The Daily Guardian: Why INC members don’t celebrate Christmas

By: Ma. Beatriz Monteverde
The Daily Guardian

(The author is a Grade 12 student-intern of the Iloilo National High School)

IT is irony, some may say, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), a church that preaches to be of Christ does not celebrate His birthday every December 25. After all, the birth of Christ the Savior was a day which brought great joy to all people.

The INC is often accused of refusing to remember and glorify Christ, but its members do remember Christ, glorify God, and wish peace- but in accordance with the biblical mandate.

Thus, it is known to everyone that Christmas is considered as special holiday for Roman Catholics, but for the INC members, it is just another normal day.

[Christmas is NOT about the "DATE" (December 25), but rather it IS the CELEBRATION of CHRIST'S BIRTH, nothing more, nothing less.  Thus Christians (of all denomination) and non-Christians UNDERSTOOD it very well that CHRISTMAS is not about the "date" (December 25) but it's about the birth of the SON OF GOD MADE FLESH.  This is why most Islamic jurisprudence DO NOT directly celebrate Christmas as it "goes against the tenets" of their belief ~ that GOD BECAME MAN. 

In the following summary of a YouTube video it says, "It’s no coincidence that this holiday period happens around Christmas, as traditionally it was a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus."

No sane person would think that Christmas is a celebration OF the date (December 25) but rather it is a "coincidence" that the Church of Christ marked HIS BIRTHDAY on December 25. If we celebrate LIFE by celebrating our birthday, what's stopping Christians to celebrate the BIRTH OF THE SON OF GOD MADE FLESH (John 1:1-4,14; Phil. 2:2-11)]

According to an article published at God’s Message, the official magazine of INC, there is nothing wrong with birthday celebrations, but INC stands firm that there is no biblical verse that says Christ demands for His birthday to be celebrated.

The apostles also made no mention of Christmas celebration but taught how Christ wanted to be remembered.

[True to His Word, God did not command us everything. His commandment is simple: LOVE. It's all about love. If celebrating one's birthday is all about love, then there is nothing wrong with that.  Birthday celebration no matter how simple or extravagant it may be celebrated always boils down to one thing: OUR LOVE OF LIFE. God has given us LIFE and out of this we are able to LOVE because we live.  Do you think, God in his immense wisdom would enumerate to us every detail of what should we do? If God would have done that then even we combine all national libraries in the world, the Bible couldn't fit. 

Our God is NOT DUMB as these false preachers of Manalo's Church would imply. Logic would lead us to the TRUTH. How could the evangelists record the EXACT DATE of Christ's birth when HIS BIRTH precedes the GREGORIAN CALENDAR which was only introduced by POPE GREGORY XIII in October 4, 1582. This 2019, the Gregorian Calendar is just 436 years old while His birth has been remembered for more than 2,000 years. Take note, the Gregorian Calendar is the "most widely used civil calendar in the world" according to Wikipedia and it is so convenient for the INC™ to use it as their tool in measuring date including their birthdays and even their founding anniversary.

Let me throw the same question back to these false preachers: If it was not in the Bible, and the Apostles DID NOT teach Christians to remember Christ's birth then (a) Why are they celebrating Felix Manalo's birthday every May 10th of each year, Eraño Manalo every January 2 each year and Eduardo V. Manalo every October 31 every year? (b) Why are they celebrating every July 27th of their founding anniversary if God or the holy apostles DID NOT command them to celebrate?

I am sure, their answer would be the same as OUR ANSWER. Birthday celebrations are all celebrated out of LOVE which is the very heart of the Gospel.]

Jesus Christ commanded to remember Him in his death, not on His birthday, it stated.

[If this would be our very basis on how to know which among the many churches claiming to be Christ's "true" Church including the Iglesia Ni Cristo®  (INC™) they would fall short.  In their own liturgy, INC™ celebrates Christ's death (Santa Cena) ONLY ONCE A YEAR which coincidentally celebrated on December 25 (see Rappler).  Their December 25 too was not even in the Bible.  Was December 25 randomly chosen as their "Santa Cena (Huling Hapunan)" celebration or sinasamantala lamang nila ang malaki at kilalang okasyon sapagkat ito ay araw na may pagdiriwang na ang sankakristianuhan? Who would buy their shallow reasoning while Catholics and non-Catholics (including non-Christians) are celebrating CHRISTMAS as Christ's birthday, they'd celebrate Christ's death instead!

True to Christ's commandment the CATHOLIC CHURCH faithfully remembers His Passion and Death EVERYDAY in EVERY PARISH around the world "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes" (I Corinthians 11:26). And the TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST ~ which is the CATHOLIC CHURCH (according to history and the Pasugo 1966, p. 6; July-August 1988 p. 6, March-April 1992, p. 22) will CELEBRATE HIS DEATH as He commanded UNTIL HE COMES AGAIN.]

Moreover, the article said that “there is no reliable historical that exists pinpointing the exact date or month of Christ’s birthday.”

[That was because there was no calendar yet when He was born but that does not stop us from appointing a fitting date to celebrate THE OCCASION OF HIS BIRTH.]

It claimed that the focus of Christmas had shifted from Christ to Sta. Claus and from “so-called spirituality to materialism.”

[The Iglesia Ni Cristo® shouldn't fault the Catholic Church if some people are replacing Christ's birth celebration to Santa Claus or it turned to be focused more on materialism.  The truth remains that CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT THE BIRTH OF THE SON OF GOD MADE FLESH, not Santa Claus or the snow or Reindeers or Yuletide.]

December 25 isn’t specified as the exact birth of Christ but is originally called ‘Birthday of the Sun’ and the great pagan religous celebration of the Mithras cult celebrated all through the Roman Empire, an article published at Iglesia Ni Cristo blogspot said.

