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Iglesia ni Cristo
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The Iglesia ni Cristo (; Tagalog for Church of Christ; also known as INC, or Iglesia, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in outlook and theme, but nothing can be found to connect the INC to the Restoration Movement.
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The Iglesia ni Cristo (; Tagalog for Church of Christ; also known as INC, or Iglesia, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in outlook and theme, but nothing can be found to connect the INC to the Restoration Movement. Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church as a corporation sole with him as executive minister on July 27, 1914 and because of this, most publications refer to him as the founder of the church. However, the official doctrines of the church profess that Jesus Christ is the founder of the INC and that Felix Manalo was God's last messenger, whom he sent to re-establish the Christian Church to its true, pristine form because the original church was apostatized. They believe that the apostatized church is the Roman Catholic Church, and proclaim that Catholic dogmas, such as the Trinity, are proof of this apostacy. The organization does not believe in the Trinity, nor that the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are Biblical.
History
The historical context of the Iglesia ni Cristo lies in a period of the early 20th century characterised by a variety of rural anti-colonialism movements, often with religious undertones, in the Philippines. At this time, United States missionary work was exposing Filipino culture to many alternatives to the Catholicism installed under earlier Spanish rule. Some observers see the INC as an aggressive, materially successful, indigenous movement which became a major religious movement in only a period of fifty years. The success of the INC is attributed primarily to its leadership.
Pioneering years - 1913 to 1916
In search of the truth, Felix Manalo as a young adult drifted from one religious organizations to another, including atheism and agnosticism. At some point in his life, his own studies brought him to what would be the basis for the teachings of Iglesia ni Cristo. Then in 1913, Manalo began to preach his religion to whoever would listen. Though enthusiastic, his efforts produced slow results.
The INC began with a handful of followers on July 27, 1914 in Punta, Santa Ana, Manila; with Manalo as its head minister. Manalo propagated his message within his local area, growing the Iglesia ni Cristo and converting members of other religions. From the beginning, the INC used Filipino in language, lessons and instructions, and hymns. His first chapel was made of bamboo and was not constructed until two years after he began preaching.
The Catholic church dismissed the INC and believed it would fail. Catholic clergy attributed its growth to the novelty of Protestantism, which was brought to the Philippines by the Americans. They believed that Manalo would not stand against the theological sophistication of Catholic orthodoxy. The INC however continued to grow beyond World War II. Evangelicals had an overall negative view of Felix Manalo and the INC in particular, and Filipinos in general. Ridicule was the prevailing attitude. As written by Ann C. Harper, evangelical preachers and missionaries were mostly racist and prejudiced.
In Tondo, Manalo started his first of many debates. By this time, Manalo was already well honed with the Bible and was a master public speaker. He defeated both the Protestant ministers and Catholic priests who entered the debate with him, resulting in many converts.
In 1916, Manalo began propagation to the provinces, establishing congregations everywhere he went.
Continuing Growth - 1916 to 1963
Despite critics belief that INC's success was only temporary, its growth continued. Observers attribute the Iglesia's growth to the active involvement of its members and their unity in faith.
The INC expanded slowly from its roots in Manila until it established a credible national network even before the Second World War, reaching Cotabato province in Mindanao in 1941. Even during the Japanese Occupation, the Iglesia kept on expanding.
In 1948, the Iglesia built its first central office and official residence of the executive minister on Riverside St, San Juan, Metro Manila. After the war, the congregation grew from approximately 85,000 in 1936, to 200,000 in 1954. By 1970, the INC had about 500,000 members and was established in almost every province in the Philippines.
In the late 1950s, as Felix Manalo's health started to fail, Eraño Manalo began to take on leadership role under his father's guidance. And when Felix Manalo died in 1963, it did not cause any disruption in the church's activities. His son Eraño took over duties as executive minister and later on, his grandson Eduardo V. Manalo became the deputy executive minister.
