Why a Catholic becomes an ex-Catholic?

There are many reasons why Catholics abandon their faith and become ex-Catholics. Here are some of the things I knew.

When I was just a little boy growing up in a 100% Catholic environment, I was very much familiar with Catholic traditions such as the Holy Mass, going to Confession, feasts, procession, etc. I was a Sacristan then so I was familiar with almost everything.

A lot of stuffs I knew about Catholicism was given by-default. I was born in it and I imitated its practices. Without any effort I became a Catholic.

Just like any (uninformed) Catholic, I knew nothing why I have to hear Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, receive Holy Communion, proclaim the Creed, go to Confession, join the procession, attend Novena prayers, say my Rosary etc. I just wouldn’t bother.

It was a pity seeing Catholics in churches bodily present but spiritually lacking in knowledge about their faith. They were just there filling our pews looking for people, criticize and talk about them, easily irritated when a priest’s sermon doesn’t go along the way they wanted it to be delivered. Some would waste their time gossiping instead of praying before the Mass starts. And NO ONE even dared stopping them from annoying those who wanted to pray in solemnity. Our Churches should be a place for meditation and prayer, not for chatting or fashion show. These kinds of Catholics are the best candidates for becoming ex-Catholics. They are potentially the best anti-Catholics if left un-catechized.

We can learn from the past. The cases of known ex-Catholics in the world such as Martin Luther (who is the Father of Protestants) and Felix Manalo (the founder of an anti-Christ cult in the Philippines) are some of the many cases in point we can extract from history for our wisdom. The fruit of their malice and arrogance scattered the seeds of division, discord and narrow-mindedness against the Catholic Church for the past 500 years and to some 95 years.

Today, members of the church of Felix Manalo are among the fiercest anti-Catholics we have in the Philippines. Using its radio and TV stations, their official magazine called "Pasugo" and "God's Message" , all have one thing in common:  They attack Catholic doctrines and practices to their own selfish advantage. They explain their doctrine by demonizing the Catholic Church which is Christ's true Church according to Pasugo publication April 1966. p. 46.

The lack of knowledgeable and zealous volunteer catechists in our parishes is a reality in the Catholic Church today. Catholic children in public schools depended so much on the availability of seminarians, nuns and parish pastoral catechists on a given hour in a week. The catechists shifting schedules and the availability of Religion Classes schedule in the present educational curriculum in public schools prevented them on catechizing Catholic children. The lack of time, manpower, financial resources makes it even harsher for our dedicated catechists to carry on their mission in spreading the Word of God.

The loss of sense of the holy and divine in our Churches in our liturgy; the lack of modesty in our dressing, our collective unsympathetic coldness to the sensitivities of other Catholics in our churches; our self-righteousness attitude all contributed to the decline of our brethren’s faith.

At home, parents who are supposed to be the best catechists do not seem to be bothered at all. They themselves give little attention to the spiritual formation of their children. Coupled with parents’ appalling role modeling eventually drifts Catholic children away from the Catholic Church and eventually lost their conviction.

On the part of the individual, the lack of motivation and interest makes it impossible for him/her in studying more concerning the Catholic faith. The fact that most nominal Catholics do not normally open their Bibles makes it impossible for God to communicate his Word. Relying only on what they hear in churches on Sundays (if they know it was actually the Bible that was being read) would make them less interested on anything spiritual.

Catholics encountering Protestants

A nominal Catholic encountering a Bible Christian is a shocking experience. His lack of knowledge of the Catholic faith and his total ignorance of the Word of God could easily put him in a defenseless situation. The convincing power of these Protestant preachers, the dishonesty of some preacher slicing Bible verses to suit their purpose; those ministers demonizing our doctrines in explaining their man-made teachings—Two things that may likely happen to a nominal Catholic. Challenge himself or allows himself be drifted away. The latter possible turn of event would make him a staunch anti-Catholic aggressor.

What a Catholic Should Do

Love the Word of God written in the Sacred Scripture. This is OUR book. Our forefathers spent most of their life defending and studying this book. They called up Synods by Synods, Councils by Councils in an unceasing prayer just because of this book. Our Catholic Scholars devoted their life and time writing with their hands copies of this book. They carefully divided book by book with Chapters and verses which no single Protestant Scholar had ever shed a sweat.

Read and meditate on the Holy Scripture. It doesn’t cost you a thing. As a matter of fact, it will make you richer—in faith and knowledge.

Do not interpret the Scripture as if it was your own. When in doubt, ask the Church, search for Catholic commentaries and understand the Holy Word in the MIND OF THE CHURCH, not by individuals. Individual interpretation has the higher risk of misinterpretation that what was interpreted by the whole Body of Christ, the Catholic Church.

Discover the richness of our Catholic faith found in the Scripture holy Tradition. Read history and understand. Believe in Cardinal Newman’s saying that to be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant. (Cardinal Newman was an Anglican Bishop converted to Catholicism).

Be active in your parishes. Ask your pastor what you can do to share in this great commissioning. If you feel unprepared, use the internet to blog your faith.

You can evangelize far and wide. Use your Catholic knowledge and your faith in strengthening our brethren. Be a WITNESS. Tell the world that you have finally found the truth in Christ through his bride—the Church.