[The Iglesia Ni Cristo® hates the Catholic Church and they accuse her as a PAGAN CHURCH. There is nothing good in the Catholic Church as the Iglesia Ni Cristo® looks at it in any angle even they benefited a lot from the Catholic Church. Evidently, they attack the Catholic Church in radio, TV or in print. Wala nang bago sa kanila. Instead we pray for our persecutors and bless those who hate the TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST which is the Catholic Church.]

Members of the INC continue to abide with the teachings of the Holy Bible.

[Every member of the INC™-1914 should know that WITHOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH there is no Bible. And they should always remember that THE CHURCH CAME FIRST BEFORE THE LIST OF THE BOOKS IN OUR PRESENT BIBLE WAS FINALLY FORMULATED IN 382 A.D.]

Eureka Rodriguez, 13, stands firm with her faith.

“Sa age ko, makita ko ang iban nga sadya sa Christmas Party nila. Pero sa bata pa nga edad, natudluan na kami sang insakto nga duktrina. Wala man ko mahisa kay may paagi man kami magpasalamat kag mag-glorify through Year End Thanksgiving namon. Amo na ang ginaka-excitedan namon kung December,” she said.

INC™ Was Founded By Felix Manalo Says Manila Times

"Manalo is the eldest son of the late INC executive minister Eraño Manalo. His grandfather, Felix Manalo, founded the influential religious group in 1914."  -Manila Times December 18, 2018

Associated Press (AP) & Fox News: Iraq officially declares Christmas Day a national holiday

Sa mga kaanib ng Iglesiang tatag ni Ginoong Felix Y. Manalo noong 1914, ang ipinagdiriwang ay hindi petsa kundi ang OKASYON kung saan GINUGUNITA ng mga tunay na Kristiano na MAY BATANG IPINANGANAK sa atin at TATAWAGIN siyang 'EMMANUEL' SUMASAATIN ANG DIYOS! (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23)

Iraqis attend Christmas Mass at Mar Youssif Chaldean Church, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2018. Although the number of Christians has dropped in Iraq, Christmas, a national holiday, is very popular in the capital. (AP Photo/Ali Abdul Hassan)

(Fox News) Iraq's Cabinet formally declared Christmas to be a national holiday as the country's Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus amid tight security more than a year after Baghdad declared victory over ISIS who sought to eradicate all who did not follow the group's strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

"We extend our warmest wishes to Christians in Iraq and around the world for a very happy and peaceful Christmas," the government said in a Tuesday morning tweet.

We extend our warmest wishes to Christians in Iraq and around the world for a very happy and peaceful Christmas. pic.twitter.com/eqOR2JJ0LS

— Government of Iraq - الحكومة العراقية (@IraqiGovt) December 25, 2018

According to Reuters, Iraq's Christian population dropped from 1.5 million to approximately 400,000 after the American invasion in 2003 and that number has likely fallen further after ISIS swept across the north of the country in 2014. Iraq declared victory over ISIS last year, but the effects of the fighting are still visible.

In Baghdad, more than one hundred congregants attended Christmas mass at St. George Chaldean Church, led by Father Basilius.

"Of course we can say the security situation is better than in previous years," he told Reuters. "We enjoy security and stability mainly in Baghdad. In addition, Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ISIS] was beaten."

In an acknowledgment of the improved security situation, Pope Francis has dispatched his trusted secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Iraq to celebrate the Christmas season.

Parolin met Monday in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and celebrated a Christmas Vigil Mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Baghdad's Karrada district, which has a significant Christian community. He is scheduled in the coming days to travel to northern Iraq to meet with Kurdish leaders in Irbil and to celebrate Mass in Qaraqosh in the Nineveh plains, near Mosul, according to the Vatican.

Christian communities have existed in Iraq since the first century and the Vatican has urged Christians who have fled persecution in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere in the Middle East to return to their homes when security conditions permit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How Judas Iscariot, Arius and Felix Manalo died?

Judas Iscariot

"He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out." (Acts 1:18)

Arius

"Soon after a faintness came over him, and together with the evacuations his bowels protruded, followed by a copious hemorrhage, and the descent of the smaller intestines: moreover portions of his spleen and liver were brought off in the effusion of blood, so that he almost immediately died." -Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II, Volume 2

Felix Y. Manalo

"As a result of his sacrifices, Felix Manalo again felt his health deteriorating rapidly. His ulcer relentlessly seized him with severe pain that medicines procured from drug stores could not assuage. Consequently, he decided to seek treatment in the United States.

After bidding goodbye to his brethren, he enplaned on August 17, 1955 for the United States, accompanied by his son Eraño and nursing aide Librada Enriquez. Legions saw him off at the airport, among them President Ramon Magsaysay. In the United States, they stayed in a hotel not far from the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he would seek treatment. There he continued to receive reports from Manila. President Ramon Magsaysay phoned his concern and best wishes. Then Manalo changed his mind and decided to proceed to New York instead, and entered the Presbyterian Medical Center on September 2, 1955. The doctors who examined him advised surgery of the stomach after curing his diabetes. On September 9, he was successfully operated on for ulcers.

A month later he returned to manila and was once again welcomed by a huge throng led by President Magsaysay. Without having fully rested, Manalo, then 69, resumed the killing pace of his work attending and addressing rallies.

It was only after many years later, in February 1963, that Manalo fell gravely ill. He was rushed to St. Lukes hospital in Quezon City where doctors decided to remove immediately “an intestinal obstruction”. Manalo rejected the surgery, saying, “Doctors can cure only those who are not yet to die, not those whose time has come.” By March 21, 1963, his incapacitation was total and he was transferred to Veterans Memorial Hospital. Doctors operated on him but failed to give him relief from pain.

On April 2, the doctors worked on Manalo again to sew back part of his intestines which had burst and hemorrhaged. On April 11, they performed a third surgery on him. It proved to be the last.

