Bakit May Imahe ang mga Kaanib sa Tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo?

Biblical Reasons Why Catholics Make Use of Images…YES, it is in the Bible!

Article Source: Gadel.Info

Read more: http://www.gadel.info/reasons-catholics-use-images/#ixzz4oTaFWjEm

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Catholics do not worship images and statues

QUESTION: WHY DO CATHOLICS MAKE USE OF IMAGES WHEN GOD COMMANDED IN EXODUS CHAPTER 20 NOT TO MAKE IMAGES?”

RESPONSE:

Over and over again, many non-Catholics keep criticizing our use of images in the Catholic Church. They see it as a major problem with us (Catholics) and as such, they often refer us to the book of Exodus chapter 20; consequently condemning or charging us with idolatry. Personally, I see this as an act of ignorance; if only they (i.e those who accuse the Catholic Church of idolatry), had read the bible properly, they would have understood better and stop their criticisms.

Now let us examine their claims…

PROTESTANTS’ CLAIMS

The non Catholics often refer us to the Commandments; which according to the first commandment, God said: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them (Ex. 20:2–5).

OUR RESPONSE:

God does not prohibit statues or images; he prohibits the adoration of them. If God truly meant that we were not to possess any statues at all, then he would later contradict himself. Just five chapters after this commandment in Exodus 20, God commanded Moses to build the ARK of the Covenant, which would contain the presence of God and was to be venerated as the holiest place in all of Israel. Here is what God commanded Moses concerning the statues on it: “AND YOU SHALL MAKE TWO CHERUBIM OF GOLD; OF HAMMERED WORK SHALL YOU MAKE THEM, ON THE TWO ENDS OF THE MERCY SEAT. MAKE ONE CHERUB ON THE ONE END, AND ONE CHERUB ON THE OTHER END; OF ONE PIECE WITH THE MERCY SEAT SHALL YOU MAKE THE CHERUBIM ON ITS TWO ENDS.” (Ex. 25:18–19).

In Numbers 21:8–9, not only did our Lord order Moses to make another statue in the form of a bronze serpent, he commanded the children of Israel to look to it in order to be healed. The context of the passage is one where Israel had rebelled against God, and a plague of deadly snakes was sent as a just punishment. This statue of a snake had no power of itself—we know from John 3:14 it was merely a type of Christ—but God used this image of a snake as an instrument to effect healing in his people.

Further, in 1 Kings 6, Solomon built a temple for the glory of God, described as follows: “In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. . . . He put the IMAGE of the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. . . . He carved all the walls of the house roundabout with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees, and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms. . . . For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood. . . . He covered the two doors of olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he overlaid them with gold (1 Kgs. 6:23, 27, 29, 31, 32). King Solomon ordered the construction of multiple images of things both “in heaven above” (angels) and “in the earth beneath” (palm trees and open flowers). And then, after the completion of the temple, GOD DECLARED HE WAS PLEASED WITH ITS CONSTRUCTION (1 KGS. 9:3).

Now for those who criticize the catholic Church; didn’t God know what King Solomon had done? It becomes apparent, given the above evidence, that a strictly literal interpretation of Exodus 20:2–5 is erroneous. Otherwise, we would have to conclude that God prohibits something in Exodus 20 and he commands the same thing elsewhere.

Why would God use these images of serpents, angels, palm trees, and open flowers? Why didn’t he heal the people directly rather than use a “graven image”? Why didn’t he command Moses and Solomon to build an ark and a temple void of any images at all?

I hope the fact is becoming clear now…

ANOTHER OBJECTION BY PROTESTANTS

Many Protestants will claim that, while Catholics may say they do not adore statues, their actions prove otherwise… Catholics kiss statues, bow down before them, and pray in front of them. According to the protestants, that represents the adoration that is due God alone.

OUR RESPONSE:

The problem was not with the bowing; it was with the adoration. Bowing does not necessarily entail adoration. For example, Jacob bowed to the ground on his knees seven times to his elder brother Esau (Gen. 33:3), Bathsheba bowed to her husband David (1 Kgs. 1:16), and Solomon bowed to his mother Bathsheba (1 Kgs. 2:19). In fact, in Revelation 3:9, John records the words of Jesus: “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you.” This simply indicates that there are different categories of “bow” or “worship” as clearly seen in the examples above. We have the LATRIA which is the adoration due to God alone; this is clearly different from the relational worship or we give to ourselves to indicate respect. This is very clear with the Yoruba culture of Nigeria, where a child prostrates or lies down to greet an elder. This does not mean that he is rendering the elder a Latria worship or guilty of idolatry, however, it is just a relational worship which indicates respect. HENCE, WE MUST KNOW THAT THE IDEA OF “WORSHIP” IS VERY BROAD AND ITS USAGE MUST FLOW WITH THE PROPER SENTIMENT WHICH INDICATES WHAT IT REALLY MEANS.

My humble recommendation remains that the Catholic Church does not believe any statue or image has any power in and of itself. The beauty of statues and icons move us to the contemplation of the Word of God as he is himself or as he works in his saints. And, according to the Scripture, as well as the testimony of the centuries, God even uses them at times to impart blessings (e.g., healings) according to his providential plan.