Proclaiming your faith against those who have turned against Christ and his Church will give you more reward in the life next for this is why we are called Christians— Catholics to be specific, to love, love and love.

And mostly, pray.

Pray for the whole Church, our present spiritual leader, the Pope.

Pray for our Bishops and our clergy and religious who are serving our communities. Pray for holy priests and religious.

Pray for those brethren who were led astray and pray for those who led them astray.

Pray for those who persecute us just because of our faith in Christ—the Son of God. Pray for his Church which he has redeemed by his blood.

Pray for the entire Church, united with the prayers of those righteous souls who have gone ahead of us, who are now serving the Lamb on the Throne, the saints who have washed their robes by the blood of the sacrificial unblemished perfect Lamb offering our prayers before the Throne.

Pray for those souls who are still awaiting for their purification. And mostly pray for the pilgrim Church on earth whose earthly battles still far ahead.

And may God give each and every Catholic the grace to live a holy life as we witness to the splendor of His Truth for He alone is the only Way, the Truth and the Life.

In this way, our witnessing may bring wandering souls back to Christ’s true fold—the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ.

Amen! Amen!

Iglesia ni Cristo®: Keeping Them Honest!

While the Iglesia ni Cristo®’s Central Office in the Philippines keeps secret its current number of believers, the partial result of this year’s general election drastically discloses an appalling figure regarding their accurate quantity of affiliates.

Partial Party List Results as of 15th of May, 2010 confirms that the cult’s ALAGAD Party List has only 214,808 votes GMANews (4.3% of the 5 million (?) they expected to vote this year) nearly anchoring them to the 34th place.

Didn’t Eduardo Manalo and his elders vigorously compel their members to vote first its own party list before anyone else for the sake of their man-made doctrine of pagkakaisa?

This year’s general elections figure reveals the truth. The Iglesia ni Cristo® so-called “Block-Voting” is just a show-off—a MYTH!

What is the ALAGAD Party List?

Unheard of to many Filipinos, ALAGAD is an Iglesia ni Cristo® Party List which has one seat in the House. It is represented by Rep. Rodante D. Marcoleta, an Iglesia ni Cristo® member.

The 1987 Constitution says that 20% of the membership in the House of Representative should constitute members of the party-list. Among the party-list systems, they should represent the MARGINALIZED sectors of our society.

In its resolution, COMELEC can remove or cancel the registration of any party list after due notice and hearing according to Comelec Chairman Lao. One of the grounds for cancelling or removal of any party-list is when it is a religious sect or denomination, organization or association organized for religious purposes according to our Constitution.

The ALAGAD Party-List, is directly affiliated to the Iglesia ni Cristo® cult but its affiliation was never mentioned in their website. (And the Iglesia ni Cristo® has NO WEBSITE to this age when all information can be read through the internet).

The Iglesia ni Cristo® is political church in the Philippines founded by Felix M. Ysagun but it is actually a cult more than a religion. Later he changed his name to Felix Y. Manalo, a baptized Catholic, ex-Protestant Minister who lost to many debates until he founded his own. It’s July 27 annual festive celebration wasn’t accurate. Prior to that date, Felix already had started preaching about his church. It’s only in July 27, 1914 that he formally registered his church at the Securities and Exchange Commission as a Corporation Sole.

Alagad Party List Housing projects was praised by ex-President Arroyo but unknown to many the project is geared to alleviate ONLY poor members of the Iglesia ni Cristo® spending the money of the Filipino people through its allotted Pork Barrel.

Alagad Party List objective is to foster “family values” patterned according to the teachings of the Iglesia ni Cristo®. Among it’s said “Family Values” vaguely, they are teaching couples to have sex uncontrollably by using condoms—and thus prevents women from conceiving. There was no mentioning of issues such as young adults who may wish to have sex as long as they use contraceptive method such as condoms.

All unnatural contraceptive methods including the usage of condoms and pills etc. are considered morally evil by the Catholic Church—the Church Christ built in Jerusalem (Pasugo April 1966, p. 46). Condoms may prevent pregnancy but it’s not a guarantee from acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Condom usage promotes sexual promiscuity rather than sexual abstinence.

Since May 2005, they proudly announced that they distributed 97,488 condoms “mostly to married men” ages 20 to 40 years old, which is very much against the Social and Moral Teachings of the true Church of Christ founded in Jerusalem (Pasugo April 1966, p. 46).

The Iglesia ni Cristo® Block-Voting is just a myth!

How much do we know about the "Block-Voting" doctrine of the Iglesia ni Cristo® Unipersonal Corporation? How many adherents do the INC® has today that their supposed number could ensure a winner when their actual number is being held from the public?

Iglesia ni Cristo® Logo

How many elligible Iglesia® voters are going to the polls tomorrow to actually vote and how many would be following their doctrine of pagkakaisa? And how many would be defying their elders instead?

We do not know. Unless someone would be monitoring them within the polling stations who'd be turning against their own leader's choice.

Relying on rumors the Iglesia ni Cristo® is bragging an an estimated 5 million votes from its members. For me, that's presumptuous!

We all know that they don't have such a huge number. Or if they have, a solid vote from the INC® is impossible. Well, all we know is that the Iglesia ni Cristo® is playing its political trick again making us believe a myth that their number is powerful enough to determine who would win the elections.