Shortly after assuming office, Eraño Manalo began to travel to congregations, officiating worship services and staging religious rallies. He visited farthest congregations from the north to the south assuring the faithful that the Iglesia was alive and has a leader. It was the Iglesia's weakest, most vulnerable period but Manalo's charisma held the faithful together. Over the next 30 years, the Iglesia would establish more than 4000 locals, and 100 districts. The Iglesia became the fastest growing church in the Philippines, if not the world.
International expansion - 1963 to the present
By the late 1960s, Eraño had proven himself a worthy successor to his father and began a number of initiatives, including the establishment of congregations in the United States and other countries. On July 27, 1968, Eraño Manalo officiated the first worship service in Ewa, Hawaii thus starting the mission of propagation outside of the Philippines. Unlike the Catholic church during the Spanish colonial period and the Protestants during the American colonial period, religious groups who emerged after the era of colonialism, including the INC, did not have the support and aid of governments and armies to support their propagation to foreign lands.
In 1969, the church began operating its own radio station with regionally syndicated programs, and in 1983 it launched television programming with national syndication.. In 2008, it began broadcasting 24-hours via satellite DirecTV channel 2068.
In the 1990s a few congregations were established in cities in which the Iglesia believe as significant in the history of the biblical church. In 1994, the Iglesia succeeded in establishing its congregation in Rome, Italy, in 1996 the Jerusalem congregations was established and in 1997 the congregation in Athens, Greece followed.
In 2005, the Roman Catholic church formally acknowledged the existence of the INC, calling it an "emerging" influential religious group.
According to various sources, including the 1997 Britannica Book of the Year, INC had a worldwide population of over one million members by the early 1980s. According the 2000 census of the Philippine National Statistics Office, over 1.76 million persons in the Philippines were are affiliated with the Iglesia ni Cristo as of that year. or roughly doubling in size in a span of 20 years. Other sources places the number at 2.3% of the population in the year 2000. Some catholic publications put the number to be between three million and ten million worldwide making it larger than the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It has become the second largest religious organization in the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. By 2008, the INC had grown to more than 5,000 congregations in the Philippines, and more than 600 abroad. Congregations are called local congregation, or simply locale. The INC has local congregations in 89 countries and territories with its members belonging to 102 nationalities and ethnic groups. .
The financial discipline taught throughout the church has been a centralized effort of followers and church officers. With Manalo's effort to create an organized and systematic organization, Dr. Gerald H. Anderson, Senior Research Associate of the Southeast Asia Studies Program of Cornell University, attributes INC as one of the largest and most respected groups in the Philippines. As membership increased, he delegated others to spread the teachings of the INC and it eventually spread throughout the Philippines and to other countries.
Beliefs
The Iglesia ni Cristo holds beliefs that run contrary and at odds to many Christian professing religions. Some observers describe these beliefs as unique and distinct making it different from what is generally known as traditional Christianity. Doctrines such as the denial of the trinity and the necessity of membership in the Church for salvation are just a few examples of what sets the Iglesia ni Cristo apart from the major Christian religions of today.
The True God
The first and foremost of the doctrines of the Iglesia ni Cristo is the belief that there is only one God, the Father. The Church vehemently opposes the doctrine of the Trinity and is not to be mistaken as to follow the beliefs of Unitarians or Arians who also reject the Trinity as outlined in the Nicene Creed.
According to Iglesia doctrine, "the Father is the only true God, and Christ was sent by Him". The Church upholds that any beliefs that differ from this, such as the Trinity or the Mormon belief of Plurality of gods are simply wrong and goes against biblical testimony. To them, there is no other place, be it in heaven or on earth where another God exists, other than the God they call "Lord God Almighty" and that this belief is based on the bible. They say that this is the belief of "the people of God" even at the time of the prophets, and continued to the time of the apostles in the Christian era. They believe that this belief is the right knowledge and understanding concerning God. They further say that the doctrine of co-equal God's, be it as a three-person Trinity, or "plurality of Gods" contradicts this belief.
The Church states that it believes in the one and only true God, the Father and "the Creator", and that this is the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and his apostles. God is described as a spirit and therefore without flesh and bones, and is everlasting. It is further upheld God is immortal, all-knowing and does not get weary.
