antediluvian hyperbole...what?

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RH Bill advocate hits CBCP for 'church terrorism'

In his Christmas message, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines President Nereo Odchimar said “the threat of war, political unrest, and armed conflicts put nations in constant fear…And the most glaring among others is that unpeace in the mother’s womb. With the approval of RH Bill, a woman’s womb can be a ferocious threat to those who are yet to be born."

Several prelates also made use of issue to further strengthen their cause. Many of their followers heard this, of course, on Christmas morning.

Not to be brushed aside, however, an RH Bill advocate lambasted the Catholic church for equating the RH bill to acts of terrorism.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said “it is the height of antediluvian hyperbole for the leadership of the CBCP” to connect the RH advocacy to such.

Lagman noted the history of the church is “so engulfed in terrorism” that any development not in accordance with its dogma is “conveniently labeled terroristic.”

“These acts of church terrorism extended to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period which was dominated by the Church and are perpetuated today with threats of excommunication against perceived religious dissenters like RH and pro-women advocates,” he said...

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Antedeluvian hyperbole? Why, I had to scramble for my dictionary to look up the meaning. Roughly it means a primitive exaggeration, with a pointed reference to antiquated ideas that properly belonged to a period before the Great Flood as depicted in the book of Genesis. It is interesting that Lagman references a biblical event to lambast the president of the Bishop's council. Bishop Odchimar says the approval of the RH bill "can be a ferocious threat to those who are yet to be born" while Lagman shot back by charges of "church terrorism...against religious dissenters". Anyway Bishop Odchimar's statements were quoted from his Christmas message, and it is also an interesting discovery to find out that Lagman is an avid listener of Christmas messages from CBCP. As far as I see it, Bishop Odchimar's message was directed to the faithful.

At any rate I can't see any shadow of a threat of excommunication in that Christmas message. I am not sure why liberal dissenters who ignore church teachings would make a big production out of a CBCP Christmas message anyway. I expect a liberal dissenter to completely ignore it and say: who cares? Maybe Lagman is suffering from a postdeluvian hangover.
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