Our boxing hero Manny Pacquiao caused a furor when he said that those engaged in same-sex relationships are “worse than animals” .

The boxing champ, a self-confessed womanizer, quickly apologized and clarified he was not condemning gays, but abhors homosexual act.

He maintains he is still against same sex marriage.

Its Biblical, he said.

Our boxing-hero-turned-pastor perhaps needs to reflect deeper on what the Christian religion is all about.

Christianity is a religion of love.

So the Bible says. The greatest commandment, according to Jesus Christ, is to love the Lord our God with all your heart, with all your soul with all your mind.

The second greatest commandment, according to Jesus Christ, is the like the first: Love your neighbor as yourself.

If you call  one group of neighbors—the homosexuals, the gays—“worse than animals,” Are you complying with, or are you violating the greatest commandments of Christ?

Pope Francis, leader  of the Roman Catholic church two years ago was asked his opinion on gays.

Pope Francis’ response was riveting: “If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis revealed his pastoral approach toward the LGBT community:

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being.”

In any event, let us try to examine Pacquiao’s statement that concludes that “homosexuals are worse than animals”.

He supports his conclusion by illustrating animal behavior.

Look at animals, Pacquiao said.

They know how to distinguish males from females of their own species, such that these animals of the same gender don’t engage in sex with each other.

Unlike humans, Pacquiao said.

I tried to do a little research.

I found Pacquiao’s premise is factually defective.

I learned there are at least eleven animals that engage  in same-gender sexual activities.

First in line are the giraffes.

Gay sex accounts for 94% of all observed sexual activity in giraffes.

According to an account from Gay Star News, male giraffes have a unique way of flirting (and to occasionally show dominance) that is seen nowhere else on Earth. It is ‘necking’.

Two male giraffes stand side by side, and gently rub their necks on each other’s body, head, neck, loins and thighs.

This leads to sexual arousal. And while necking can sometimes lead to orgasm in of itself, sometimes giraffes mount each other to finish each other off.

Second are the Banobos. Female bonobos have sex in a way that in many aspects is unique to the species: These chimpanzees rub their genitals together. This is known as GG-rubbing (for genito-genital rubbing).

Third: Flamingos have monogamous partners, and these can include two males, two females or a male and a female.

Fourth: Dolphins: Three quarters of all bottlenose dolphins are in same-sex pair-bonds, and many of them mate for life.

Next, a specie of snails, Aegista diversifamilia are hermaphrodite animals, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs

Sixth are the vampire bats. Between one half to three quarters of all companionships are between females of these types of bats.

Seventh are the sea lions. More than 80% of New Zealand Sea Lion males exclusively mate with other males.

Even killer whales are same gender copulation. One third to more than one half of all male killer whales engage in gay sex, especially prevalent among the adolescents.

Some male partners have a favorite with whom they interact with year after year.

Tenth are bugs and spiders. They may be cold blooded, but up to 85% of 110 species spiders and insects are getting hot under the exoskeleton when it comes to gay sex.

Finally, eleventh, are the penguins. These birds that are famous for many instances of lifelong relationships between male pairs and female pairs.

So  Pacquiao’s logic is fallacious.

The factual premise (i.e. animals only copulate with the opposite sex) of his conclusion (humans are worse than animals),  are wrong.

What concerns me is that Pacuqiao is running for the senate.

In the senate, senators must have sharp logic, so to be able to rationally convince fellow senators to agree with their legislative proposals, especially during debates.

How would you think Pacquiao would fare?

We really can’t tell.

When he was in Congress, he was notoriously absent. (By Atty. Jay I. Dejaresco)