An INC website states that:

Not long after that first meeting the first 14 converts to the Iglesia ni Cristo were baptized, by immersion, by Felix Manalo at the Sta. Ana portion of the Pasig River. To ensure privacy, the baptismal area was enclosed with white cloth held up by bamboo poles. Manalo waited in the baptistery for the converts. Before him, in waist deep water, he urged each of them to raise their hands, state their allegiance to God, Christ and the Bible, and reaffirm their loyalty to their new faith. Then he immersed them one by one in the clear river water “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit“. 

So, they dont believe in the Holy Trinity. It was clearly emphasized on their doctrines that:

We believe that the one and only true God is the Father, the Creator. We hold this belief because it is the doctrine taught by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles (John 17:3, 1: I Corinthians 8:6). God is a Spirit (John 4:24), and, therefore, He has no flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

This really is confusing. One says that they are like this then after some moments, they deny the facts.

They also claim that the INC was established because of a biblical prophesy (Rev. 7-2:3), further claiming that a signal, on a worldwide scale,  shall mark the comming of this one true church. INC was incorporated (yes, a corporation) July 27, 1914 , a day before World War I was declared.

They strongly push the belief that the said war was the signal and they are the “real one true church” which is really a “coincedence”. If i were to base these claims as far as living in 1914, I’d say that it would be timely because there were events prior to the declaration that would lead to war, it was a lucky guess that the war would happen soon. (radio broadcast was not born yesterday.)

Maybe the war was really God’s way of alerting humankind of a “false church” to appear in the east and spread false ideologies, see this verse from the bible:

2 Peter 2
The Danger of False Teachers
1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves

They have a flag that they have everywhere, a sign that is common to every INC member’s car, house and even business signs, i strongly hope that this would not be the mark of the beast,  indicating that whoever voluntarily submits for the mark to be placed upon them bears this, shall be punished.

When i was a kid, I always wanted to ride my bike; going around my neighborhood, riding with my childhood playmates and just plain riding. One day, a teen near a “church” tried to stop me and hijack my bike, I have defended myself very well and succeeded in running away with me and my bike intact. Upon leaving the area, the older kid told me to stay away of that area because it was “INC” premises and threatened that he’ll beat me up and take the bike. This triggered my decision to end any links with the Iglesia ni Cristo.

I knew the kid: popular, has-everything-he-wished type of boy, “brainy” [sic] and witty. That was not where i was disappointed; I was disappointed because his father ruled the locale, A Ministro.

Yes, I am from a family oriented with the said group, I was baptisted as one. Realizing at age seven, I saw that the malpractices are getting rampant, ranging from Ministers having a drinking session after they render their preaches, witholding of press freedom, spiritual blackmail and worst, to proclaiming superiority over all others.

They are used in claiming that being a member of their “church”, you’d be guarranteed safety in the end of days and will be sparred from being thrown in the lake of fire. To me, this is likely a profound statement to fool their followers: A “religion” based on fear and not on belief.

From where did the Iglesia ni Cristo really start? Are there really skeletons hiding from Mr. Ysagun’s closet? Are there things waiting to be uncovered? These are the questions that i tend to seek answers, answers that are meaningful and neutral, not superficial responses to be in their favor.

In the book “Strong Republic” (possibly a parody of Chairman Mao Tse Tung’s Little Red Book -sic), it was boasted in one of Arroyo’s speeches ( which really got me confused, speeches? Lies would be more applicable) that:

“Kamakailan, may sumulat sa aking tatlong batang taga-Payatas: sina Jayson, Jomar at Erwin. Ginawa nilang paper boats ang liham at pinalutang sa Pasig River patungo sa Malacañang.” (Translation: “Recently, there were three kids from Payatas who sent a letter to me: Jayson, Jomar and Erwin. They made their letters as paper boats and they have it set sail to Malacañang, via the Pasig River“)

One need not to understand the laws of buoyancy and physics for this situation… it is so imaginary to build a paper boat that could withstand the current of that river and travel 2-3 km to Malacañang… and more faroff, an imaginary malacañang personnel seeing and retrieving the paper boat from the murky river. ( Ferdinand Marcos had also a similar concoction; that he was a war hero…) This is a poor attempt to get your constituent’s attention; “Kulang sa Pansin.” (Translation: Attention Grabber, an old filipino expression)

Final words: Arroyo needs not words but tangible actions, actions that has results and not insults; prove that her program is not like Fidel Ramos’ Philippines 2000; towards a strong and not a wrong republic.

-= I rest my case=-

(geez… please also stop using kids, old persons and poor people in earning symphaty… flattery will get you no where…)

“In all humility, I accept the privilege and responsibility to act as President of the Republic.”

As quoted from Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her 2001 inaugural speech, I find it hard to imagine if she really felt the humility when she responded “I am sorry” as an answer if she really had any participation in the last presidential elections cum fraudfest.

During my stay in Manila last week, I came across a book titled “Strong Republic” authored by the Philippine Information Authority (or misinformation? -sic), obviously using tax payer’s money. In that book were “selected” speeches of Arroyo.

Renato S. Velasco, PIA’s Director-General, stated in the preface that:

“This vision (towards a strong republic) is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Strong Philippine Republic — “a republic that
is for the poor; the weak; those whose lives and welfare are threatened; those who are unsure of the next meal; the disadvantaged; the marginalized; the oppressed; and the jobless.”

I still wonder, why are there no actions? I mean, if that is the vision… then it is safe to assume that her vision is turning into just so-so dreams? I wonder when will Arroyo wake up to the reality and not be such an egoistic dreamer…

“I am determined to build a Strong Republic by breaking the back of terrorism and criminality.”

It is obvious that stepping down is not the solution… she needs a full 180-degree throttle in her actions and desicions and she has to do it fast before her unpopularity reaches higher than she’d expect.