What isn’t wrong with the Iglesia ni Cristo?

by Philip M. Lustre Jr.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo is a minority church that is always on the wrong side of history. It has a track record of supporting most unholy causes to pursue certain opportunistic objectives.

It supported the Marcos dictatorial rule and, until its tragic end, it did not say anything, much less act, against the three ills that plagued the Marcos regime: the over centralized graft allegedly committed by Marcos, his family and friends; the unrestrained crony capitalism that benefited Marcos and his crony friends; and, the wanton disregard and violations of human rights that led to torture and disappearances of thousands of political activists and even ordinary citizens.

It is notorious for supporting candidates in every election. Voting as a bloc, the INC is reported to have been using as political leverage its capacity to marshal political support from its members.

It is said to have been currying favor from political leaders, whom it feels to have given the political support to win in elections. It pushes, albeit quietly and without fanfare, the appointment of its members for key government posts. Lately, it is said to have been pushing for the appointments of certain friendly but unqualified non-INC members, but to no avail.

Political opportunism is its hallmark. In the 2010 elections, it was said to have backed up the candidacy of another presidential candidate, but left him for good after he was certain to lose. On the last minutes, it went to support Benigno Aquino III, who incidentally won by more than five million votes from his nearest rival.

Political scientists once studied the INC’s capability and capacity to influence the course of Philippine history. While its members are reputed to vote like automatons in every election, its influence is not that deep.

It could influence the electoral outcome in some local posts, especially in hotly contested congressional districts, cities, towns and provinces. The INC vote could represent the swing vote in those political constituencies.

In national elections, the INC influence is doubtful except for the last two or three slots of the top 12 in every senatorial elections.

Political scientists estimated that the INC bloc is good for 1.2 or 1.3 million votes. While it could monitor the votes in the Culiat area, which hosts its national headquarters in Quezon City, or San
Juan City, where its first church is located, it could hardly monitor votes of its flock in other areas outside of Culiat and San Juan.

In short, its political influence is exaggerated, owing largely to media reports that tend to describe this minority church as powerful and influential.

The political record of the INC is not the only object of concern. The INC is not exactly endearing to the labor movement because of its leaders’ abhorrence to join any legitimate action by workers against business establishments.

Henry Sy’s SM, notorious for allegedly circumventing the Labor Code to its corporate interest, has adopted as an unwritten policy the hiring of workers belonging to INC for reason of “industrial peace.” The same thing has been happening in certain industrial enclaves.

A labor leader once harshly described the INC as “the religion of the scabs.”

Last year, the INC supported then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, asking certain lawmakers, whom it supported in the 2010 polls, to vote against her impeachment. But an overwhelming majority of the members of the House of Representatives voted for her impeachment, causing
embarrassment for the minority church.

This week, the INC mobilized its members to support embattled Renato Corona in what appears to be a show of force on Tuesday. But it remains questionable whether it could match what the majority church and certain minority churches could jointly muster in certain issues.

As the impeachment trial shows, Corona’s removal from office could be another big embarrassment for the INC, just like what had happened to Gutierrez, who, after she was impeached, chose to quietly resign her post.

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Is the Iglesia ni Cristo displeased with President Aquino?

PRESIDENT Noy, in his search for people to fill up key positions in his administration, has allegedly displeased a religious sect that supported him in the last election.

By Ramon Tulfo

Iglesia ni Cristo’s Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo has allegedly written the President to ignore all his recommendees for some positions in government, according to a source close to Ka Eduardo, as he is known to his flock.

The source claimed that Ka Eduardo had said in his letter that the INC was freeing the President from the pressure of considering people recommended by the church for certain posts in his government.

My source inside the INC said there were positions that Ka Eduardo had asked P-Noy to fill up with persons from the ranks of the INC, but such requests were allegedly ignored.

The source added that the INC head had said that those whom P-Noy has appointed to key positions upon his recommendation can either be removed or they can choose to resign.

One of INC’s recommendees is Director Magtanggol Gatdula of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

The source said the religious sect’s withdrawal of support from the Aquino administration is expected to have grave political repercussions for the fledgling administration.

* * *
P-Noy should stand up to the Catholic Church as well.

Catholic priests and bishops have been interfering in the affairs of the past presidents, especially the one that P-Noy succeeded.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was reported to have given in to almost all the orders to her by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

The President, a Catholic, should show that he has a mind of his own by turning down directives from the CBCP if such orders run contrary to the people’s welfare.

He should ask his allies in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to pass the Reproductive Health Bill that aims to control our exploding population by giving couples a choice of birth control methods.

Most Filipinos, including Catholics, want the controversial bill passed.

* * *
Ironically, people who are scared of going to hell are sinners.

They commit sin, according to the definition of most religions, more than people who don’t care at all.

Those people who fear the fires of hell go to church every Sunday and pray fervently for their salvation. But when they get home from church they treat their housemaids like slaves.

And if they are government officials, they steal from the people without mercy.

* * *
I remember helping a housemaid who was hit with a chopping board in the face by her employer so many times that she looked like a character from the movie, “Planet of the Apes.”

Zenaida Latoga was 25 years old when she escaped from her employer of 10 years and was wandering aimlessly on a street in Mandaluyong when she was picked up by Good Samaritans and taken to “Isumbong mo kay Tulfo” office several years ago.

I noticed that she was wearing a bell attached to a rope around her waist. She said it was so her employer would know in what part of the house she was.

I had the employer arrested the same day by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

You know who visited the employer at the police precinct?

Her fellow church members who prayed over her so she would be saved from the clutches of evil!

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:52:00 08/06/2010
Filed Under: Religions, Benigno Aquino III, Government
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100806-285354/Iglesia-ni-Cristo-displeased-with-P-Noy