CONCLUSION

I suppose the message we should send to those outside of the Catholic Church who don’t get why we bow down before, kiss, put flowers in front of, etc. statues and icons, is that we Catholics take very seriously the biblical injunctions to praise and honor great members of God’s family.

Besides, it is however, surprising that the critics of the Catholic Church take photographs, hang it at home and often times kiss them. Hence, following the command not to make any image at all, 99% of them equally guilty of idolatry, if we are to take that portion of the Scripture so literarily.

For us, having statues or images is just as natural as—you guessed it—having your pictures or those of your loves ones, especially those that have departed from us. Most times we keep these images or pictures of our relations in our wallets or at homes or even in our electronic devices, which remind us of the ones we love here on earth.

Hence, our use of images in the Church which reminds us of the heavenly beings is a far cry from idolatry.

By Chinaka Mbaeri

Chinaka Mbaeri’s Reflections

Ang pagsamba sa mga diyus-diyosan

Si CRISTO ay DIYOS! Iyan ang Sinasampalatayanan ng mga Tunay na Kaanib ng Tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo!

Si Cristo ay DIYOS. Isang bagay na mahirap pasinungalingan ng mga kaanib ng samahan ni Felix Manalo. Bagama't sila ay naniniwalang TAO LAMANG si Cristo, sa mga tunay na sumasampalataya sa TUNAY na Iglesia ni Cristo, si Cristo ay TOTOONG TAO at TOTOONG DIYOS. Ang sabi ng Banal na Biblia, ang pagiging TAO ni Cristo ay sapagkat Siya ay NAGKATAWANG-TAO -- ulitin ko po --nagKATAWANG-TAO -- o NAGING TAO sa pamamagitan ng paglukob ng Banal na Espiritu kay Inang Santa Maria - DIYOS na NAGKATAWANG-TAO! Hindi "TAO LAMANG" na naging Tao!

Ipinagtatanggol ng mga Tunay na Kaanib ang Tunay na Iglesiang Tatag ni Cristo, ang Panginoong Diyos na Tagapagligtas!

Priest relieved over trafficking allegations of 13-year-old girl

MANILA— A Catholic priest has been relieved of his duties pending a police investigation into human trafficking allegations involving a minor girl.

Monsignor Arnel Lagarejos was relieved from his Taytay parish after he was caught in a police entrapment operation with a 13-year-old girl he allegedly met through a pimp on social media.

Antipolo Bishop Francis De Leon also stripped the priest all his other positions in the diocese including his being the president of Cainta Catholic College.

Citing a local police report, the diocese said the entrapment was conducted supposedly to apprehend minors involved in prostitution.

Initial investigation revealed a that 16-year-old gay pimp mediated between Lagarejos and the girl.

The priest was caught when he arrived at the at the Blue Wave Mall in Marikina City on Friday evening, where the entrapment was conducted.

The involved minors are now under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The 55-year old priest, on the other hand, has been subjected to inquest proceedings and facing possible criminal violations.

In an official statement, the diocese assured it “respects the necessary procedures as provided by law in order to further investigate this matter.”

The diocese also called on the public to “refrain from issuing unnecessary comments that might worsen the situation” and instead appeal “for all the faithful to pray that the truth may come out.” CBCPNews

Official statement of the Diocese of Antipolo regarding the case of Msgr. Arnel Lagarejos.

21 na Benepisyo ng Pag-Aantanda ng Banal na Krus

Mula sa: Catholic Digestt

Larawan mula sa: THOUGHT

The Sign of the Cross is a simple gesture yet a profound expression of faith for both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. As Catholics, it’s something we do when we enter a church, after we receive Communion, before meals, and every time we pray. But what exactly are we doing when we make the Sign of the Cross? Here are 21 things:

1. Pray

We begin and end our prayers with the Sign of the Cross, perhaps not realising that the sign is itself a prayer. If prayer, at its core, is “an uprising of the mind to God,” as St. John Damascene put it, then the Sign of the Cross assuredly qualifies. “No empty gesture, the sign of the cross is a potent prayer that engages the Holy Spirit as the divine advocate and agent of our successful Christian living,” writes Bert Ghezzi.

2. Open ourselves to grace

As a sacramental, the Sign of the Cross prepares us for receiving God’s blessing and disposes us to cooperate with His grace, according to Ghezzi.

3. Sanctify the day

As an act repeated throughout the key moments of each day, the Sign of the Cross sanctifies our day. “At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign,” wrote Tertullian.

4. Commit the whole self to Christ

In moving our hands from our foreheads to our hearts and then both shoulders, we are asking God’s blessing for our mind, our passions and desires, our very bodies. In other words, the Sign of the Cross commits us, body and soul, mind and heart, to Christ. (I’m paraphrasing this Russian Orthodox writer.) “Let it take in your whole being—body, soul, mind, will, thoughts, feelings, your doing and not-doing—and by signing it with the cross strengthen and consecrate the whole in the strength of Christ, in the name of the triune God,” said twentieth century theologian Romano Guardini.

5. Recall the Incarnation

Our movement is downward, from our foreheads to our chest “because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth,” Pope Innocent III wrote in his instructions on making the Sign of the Cross. Holding two fingers together—either the thumb with the ring finger or with index finger—also represents the two natures of Christ.

