It’s good to be back… well… it has been long since i posted a user reply but here’s one thing that’s good to bring back. From a certain INC member that goes by the name “Holy Man“

holy man Says:

March 8th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

I am an Iglesia ni Cristo member.

I was born in the church and held various offices including choir member, Sunday school teacher, secretary, and others.  However, recently I started to question not so much the teachings in the scripture, but rather the interpretation of the biblical meanings, and the decision making process of the church in general.

I have been to various local nationwide and overseas and observed (since I’m highly observant) wide ranges of variation in the way things are done and decided. The church has gotten so colossal and gained international church recognition that I felt it has undergone some sort of mutations from the original founded church, and this is usually what happens when an organization expands in numbers and members: there is no consensus over doing things, that is, each local makes judgment according to the number of people favoring a certain action, then it gets submitted to the district office, then to the central.  Those who oppose simply kept quite; the administration does not investigate; it accepts whatever recommendation of the district or locals and it’s not uncommon for lords over lords to say “do not question, just follow” and I heard this comments many times.

My reaction to this is “a blind leading a blind” and both of them needed to be saved.  There are no checks and balance over how things are done rather there is a struggle or even “kissing ass” just to get things done, but it criticizes the doctrines of other faiths.  Is this of God?For example, the indoctrination process changed over the years, wasn’t this a man made decision? nowhere in the scripture tells you that you have to wait a certain period of time to become a member of some religious organizations.

I believe that one is free to worship as he or she pleases and sees appropriate because as human beings we are creation of men—sinners in thoughts and actions–yet the church doesn’t seem to understand this. Another issue I’m grappling with is the problem of unity, it seems that the church wants a total control of its members, not allowing them to exercise their constitutional rights over issues that impact the members. It seeks to secure its interest over godly teachings? Finally, there is religious persecution that exist within the organization, again as a result of being lords over lords, and yes corruptions do exist.  At one time I had hard time believing, but the one who told was a member of the finance committee, and told me who, what, and how much few people were receiving. Fortunately, there is a separation between church and states because I find many of its teachings go against the constitutional rights of the citizens of the land.

I am an insider, so I know how are things are performed.  I find the fanatics severely “brain washed” and caused many others to be “brain washed” as well.

What many members would like to see is the reporting of the church financial statements, just like the practice of the Jehovah witness, that is report how much was collected and how much was spent.

I realized that finally, an INC member got some of my point… kudos to you Holy Man, hope you are one of the INC members that can “revolutionize” the exisiting church into its former glory…

The (mis)Adventures continues as el_critique hits a year older…

Looking back a year ago, I was tackling the issues about Pres. Arroyo of the Philippines.

Corruptions, Show-offs and such lies that plagued the Philippine Government were such  big issues that grew and grew leading to rallies and demonstrations here, there and everywhere…

What is on my mind right now is not having a change of governance but as to endure the her last two years of reign. I’d rather sacrifice those two years under her rather than having the next two years under someone who has the uncertainty to govern plus the inability to speak the second most spoken language on planet earth: English.

It has been a year… and I shall continue…

The following is from Ms. Jane Abao, a renowned communications activist. You can access her news site here

Mon Nov 5, 2007 12:26 PM HKT

Manila, Philippines - A church group suspected to be behind the troubles of a justice who failed to get appointed as Supreme Court justice surfaced lately.

According to Victor C. Agustin, columnist of Manila Standard Today, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) finally surfaced as the group that was behind Gregory S. Ong’s failure to get appointed as Supreme Court (SC) justice. In his column titled, Cocktales, Agustin described this church group as powerful that they would not stop there.

Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong failed to make the appointment because of an unresolved citizenship issue. Agustin said that the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) even wanted Ong removed from Sandiganbayan, an anti-graft court where he sits now.

Agustin wrote, “The powerful Iglesia Ni Cristo has come out in the open not only to prevent Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong from being appointed to the Supreme Court but also to have him unseated from the anti-graft court.” Accordingly, the petition was filed by the lawyer of this group who belongs to the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

The petition to disqualify Ong from the Sandiganbayan, is now pending in the Pasig Regional Trial Court. It was filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, counsel of the Iglesia.

Agustin intimated that Justice Ong had convicted a brother-in-law of the Iglesia’s Executive Minister by the name of Victor Danao, a military colonel.