Jesus Christ
The Iglesia ni Cristo has a number of beliefs concerning Jesus Christ that differs from most major Christian religions today. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was made Lord by God, but that He is not God or god-man (dual nature) as some churches believe. They assert that Jesus Christ never claimed or said that He was God but instead preached of a one true God, the Father in heaven. They believe that He (Jesus Christ) is man in nature and state of being. To support this belief they point to several bible verses which state that Christ experience human experiences such as hunger, thirst and death, among others. However, they say Jesus Christ is distinct from other human being in that He did not commit sin and was exalted by God. They also believe that Jesus Christ is the only Savior appointed by God and the only mediator between God and man.
The Holy Spirit
To the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Holy Spirit is not a person or being but rather is the power of God sent to earth by Him. It is not referred to as God, nor part of God, in the bible. They believe this Spirit is sent by God in the name of Jesus Christ to teach God's messengers of the meaning of God's words. According to them, the Holy Spirit is also sent to help God's people overcome their weaknesses, to strengthen, edify and comfort them.
Unity
The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that unity is an essential characteristic of "the one true church" and considers unity as a fundamental doctrine and upholds it faithfully. They say this doctrine traced its roots "in the history of God's people" as written in the bible. Unity practiced by the Iglesia ni Cristo is not like that which is based on the mundane and ordinary, but based and founded on biblical teachings. It is upheld that the unity embraced by the Church is a distinctive mark of a true Christian Church and a unique and a striking characteristic of "the true Church". The Iglesia ni Cristo further states that this unity is distinct and exclusive and can only be found in the true Church and is nothing less that absolute. The Church describes this unity as one in doctrine, one in polity, one in faith, one in worship, and with one heart and one voice.
In his argument to the lawsuit questioning religious organizations requiring their members to vote for a particular candidate, Executive Minister Erano Manalo argued that voting as a bloc is a manifestation of religious unity. He said that the Iglesia voting as one "give flesh to their belief that only by acting in unity with their brethren will they be truly faithful to the Church".
Church Organization
Outsiders refer to Manalo as the head of the Iglesia ni Cristo. INC teachings however states that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. Eraño Manalo serves as Executive Minister and
leads the Church from the Central Office. Eduardo Manalo, Eraño's son serves as the Deputy Executive Minister while Bienvenido Santiago is the INC spokesman. In addition, there are Ecclesiastical Districts which in turn are divided into Local Congregations all of which are led by a minister. The administration of the Church is centralized and managed from the Central Office. Thus, all lessons in worship services all over the world will have the same subject matter.
The Central Office is one of several structures inside the Central Office Complex. It houses the permanent offices of the central administration and most of the Church's departments. It is here where about a thousand INC professionals and volunteers hold office. Contrary to claims, the Central Office is not the residence of the Manalos. Built in 1971 for PHP22 million, it also has a cinema and theatre, canteen and social halls. The building is currently estimated to be worth PHP1 billion.
The Iglesia ni Cristo Central Office complex is a large, secured complex nearly the size of Vatican City located on Commonwealth Avenue, New Era, Quezon City, Philippines and is the seat of the INC's Central Administration. In addition to the six-story Central Office Building, there are six other major edifices and several buildings. The major buildings include the 7,000-seat Central Temple, the multi-purpose Tabernacle hall, the 30,000-seat Central Pavilion, the College of Evangelical Ministry, the New Era General Hospital, and the New Era University.
At first, the location was exactly what its name, Diliman, describes: dark, desolate and lonely. In 1968, Eraño Manalo moved the Central Office from the chapel on Riverside Street, San Juan, Metro Manila to its present location. The INC acquired several hectares of land and in the next forty years transformed the area to what it is today.