6. Remember the Passion of Our Lord

Fundamentally, in tracing out the outlines of a cross on ourselves, we are remembering Christ’s crucifixion. This remembrance is deepened if we keep our right hand open, using all five fingers to make the sign—corresponding to the Five Wounds of Christ.

7. Affirm the Trinity

In invoking the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are affirming our belief in a triune God. This is also reinforced by using three fingers to make the sign, according to Pope Innocent III.

8. Focus our prayer on God

One of the temptations in prayer is to address it to God as we conceive of Him—the man upstairs, our buddy, a sort of cosmic genie, etc. When this happens, our prayer becomes more about us than an encounter with the living God. The Sign of the Cross immediately focuses us on the true God, according to Ghezzi: “When we invoke the Trinity, we fix our attention on the God who made us, not on the God we have made. We fling our images aside and address our prayers to God as he has revealed himself to be: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

9. Affirm the procession of Son and Spirit

In first lifting our hand to our forehead we recall that the Father is the first person the Trinity. In lowering our hand we “express that the Son proceeds from the Father.” And, in ending with the Holy Spirit, we signify that the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, according to Francis de Sales.

10. Confess our faith

In affirming our belief in the Incarnation, the crucifixion, and the Trinity, we are making a sort of mini-confession of faith in words and gestures, proclaiming the core truths of the creed.

11. Invoke the power of God’s name

In Scripture, God’s name carries power. In Philippians 2:10, St. Paul tells us that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” And, in John 14:13-14, Jesus Himself said, “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

12. Crucify ourselves with Christ

Whoever wishes to follow Christ “must deny himself” and “take up his cross” as Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16:24. “I have been crucified with Christ,” St. Paul writes in Galatians 2:19. “Proclaiming the sign of the cross proclaims our yes to this condition of discipleship,” Ghezzi writes.

13. Ask for support in our suffering

In crossing our shoulders we ask God “to support us—to shoulder us—in our suffering,” Ghezzi writes.

14. Reaffirm our baptism

In using the same words with which we were baptized, the Sign of the Cross is a “summing up and re-acceptance of our baptism,” according to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

15. Reverse the curse

The Sign of the Cross recalls the forgiveness of sins and the reversal of the Fall by passing “from the left side of the curse to the right of blessing,” according to de Sales. The movement from left to right also signifies our future passage from present misery to future glory just as Christ “crossed over from death to life and from Hades to Paradise,” Pope Innocent II wrote.

16. Remake ourselves in Christ’s image

In Colossians 3, St. Paul uses the image of clothing to describe how our sinful natures are transformed in Christ. We are to take off the old self and put on the self “which is being renewed … in the image of its creator,” Paul tells us. The Church Fathers saw a connection between this verse and the stripping of Christ on the cross, “teaching that stripping off our old nature in baptism and putting on a new one was a participation in Christ’s stripping at his crucifixion,” Ghezzi writes. He concludes that we can view the Sign of the Cross as “our way of participating in Christ’s stripping at the Crucifixion and his being clothed in glory at his resurrection.” Thus, in making the Sign of the Cross, we are radically identifying ourselves with the entirety of the crucifixion event—not just those parts of it we can accept or that are palatable to our sensibilities.

17. Mark ourselves for Christ

In ancient Greek, the word for sign was sphragis, which was also a mark of ownership, according to Ghezzi. “For example, a shepherd marked his sheep as his property with a brand that he called a sphragis,” Ghezzi writes. In making the Sign of the Cross, we mark ourselves as belong to Christ, our true shepherd.

18. Soldier on for Christ

The sphragis was also the term for a general’s name that would be tattooed on his soldiers, according to Ghezzi. This too is an apt metaphor for the Christian life: while we can be compared to sheep in the sense of following Christ as our shepherd we are not called to be sheepish. We instead are called to be soldiers of Christ. As St. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6, “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. … take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

19. Ward off the devil

The Sign of the Cross is one of the very weapons we use in that battle with the devil. As one medieval preacher named Aelfric declared, “A man may wave about wonderfully with his hands without creating any blessing unless he make the sign of the cross. But, if he do, the fiend will soon be frightened on account of the victorious token.” In another statement, attributed to St. John Chrysostom, demons are said to “fly away” at the Sign of the Cross “dreading it as a staff that they are beaten with.” (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia.)

20. Seal ourselves in the Spirit

In the New Testament, the word sphragis, mentioned above, is also sometimes translated as seal, as in 2 Corinthians 1:22, where St. Paul writes that, “the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.” In making the Sign of the Cross, we are once again sealing ourselves in the Spirit, invoking His powerful intervention in our lives.

21. Witness to others

As a gesture often made in public, the Sign of the Cross is a simple way to witness our faith to others. “Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still,” wrote St. Cyril of Jerusalem.

[we extend our sincere thanks to Catholic Exchange for letting us re-publish this excellent content by Stephen Beale]

The Catholic Church and Iglesia ni Cristo: Major differences - Rappler

While both claim to be of divine origin, the former traces its authority to St Peter and the succession of popes, while the latter, from the late Felix Manalo, its founder

Aries Rufo for Rappler
Published 11:00 AM, July 23, 2014
Updated 2:15 PM, July 23, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – About 2,000 years separate the Roman Catholic Church and the homegrown Iglesia ni Cristo. While both claim to be of divine origin, the former traces its authority to St Peter and the succession of popes, while the latter, from the late Felix Manalo, its founder.