Among the Philippine presidential candidates, the council of elders of the cult founded by Felix Manalo in 1914 finally decided to throw their support to Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III whose popularity is credited, not to the Iglesia ni Cristo® myth but thanks to his devout Catholic parents who are members of Christ's ONLY TRUE CHURCH.

Unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo®, Christ's true Church-- the Catholic Church do not endorse any candidate. Instead the choice is left to individuals according to the dictates of their consciences [Catholic Info]. The Catholic Church respects the individual freedom everyone has however what the Church can do is to ensure there's a peaceful and orderly elections.

The block-voting of the Iglesia ni Cristo® has sparked much controversy both in political and spiritual forums in the internet. Some would argue that this doctrine of the cult directly violates that of our Constitution which prohibits the meddling of spiritual leaders into the affairs of the government. For it's 95 years, the Iglesia ni Cristo® has contributed nothing to the development of the entire nation. Their housing projects are directed only to its members, something not to be proud of.

But why is the Iglesia ni Cristo®’s doctrine attracted so much attention to politicians? Why are they dictating its members like robots? Because they're politicians. And Iglesia ni Cristo® is never a religion but a disguising one. In other words, it's a cult more than a religion.

So how many member do the Iglesia ni Cristo® has today? No one knows. It's one of the Iglesia ni Cristo's many hidden SECRETS.

Significantly, we can refer to how much the ALAGAD PARTY LIST (an Iglesia ni Cristo Party List). From it's vote, we can estimate how many are its members. According to this blog, the actual votes the ALAGAD PARTY LIST got was ONLY 340,977 that is Three Hundred Forty Thousand Nine Hundred Seventy-Seven only. That means they've got just only that much. Although the Philippine Inquirer says their number reaches only 1.8 million according to National Statistic Office 2000 census.

"In the 2000 census, the National Statistics Office put the INC membership in the country at 1.8 million or around 2.3 percent of the total population [emphasis mine]."

How much? It's just 2.3 percent of the total population of the entire country. But here is the most damaging part. The late Erano Manalo admitted that fact! "...dinadaya ang numero.."[they (their Ministers) are cheating their numbers...](Watch YouTube)

Just don't get the credit Iglesia ni Cristo®. Before its central administration even throw their support to Noynoy he was already leading in poll surveys rivaling Villar and Erap (whom they supported in 1998 but now they junked him). Thanks to the support of strong business groups, democracy advocates, die-hard Cory-Ninoy fans and Catholic religious communities including priests who are indebted to his parents-- that helped him most likely to win -- not the Iglesia ni Cristo® myth.

A CHALLENGE TO THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO® ADMINISTRATION!

Let's test their power instead. Its central administration should endorse one of its members to run for Presidency. Let's see if their block-voting could help him/her win. Then we can be sure that they have the the magic number to make a candidate win.

But so far, the Iglesia ni Cristo®'s doctrine of pagkakaisa in block-voting IS JUST A MYTH!

Manila Bulletin: FYI Felix Manalo founded the Iglesia ni Cristo

Felix Manalo did found the Iglesia ni Cristo and his grandson Eduardo actually inherited his seat from his grandfather. So, who really owns the Iglesia ni Cristo? Here's something we should know:

"Did you know that the immediate family members of the current Chief Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), Bro. Eduardo, his siblings and children do not own their own houses or assets or receive salaries?

"Everything is literally owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo, run and managed by a Council of Elders, and subsidiary committees and firms for specific activities by boards of trustees… The family members marry only INC members of the Church, and serve as ministers, teachers or administrators … They are given comfortable “subsidies” adequate for a modest lifestyle, and definitely nothing ostentatious … 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 …" [emphasis mine]

Source: Manila Bulletin by By HECTOR R.R. VILLANUEVA Former Press Secretary

PASUGO publication dated July 1952, p. 4 said:
"Kung ang babalingan ng pag-uusapan ay ang nagtatag, dapat na siya ang may-ari ng itinatag, at sa kanya rin manggagaling ang mga aral at turo na ipinatutupad." [If the shift of discussion is who founded (something), the founder should own what he has founded and that all lectures and teachings being implemented should come from him.]

Therefore, INC (Iglesia ni Cristo® is a business firm, more than a church.  It's a Filipino organization by the mere fact that it's registered name is in FILIPINO (tagalog). And it was founded by Felix Y. Manalo (not Jesus Christ) in 1914.

So which is the original (true) One and Only Church of Christ Jesus himself established? Read History!

Iglesia ni Cristo: The Catholic Church Apostatized through Constantine?

As they always use to blackmail poorly catechized Catholics, members of the cult of Felix Manalo, his Iglesia use this argument often that surprise Catholics. Having little time to research and poorly catechized, a Catholic usually ends up an anti-Catholic. Here's a very concise explanation about the myth on Constantine.

THE PAGANIZATION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THROUGH CONSTANTINE

Thanks to Blackie

The Historic Facts:

Is it true that Constantine was a pagan and used his influence to corrupt the Catholic Church?

Raise Up A Child...

Constantine was raised with Christian beliefs by his mother St. Helena although he delayed his baptism until he was on his deathbed. It seems clear that he had enough faith to seek salvation in Christ, knowing that he was facing eternity and his soul was in the balance

Your Young Men Will See Visions...