Membership
Membership in the INC is conferred through baptism. People who wish to be baptized in the INC must first submit to a formal process taking at least six months. Once someone officially registers with their local congregation, the person is given the status of Doctrinal Instructee, as they are called within the Iglesia ni Cristo, and taught the twenty-five lessons concerning fundamental beliefs of the INC. In the United States, there are an additional three lessons taught for a total of twenty-eight, which mainly contain information about the Church and its beginnings in the Philippines. These lessons are contained in the doctrine manual written by Eraño G. Manalo entitled Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). This book is given to ministers, evangelical workers, and ministerial students of the INC. Each lesson is usually thirty minutes to one hour in length.
After hearing all of the lessons, the students enter their probationary period during which they are obliged to attend fifteen once a week group prayer meetings, wherein they are taught to pray and are guided in their adjustment to the INC lifestyle.
When the sixth month comes, the students who have been active in attending the twice a week worship services and whose lifestyles are in accordance with INC doctrines are screened before being baptized. During the screening they are asked questions about the doctrines taught to them. Those who pass the screening are scheduled to be baptized.
Since understanding is necessary before being baptized in the INC, the minimum age for baptism is set at around twelve and at least the 6th grade. Newborn children of members are instead "offered" or dedicated to Christian service during the worship service. The child offering in the INC is done through a prayer led by an ordained minister of the INC.
Members who are not living in accordance with the doctrines taught in the INC are admonished. Those who continue in violation of INC doctrines after being admonished are expelled from the INC. Certain violations, such as eating blood or marrying non-members may result in mandatory expulsion.
Missionary activities
INC members are instructed by their administration to invite people to Bible Studies and evangelical missions (known as Pamamahayag in Filipino), and to distribute magazines and pamphlets which are given to them by the administration.
In the Philippines, radio and television programs are produced, and they are broadcast on 1062 kHz DZEC-AM radio, DZEM 954 kHz, the Net 25 television station operated by Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, the broadcast division of the Iglesia ni Cristo and GEM TV, the sister station to NET 25, also owned by the INC and Iglesia ni Cristo TV broadcast on cable.
In North America, a television program called The Message is produced in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is currently aired in the United States and Canada and some parts of Europe. Each 30-minute program is hosted by one of a panel of INC ministers, who share the main beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo with a television audience. The INC used to maintained an hour long time slot on The Filipino Channel and airs two among many of its programs including the INC Chronicles and Ang Tamang Daan. It has since stopped and instead GEM-TV began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on DirecTV channel 2068.
The official INC magazine available to INC congregations worldwide is entitled God's Message or Pasugo. For many years the INC published the bilingual Pasugo for the Philippines and a separate all-English God's Message International Edition for usage abroad. In January 2004, the administration of the INC began to publish only one magazine both in the Philippines and abroad bearing the name God's Message. While predominantly English, the latest version contains a Filipino Section. The magazine consists of letters to the editor, news from locales worldwide, religious poetry, articles relating to INC beliefs, a directory of locales outside the Philippines and would also feature a schedule of worship services until recently.
Outreach
From the beginning, the INC has continuously extended help not only to the well-being of local townspeople but also to protect the environment through it various humanitarian services.
The INC has outreach programs, such as its "Lingap sa Mamamayan(Filipino: Care for the People)", offering free medical and dental services, community cleanups and tree planting projects. In California, Daly City twice declared a week in July as "Iglesia ni Cristo Week"
in recognition of the efforts of the INC members in community service events such as community beautification projects, blood drives, and food distribution sessions.
Coinciding with the 67th anniversary of the local congregation in the Barangay of Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga, the INC launched a program called "Vigorous Environmental Concern for Mankind" which included programs to support the "clean and green" programs of the local government. The INC conducted "Linis Bayan (Filipino: Clean Town)" and "Lingap sa Mamamayan" within the local area.
Architecture
The Iglesia ni Cristo's architecture is notable for the narrow-pointed spires of its huge chapels. Some observers describe the style as Gothic inspired while others say the style is purely Oriental. Rodante Marcoleta of the INC goes further to say, "Our churches embody our faith: stability, premanence and ubiquity". Large, ornate, well-kept concrete buildings, usually off-white in color, are in sharp contrast to the squalor of the surroundings. In the Philippines, these are considered landmarks of major cities and provincial capitals, because of their distinct architecture.