The following day, April 12, 1963, at 2:35 oclock in the morning, the brilliant, tireless and courageous Filipino religious leader who had brought the Iglesia ni Cristo to great heights of glory and prominence, breathed his last. He was 77 years old. It was his 49th year as chief steward of the Church.” -Isabelo T. Crisostomo, Pasugo May-June 1986

Di raw Nagdiriwang ng 'Christmas' ang mga INC™

WALA RAW PASKO pero tumatanggap ng CHRISTMAS BONUS at CHRISTMAS GIFT sa EXCHANGE GIFTS at nakikinabang sa CHRISTMAS VACATION! Ang daming INC™ ang sumasali pa sa Christmas Parties hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi kahit sa ibang bansa! #Ipokrito

Korap nga Ba ang Iglesia Katolika?

CHRISTMAS URBI ET ORBI BLESSINGS FROM VATICAN CITY

SOLEMN MASS AT THE VATICAN FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST THE SON OF GOD MADE FLESH

Merry Christmas to all members of Christ's True Church - The Catholic Church!

Maligayang Pasko ng Pagsilang ng Diyos na Nagkatawang-Taong Mananakop!

We extend our warmest wishes to Christians in Iraq and around the world for a very happy and peaceful Christmas. pic.twitter.com/eqOR2JJ0LS

— Government of Iraq - الحكومة العراقية (@IraqiGovt) December 25, 2018

نتقدم بأحر التهاني واطيب التمنيات للمسيحيين في العراق وحول العالم بمناسبة عيد الميلاد المجيد. pic.twitter.com/DUTWkB01d5

— Government of Iraq - الحكومة العراقية (@IraqiGovt) December 25, 2018

'Thinking Members' daw ng INC™ Susuway sa Bloc Voting ng Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914

Photo Source: PDI

INC ‘thinking’ members to defy group’s practice of bloc voting

By: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:04 AM December 14, 2015

SAYING they are “willing to break from tradition,” members of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) who call themselves the INC Thinking Voters have decided to defy the long-held bloc voting practice inside their church and vote in the 2016 national elections for the candidate who they feel “will stand for what is right.”

No longer observing “blind obedience to corrupt INC officials,” the INC Thinking Voters vowed to “speak loudly and clearly” during the elections.

They also exposed the INC’s hand in the government bureaucracy while accusing previous presidents and administrations of “creating a monster.”

In a strongly worded letter to all presidential candidates dated Dec. 11, the INC Thinking Voters said it represented the majority of INC members “who are rebelling inside because we could no longer close our eyes to what is happening in our church.”

INC is known for voting as a bloc that politicians eagerly woo during elections. But the INC Thinking Voters will no longer be silent and passive, the letter said. In other countries, such as the United States, INC members are not compelled to vote as a bloc, according to the group.

The group said it was looking for “a strong-willed President” whose platform would prioritize the eradication, among others, of three evils: bribery and corruption in government, endorsements by special interest groups of political appointees and the “padrino” culture.

‘Root of all evil’

Over the years, the INC Thinking Voters said, its church “has been allowed to grow in size and influence, but as proven by recent events, it now wields more power than the State. At the root of all EVIL is the precious BLOC VOTES (emphasis supplied). The monster is not INC per se but the people who now run our church. The INC doctrines remain pure; it is how they are used and abused by the current INC leadership that has destroyed what was once pristine.”

INC was founded in Manila in 1914, or 101 years ago by Felix Manalo. It is said to have 2 million members worldwide. The present executive minister, Eduardo Manalo, is Felix’s grandson.

Recently, INC was mired in controversy when Eduardo’s mother (wife of the late Eraño Manalo, who had served as INC’s second executive minister after Felix), brother and sister, along with several ministers, were expelled from INC for allegedly airing grievances and issuing pleas for help because of alleged danger to their lives.

May Pagdiriwang pala ng "PASKO" ang INC™ - 1914 (Pasugo Dec. 1956, p. 10)

Ang Pasko Natin…

Tula ni Kapatid na EMILIANO I. AGUSTIN

Pasugo Dec. 1956, p 10

Sumilang si Hesus sa abang sabsaban

Tinubos tayo sa dilim ng buhay…

Tayo’y nagkasala at mga naligaw

Nawalan ng Diyos at kapayapaan…!

Si Hesus ang ating Maligayang Pasko

Ang Kapayapaang dapat na matamo…

Liwanag ng buhay sa patay na mundo

Biyaya ng Diyos sa handog na Cristo…!

Tanggapin ni Cristo ng buong pag-ibig

Tanging Aginaldo ng Diyos sa Langit…

Sa salang marumi’y mabisang panlinis

At magiging dapat sa dugong natigis…!

Sumunod kay Hesus ang mga naligaw

Maamong pasakop sa Kanyang paanan…

Tumatawag Siya’t lagging naghihintay

May laang PATAWAD sa magbagumbuhay…

Iwan na ang sama at magbalikloob

At buong pagsuyong lumapit kay Hesus…

Kung hindi sa Kanya na Dakilang Handog

Walang kaligtasan sa Hatol ng Diyos… !

Oh ! ang PASKO natin, puno ng pagsuyo

Ang Dakilang Cristong sa sala’y umako…

Sa Paskong marilag tanggapin sa puso

Ang Kapayapaang mahigit sa ginto… !

Ang Kapayapaan o tunay na Pasko

Tatanggapin nating Iglesia Ni Cristo…

Iglesya;y Katawan at Siya ang Ulo

Sa sumpa ng utos tinubos na tayo…!

Maghari sa puso ang KAPAYAPAAN

At sa MANUNUBOS huwag hihiwalay…

Sa Kanyang Iglesya’y manatiling saklaw

May buhay at langit pagdating ng Araw…!

The Solemnity of Mary's Immaculate Conception Explained

On December 8, 1854 Pope Pius IX defined the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception as dogma that Mary of Nazareth was conceived without original sin. By this dogma, the Catholic Church confesses: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” (CCC #491-492, 508)

A brief overview of the history and significance of the feast of the Immaculate Conception which is celebrated during Advent on Dec. 8th throughout the whole Church. The video is not-for-profit, and is intended for religious teaching, scholarship, and research purposes only (Fair Use Doctrine: Title 17, para. 107).