After seeing a vision in which he was told that he would conquer under the sign of the Christian cross, he adopted it as his standard and his entire army carried it into battle against the pagan general Maxentius and he won control of the empire in 312 AD.

Freedom At Last...

The following year Constantine signed the Edict of Milan (sometimes known as the Edict of Tolerance) that officially ended the persecution of the Church. It's hard to understand how anyone can believe that Constantine, (who died a Christian despite his delay) would have paganized the early Catholic Church.

Julian Doesn't Keep The Faith.

Forty-eight years later, in 361 AD, the emperor Julian the Apostate launched a persecution of the Church in an attempt to bring back paganism. Why would that have been necessary if Constantine had already corrupted the Catholic Church?

History Tells All

Some careful research and study of the first 300 years of Christianity will reveal that Catholic doctrines such as the Eucharist, Apostolic authority, and the pope as the successor of Peter were believed from the very beginning of Christianity and certainly were not the result of any pagan influence under Constantine.

In Fact

Christianity has been called Catholic in Acts 9:31 (Greek: "ekklesia katholos") and at least from 107AD when Ignatius, the Bishop of the Church in Antioch, used it in one of his letters to another church which indicates that by that time the original Christian Church was already well known as the Catholic Church in order to distinguish Christ's Church from heretical groups. Keep in mind that that same church in Antioch was where we were all first called Christians as recorded in Acts 11:26. (The Faith of the Early Fathers, William A. Jurgens, Collegeville, Minn.; Liturgical Press, 1970. p.25, #65)

Get The Facts: Make Your Own Decision

Other readings that might interest you:


1. 5 Myths about the 7 Books
2. Biblical Evidence for Catholicism

A Letter to Pasugo and the Iglesia ni Cristo's response

As a cult, we all know that the the Iglesia ni Cristo® hates anything Catholic. In its Pasugo publication Vol. 62, Issue No. 1, January 2010, something is so odd to see.

The title of this year’s first publication was: Brother Eraño G. Manalo IN MEMORIAM. Highlighted words/phrase and added numbers in each paragraph are mine for an easier reference.

Take note of the following:

The date: January 2010 Anno Domini (A.D.--Year of the Lord) – our present Calendar is called the GREGORIAN CALENDAR, named after Pope Gregory XIII which is used as the International Standard Calendar to measure a month and a year.

The words “IN MEMORIAM” are LATIN words which literally means “In Memory of” in English. Latin is the ancient language of Rome and the Roman Empire but it's now considered a dead language. Only the Catholic Church uses it in all official pronouncements of the Church.

But that’s not what I am mostly interested. I am interested on how an Iglesia ni Cristo Minister answer a question by a certain reader from India (if it was true). Let me copy verbatim the question and how the editor answered.

THE LETTER:

Not in the New Testament

1. I’ve been reading Bible commentaries and other related literature since last year. I find it odd that what many Christians know about Jesus Christ mostly come from the New Testament, when in fact Christ himself said that things were written about Him in the Law of Moses and the Prophets (Luke 24:44). Does your church take account of the Old Testament passages about Christ? Are there such passages saying that Jesus is tasked to establish a church – your church for that matter?

Salman Singh
Maharashtra, India

Let me assume that Mr. Salman Singh is a real person from India. If that's the case, Mr. Singh (by his name) should be a decent from the state of Punjab where Singh is a not just a family name but it has some religious resemblance (Sikhism). I would like to believe that this Mr. Singh is not a Christian and so the response of the Iglesia ni Cristo should be particularly sensitive to who Mr. Singh is. Anyway, let's read the Editor's response:

Editor’s reply:

2. The books that have become what is now known as the New Testament were written by contemporaries of our Lord Jesus Christ or those who lived to witness His mission on earth and its continuance to the time of the apostles. Hence, while we do acknowledge that there are also things written about Christ “in the Law of Moses and the Prophets,” or in the Old Testament, this does not in any way preclude the importance of the New Testament, especially in so far as the chronicling of Christ’s life and ministry is concerned.

3. Quite surely, the things written about Christ in the Old Testament are never contradictory to what is recorded in the New Testament. In fact, the New Testament gives testimonies to the prophecies written about Christ in the Old Testament as having been fulfilled in Him—and these include pronouncements presaging Christ’s establishment of the Church He would build and will save.

4. For instance, in Deuteronomy 18: 18-19, Moses recorded God’s prophecy, thus:

5. “I will send them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will tell him what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command. He will speak in my name, and I will punish anyone who refuse to obey him.” (Deut. 18: 18-19, Today’s English Version)

6. This is pronouncement would later be interpreted in the New Testament as a prophecy concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, as given in Acts 3:20-23:

7. “And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD YOUR God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (NKJV)

8. Note that one of the messages spoken by Christ concerns His Church and its significance for man’s salvation. In Matthew 16:18, He pronounced that He would build His Church so that the power of death shall not prevail against it. In John 10:9, He specifies that anyone who wants to be saved must enter “into the fold through [Him]” (John 10:9 , Revised English Bible). The fold He refers to is the Church of Christ (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Clearly, these teachings of Christ as chronicled in the gospels affirm that He is the Prophet being referred to in Deuteronomy, whose teaching people should hear, lest they be utterly destroyed or unsaved on the day of Judgement (1 Cor. 5:12-13; Rev. 21:8).