Malu Gueco of the Sun.Star Pampanga called the Central Temple in Diliman a "grand structure". Describing it as "Elegant towers, pointed spires, massive pillars form a mosaic of compelling creativity; a living testimony to how human hands combined with artistic imagery can portray the immense purpose of life."
INC Minister Mar Nucup, speaking about the San Jose, CA chapel, say the architecture is part of the identity of the INC. Bien Manalo, an administrator of the INC and son of Felix Manalo states that his father liked the architecture of INC chapels because the design "exudes a poignant impression of spirituality."
Political influence
Ever since former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon created a lasting friendship after asking Felix Manalo for advice, the INC has been known for its strong political influence. While it strongly maintains a close "friendship" with incumbent administrations, the INC also sees to it that they do not lose "discreet connection" with the opposition. It was well-known for its support of President Ferdinand E. Marcos until his ousting during the EDSA Revolution of 1986.
This has given INC strong political influence on elected officials. Newspaper reports say that the Philippine Congress decision to uphold the decision on September 2005 rejecting the Arroyo impeachment complaint was swayed largely by INC influence. However, Behn Fer. Hortaleza Jr. says otherwise. He wrote an op-ed piece for The Sun·Star Pangasinan stating that Representative Joey Salceda "had wanted to pit the INC against the Catholic church by so timing the congressman's "news" with another expose on the bishops' receiving Pagcor "sin money" for their projects."
Others, however, argue that the INC vote is only significant in close-run elections, noting that INC-supported candidates, Senator Sergio Osmeña Jr. lost in 1969 to Marcos and businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. lost to Fidel Ramos in 1992, largely due to irregularities in counting the election returns in favor of Fidel Ramos, most numbers were changed with snopake. Other seemingly strong candidates do not believe this notion. In 2004, Fernando Poe suspended campaign stops in the provinces to attend a meeting called by Manalo. For their part, the INC leadership said members do not vote to ensure the victory of the candidate they vote for. Manalo said "BLOC VOTING is a manifestation of religious unity that is essential to spiritual salvation".
Not all candidates in Philippine politics embraced support from INC. Macapagal-Arroyo's father, Diosdado Macapagal has refused INC's preferred support during his runs for Vice President in 1957, and re-election for President in 1965 – in which he incidentally lost to Marcos.
The support of the INC is not only sought out during elections but even for passage of House Bill 5043 or “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008”. In 2008, the INC and the Catholic church were again pitted against each other when health advocate RH Advocacy Network (RHAN) sought the support of the INC to counter the firm opposition of the Catholic church and Philippine president Arroyo to the bill. Representative Janette Garin of the first district of Iloilo said the INC's stand could determine if the bill gets passed in the House of Representatives. She said the opinion of the Iglesia ni Cristo is “important” in determining the fate of House Bill 5043.
Reception
On July 27, 2008 on the occasion of its 94th Anniversary lawmakers, governors, mayors, councilors and other government officials cited the meaningful role of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Philippine society. Rep. Annie Rosa L. Susano of Quezon City’s second district where the INC’s executive offices are located, along other government officials said that the INC continues to contribute not only to the spiritual development of the Filipino but also in shaping the country’s destiny. Susano said INC also plays a crucial role in improving the socio-economic condition of its followers and other Filipinos here and abroad.
A year before, on the same date, President Arroyo declared July 27 of every year as "Felix Manalo Day" to enable millions of INC followers in the Philippines and in 75 countries around the world to observe the occasion with fitting solemnity. President Arroyo’s proclamation was based on a resolution of the House of Representatives authored by Rep. Annie Rosa L. Susano.
Criticism
The Iglesia ni Cristo has come under fierce criticism from apologetics groups and other religions mainly due to disagreements over their doctrines and beliefs regarding the interpretation of the Bible. They have also been criticized by a media agency for their political influence.