Addendum: "Theotokos" literally means God bearer.

INC Exposed by CBS News (Canada) ~ How The Fifth Estate dealt with intimidation | The Investigators with Diana Swain

"INC run by one family..." -CBS News

ABS-CBN INFOGRAPHIC: Fast facts on Iglesia Ni Cristo®

Source: ABS-CBN

Iglesia Ni Cristo® ~ "My Church" ayon kay G. Felix Manalo

Madalas na ipinagmamalaki ng mga kaanib ng samahan ni Felix Manalo sa larangan ng palitan ng kuru-kuro sa social media, maging sa kanilang mga programa sa telebisyon o radiyo, maging sa kanilang limbag na Pasugo, na ang "Iglesia Ni Cristo®" o INC™ raw ay hango sa pag-aangkin mismo ni Cristo sa Mateo 16:18 ng "AKING" iglesia o "MY" church. Kaya't nararapat lamang daw itong tawaging "Iglesia Ni Cristo®" tulad ng paliwanag ng isang INC™ sa ibaba:

JESUS CHRIST said so (Mt. 16:18)

"And so I say to you, you are Peter [not Felix Manalo], and upon this rock  I [not Felix Manalo] will build my [not Manalo] church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it."[Christ's original Church will not be re-established!!! Hell shall NOT prevail! It's CHRIST'S CHURCH!]

Wala tayong dapat na pagtatalo-talo rito sapagkat sa kasaysayan ng ating kaligtasan, may IISANG IGLESIANG kilala sa buong mundo bilang TATAG ni Cristo.

Ang pagpapakilala ni Cristo ng "AKING IGLESIA" sa Mateo 16:18 ay hindi po nangangailangan ng PAGPAPAREHISTRO sa anumang gobyerno noon o hanggang sa kasalukuyan sapagkat WALANG IBANG IGLESIANG KILALA na itinatag si CRISTO kundi ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA  (Gk: καθολική Εκκλησία) noon hanggang ngayon.

Ayon sa Wikipedia, ang Iglesia Katolika ay ang PINAKAMATANDA sa kasaysayan...

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2016. As the world's "oldest continuously functioning international institution", it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. The church is headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope. Its central administration, the Holy See, is in the Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy.

Ayon naman sa BRITANNICA ENCYCLOPEDIA, ang Iglesia Katolika raw ay katumbas ng pagkakakilala sa buong ka-Kristianuhan sa buong kasaysayan nito:

At one level, of course, the interpretation of Roman Catholicism is closely related to the interpretation of Christianity as such. By its own reading of history, Roman Catholicism originated with the very beginnings of Christianity.

Paano tayo nakakasigurado na ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA nga ay siya pa ring TUNAY NA IGLESIANG tatag ni Cristo at magpahanggang ngayon sa kasalukuyan ay HINDI ito NATALIKOD tulad ng BINTANG ng mga Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints) at ng mga kaanib sa Iglesia Ni Cristo® - 1914?

Sa pamamagitan ng mga turo nitong HINDI nagbabago sa libong taon na itinuro ng mga Apostol sa pangunguna ni Apostol SAN PEDRO na siyang UNANG PAPA ng Iglesia. Sa nakaraang mahigit-kumulang na 2,018 taon ng Kristianismo, si PAPA FRANCISCO ay ang ika-266 Papa ng Iglesia Katolika ~ ang tunay na Iglesiang tatag ni Cristo!

Source: Britannica Encyclopedia

"MY CHURCH": ANG PAG-AANGKIN NI FELIX MANALO SA IGLESIA NI CRISTO®

Wala na tayong pagtatalo-talo pa sapagkat ayon sa PAMANTAYAN ng mga kaanib sa INC™ na kapag SINABI ni Cristo na "AKING IGLESIA" o "MY CHURCH" para mapatunayang may Iglesia si Cristo mula pa noong una (at hindi ito matatalikod kailanman ayon sa Kanyang ipinangako "hindi mananaig ang impierno (Mt. 16:17)" ito rin ang gagamitin nating PAMANTAYAN sa Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914.

Sa lathala ng The Free Press noong  Pebrero 1950, INANGKIN ni G. Felix Manalo ang INC™ o IGLESIA NI CRISTO® bilang "MY CHURCH" o "AKING IGLESIA". 

Samakatuwid, ang Iglesia Ni Cristo® ayon sa REHISTRO nito ay nilagdaan ni G. Felix Manalo bilang TAGAPAGTATAG gamit ang pangalang "Cristo" ngunit sa katunayan ay IGLESIA NI MANALO.

FELIX MANALO said:

Add caption

"Why, who is Quirino? He is a man just the same as I am. I am not afraid of him. Show fear to no man--that is the best way to defend your rights. Member of MY CHURCH were beaten up..." [Confirmation came right from the mouse of the horse! It's MANALO's CHURCH!]

PASUGO November 1940, p. 23:

“There is only one who could build a Church worthy for God.  Who is He-- Only Jesus Christ.  No man-- whether wise or fool, whether small or great-- has the right to build a Church." [FYM is a man, fool, made himself great has no right!]

PASUGO August-September 1964, p. 5, "Ang Katotohanan Tungkol sa INK-1914"

“When was the INK recorded or registered in the Philippines?  It was in July 27, 1914.  Truly the registration says Brother F. Manalo founded the INK."

PASUGO May 1968, p. 7:

“The true Church of Christ is only one.  This is the Church that Christ built.  If there are established (founded) churches today that claim to be the Church of Christ too, these are not real but fakes only." 

READ MORE: MY CHURCH

Sa pamamagitan ng kanilang lathala ay lalong lumilinaw na ang Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 ay HINDI  kay Cristo kundi sa mga MANALO lamang. Ito ay HINDI NAGMULA sa Diyos kundi nagmula sa mga Protestante! Hindi sila tunay na Kristiano kundi mga kulto! Hindi maka-Diyos kundi makasanlibutan!

