The first one reads in Tagalog: “Pinauna niya sila sa kabilang ibayo,
habang pinaaalis niya ang napakaraming tao.” And the second one, “Nang makasakay na sila sa bangka,
tumigil ang hangin.”
A new language? Speaking in
tongues? That’s how the Scriptures
will read if LGBT enthusiasts gain enough momentum to come up with a “Beki
Bible”. “Beki” means “gay”. The idea is brewing in social media to
have the Bible translated into “baklese” (“beki” lingo, that is) in the hope
that this will “make the Filipino LGBT community understand the life of Jesus”.
I got into the loop when a (non-practising) lesbian friend forwarded to
me the thread on the topic. It
seems some are that desirous to have the “Beki Bible” started; and there’s a
suggestion to publish a Beki dictionary as well.
Because my friend, a member of a religious third order, is in that stage
when—touched by God’s love—she is “reevaluating (her) spiritual life along the
line of evangelization”, she has actually volunteered to be in the Beki Bible
translating team. She mused,
“Maybe this is what God is calling me to do.”
If I didn’t believe she’s dead serious about her newfound Christianity I
would have dismissed the idea with a click of the mouse. But she is not a flighty type, she’s really
looking for meaning in her life, and so I found myself typing: “No, rethink it, and most of all be silent and wait for
direction from above. My knee jerk reaction to this is, a dictionary would be
out of the question because gay talk changes constantly, and according to
region or particular groups. Then,
too, and this is the heavier concern—for sure a Beki version will trivialize
the Bible.”
Back in 1969 when I wrote a feature article
on “swardspeak”—the first ever, according to a prominent editor then—homosexuals
were called “swards”, and the word “gay” simply meant what it meant in
Christmas carols and Broadway musicals: lighthearted and carefree. I picked up “swardspeak” from having to
collaborate with fashion designers and models for magazine pictorials. As far as I knew, the “swards” (also
called “badaf” then) invented “swardspeak” because they wanted a sign of
belonging or exclusivity (like a fraternity ring), a virtual code spoken only
with those they considered colleagues.
Thus, using “swardspeak” they could ridicule any unsuspecting person
right under his nose with him being none the wiser about it. Obviously, the intention behind the
invention was somewhat snobbish and uncharitable, and I doubt that “swardspeak”
(primarily a tool of satire) has evolved to such a degree as to be considered a
medium for spreading the Word of God.
Imagine a homily done in baklese! Instead of
encouraging people to listen to God's Word they will just be entertained and amused
at best. ‘Sa ngalan ni fafa, ng anakis,
at ng espiritu ek-ek, achi-ching!’ It will distract from the message and make people focus on
the medium, don't you think? A
huge chunk of the congregation would probably be giggling, while a handful will
most likely ask the bishop to expel the priest.
Back to the Beki Bible thread: I followed it, noticed that a certain
“Reverend” is part of it. Hmmm… I
found myself typing again: “What
they want done isn’t that simple.
It’s a long process they’re facing and before they finish halfway the
gay vocabulary will have changed several times over due to its faddish
nature—that’s the way it is. What
I don’t want to happen is for any so-called new Church project to be divisive:
any project—not just the Beki Bible—which spawns cliques in the Church. I have no problem with LGBTs, I would
root for harmony for mankind.
Whatever the color of one’s skin, one faith, or one’s bed habits,
doesn’t matter. All to introduce a
novelty and to say ‘we’re doing this for God’ but do we feel it in our
core? There is such a thing as
‘purity of intention’, thus, in whatever we undertake—especially when it’s done
in the name of God—we need to purify our intentions. By doing this Beki Bible thing, can we honestly say ‘we want
God to increase, and we decrease’?”
I concluded my post with “No, let’s not add
to the confusion in Babel.” And
that’s the truth.