It should be noted that most religious organizations in the Philippines participate in politics in varying degrees. In fact, "most public events, even those sponsored by the government", are preceded by a catholic mass. The INC votes as a bloc whereas the Catholic church had and still use public protests to oust political figures out of office . The INC's participation may also be a reaction to the Catholic church's exerting its influence on government which always had a central role in the Philippine political arena.
Religious criticism
Karl Keating
Karl Keating, the founder of Catholic Answers accuses Jose Ventilacion, an INC minister, of breaking an agreement in 1990 for a one-on-one debate made by the two organizations in National City, California. Instead of a one-on-one debate, Keating says that Ventilacion had three helpers assisting him, and that they allegedly were shouting at him during the debate. Keating views the church as being built on a set of "anti" doctrines, and that their lessons, as well as their God's Message magazine are dedicated more to debunking Catholic and Protestant beliefs and doctrines, although he did not reveal the extent of his studies concerning the church save for his own account of the debate he had with Ventilacion. Catholicism and Protestantism remain among the predominant religions in the Philippines specially in Luzon and Visayaz islands. Keating also thinks that the INC begun as a Protestant sect, comparing its doctrines with those of the American Campbellites saying it "heavily borrowed" from the latter.
Some writers describe the INC as a genuinely Filipino variety of the Christian faith (See Foreword,Studies in Philippine church history) .
Keating criticized the Iglesia ni Cristo for believing that the Whore of Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church and that the Beast of Revelation is the Pope, a belief shared with other Christian religious organizations, and an assertion which the Catholic Church denies. Keating detests the INC for its position based on the point that the pope's alleged title, Vicarius Filii Dei, Latin for Vicar of the Son of God, adds up to 666 which is one of several alternative numbers known as the "Number of the Beast": and the Iglesia ni Cristo also said that it is engraved on the Pope's tiara, a charge that has been proven false and a claim formerly shared by some in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but now officially rejected. The Catholic Church also declared that Vicarius Filii Dei has never been an "official title" of the pope. Vicar of Christ (Lat. Vicarius Christi), is a title of the pope.
Catholic Answers also rejects the INC's doctrines of apostasy within the Catholic Church and does not consider the verses used to support the doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo being prophesied nor the apostasy of the Catholic church are used in the right context.
Apologetics
Let Us Reason Ministries, an online apologetics research group, criticized the INC for holding the belief that it has the sole authority from God to interpret and preach the Bible, while other religions do not. They also say that the INC intentionally misinterprets and misappropriates verses to agree with their doctrines and that they use fallacious arguments against other religions, stating: "Unfortunately they ignore the whole history of the Church in the zealous rebuttals against Catholicism. Nothing is out of reach of their researchers to demean and belittle. Some of the greatest scholars in languages and history are ignored or misrepresented as they present what they believe is correct. I suspect that many know better in what they teach." They also reject the INC's doctrine that one can only be saved if they are a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.
According to The Bereans Apologetics Research Ministry, some of the beliefs of INC are contrary to mainstream Christianity.. However, the Iglesia ni Cristo states that, through biblical prophesies, it was elected to be "the nation of God," as the Israelites were, and that God chose them to serve him.
Charles Caldwell Ryrie
Charles Caldwell Ryrie has criticized the INC for allegedly misquoting his Ryrie Study Bible regarding in the May/June 1984 issue of the Pasugo. Ryrie has been quoted as saying, in a letter to Robert Elliff, the author of the book, Iglesia ni Cristo: The Only True Church? "Anyone can look in my Study Bible and see how conveniently this author [the INC] omitted the last phrase in the note of John 1:1."
Members Church of God International
The Members Church of God International (MCGI) says that the INC leadership would not face Eliseo Soriano in a debate. According to their official website, Eliseo Soriano posted a paid advertisement in the Manila Times newspaper and challenging the leader of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Eraño G. Manalo, in a one on one debate and discussion. The publication alleges that the Iglesia ni Cristo, in their own TV program, then issued a "counter challenge" to Soriano telling him to debate the Pope John Paul II first.