A wide gap of doctrinal differences also separates the two faiths, and in the Philippines, leaders of the Catholic Church and the INC do not see eye to eye – even politically.

Sometimes, they even find themselves on opposite sides of the political fence, obtaining mixed results in the process.

How different is the Catholic Church from the INC, and vice-versa?

In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the INC, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo prepared a primer to act as a catechesis guide for Filipino Catholics. Quevedo, a Canon law expert and a Church scholar, stressed that differences in religious belief should not hinder unity and harmony.

“The respect we give to the religious belief of others should motivate us to get to understand those deep beliefs, as this is demanded by the requirements of sincere dialogue. Differences in what we believe do not make us distant from those who hold those beliefs…among ideas contradictions are inevitable, but not among persons,” Quevedo said in the foreword.

Rappler summarizes the main points in the primer.

1) The divinity and humanity of Christ. To the Catholic Church, Jesus Christ “is the Son of God” and the “Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.” He is the central figure in the apostolic teaching. For the INC however, Christ “remains man in His state of being. Christ is never the true God. He is a true man.” That Christ “was subjected to the experiences and circumstances of human life” is proof that Christ was never God.

2) Central teaching about God. To the Catholic Church, the Trinitarian Faith guides its belief in the oneness of God. That there are 3 Persons in God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that “equally possess the fullness of the one and indivisible human nature. This mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity forms the central mystery of the Christian faith and life.”

To the INC, however, “there is only one God. He alone is God (Ps. 86:10).” Another Bible verse says “For I am God and there is no other.” As such, “the INC interprets these as proofs against the Trinity of Persons in one God."

3) Sources of divine revelation. For the Catholic Church, there are two: Apostolic tradition and the Holy Bible. Apostolic tradition “is the transmission of the message of Christ brought about from the very beginnings of Christianity by means of preaching, bearing witness, institution, worship and inspired writings.” It occurs in two ways: through living transmission of the Word of God and through Sacred Scripture.

To the INC, however, only the Bible is the source of divine revelation. “They believe that the words of God are written in the Bible; that when the Bible speaks, God himself speaks. So when the Bible is silent, the INC is silent too, for it recognizes no other basis and authority in serving God except the Bible.”

4) What’s in a name? The Roman Catholic Church began to be called as such in the 4th century. St Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch and a disciple of St John, is credited for it when he said, “Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church.” The word "Catholic" is from the Greek word katholikos, which means universal.

The INC, using the *Lamsa version of the Bible, took its cue from various verses in the Holy Book, where the Church that Christ built is called the Church of Christ, or Iglesia ni Cristo in Filipino. To them, the INC is the only true Church.

(*George Lamsa authored "The Holy Bible from ancient Eastern Manuscripts." He based his translation on Aramaic, not Greek. The Lamsa version is also accepted by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Christadelphians. Apart from the Lamsa version, the INC also adheres to James Moffat’s version of the Bible. It is the Moffat version that INC founder Felix Manalo “used as source of the identity of God’s last messenger. “From the Far East will I bring your offspring.”)

5) Path to salvation. The INC adheres to the exclusivist doctrine that outside of it, there is no salvation. “To be reconciled and to be saved, one must become a member. Unless he becomes a part of the Church of Christ or the Body of Christ, he is not embraced by the redemptive death of Christ.”

In comparison, the Catholic Church teaches that eternal salvation is also granted to “those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it, through the dictates of their conscience (from the encyclical Lumen Gentium).”

6) Apostate Church. The INC accuses the Catholic Church of “unfaithfulness” or apostasy. Citing the prophesy of Apostle Paul, the early Church strayed away from the teachings of Christ. They cite the words of St Paul, who said that after his death, “men will arise who will speak perverse things to draw away the disciples of Christ after them (Acts 20:30)." The INC also cites St Peter, who said that false prophets will preach heresies “denying the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, by rejecting him as Head of the Church…and by rejecting His name.”

The INC believes the descriptions squarely fit the Catholic Church. “The Catholic Church denied the Lord Christ’s headship by putting Peter and the Popes in His stead. It rejected His name, Christ, by sporting such an unscriptural name as Roman Catholic Church.”

The Catholic Church however, counters that it “has been faithful at all times to the Revelation” amid erroneous teachings and persecutions. The martyrdom of early Christians in the first 3 centuries is proof of the fidelity of the Catholic Church to Christ’s teachings.

In the first place, if the Catholic Church committed apostasy, “why does the INC use the Holy Bible that was ratified by the same Church in the 4th century?”

7) Heretical Church. For the Catholic Church, the teachings of the INC “are a mere repetition of the ‘heresies’ of the early centuries of Christianity, in particular, Monarchianism (from the Greek word, monarch, which means principle/source) of the 2nd century.” Monarchianism taught that God “is only God the Father, thus it denied the Trinity, the eternity of the Logos (The Word, the Second Person), and reduced the Holy Spirit to a mere force of God, the Father.”

8) Prophecy. The INC believes that founder Manalo was the Last Messenger of God as prophesied in the Bible. Isaiah 46:11 said: Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed and I will do it.”