Hanggang sa kasalukuyan, ang mga mamamahayag ay NAGPAPAKILALA pa rin sa INC™ bilang TATAG ni G. FELIX MANALO at hindi si Cristo! Sapagkat ito ay isang KATOTOHANANG hindi mapapalitan ninuman sa mga pahina ng kasaysayan ng tao!

GISING! Habang may panahon pa kayong magtika at bumalik sa tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo. Ito ang panawagan natin sa mga nasa ka-Diliman pa hanggang ngayon na lumapit na sa kaliwanagan ng tunay na Iglesia. 

Sa pahanon ng Adbiento (Advent), ihanda natin ang ating mga sarili sa pagdiriwang ng Kanyang kapanganakan upang sa Kanyang kaluwalhatian ay tayo'y dalisay na makikibahagi rito.

MALIGAYANG PAGDIRIWANG NG UNANG LINGGO NG ADBIENTO!

Silent No More: Iglesia Ni Cristo Intimidates CBC Investigative Journalists

Source: Iglesia Ni Cristo – Silent No More by Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista

Just a short sampler of the BIG ONE airing on Sunday is this short but already in-depth feature of Fifth Estate Investigative Team with Diana Swain. See how The Investigators clearly documented the harassment they experienced in the hands of people who profess to be Christians but showed hate-filled behaviors to intimidate with the intent to harm others.

This is the same church that shows love and compassion towards its fellow men through their highly publicized turned controversial Aides To Humanity and other so-called Community Services where they display overwhelming generosity towards strangers while they hail their Executive Leader who is exemplary in denying love and compassion to his own mother and family! This is the same church who proudly bears the name of Christ in the hopes that the public will not see through the motives behind their blatant propaganda. What is becoming clearer and clearer is that they propagate their faith as people who want their fellowmen to achieve salvation, but their actions deny the basic principles of being Christ’s disciples.

Such a barrage of lies will be exposed and more and more secrets of the current leaders of this institution shall be revealed in the whole story, Church of Secrets…

A. E.

While investigating Iglesia ni Cristo, a Filipino church with dozens of congregations in Canada, a Fifth Estate crew felt intimidation that went beyond the usual. Diana talks to host Bob McKeown and producer Timothy Sawa about how they dealt with it. Watch ‘The Investigators with Diana Swain’ Thursdays at 7:00 pm on CBC Television; Saturdays at 9:30 pm ET and Sundays at 5:30 pm ET on CBC News Network.

Shalom World TV (Promotional Video)

INC church members accused of kidnapping, murder in Philippines - The Fifth Estate

Could it be the reason why this Catholic priest Fr. Richmond Nilo was also murdered by unknown assailants?

PDI (2015): Iglesia nonsense

Philippine Daily Inquirer /  August 31, 2015

Photo source: PDI

THE OFFICIAL reasons given by Iglesia ni Cristo officials and spokespersons for the protest actions that began on Thursday—first at the Department of Justice in Manila, then at the Edsa Shrine in Quezon City, and then since Saturday at the intersection of Edsa and Shaw in Mandaluyong—do not make sense. They do not stand logical or legal scrutiny. Instead, they betray the surge of panic that has overtaken some of the leaders of the influential church.

To begin, not at the beginning, but at the end: The protest organizers misunderstand the longstanding doctrine of the separation of church and state, which is the main reason they have offered to justify their collective mass action. That doctrine does not mean that offenses committed internally—that is, inside the church or within the congregation—cannot be investigated by the state; if a crime is involved, or alleged, then by definition that kind of violation is an offense against “the people,” and the state is duty-bound to investigate the matter. If evidence exists of the crime, the state must prosecute the guilty to the fullest extent, to meet the ends of justice.

The separation doctrine the officials of the Iglesia ni Cristo are invoking do not grant them, or indeed any leader or member of any church, an exemption from that fundamental principle: No one is above the law.

Last week, the family of a former highly placed minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo filed a case for serious illegal detention against eight members of the church’s governing council. Isaias Samson Jr., the former chief editor of the official Iglesia publication, and his wife and son sued the officials—allegedly for detaining them for nine days in July in their own home, holding them incommunicado, confiscating their passports and subjecting them to repeated interrogation. (In the blog of the whistle-blower using the pseudonym Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista, the eight are identified as Glicerio Santos Jr., Radel Cortez, Bienvenido Santiago Sr., Mathusalem Pareja, Rolando Esguerra, Eraño Codera, Rodelio Cabrerra and Maximo Bularan.) The nightmare happened because Samson was suspected of being the whistle-blower Ebangelista, and it ended only when the family escaped.

Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914: "Simbahan ng mga Lihim" ayon sa CBSNews

SIMBAHAN NG MGA LIHIM

May libo-libong taga-sunod ang Iglesia ni Cristo sa Canada, ngunit ilang de-boto sa Pilipinas ay naakusahan ng kidnapping at pag-patay. Ito ay istorya ng isang Canadian na may naka-engkwentrong miyembro ng nasabing simbahan at namatay.

By Timothy Sawa, Lynette Fortune and Bob McKeown
CBSNews November 11, 2018

• Read this story in English

Halos 8 ng gabi at tahimik na tahimik sa isang karaniwang maalinsangang gabi malapit sa komunidad ng baybayin ng Batangas City sa Pilipinas.

Hanggang nasira ang katahimikan ng huni at kalantog ng isang lumalapit na motorsiklo.

Ito ay Hunyo nitong nakalipas na tag-init at si Luzie Gammon ay nasa kusina ng bahay ng kanyang napanaginipang itinayo niya kasama ang kanyang asawa na si Barry Gammon, nang ang huni ay napalitan ng nakakatuhog at hindi mapag-aalinlangang tunog ng baril na pumuputok na paulit-ulit.

Tumakbo siya sa harap na balkonahe nang nakita ang kanyang asawa, 66, nagpupunyaging isara ang kanilang gate sa isang nanghihimasok.