One incident between the two groups transpired on April 18, 2005 when they clashed inside a Jollibee outlet in Apalit town during an apparent unauthorized religious debate. Local police on orders of the town mayor went to the restaurant and tried to stop the holding of the debate for lack of a mayor's permit. Apalit Mayor Tirso Lacanilao had instructed the town's chief of police to transfer the venue of the debate either at the ADD convention center or at the INC chapel in an effort to prevent any trouble. ADD leaders, however, insisted on pushing through with the debate telling the police that "hindi naman magkakagulo (there will be no trouble)." Shortly after that, a free-for-all erupted when shouting and cursing from an ADD follower identified, as "Mataro" led to a free-for-all, .
On April 27, 2008, Mataro, who was the host of UNTV program, was shot dead by two unknown assailants in San Simon, Pampanga. MCGI members have accused the INC of being behind the murder as Mataro's TV program, "D'Xman" (short for "The Ex-Manalista"), was critical of the Iglesia ni Cristo doctrines. Murder charges were filed against the principal suspects in the killing. Nickson Icao and Felizardo "Ka Zaldy" Lumagham, both of Macabebe, Pampanga and who claim to be members of INC, were charged before the San Fernando prosecutors office.
Secular criticism
The main accusation of restraint of press freedom arises from the church's seeking to stop the publication of writer Ross Tipon's book, The Power and the Glory: The Cult of Manalo). The INC says the book contains "outright blasphemy" towards the late founder Felix Manalo by likening the INC to a criminal syndicate. However, Tipon, represented by lawyer Fervyn Pinzon, said stopping the publication of the book infringes on his freedom expression rights. An attorney representing the INC, Abraham Espejo states "direct assault on freedom of religion and seeks to destroy the image of the INC" and "The publication of the criminal manuscript will trigger social unrest, Millions of people may come out in the streets and this may lead to violence." The Iglesia ni Cristo alleges that the book has defamed its organization and Félix Manalo. The INC seeks PHP1,000,000 in damages from Tipon and the unknown publisher.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism(PCIJ), a media agency, describes the INC as a shrewd political and business operator that parlays the votes of its members for political and financial concessions to the church. In 2004, President Arroyo dismissed rumors that she paid off the INC to support her candidacy. In an open letter to the INC which was read in all INC chapels across the country, Mrs. Arroyo said "I would never taint their (INC) sincerity by offering money for it".
Controversies
Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism alleges that her military intelligence sources said the Iglesia had 1,000 to 2,000 high-caliber firearms in its armory, apart from guns owned by individual members who include soldiers and policemen.
She also allege that in September 1972, INC members allegedly shot at and killed three Marines who were part of a contingent sent by Marcos to shut down the church's DZEC radio tower.
See also
External links
Supporting
- A bible study containing some typical INC doctrines in the same question and answer format used by its ministers. There seems to be no explicit reference to the Iglesia ni Cristo on this website.
- Site by INC member: INC profile, basic teachings, history etc.
- Poetry and reprints of God's Message articles
- Member-created site that features videos from the INC television show, Iglesia Ni Cristo and the Bible
- - The website of INC-owned DWMJ-TV television
Opposing
- - Evangelical critique of INC based on Pasugo texts
- - Articles about INC and their beliefs
- - article by Anne C. Harper. Her description:"The purpose of this paper is to explore the INC's view of Evangelicals and to consider whether [evangelicals] need to reassess [their] apologetic and evangelistic approach to this group". (PDF reader required, )
- - Postings by Cultic Research, made in 2002/2003 on an unmoderated forum about all aspects of INC.
- - 2007 PDF Revision of Cultic Research's INC in a nutshell doctrine examination of the fundamental beliefs and teachings of the INC
- - An unofficial website featuring articles critiquing the INC.
- - A 24/7 broadband channel dedicated to live and interactive webcasts of Eliseo Soriano, to which the discussions include exposing the alleged non-biblical doctrines of Iglesia ni Cristo
- - Karl Keating's review of his debate with the Iglesia ni Cristo
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