9. A prophecy recorded in the book of the prophet Isaiah also foretold about the election of Christ and the members of His Church. In Isaiah 60:1, God declared:

10. “Also your people shall all be righteous They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.” (NKJV)

11. Take note that God here prophesied about His “planting and the “branch of [His] planting” who would have the right and privilege to glorify Him and would be appointed to become His heirs. The New Testament informs us that Christ identified Himself as “God’s planting” by pronouncing, “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer” (John 15:1, The Message). He further clarified that “His branches” are the people who belong to Him:

12. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

13. “You did not choose Me,, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:5, 16, NKJV)

15. Christ being “the vine” and those who belong to Him being “the branches” were equated by Apostle Paul to Christ being “the head” and His Church being “the body”, thereby ascertaining that the people who belong to Christ—those mentioned in Isaiah 60:21 as “the branch of [God’s] planting”—are the members of the Church that Christ established:

16. “And He is the head of the body, the church…” (Col. 1:18, NKJV)

17. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom 12:4-5, NKJV)

18. What we have presented here are just a few of the many things written about Christ in the Old Testament that are attested to by pronouncements recorded in the New Testament, particularly those concerning His establishing of His Church—the true Church of Christ.

There is a lot of confusion in the part of Mr. Richard J. Rodas' as its Editor-In-Chief. Paragraph 8, quoted Mt. 16:18 which he wrote "the power of death" shall not prevail.

New American Bible: ".. the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it"

Douay-Rheims Bible: "..and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Jerusalem Bible: "...the gates of the underworld can never overpower it."

New King James Version: "...the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

New International Version: "... the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

In all five different versions of the Bible, they preclude that Christ's Church WILL not be overcome by the powers of death, hades, hell, netherworld. It is always in the future tense "WILL" because His Church would NEVER apostatized yesterday, today and forever for this is the promise of Christ to Simon Peter, the first Pope.

Now, let's compare paragraphs 7 to the rest of the paragraphs.

In Paragraph 7, the pronoun He refers to God who spoke to the prophets about Jesus Christ. Irrespective of its position in the sentence, the editor kept the pronoun He in big letter "H" and "e" in reference to God (not god).

Now, open your eyes and read the rest of the editor's response in the other paragraphs, the He (God) and He (Christ) has no distinction. God (He) and Jesus Christ (He) are given the same emphassis irrespective of its position in the sentence. And as a reader, I would interpret this according to Christian understanding of the Holy Trinity. And as a Catholic, those same emphasis given to He (for God) and He (for Christ) mean one and the same. That God and Jesus are One and that there is really ONE GOD-- in three divine person.

The confusion of PASUGO's Editor-In-Chief only highlights that of the truth in the Catholic Church that God and Jesus are ONE.

I hope Mr. Singh has opened his eyes and see the confusion of the Iglesia ni Cristo Minister as a guiding truth to his quest toward the right path to Jesus Christ, through His True One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church affirmed by the same PASUGO in its publication dated April l 1966, p. 46: "Ang Iglesia Katolika na sa pasimula ay siyang Iglesia ni Cristo. [The Catholic Church in the beginning was the true Church of Christ.]"

But wait. Have you notice something else? How many different versions of the Bible did they used Those highlighted in blue shows how they shifted from one translation to the other but never they quoted any Catholic version Bible.

Specifically, Iglesia ni Cristo loves the Lamsa Translation when they quote Acts 20:28.

Why?

It's because only in Lamsa Translation, Acts 20:28 was interpreted as "Church of Christ "instead of "Church of God" which originally written in Greek, "the church of God" (tan ekklasian tou Theou) not "the church of Christ" (tan ekklasian tou Christou)" [read more HERE and in YouTube]

Who is George Lamsa? Why the Iglesia ni Cristo loves his translation very much? Read LetUsReason. However, let's understand that George Lamsa belongs to the Nestorian church which his theological position on Christology was condemned by the Council of Chalsedon in 8 October to 1 November 451 A.D. Iglesia ni Cristo found an ally.

Thanks to Pasugo's Editor, it reveals the truth we all wanted. Praise God no one can hide the blinding light of truth in Jesus Christ and God.

To HIM, be the glory forever!

Limited Philippine Postal Stamp for an Anti-Catholic

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the soon to be counted among the top ranking most disgusting ex-Presidents of the Philippines again has courted the Iglesia ni Cristo® cult believing that their power could save her political party members in the up-coming Presidential election this coming May) by honoring one of the fierciest anti-Catholic (anti-Christ) preacher in the Philippines.

One of the most unique doctrines of the Iglesia ni Cristo® is the bloc voting or so called “doctrine of unity”. According to the billionaire heir to the throne "BLOC VOTING is a manifestation of religious unity that is essential to spiritual salvation" (Source: Wikipedia)

Among those Philippine Presidents they claimed to have won because of their “bloc-voting” was Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada and now Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo –who happened to be the most sickening leaders the country has ever had in its 111 year history.