The INC considers Manalo “as the bird of prey because the sons and daughters of God from the Far East are being hindered by the north and the south (the north representing Protestantism and the south, Catholicism) and the messenger of God has to bring them out of these 2 religions (Is. 43:6)

Manalo also supposedly fulfilled the prophecy in Revelation 7:2-3: “Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God.” – Rappler.com

July 27 2017 - ang Ika-103 Taon ng Panlilinlang

ANG KASAYSAYAN NG SAMAHANG IGLESIA NI CRISTO® NA TATAG NI G. FELIX Y. MANALO

Ayon sa opisyal na website ng INC™:

The Iglesia ni Cristo was first preached by the late Brother Felix. Y. Manalo in the Philippine capital city of Manila. Its first local congregation was established in Punta, Sta. Ana. On July 27, 1914, the Church was registered with the Philippine government. In 1915, Brother Felix Manalo, as the first Executive Minister of the Church, started training ministers to assist him in the propagation of the gospel. By 1918, ministers and volunteer preachers were being sent to provinces around Manila. In its tenth year, the first ecclesiastical district was organized in Pampanga province.

Ayon sa Wikipedia:

Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog pronunciation: [ɪˈgleʃɐ ni ˈkɾisto], abbreviated as INC or Iglesia; English: Church of Christ) is an international Christian church that originated in the Philippines and has been accused of being a cult[3]. It was registered in 1914 by Felix Y. Manalo, who became its first Executive Minister.

Felix Manalo was the FOUNDER of the Iglesia Ni Cristo®

Iglesia Ni Cristo
Seal
Classification	Restorationism
Theology	Unitarianism
Governance	Hierarchical/monarchical
Executive Minister	Eduardo V. Manalo
Headquarters	No. 1 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City, Philippines
Founder	Felix Y. Manalo (as the registrant for the Philippine Government)
Origin	July 27, 1914 Punta, Santa Ana, Manila, Philippines
Members	No official disclosure of number of members
Hospitals	New Era General Hospital
Aid organization	Felix Y. Manalo Foundation UNLAD International
Tertiary institutions	New Era University Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) School for Ministers
Other name(s)	INC, Iglesia
Official website	iglesianicristo.net incmedia.org

Ayon sa mga NEWS MEDIA FELIX MANALO FOUNDED the Iglesia Ni Cristo®:

Felix Manalo tells the story of the founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo. The trailer, which was shown on Sunday, August 16, shows Manalo's life from his days as a young boy to the establishment of the INC, which numbers more than a million followers. -Rappler

The INC just recently celebrated its 100 years of existence in 2014. I see this as a testament to the stability of its fundamental tenets among their believers. When this biographical film about INC founder Felix Manalo was announced, I really wanted to watch it to learn more about this homegrown religion. -ABS-CBN News

If you’ve seen the trailer of Felix Manalo, and if you hadn’t seen the founder of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a Christian sect in this country... -The Manila Standard

[image] Artist Dante D. Hipolito with his painting "Centennial" poses for a picture at the Perpetual Village in Bacoor, Cavite on Sunday, July 27, 2014. The 18" x 24" oil on canvas painting portrays founder Felix Manalo's image and the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church in Tondo, Manila, and the Templo Central in Tandang Sora in Quezon City. -GMA News

The Philippine Postal Corporation recently issued a special commemorative stamp in honor of Bro. Eduardo’s father, Bro. Eraño G. Manalo, or Ka Erdy, who was mainly responsible, after inheriting the seat from his father and founder, Bro. Felix Manalo, for the phenomenal expansion and influence of the Iglesia ni Cristo here and all over the world wherever there are Filipino workers, devotees and immigrants … Today, the Council of Elders of the Iglesia ni Cristo will meet to decide on crucial matters of national interest of which one of them is the coming May, 2010 elections … The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) was founded by Bro. Felix Manalo in 1914 …" -Manila Bulletin

[image] Angel Manalo, the grandson of Iglesia ni Cristo founder Felix Manalo. -CNN Philippines


Felix Manalo, who founded the INC in 1914, was the grandfather of Angel and Eduardo. Their father, Eraño, took over the church’s top post until his death in 2009. -YahooNews

The powerful and influential Iglesia ni Cristo was founded by Felix Manalo on July 27, 1914. -Philippine Daily Inquirer

Mahalin at Ipagtanggol ang Nag-iisa at Tunay na Iglesia

Misyoneryo ng Tunay na Iglesia, Sinuong kahit banta ng kanilang buhay Alang-alang kay Cristo at ng Santa Iglesia

Mga Taga-pagtanggol ng Pananampalatayang Kristianismo!

10 Very Interesting Facts About the Catholic Church You Probably Didn't Know

Source: Catholic Online

1. Vatican City has the highest crime rate in the world! With a population around 500 people and a little over one crime per day, the Vatican crime rate is above 100 percent, per capita. Although the fact is shocking it should be remembered that the Vatican is about one square mile in size, and has nearly 20 million visitors annually. Most of the crimes are pickpockets, purse snatching and other petty offenses done by outsiders.

2. The ONLY Christian church in existence for the first 1,000 years of Christian history was the Roman Catholic Church. All other Christian churches which exist today can trace their linage back to the Roman Catholic Church. Most non-Catholic churches which exist today are less than a century or two old by comparison.