"Patuloy kaming nagtutulak at patuloy siya bumabaril," sabi niya sa isang kamakailang interbyu sa The Fifth Estate.

Si Barry at Luzie Gammon ay may bahay sa Batangas City, Philippines. (Luzie Gammon)

At pagkatapos "bumagsak ang aking asawa." Tumigil si Gammon habang sinikap niyang pagsasaalaala ang mga detalye. At pagkatapos siya ay nagpatuloy.

“Ang kanyang mukha, ang kanyang dugo ay nasa sahig at … siya’y dumudugo. Sa oras na iyon ito ay parang, ito ay hindi totoo, ano ang nangyayari? Ako ay kumikilos at gumagawa nguni’t hindi ito nagrerehistro sa aking isip. Totoo ba ito?”

Biglang bumalik siya sa katotohanan nang natanto niya na ang kanilang pitong taong gulang na anak, si JJ, ay nakatayo sa likod niya, lubos na walang galaw.

"Dinaklot ko ang aking anak at itinulak siya ... sa loob ng bahay," patuloy niya.

"Dito ka lang at kukuha ako ng tulong, '" naalala ang kaniyang sinabi kay JJ. "Nguni’t hindi niya gusto ... ito ay talagang ... nakakasakit ng damdamin. Sinabi niya sa akin, 'Kailangan natin tulungan ang tatay.' "

Sinabi niya sa kanya na maghintay.

"'Hindi, Mommy. Sasama ako sa iyo," sabi niya. "Tayong lahat ay magkasabay na mamatay."

Si Luzie at Barry Gammon at kanilang anak na si JJ sa kanilang bahay sa Pilipinas. (Luzie Gammon)

Namatay si Barry Gammon noong Hunyo 24 ng gabi sa Pilipinas. Nakaligtas si Luzie at JJ. Limang linggo matapos ang nakakasawing pagbaril, umalis sila ng Pilipinas papuntang Canada.

Habang siya ay lumuluhang sariwaing sa alaala ang mga pangyayari noong gabing iyon sa The Fifth Estate, lumapit si JJ at inilagay ang kanyang ulo sa kanyang dibdib. Sila ay nagyakapan.

“Siya ay talagang malakas, talagang malakas para sa akin,” ang sabi niya.

Sila ay ligtas sa Vancouver ngayon. Subali't, ang ipinakita ng isang pagsisiyasat ng Fifth Estate, ang kanilang mga buhay ay tuluyang nasira malamang dahil sa isang bagay na walang kabuluhan gaya ng isang alitan ng ari-arian sa kanilang mga kapitbahay. Nguni't noong panahong iyon, wala silang ideya kung gaano agresibo at mapanganib ang mga kapitbahay na iyon.

Ang kanilang mga kapitbahay ay mga miyembro ng isang malakas at mayamang simbahan, na may milyun-milyong tagasunod sa buong mundo, kabilang ang Canada, na kinikilala na Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Ang sentral na templo ng INC ay namumukod laban sa kalangitan ng Metro Manila. (Max and Hetty)

II.

Ang punong-tanggapan ng INC, na kinikilala, ay nasa isang maringal parang kastilyo na templo sa Metro Manila. Ang matayog na luntiang taluktok nito ay tumatagos sa kalangitan sa pinaka-populasyong lunsod ng Pilipinas.

Ang Tagalog para sa Church of Christ, ang Iglesia Ni Cristo, ay mahigit sa 100 taong gulang. Ito ay mayroong halos 7,000 mga kongregasyon sa buong mundo, kabilang ang higit sa 80 sa Canada, mula sa maliliit na bayan tulad ng Durham, Ont., at Abbotsford, B.C., sa pinakakaunting isa sa halos bawa't pangunahing sentro ng Canada.

Libu-libong mga Canadiano ang dumadalo sa mga simbahang iyon, sumasamba at nakikibahagi sa mga kawanggawang kapakanan.

Noong 2009, si Eduardo Manalo, ang apo ng tagapagtatag ng INC at tinutukoy bilang ehekutibong ministro, ay naging tagapamahala ng INC.

Ang imbestigasyon ng Fifth Estate ay nagpapakita ng pagbabago ng simbahan sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Manalo.

Nirepaso namin ang daan-daang pahina ng mga dokumento ng korte, mga ulat ng pulisya at mga artikulo ng media at nakipag-usap sa mga dose-dosenang dating mga miyembro ng simbahan pati na rin ang mga pinagkukunan ng pulisya, legal at pampinansyal na mga eksperto at mga lokal na journalist. Ang imbestigasyon ay nagpapakita ng isang tularan, na ang mga miyembro ng simbahan sa Pilipinas ay nagiging mas agresibo, mapanganib, nasusuhulan at handang magkidnap at kahit patayin ang sinuman na nakahadlang sa kanilang paraan.

Isinasaalang-alang din ng imbestigasyon ang tanong: Kilala ba ng mga Canadiano na dumadalo o sumusuporta sa INC ang kanilang simbahan at kung ano ang maaaring mangyari kapag pinili ng mga tao na magsalita?

Ang mga miyembro ng INC sa Regina ay pinawalang-saysay ang pintas sa simbahan noong 2016, sa isang video na nakapaskil sa online ng simbahan.

"Tuwing nagsasalita ang mga tao ng mga masamang bagay o sumubok na magsalita ng masama tungkol sa aming pangangasiwa ng simbahan ... ito ay tiyak na ang gawain ng kaaway," sabi ng isang miyembro.

"Mula sa umpisa, ang Diyos ay nagpalakas sa aking pananampalataya," ang sabi ng isa pa. "Kaya hindi ko na lang pinahihintulutang makinig sa mga taong iyon [na pumipintas sa simbahan]."

Si Eduardo Manalo, na nasa sentro na ipinapakita rito noong 2014, ay naging pinuno ng INC limang taon nang nakararaan. (Mark Fredesjed R. Cristino/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Sa isang liham mula sa mga abugado na kumikilos para sa simbahan, pinagkaila nito ang mga natuklasan ng imbestigasyon ng The Fifth Estate at tumangging magbigay ng tiyak na impormasyon, sinasabing nangangailangan ito ng higit pang mga detalye.