Due to his solid support of the anti-life House Bill 5043, the management of the Iglesia ni Cristo® has been rumored to support Noynoy Aquino (the only son of the saintly Cory Aquino and heroic father Ninoy) by their bloc voting—could it be a bad omen for the Aquino family? Let’s hope and pray that curse ended in GMA’s presidency and spare Noynoy of its foreseen bad forecast.

The Iglesia ni Cristo is a cult founded by Felix Ysagun Manalo, an ex-Catholic, turned anti-Catholic he inherited from the SDA where he once was a preacher. His parents remained faithful to Christ’s Church until their souls until their death. In July 27, 1914, Felix Manalo incorporated (registered) his church under the Republic of the Philippines and thus making him the official founder of the Iglesia ni Cristo®.

After his death, one of his sons, Eraño Guzman Manalo inherited his father’s company and enjoyed lavishly the immense richness his father has accumulated for 49 years being the CEO of the Iglesia ni Cristo®.

His death in August 29, 2009 caused many of his cult members to grieve. His mortal remains were elevated right within its sanctuary which is supposed to be the sacred place in every house for worships.

Though they denied, but Iglesia ni Cristo® members (or the Iglesia—as they call themselvaes), glorified the Manalo’s beginning from Felix Y. Manalo as an angel, “last messenger” of God, so must his son, Eraño and the present reigning heir to the throne Eduardo V. Manalo. A bronze statue of Felix Manalo was erected in their Central office while his son Eraño G. Manalo was praised by politicians. These are the Trinity gods of the Iglesia ni Cristo® while they detest Christ of any divinity and kept him to the ranks of a mere man.

Striving for Iglesia ni Cristo’s “basbas” Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the dying Philippine Postal Services to print 100,000 pieces of limited edition of stamps which according to those politicians who benefited from the cult said this gesture is a tribute “honoring his greatness and nobility”. The limited edition of the stamp began its circulation last April 23. The last quarter of last year, the local government of Quezon City renamed Central Avenue to Eraño Manalo Avenue. In July, 2009, Ms. Arroyo signed the Republic Act 9645, declared that July 27 of every year as "Iglesia Ni Cristo Day" making it an official national working holiday a bill authored by House of Representatives Annie Rosa L. Susano, Second District of Quezon City, Philippines.

The anti-Christ and anti-Catholic has been given honor by thieves! And so he deserves that tribute!

Limited Postal Stamp bearing the name of INC® Eraño G. Manalo

Our Common Knowledge About Felix Manalo, INC™ Founder!

While Jesus commanded his disciples to "…Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), the new commandment of Felix Manalo was to go out into the world and proclaim his new version of gospel to every Catholic and Protestant who believes Christ is God and convert them to his own cult disguishing as Christ!  No matter how much he and his cohorts would try, they will never prevail! (Mt. 16:18)

Felix Y. Manalo

Who is Felix Manalo who instigated perfectly a new gospel apart from the Gospel found in the Bible?

Who is Felix Manalo that he changed the whole scripture as he liked and made it appear that the Bible favors him more than the apostles and members of his body – the Church?

Who is Felix Manalo that he thought superior to Christ by elevating himself to the heights of angels while Jesus remained to be a man ONLY!

Who is Felix Manalo who preaches a LYING Christ by forfeiting his solemn promise in Matthew 16:18 “the gates of Hell will NEVER prevail against (Christ’s) Church and built a new in the Philippines?

Who is Felix Manalo who engineered the brainwashing of nominal Catholics by believing in the Catholic Church as an apostate one while his founded new church called Iglesia ni Cristo™ was the restored one “from its pristine beauty”?

Who gave Felix Manalo the sole authority interpreting Scriptures according to his personal opinion which St. Peter, the first Pope of the Catholic Church was very much against (2Peter 1:20)?

Because they do not have official website, let's consult what's availble in the net.  Here's what Wikipedia says about Felix Manalo:

"Felix Ysagun Manalo (born Félix Ysagun y Manalo May 10, 1886 - April 12, 1963), also known as Ka Félix, was the first Executive Minister (Tagalog: Tagapamahalang Pangkalahatan) of the religious organization Iglesia ni Cristo, and incorporated it with the Philippine Government on July 27, 1914. He is the father of Eraño G. Manalo, who succeeded him as Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, and the grandfather of Eduardo V. Manalo, the current Executive Minister.

"On July 27, 1914 the Iglesia ni Cristo was officially registerd with the Philippine government. Thus the prophetic revelation contained in the bible was fulfilled."

Felix Manalo's Biography from LetUsReason:

"The founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo organization was Felix Manalo. Born On May 10, 1886 to a Catholic family, near Manila in the Philippines. His name Felix (happy) was chosen from the roster of saints from that month. He was baptized a Catholic, his mother a devout Roman Catholic who had Felix attend Catechism class where he learned the fundamentals of the Roman Catholic faith. When he became a teenager he went on a spiritual quest through five known denominations. He became a follower of the ''Colorum'' spiriting sect in the Philippines which was secretive and had pilgrimages to a sacred mountain. He left the Church as a teenager. In 1904 after witnessing a debate between a Roman catholic priest and a Protestant minister on the use of images, he joined the Methodist Episcopalian Church, attended their Seminary and became a pastor. Iglesia puts it this way "He found that the arguments of the Protestant minister' seemed nearer to the biblical truth, than the pointless rambling of the priest." (GOD'S MESSAGE 1 July - September 1994"

Felix Manalo was a rapist according to an article by Emily Jordan:

"In 1954, the newspaper The Bombshell published a three-part story concerning Felix Manalo, founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. The first part was published on October 21 with front page headline “IGLESIA NI CRISTO ‘HEAD’ ANGEL OR SEX MANIAC?” The article includes a letter of confession from a certain Rosita Trillanes who, according to her, was raped several times by Felix Manalo. Here is the inside story."