3. The Catholic Church consists of more than just the Roman Catholic Church. There are 22 Eastern Rites that are in full communion with Rome and although they go by different names, they are every bit as much a part of the Catholic Church.

4. Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, was Catholic and the first book ever printed was the Catholic Bible.

5. The Catholic Church is entirely responsible for the composition of the Bible, which books are included, as well as the breakup of the chapters and verses. Protestants have removed some books of the Bible because some of the verses were inconsistent with their theology. Martin Luther was a prime offender in this regard, removing Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach and Baruch. He also made an effort to remove James and Revelations, but this was rejected by his followers and those two books were kept. Catholics are often accused of "adding" the books, but despite this common belief, it is false. Older, pre-Protestant, Catholic translations of the Bible include them.

6. How many saints are recognized by the Catholic Church? There does not seem to be an official number, but it exceeds 10,000. Of course, any person who enters heaven is a saint, by definition, so it is certain the number of actual saints in existence is much greater than the number recognized by the Church.

7. Any Catholic may perform an emergency baptism, such as if a person is in grave danger of death. In such a case, the validity of the baptism only depends upon the wishes of the person being baptized, that they desire the baptism. There are specific guidelines for such practices that Catholics should follow. Anyone wishing to be prepared for such a case should refer to the catechism for a deeper understanding of this allowance. Generally, such practices ought to be left to trained clergy.

8. About 15 percent of all hospitals in the United States are Catholic hospitals. In some parts of the world, the Catholic Church provides the only healthcare, education and social services available to people.

9. The Catholic Church spends more money than Apple brings in. Expenditures by the Catholic Church, largely on charity, exceeded $170 billion in 2012, according to The Economist magazine. In that same year, Apple took in $157 billion in revenue.

10. The Pope is protected by the Swiss Papal Guard. Wearing uniforms designed by Michelangelo and commonly armed with halberds, they are capable of using heavier weapons if needed. Each member is Catholic, male, and Swiss, and must complete military training in Switzerland. They must demonstrate good conduct and be at least five-foot-eight in height. Those who are chosen are granted a private audience with the pope along with their families. In extreme circumstances, they are expected to guard the Holy Father with their lives. The Swiss Papal Guard is the oldest active military unit in continual existence since 1506.

Fast FACTS on the Iglesia Ni Cristo® - 1914

Source: ABS-CBN

Ipagtanggol ang Santa Iglesia Katolika!

Remembering the Martyrs of Compiegne, Kaya ba ng inyong Ministro at Pastor ang mamatay para kay Cristo at sa Santa Iglesia?

CATHOLICS ARE ONE WITH EVM

Wala nga bang 'Originality' ang mga LOGO na gawa ng mga INC™?

Sa panulat ni G. Ebangelista, ang mga ginagamit daw na mga logo ng mga 'MANDIRIGMA' ng INC™ ay 'HIRAM' o kinuha lamang ng walang pahintulot sa may-akda mula sa internet at inaring parang orihinal na gawa raw nila ayon sa paratang ni G. Antonio Ebangelista. At ayon pa sa kanya sa bawat gumagamit o kumokopya raw ng mga kinopya ng nga kakampi ni G. Eduardo V. Manalo ay  pinagdadamutan sapagkat ito raw ay "protected" ng "copyright"nila.  

Narito ang mga halimbawang logo na kinopya nga raw ng mga INC™ mula sa internet ayon kay G. Ebangelista.

IKARANGAL ANG PAGIGING KAANIB SA TUNAY NA IGLESIA~

Mga Batang Iraqi Tumanggap ng Katawan at Dugo ni Cristo sa Eukaristiya sa Unang Pagkakataon (First Communion)

Ang Video ay galing po sa خورنة كاتدرائية مار ايث ألاها

Bakit may Krus at Krusipiho sa mga Simbahan ng mga Kaanib sa Tunay na Iglesia?

Bakit kaya walang KRUS sa mga KUMAKALABAN sa TUNAY na IGLESIA ni Cristo?

Mula sa Catholic365

It is sometimes asked why it is that we in our churches, on our walls, or on necklaces have the body of Christ on the Cross. St. Paul addresses this in the first letter to the Corinthians.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

Through Jesus’ voluntary humiliation on the cross-his crucifixion the power of God is revealed. It is through the crucifixion that the Son has conquered evil. Christ crucified is thus "the power of God and the wisdom of God”. (CCC 272).

Additionally, through the crucifixion we remind ourselves of the suffering that Jesus endured for us on the cross, for our salvation. We remember that Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to endure this horrific suffering for us-for you! For me! It was his suffering and death (along with his resurrection) which redeemed humanity. It was Jesus dying on the cross that saved us, not merely the cross itself.

The crucifix reminds us that at times we too will endure suffering and when we do to we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. (Matt.16:24-27). It reminds us that we contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting ourselves to the Passion and death of Christ, as we share our afflictions with his as his body, the church (CCC 1499).

I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.(Colossians 1:24).

We should also consider what St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians.

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!

As we read this we note that this letter was written decades after the actual crucifixion of Jesus. This suggests that Jesus Christ “exhibited as crucified” must have been an image, of the body of Jesus on the cross-a crucifix.