Gayunpaman, kamakailan ang INC ay nakatawag-pansin sa Immigration and Refugee Board ng Canada.

Tatlong dating miyembro ng simbahan na tumakas sa Pilipinas sa Canada, ay nagsasabi na ang kanilang buhay ay nasa panganib mula sa simbahan.

Sa tatlong hiwalay na desisyon sa 2017 at 2018, tinanggap ng lupon ang testimonyo ng lahat ng tatlong dating miyembro at binigyan sila ng katayuan ng refugee (takas).

Ayon sa isang desisyon, ang buhay ng naghahabol ay nasa panganib mula sa isang simbahan na may parehong "paraan at pagganyak" upang pumatay.

Sa isa pang desisyon, ang lupon ay nagpasiya na ang pulisya sa Pilipinas ay handang protektahan ang INC, nagpapahiwatig pa man ng iba't ibang mga paraan na maaaring patayin ang mga kritiko ng simbahan.

"May iba't ibang mga senaryo kung saan maaaring mapatay ang [naghahabol]," isinulat ng lupon sa isang desisyon noong Marso ng nakaraang taon, "mula sa mga itinanghal na sagupaan ng pulis sa pagkamatay sa billanguan sa kontrata pagpatay sa isang bansa kung saan ang mga nagpapatay ay marami at mura."

Ang mga desisyon ay patuloy na nagsasabi na ang mga utos ng simbahan ay may kapangyarihan sa Pilipinas, sa bahaging dahil ang mga miyembro nito ay bumoto bilang isang bloke, na nagbibigay ng impluwensya kung sino ang ihalal.

Ang pinuno nito, si Manalo, na hinirang kamakailan ng isang espesyal na sugo para sa mga pag-aalala sa ibang bansa ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas na si Rodrigo Duterte at makikita sa mga ulat ng balita na nakikipagkamay sa pangulo.

Ang INC ay isang simbahan na "tulad ng kulto", isinulat ng Immigration and Refugee Board ng Canada, na binabanggit ang isang ikatlong naghahabol na nagsabi na ang INC ay “hindi maaaring mahawakan ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas, hudikatura ng tagapagpatupad ng batas o maging ang pangulo mismo.”

Tumakas si Lowell Menorca sa Canada mahigit nang dalawang taong nakalipas mula sa Pilipinas. (CBC)

III.

Si Lowell Menorca ay nagaalsa ng mga kahon na nakasalansang mataas na may mga isang araw na lumang mga cake at tinapay mula sa pagkargang pantalan ng isang mamahaling groseri sa kanyang may tapas na puting minivan. Sinara niya ng malakas ang baul ng awto at nagmaneho sa mga okupadong mga kalye ng Burnaby, B.C.

Incorruptible Remains of the Saints

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your devout one see the pit. -Psalms 16:10

Bishop Barron: The Basilica of St. John Lateran

Ambag-Katoliko: Templo Central ng INC™ Disenyo ng Katoliko?

Nothing originally theirs ika nga!

Alam niyo ba na ang Central Temple ng Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 ay disenyo ng isang DEBOTONG KATOLIKO? Siya po ay si Ginoong Carlos Antonio Santos-Viola ~ isang batikang arkitekto!

Ilan sa mga gusaling dinisenyo ni G. Santos-Viola ay ang INC™-1914 temple sa Cubao (Quezon City), Francisco Del Monte (Quezon City), Bago-bantay (Quezon City), templo sa Bautista Makati, Tondo at Punta Sta. Ana (Manila) ayon sa History of Architecture. 

AMBAG-KATOLIKO

Bagama't ang rehistradong Iglesia Ni  Cristo® 1914 ay nasusuklam sa mga Katoliko at sa Iglesia Katolika, MALAKI ang AMBAG ng IGLESIA KATOLIKA at ng mga Katoliko sa kanila.

Halimbawa na lamang ang GREGORIAN CALENDAR na ipinakilala ni PAPA GREGORIO XIII  taong 1582 sa kanyang Papal Bull na Inter Gravissimas.

Ang pagpapakilala ng Iglesia Katolika sa Gregorian Calendar ay hindi nabuo ayon lamang sa kagustuhan ng Santo Papa kundi upang GANAP na MAILUKLOK at MAITAMPOK ang PASKO NG PAGKABUHAY o EASTER SUNDAY at matuldukan sa tamang petsa sa pinakadakilang kapistahang ito. Sa ngayon, isa ang samahan ni G. Felix Manalo sa mga NAKIKINABANG sa AMBAG ng Katoliko sa mundo.

Maging sa pelikulang "Felix Manalo" (kwentong-buhay ng kanilang tagapagtatag),  halos mga Katolikong artista rin ang mga gumanap [Basahin: How Dennis Trillo got the role of Felix Manalo...]. Maging sa kanilang mga anibersaryo, mga Katolikong artista rin ang mga imbitadong nagpasinaya sa kanilang okasyon para  magbigay-aliw sa kanilang mga kaanib.

At maging sa BIBLIA o Salita ng Diyos, wala silang magawa kundi ang gamitin ang SIPI NG SALITA NG DIYOS na ININGATAN ng IGLESIA KATOLIKA mula nang NABUO ang KUMPLETONG CANON nito sa COUNCIL OF ROME (382 A.D.) at sa COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE (419 A.D.)

The Council of Rome was a meeting of Catholic Church officials and theologians which took place in 382 under the authority of Pope Damasus I, the current bishop of Rome. It was one of the fourth century councils that "gave a complete list of the canonical books of both the Old Testament and the New Testament."

Hindi ang Iglesia Protestante ang naglimbag ng listahan ng Biblia kundi ang Iglesia Katolika sa Council of Rome, dito ipinakilala ng TUNAY NA IGLESIA NI CRISTO ~ ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA ang mga Aklat ng Biblia (Lumang Tipan at Bagong Tipan) na karapat-dapat na basahin sa lahat ng Simbahan ng tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo!