Felix Manalo was a "self-proclaiming" angel says Jesus-Messiah:

"Felix Manalo, founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church in the Philippines, did not have a witness outside of himself that he was a prophet of God to restore the primitive Church, which he claimed had apostated. So, he turned to the Bible to find scriptures he could interpret that would authenticate him as this prophet and authorize him to be the founder of a new religion. He found two text that fit his need and these he manipulated into a Manalo-Christology or a Manalo-Messiasology. Sometime between 1914 and 1941 and a final court decision where the conduct of Manalo was legally established, he claimed to be the Messias and used this identity to coerce girls and women into sexual relationships. He told these females he was like Solomon and could have many wives and concubines. According the ruling of the Court, Manalo used his office as head of the Iglesia Ni Cristo and as a Messias to seduce and persuade these females into fornication and adultery. He already had a large following at that time who believed his claim that he was chosen by God to restore and set up the primitive Christian Church."

Rejected by God, he died painfully with intestinal desease says EconomiExpert:

"Felix Manalo was afflicted with an intestinal disease and died in April 12, 1963."

Felix Manalo was a sex pervert, lusted immorality with female members of his cult says ExamineIglesianiCristo:

"Accusations of sexual immorality plagued Felix Manalo through out His life. In a decision by the Court of Appeals, in the case of "The People vs. Rosita Trillanes" published in July 1942, (A court case initiated by Manalo) the Justices gave an extremely unfavorable estimate of Manalo's character stating:

"...Manalo, took advantage of his position as head of the Iglesia ni Cristo, and...employed religion as a cloak to cover his...immoral practices; that he pretended to be the Messias sent by God; and that to persuade his victims, he cited the example of Solomon and his many wives"

Felix Manalo personally invited agents of Satan to laid hands on him says Splendor of the Church:

"PASUGO, the official bulletin of the Iglesia ni Cristo cult founded by Felix Manalo directly refers to the Catholic Priests and Protestant Pastors as ministers of Satan."

A richman says Iglesia ni Cristo in a Nutshell:

"Usually, about $200,000 cash and money orders are collected which represents a third

of the total thanksgivings. Manalo does not want to lose any monies from possible stickups.

"There is a very big shocker that affects many members. Because of the excessive thanksgiving increase

that members have given, they are required now to deposit the same amount next year plus corresponding increase. For example, if a member's total thanksgivings (deposits plus supplementary cash) is $5,000 this year, the member must deposit this same new amount next year plus additional.

"Manalo's Iglesia ni Cristo sleeper cells are comprised of all fully established cells (committee prayergroups and congregations) established all over the world. Latest estimates of cell membership is approximately 7.5 million to 9.5 million scattered all over the globe. Its income is estimated to be from US$60 million to US$75 million annually mostly from its members. Monies are laundered and hidden through names of trusted Manalo relatives and friends and Manalo owned corporations and entities, just like how former dictator Ferdinand Marcos hid his billions of assets. Manalo's source of income are also hidden in stealth as members faithfully follow orders not to declare their Iglesia ni Cristo contributions in their personal income tax returns, a neat ploy to render income of the cult invisible from radar screens of all governments of the world."

"Thanksgivings of INC member Feljun Fuentes:

Dec 2001....$1,000.00 July 2001....$500.00

Dec 2002....$1,500.00 July 2002....$750.00

Dec 2003....$1,500.00 July 2003....$850.00

Thanksgivings of INC member Rommel V. San Pedro:

Dec 2001....$3,000.00 July 2001....$100.00

Dec 2002....$2,000.00 July 2002....$ 50.00

Dec 2003....$1,000.00 July 2003....$ 5.00

"Use of the God's Message magazine - Each member buys this magazine (currently the price is $2.50 each issue). Usually members buy two, one for self and one for his/her prospective visitor or prospect.

"The average yearly amount of monies that a member surrenders to Manalo is $3,681.00.

Breakdown:

---------

Worship service offerings ($5.00x52x2)....$ 520.00

Local offerings ($10.00x40)............... 400.00

District offerings ($10.00x12)............ 120.00

Thanksgiving deposits ($25.00x49)........ 1,225.00

Supplemental Thanksgivings............... 500.00

Anniversary offerings.................... 700.00

God's Message offerings ($2.50x2x12)..... 60.00

EGM offerings ($3.00x52)................. 156.00

------

TOTAL $3,681.00

"...the Iglesia ni Cristo has 134 congregations in the United States, the income of Manalo from the U.S. alone is a whooping $15,460,200.00. If we include the takes of Manalo from the rest of the world from Canada to Europe and Asia, an estimate of $50 million to $75 million is a low estimate."