Ipinako ba si Jesus sa Krus o sa Isang Tulos?

Isa sa mga isyung ibinabato ng mga Saksi ni Jehovah sa mga kaanib sa TUNAY na Iglesia ni Cristo - ang Iglesia Katolika - ay patungkol sa uri ng pagkamatay ni Jesus.

Kung siya ba ay IPINAKO SA KRUS o siya ay PINAHIRAPAN sa isang TULOS lamang?

Ating sangguniin ang sinasabi ng isang magaling na apologetics o tagapangtanggol ng Santa Iglesia na si Bro. Duane sa kanyang FB Page na Questions and Answers - Christian Apologetics:

Dear Bro. Nelson C. Vidal Jr.,

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Lord Jesus was crucified on a torture stake and not the cross.

If we read there is no problem with the verse.

“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.”(Acts 5:30)

Let us look at the twisted points of those who want to alter the verses in the Bible.

HANG – The question is, was crucified on the cross not hanged? Did they see anybody crucified on the cross whose feet are still stepping on the ground?

TREE - The question is: Was the Cross made for Jesus made of plastic? It is understandable that the cross used to crucify Jesus was made of wood?

The Jehovah's Witnesses should study a bit of logic before they try to twist the verses in the Bible.

Also, here is a portion of the P75 manuscript (3rd century manuscript of the Gospels on papyrus).

We can read the Greek words bastazei ton stauron which I encircled.

The staurogram merges the Greek letters tau-rho representing parts of the Greek words for “cross” (stauros) and “crucify” (stauroō) in Bodmer papyrus P75. Staurograms are the earliest images of Jesus on the cross. They predate other Christian crucifixion images by 200 years

This is what we can see clearly. This proves the views of Jehovah’s Witnesses are wrong

Sincerely in Christ,

Bro. Duane Cartujano

[Dito po nababasa ang orihinal na katugunan ni Bro. Duane.] 

Ang mga MAKASANLIBUTAN ay bumili na naman ng mga ari-arian sa lupa

"Just over a century after the INC was founded in 1914" - this statement suggests the obvious. The real Church of Jesus Christ was founded in the First Centuries not in the 20th Century, and that is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ [read here].

INC buys another US town

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 17, 2017 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - The expansion of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) continues in the United States with the acquisition of a second town: the long-abandoned Johnsonville in Connecticut, reportedly for $1.85 million.

Glicerio Santos Jr., general auditor of the INC, announced over the weekend that their church acquired Johnsonville as part of its aggressive expansion in the US.

Reports said the seller of Johnsonville was the Meyer Jabara Hotels, which bought the property for $2.5 million in 2001. Reports also said the sale of the property was quick; emissaries first visited Johnsonville only in late June.

The INC earlier acquired Scenic Town in South Dakota.

Santos said the INC, after establishing numerous chapels in many states across the US, is “breathing new life into old, abandoned US towns.”

Santos also bared that the INC would be working to “restore, rehabilitate, and reinvigorate the town of Johnsonville, Connecticut” after acquiring the almost 200 year-old town, which was abandoned for 20 years.

“We already have three congregations in Connecticut and we believe that restoring Johnsonville to its former glory is just part and parcel of our responsibility as positive contributors in the state,” he added.

Johnsonville is a 62-acre property with a church, meeting house, general store, pond and covered bridge.

Santos described the town as “picture perfect,” but the INC would be doing its best to restore Johnsonville to the way it looked when it was established in the mid-1800s.

“Johnsonville looks like it was frozen in time. It’s a beautiful, picturesque property, so all our efforts will be focused on restoration. We will also establish our first eco-farming here in the US to create jobs and livelihood in this town,” he added.

Just over a century after the INC was founded in 1914, the homegrown church has gone global under the leadership of executive minister Eduardo Manalo... CONTINUE READING

"JEHOVAH" ba ang PANGALAN ng DIYOS?

Sinulat ni Bro. Duane Cartujano

Jehovah’s Witnesses state that God’s true name is “Jehovah.”

This is a big deception!

“Jehovah” is based on the form in the MT: the consonants of YHWH and the vowels of Adonai (AdOnAi) reduced A-vowel (“e”), long O, and long A).

“Jehovah” is not a name or a Hebrew word. It is a conflation of YHWH and Adonai.

It is the (uneducated) combination of “the consonants of YHVH with the vowels of AdOnAi.”

That is, the word is YHWH, something like Yahweh. Out of respect, the sacred name became unpronounceable, so they substituted Adonai in the vocalization to alert readers to say Adonai when the text was read out loud.

According to Jewish Tradition, there is a restriction in reading YHWH.

That is why Adonai (אדֹנִי) was used instead of YHWH.

Adonai is used by the Jews every time they want to read the name of God.

There is a dominant tradition among Jews about tetragrammaton יהוה and this should be read as Adonai.

“Jehovah” is not a word; it is an erroneous mix of two different words by people who know Elementary Hebrew but not much else and see that combination in the Masoretic Text and presume that the form with those consonants and those vowels is the correct name but is simply is not.

Jehovah is incorrect; it is a mixture of qere (aDONAI) & kethiv (YHWH): the consonants of YHVH with the vowels of AdOnAi (which the MT does, it vocalizes the four consonants as if “adonai” to keep one from pronouncing the name). YeHoVaH (the “a” in adonai is a shewah).