It is likewise decreed: Now, indeed, we must treat of the divine Scriptures: what the universal Catholic Church accepts and what she must shun. The list of the Old Testament begins: Genesis,one book; Exodus, one book: Leviticus, one book; Numbers, one book; Deuteronomy, one book; Jesus Nave, one book; of Judges, one book; Ruth, one book; of Kings, four books [First and Second Books of Kings, Third and Fourth Books of Kings]; Paralipomenon, two books; One Hundred and Fifty Psalms, one book; of Solomon, three books: Proverbs, one book; Ecclesiastes, one book; Canticle of Canticles, one book; likewise, Wisdom, one book; Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), one book; Likewise, the list of the Prophets: Isaiah, one book; Jeremias, one book; along with Cinoth, that is, his Lamentations; Ezechiel, one book; Daniel, one book; Osee, one book; Amos, one book; Micheas, one book; Joel, one book; Abdias, one book; Jonas, one book; Nahum, one book; Habacuc, one book; Sophonias, one book; Aggeus, one book; Zacharias, one book; Malachias, one book.  

Likewise, the list of histories: Job, one book; Tobias, one book; Esdras, two books; Esther, one book; Judith, one book; of Maccabees, two books.  

Likewise, the list of the Scriptures of the New and Eternal Testament, which the holy and Catholic Church receives: of the Gospels, one book according to Matthew, one book according to Mark, one book according to Luke, one book according to John. The Epistles of the Apostle Paul, fourteen in number: one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians [First Epistle to the Corinthians and Second Epistle to the Corinthians], one to the Ephesians, two to the Thessalonians [First Epistle to the Thessalonians and Second Epistle to the Thessalonians], one to the Galatians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to Timothy [First Epistle to Timothy and Second Epistle to Timothy], one to Titus, one to Philemon, one to the Hebrews. Likewise, one book of the Apocalypse of John. And the Acts of the Apostles, one book. 

Likewise, the canonical Epistles, seven in number: of the Apostle Peter, two Epistles [First Epistle of Peter and Second Epistle of Peter]; of the Apostle James, one Epistle; of the Apostle John, one Epistle; of the other John, a Presbyter, two Epistles [Second Epistle of John and Third Epistle of John]; of the Apostle Jude the Zealot, one Epistle. Thus concludes the canon of the New Testament. Likewise it is decreed: After the announcement of all of these prophetic and evangelic or as well as apostolic writings which we have listed above as Scriptures, on which, by the grace of God, the Catholic Church is founded, we have considered that it ought to be announced that although all the Catholic Churches spread abroad through the world comprise but one bridal chamber of Christ, nevertheless, the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of other Churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall have bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall have loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Kaya't malaking utang na loob ng buong ka-Kristiyanuhan sa Iglesia Katolika ang kanilang mga Biblia, iyon lamang, ang kanilang mga sipi ay kulang-kulang sapagkat inalis ito ng mga Protestante noong 1549. Ang mga salita ay nalihis na sa tunay na kapakahulugan nito kaya't nagkanya-kanya ang mga Kristiano sa kanilang unawa at nagdulot ito ng kanilang pagkakawatak-watak.

Sa kasaysayan ng ating kaligtasan tanging ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA lamang ang TUNAY na iglesiang TATAG NI CRISTO at wala nang iba.  Lisanin na ang mga pekeng iglesia at mga mapagpanggap na mga mangangaral nito at bumalik sa tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo sapagkat ang kaligtasan ay masusumpungan lamang sa tamang daan na nasa loob ng tunay na iglesia.

A Church in Seattle Which Originated in the Philippines Founded by Felix Manalo was Attacked

The Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 is again in the international headlines after an attacker threw an explosive material believed to be a Molotov in front of their church building in Seattle USA while more than 50 church members were having church activities inside. 

As the news was reported, the said church was correctly and factually described as "ORIGINATED FROM THE PHILIPPINES"

"Iglesias Ni Cristo originated in the Philippines, according to the organization's website. On Friday, some members of the Filipino community in Seattle expressed concern that the church was targeted." -King5.com

And in another news, the INC™-1914 was described as "FOUNDED BY FILIPINO FELIX MANALO."

"During the evening service in the Church Iglesia Ni Cristo was thrown several bottles of flammable liquid. 

"International Christian Church was founded in 1914 by Filipino Felix Manalo." -Sivpost.com

Isaias 43:5, 'Far East' ba ang Orihinal na Nakasulat?

Napakalinaw na sa episode na ito ng mga kaibigan nating mga ministro ng INC na doon sa screen na ipinakita nila kung saan nagbigay ako ng komento na MALI na nilagyan ni Ventilacion ng "Far East" ang word na "Mizrach" sa Aleppo Codex ay tama naman talaga ang pahayag ko.

Noong sabihin ko na mali na nilagyan ng "Far East" ay yung sa screen mismo mula sa Aleppo Codex.

Ngayon, Hebrew ang pinag-uusapan, bakit gagamit ng translation na moffatt [sic] at good news [sic] para patunayan na May "Far" sa Hebrew ng Isaiah 43:5?

Translation ba ang ipinakita ni Ventilacion sa screen? Saan sa hebrew [sic] text ng Isaiah 43:5 ang hebrew [sic] word na "Rachoq"? Natapos lang ang programa nila na puro translation ang ginamit at hindi tinalakay sa hebrew [sic].

Ngayon, hintayin natin kung may ipapakitang hebrew [sic] text ang mga ministro ng INC kung saan naroroon ang hebrew [sic] word na "Rachoq" sa Isaiah 43:5. Ang Hebrew word na Mimizarch ay hindi rin “Far East”. Ang Mi ay tinatawag na "preposition," ibig sabihin ay "from". -Bro. D. Cartujano

Watch INC Video here!