made by men who are afraid of their own shadows. In my irritation to the letters being sent to me, I posted this reply to my bulletin with a heading that says: a message to everybody:

Pag di ka tumigil sa kapapaniwala sa mga chain letter na yan at kapapasa ng mga ganyang mensahe, MAMAMATAY KA RIN HAHA. YAN ANG TOTOO NA DAPAT MONG KATAKUTAN. DAHIL ANG TAONG NABUBUHAY SA SUMPA, AY SYANG TAONG INILALAPIT LALO ANG SARILI NYA SA SUMPA! Maawa ka sa mga taong nagmamahal sayo. mamamatay ka dahil lamang sa naniniwala ka sa mga walang kwentang mensahe.

After I posted my fiery reply, I received tons of reactions in my inbox. Some are apologetic, some totally agree with my stance and some are just thankful that I have the guts to contradict such curse. I never mentioned any name as always, as ethics demands, and as my instinct dictates because I do not believe in singling out people on what I write. I always address my piece to the general public and in the vastness of readers so that the mistake of one could not be emulated by all without the usual nitpicking of identities. This has always been the theme of blog ever since. I use the experience of one to extract a morsel of lessons for everyone.

I like to believe that people who continuously post or pass such kind of non-sense are kids afraid of the consequences that the pseudo-curse might bring. But the reality is, this promoters of scare and modern day curses are those who have already reached the full grown status of sanity and maturity. A friend of mine even replied on my friendster account:

I am a catholic and a believer myself, but i guess, not as brave as everybody else.

I understand her fear. We are only humans. But the thing that we are scared of are non sense threats. It is what we call irrational fear. The more we fear something, the more we would likely to experience it. God knows all about tomorrow. If he decideds that we should die tomorrow, we will. But any messages that says that you will die if you not pass it is totally absurd. Its not actually about fear but about sanity.

If you really believe in God, no amount of curse, voodoo non-sense, threat to your life or incantations would penetrate your faith. Because in life we believe, that God is the only one who can end life itself, to give way to eternal life.

Kapag naka receive kayo ng ganitong mga messages, ireturn nyo sa nagsend, oyo at wag nyo ipasa, kasi magiging accomplice kayo sa isang malaking kasalanan, ang kasalanan na ipalaganap ang kasinungalingan at maling pananampalataya sa kapangyarihan ng kamatayan kesa sa liwanag ng buhay na dulot ng Panginoon.

The one who lives in death, will be dealt with death. Death becomes you!