According to a respected and famous Jewish scholar, Professor Lawrence Schiffman (leading scholar of ancient Judaism):

“Jehovah has no possibility of truth Y-H-W-H is more accurate as it assumes no vowels.”|

What can the Jewish Encyclopedia say about this?

The Jewish Encyclopedia said clearly that the word Jehovah is “mispronunciation”.

According to a popular dictionary.

JEHOVAH – An incorrect transliteration of Yahweh. (Page 522, The New Websters Dictionary of the English Language)

Debate ng Tunay na Iglesia (Katolika) laban sa Pekeng Iglesia (Manalo)

THE MURDER CASE OF EX-INC FELIX VILLOCINO! By Sher Lock

Sher Lock

BREAKING NEWS!!!

BLINDFOLDED so our dear brother would not be able to identify those familiar and famous faces he was presented to, blindfolded so he would only hear his interrogators, blindfolded so he would not see his torturers who are familiar to him as Bro. Felix has seen them tailing him for quiet some time. He was interrogated on the messages of supporters on his celphone which resulted in a mass expulsion of silent defenders in Australia.

The killers of Ka Felix are the same killers of GOOD SAMARITANS Danilo Patungan, Lito Fruto and Peter Ledesma. All men whose common ‘crime’ is simply delivering food to the family of KA ERDY.

WE ALL KNOW WHO THE MASTERMINDS ARE.

Sila lang yan, wala ng iba.

More photos to be uploaded. ABANGAN! [READ MORE HERE...]

Mga Manlilinlang: Nililito niyo lamang ang mga tao

Mula sa Google Maps

Hindi ba't ang Ingles ng 'Iglesia Ni Cristo' ay Church of Christ at ang Tagalog ng 'Church of Christ' ay Iglesia ni Cristo? 

Mga manlilinlang! Mainam pang lagyan ng bato sa leeg at itapon sa dagat kaysa makatisod pa ng mga taong may maliliit na pananampalataya (Mt. 18:6).

Hindus Converted for Christ

Nepalese Dalits abandon Hindu faith en masse. They believe in Jesus who will save them
Christopher Sharma

Photo Source: Church Militant

In Surkhet district tens of thousands humiliated for caste reasons ask to be baptized. The decision was taken during a secret meeting with 200 representatives. Hindu prohibition makes their lives impossible. The fact is symptomatic of a more general phenomenon. In Nepal there is a law against discrimination, but police do not intervene and complaints are never taken into account.

NEPAL Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - The Dalits have decided to organize a secret meeting to pray for Jesus to save them. Conversions and renunciations of the Hindu faith are occurring in the Surkhet district of western Nepal. The Dalits are marginalized because of their caste belonging. And they are tired of suffering serious discrimination and threats.

Sanu Nepali, 21, was beaten by some senior caste members on Wednesday, July 5. They accused him of bathing in public drinking water, polluting it physically and above all "spiritually." He ended up in the hospital.

Two months ago, a nine-year-old Dalit boy, Bhim Bahadur, was brutally beaten with perhaps only because he dared to enter the kitchen of a family of a higher caste of his, in the village of Barahatal, in the same district.

It is estimated that about 50,000 Dalits in Surkhet District, who were victims of serious discrimination, have decided to leave the Hindu faith and embrace the message of Christianity. The decision was taken in the meeting with a large number of representatives.

Lal Babu BK, one of the participants said, "We were more than 200. We have come together to convert to Christianity to save ourselves. We have all practiced Hindu faith for generations since it was mandatory, but today the country is secularized and Hindu faith can not save us. Those who torment and who humiliate us are Hindus like us. By being named untouchables we are judged from the bottom down. We can not even touch lower caste people, can not enter their homes, we can not touch public drinking water and can not have access to public places. So what is this belief? Are we certain in this faith? We concluded 'no' and decided to convert to Christianity. " "We are in danger everywhere," he added, "and we are discriminated at any time, so we ask for the grace of Jesus because we have seen that there is no discrimination in Christianity. We believe that Jesus can protect us." "The decision is made even if we have not yet contacted the Christian priest who can baptize us," concluded Lal Babu BK, "we will do it and we hope the priest will welcome us."

Sudip Pathak, a human rights activist, commented: "People are free to take all necessary protection measures when they are threatened and the state can not protect them."

Binod Pahadi, a Dalit and former parliamentary activist, said: "It is not only the question of the district of Surkhet, but it is symptomatic of the situation in the whole country. There is a law against discrimination and for equality, but in practice there is a strong oppression of low caste people. "

Jayasara, mother of Bhim Bahadur BK, said: "We made this decision from the moment we had no alternatives to save us."

A few months ago, a similar case had occurred in the capital of Kathmandu. Kamala Nepali, a Dalit woman was violently beaten for having touched the water taps in Chandeshwori in Tokha Municipality in Kathmandu. Shanta KC, the woman who beat her has never been punished.

There are legal provisions against such discrimination, but when victims present their complaints, they are not heard.

Police Officer Bhattarai, involved in this case said, "Victims can not produce evidence and we can not punish anyone in the absence of evidence."

However, there are thousands of people who are victims of such aberrations in Nepal.