Positive Space
For the past decade, Manny Pacquiao seemingly couldn’t do anything wrong. Taking down one great champion after another, grabbing titles in weight classes that seemed unreal for his relatively puny 5’7” frame and snagging millions of dollars along the way—Manny was the living embodiment of the phrase “rags to riches.”
Now considered one of the best boxers of his generation and perhaps of all time, Manny is known to still be a very grounded and humble person, never one to act like a spoiled multimillionaire superstar. Manny is also a devout Catholic, as seen in his ritual of praying in his corner before and after a fight. He has been doing this way before “Tebowing” even existed.
Recently, Manny has taken it upon himself to express his faith in a new way, preaching in churches all around the Philippines. His newfound vocation came as a surprise to many, but given his background in the entertainment industry and his position as a congressman, public speaking wasn’t really out of the question for the Filipino slugger.
Until recently, I had no problems with Manny Pacquiao. Sure, I am not the biggest fan of his political (and acting) career, but how can one have anything against a hardworking and honest man living a very good life?
Ironically, by referencing the Bible—that’s how.
I do believe in freedom of speech. People should be entitled to their own opinions; it is this right that leads to healthy discourse among human beings. That being said, I also believe that one should first consider the repercussions of what he has to say on those around him.
It’s such a shame Manny had to go on record to go against US President Barack Obama’s support for same-sex marriage. A Catholic boxing superstar proclaiming, “It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old,” smeared a momentous occasion for human rights that gave the LGBT community one of its biggest allies.
While I respect Manny’s stance on the matter, I completely disagree with his reasoning. The Bible is a book that was written by human hands more than 2,000 years ago. Some of the things people believed then may not necessarily be true now. Also, contemporary theology is largely based on interpreting the core values and message of Scripture so that these could be applied in our everyday lives. Quoting certain passages from the Bible does not hold much moral value on its own. For such a polarizing public figure such as Manny Pacquiao, all I can say is he should’ve known better.
All throughout the past decade, Manny Pacquiao seemingly can’t do anything wrong on the ring. Off of it, he has made some questionable choices. His most recent detour had the online community abuzz, some asking Nike to remove Pacquiao from its stable of star endorsers. He has been banned from a shopping mall in LA and had a scheduled interview cancelled.
As his star grew brighter, his voice became louder. Thus came the emancipation of Manny Pacquiao. He is no longer a one-dimensional boxing champion with negligible opinions. He is a global icon, capable of inspiring anyone from a ten-year-old boy in the Philippines to a boxing amateur in New York. Really, he only needs to focus on motivating people to do good for them to start listening to him again.
