Miriam Santiago's Humanism Speech

This was a testimony in Church back in 2009 and I dug it out because I believe it is timely. Sen. Santiago delivered her speech in my alma mater and it was a triumph of Humanism, a philosophy I have long fell out of. We both used Invictus for vastly different reasons. You can watch her full speech here.

Photo: Cebu Daily News

I am the youngest in a family of five. Growing up, I was told to identify myself as a Protestant. I've always found this a little weird as a child, since I was never told what I was protesting against. One of my earliest memories as a child was the sound of Christian hymnals with the familiar organ accompaniment. I grew up listening to pastors read their sermons and choirs sing the Hallelujah chorus. I've always known that little secret that it was grape juice they served as wine during communion Sundays. My mother always left some for me to drink because I always asked for it.

So I knew about Christ even before. I have always known He was my friend and that He loves me. But honestly, I did not think it mattered so much.

When it was time for me to go to UP, I had the shock of my life. Here was a place where nobody cared about my religion. In fact, the school I came from actively discourages religion in the campus. Professors would easily ridicule student who would so much give a hint of Christian belief. Prayers were literally illegal in the classrooms.

Immediately, I blended into the UP culture. It was rather easy for me to get along with people who doubted the existence of God, rejected the existence of God or hated God just because it was fashionable to do so. If there is no God, then we had nowhere else to turn to but ourselves. We believed that Man is in himself valuable. That he determines his own truth. Some friends of mine practiced Witchcraft because they think it was right, some conveniently switched genders because they think it was right, some became Communists and felt compelled to destroy the notion of God. We had a fancy way of calling our belief: Humanism. It was every man for himself – every man believing his own truth.

Sure, it was chaos, we were sad and discontented. But we never admitted this. William Ernest Henley's poem could very well have been our anthem: I am the master of my fate/ I am the captain of my soul. 

Of course even in the University, there will always be some brave Christians from Campus Crusade for Christ who would approach me and share the gospel. One day, a classmate of mine, who everyone knew back then was a Christian, talked to me about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. At the end of his talk, he graciously offered that Jesus is the only way to God. I was angry at him. How dare he say that! Doesn't he know that this religion he is pushing is overly outdated?! If this was the God he is pushing for, there must be a better God. I shouted at him, and he never shared the Gospel to me again.

Then as now, I have always liked to listen to music. I particularly enjoyed alternative rock music. One day, I heard a song with a very catchy refrain – Unforgetful You by a band called Jars of Clay. I was intrigued by the lyrics of the song, because it sounded quite different from the usual songs I listened to.

After some research, I found out the band was a Christian band. I was intrigued and felt out of place. I began to like the band a lot, and I started collecting their CDs. Their message was clear and simple: there is a God who loves me. Some songs cry with frustrations, some danced with joy but always, always, the image of a loving God was present.

I never realized it at that time but a little known Christian band from Tennessee, USA will pave the way to my finding Christ. Soon, I was listening to Switchfoot, then to Newsboys. Soon enough, I discovered the Hillsong bands which softened my heart for my Lord and Savior.

During those times, I was already working in Manila. I looked for a Church but settled with CCF St. Francis because honestly it was the nearest from where I stayed. I started regularly attending Sunday services and had my fill of spiritual food. Christian friends started giving me books to read: Joshua Harris, Philip Yancey, Ravi Zacharias, C.S Lewis. I read and I read. I searched the God of my boyhood that I had rejected for myself.

Right now, I am back in Cebu and serving the church. God has blessed me with many, many things including the Prayer Ministry and the Tech Ministry during Sundays. Through these ministries, God teaches me the virtues of service and dependent living. God has found me a place in a DGroup of 9 goofy young men who truly, truly love God. I am continuously being blessed by the lives of my brothers in our DGroup. And of course God has given me my most cherished blessing – a girlfriend with whom I serve the Lord. [Spoiler Alert: She turned out to be my wife!]

Truly, the Humanistic beliefs I have embraced before cannot stand in the face of God's love. What I thought was a modern philosophy is really as old as the Garden of Eden when Adam decided to trust his own self and not God. Now I know that man only has a value because God loved him. Take away God from the equation, and man is worth nothing.

If you are sitting here right now and you are living your life in your own terms, according to your own definition of right and wrong, I challenge you to do 3 things:

• This might sound harsh but hear me out: Get over yourself. Sure you are smart, probably talented, but you don’t need me to tell you that yourself can only take you so far.
• Invite Jesus in your life. With whatever little faith you have, give it to him. Be still and know that He is God. Seek Him, James 4:8 says draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
• Be in the company of Christians from whom you can learn of God's marvelous plans. 

Know this for sure: Jesus loves you very, very much and even if you shout at people who tell you this, His love will find you out.