As described by Agustin, Ong allegedly “caught the ire of the Iglesia hierarchy after the Sandiganbayan justice convicted military colonel Victor Danao, husband of Pilar Manalo, who happens to be a sister of Iglesia Executive Minister Eraño Manalo.” Pilar, said to be the daughter of Felix Manalo, first executive minister of the church group, is known to have composed the songs for the Iglesia.

Meanwhile, the INC’s clout in government is found in their much-touted practice of block voting. Not only does the incumbent Philippine president have the backings of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, but those before her including senators and congressmen who curry their favor come national elections.

Agustin said Lawyer Topacio is being helped in his legal research by a number of Iglesia lawyers in his oral arguments scheduled before Judge Leoncio Janolo Jr.

Being a Sandiganbayan justice, Ong was among the contenders for the position to a vacant slot in the Supreme Court like Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Ruben Reyes, Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Ernesto Acosta, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, CA Justice Edgardo Cruz and Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. In July, this year, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Ruben Reyes as Associate Justice to the vacant slot.

Earlier it was reported by Aries Rufo of NewsBreak (02/08/2007) that appointed SC justice Ruben Reyes had the backing of the Iglesia ni Cristo and another church group. Reyes turned 68 last January 3, has only one year and two months to serve in the Tribunal before the compulsory retirement of 70.

The non-appointment of Gregory Ong to the high court is more than just the issue of his citizenship, an evangelist has charged recently. More so, the threat of his being removed from the antigraft court.

According to Eliseo Soriano, the un-warranted influence of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the affairs of the government is to instill fear among the justices so that they will not meddle with the affairs of the INC.

Saying he admires Justice Gregory Ong for his partiality in judging cases and his courage in carrying out his task, Soriano said Ong has the backing of his congregation, the Church of God, International, more popularly known as Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path). “Tell Justice Ong to carry on. We are all behind him.” Soriano said through live telecast from the United States before thousands of his followers.

Soriano is a Filipino evangelist now preaching overseas and leads a world-wide congregation of about 4 million. His congregation is all the more growing geometrically with weekly baptisms in thousands in the country and abroad as far as Africa, despite persecutions. Soriano was forced to leave the country for open threat on his life.

Ang Dating Daan as a program had been suspended many times by the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) under the Office of the President of the land for reasons related to the INC. Soriano had been attacking INC beliefs, particularly calling Christ a man, tithing regulations, and falsified history. At one time, one reason for the suspension of the program was Soriano’s calling the church-group, “Iglesia Ni Manalo” (church of Manalo) which the group resented.

UPDATE: Manila Times Jomar Canlas reported today that the judge handling this case, Judge Leoncio Janolo Jr., has been penalized by the Supreme Court because of the “delays in resolving cases.” He was fined P11, 000 ($250).

comments are welcome!

like this from the last post:

Chris Says:
March 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 am e
you know what..you’re paranoid. Im sorry to say that, but it’s true.. naging Iglesia ka pa naman..(translation: you were iglesia…)you dont know you’re religion well.

First of all, Mr. you-dont-know-YOU’RE-religion-well , I really don’t know that i am a religion, (thus I am aware that I am not a religion -sic.) not even close to being a self-declared angel or messiah, not even closer to losing my mind to be in a situation to safely say that I will be saved in the last days of life on earth because I am a member of some organization believing that being a member of such profound cult cum church will be spared come judgement day. (Architecture will never be a part of rocket science.)

If your co-members were ex-catholics or ex-whatsoever that were “brainwashed” with your pessimistic anti-catholic rhetorics, then I am one of those ex-INC members “redeemed” by the truth, the way and life.

Infact, I would like (really) to encourage people to go attended one of INC’s gatherings as a test of their respective faith (not for the weak hearted thou -sic) because the last time I tried one, all they say is about Mr. Ysagun (referred to as Felix Manalo) is the “messenger” from the east, that others will (not shall) be perished because they are not a member of this so-called “one true church.”

INC has been very active in the world of politics, politicians have been known to woo support from them. If INC declares support for a politician, it is mandated that every INC vote for him or her which clearly violates the right to suffrage. Article 3, section 5 of the Philippine Constitution states that:

Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

There is no FREE exercise of political rights, a violation in the Bill of Rights.

The political meddling of INC has strengthened their survival too, from managing a factory that solely manufactures car license plates to having connections, thus having access to major goverment services such as justice, taxation and worst, Security.

-= I rest my case=-

(x.s. - comments are still welcome, I will never grow tired of this issue… )

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.