Felix Manalo is the embodiment of the Anti-Christ saysCatholic Faith Defender:

"•FELIX [5 letters] because Felix is Latin but if it is translated to Tagalog: PELIKS = 6 letters]

•YSAGUN [6 letters]

•MANALO [6 letters]

= 666 ERAÑO GUZMAN MANALO [translated to Filipino] IRANYO GUSMAN MANALO

IRANYO: 6 Letters

GUSMAN: 6 Letters

MANALO: 6 Letters

________________

666

Felix Manalo was a founder of a CULT says thebereans.

Unable to expose their official teachings for fear of losing members, we keep blogging about Who Felix Manalo was! Perhaps in this way we can enlighten those who were brainwashed by their Ministers.

May the Light of Christ shine brightly in their darkness.

Prophecy Fulfillment (Naganap Na!)

Biblically true, the Iglesia ni Cristo™ perfectly fits in the prophecies of the Bible. The coming of a deceiver, an anti-Christ, a son of perdition through the preachings of its founder Felix Ysagun Manalo prophesied and was fulfilled in his cult.

The Bible is full of warnings about the coming of the anti-Christs particularly found in the Gospels and in the letters of St. Paul and St. Peter, the first among the Apostles, the first Pope, In the letters of St. Paul we were told to hold fast in our faith which they handover to their successors. He strictly forewarned us to keep watch and to defend and maintain the true faith against those chiildren of perdition found in deceitful teachings fuming confusion among his sheep by false prophets and anti-Christ’s. (see Mt. 7:15-23; Mt. 24:11-12; 2Pt.2:1-3; 1Jn.4:1; 2Tim4:2-4) and that includes Felix Manalo.

Biblicaly speaking, the anti-Christ would come, preach another Christ, worship another god and deceive many. He will make himself superior to Christ. Felix Manalo, the founder of the cult “Iglesia ni Cristo™” matched those descriptions and their new gods are Iglesia ni Cristo and money coming from its members. In fact they call themselves IGLESIA not Christians.

The anti-Christ preached another Christ. For him, Christ was never true to his words. He promised “the gates will never prevail against “ his “Church “(Mt. 16) but apostatized sometime.

For Manalo, Christ is just a man, not God but he preached himself as God’s Last Messenger or an Angel. At times he’s said to be the “Last Messenger” of the Apostles, or God or Jesus. In other words, he’s a messenger of three personages: God, Jesus and the Apostles.

But wait, one of the accusations of the Iglesia ni Cristo Ministers through the preaching of their founder was the other way around. They say that the Catholic Church which they confessed to be "Christ’s true Church" (Pasugo April 1966, p.46) apostatized and that the Pope who received his Papal Ministry directly from St. Peter himself is accused of being the anti-Christ (a teaching they heavily borrowed from the Sevent-day Adventists for Manalo was once a preacher of the Sabadistas. Its followers still believed that the faked “Vicarius Filii Dei” was an official Papal title apart from him being called “Vicar of Christ”. The fabricated "papal" title "Vicarius Filii Dei" teachings has long been abandoned by the SDA but is maintained by INC™ Ministers.

Satan was so desperate in messing up Christ's true Church (but of course not even its gate can prevail against it. Christ had promised NEVER it will happen!-- keep trying Iglesia ni Cristo).

So how should we know who’s the anti-Christ.

To figure it out, let’s use their own official magazine called PASUGO:

PASUGO September 1970, p.20:

"Sino ba ang nakadaya sa buong sanlibutan ayon sa itinuturo ng Banal na Kasulatan? Sa Apoc. 12:9 ay ganito ang mababasa: 'At inihagis ang malaking Ahas, ang tinatawag na Diablo at Satanas, ang nakadaya sa buong sanlibutan.' Sinasabi ng Banal na Kasulatan o Biblia na si Satanas o ang Diablo ang nakadaya sa buong sanlibutan. Kay Satanas ang Pambuong Sanlibutan. Kung ang Iglesia Katolika Romana ay pambuong sanlibutan o laganap sa buong sanlibutan kung gayon ito ang nadaya ni Satanas."

For being LAGANAP (worldwide) the Catholic Church was deceived by Satan says the INC™ by using Rev. 12:9. That's officially published in their Magazine.

Or would it be the other way around?

It's true, the Catholic Church is Universal just as Jesus commanded his disciples to “preach the Gospel to ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name (singular) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19) keeping his commands and statutes. We claim it because Christ told had promised.

In fact in Psalms 50:7-12 we read:

"Iyong dinggin, O Bayan, at ako'y magsasalita, O Israel, at ako'y magpapatotoo sa iyo; Kung ako'y magutom ay hindi ko sasaysayin sa iyo: sapagkat ang sanlibutan ay akin at ang buong narito."

Dispelling their own deceitful ploy, St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 10:10:26 says:

"Sapagkat ang lupa ay sa Panginoon at ang kabuuan ng narito."

The whole universe is CHRIST’s!

But wait, using their own standard, let's help them figure out whom Revelations 12:9 is referring to.

PASUGO April 1969, last page: (poem)

"Kung buhay an sugo, Makikita niya na hindi nasayang;

Ang mga panahong kanyang ginugol nang siya'y mangaral;

Saka ang Iglesia'y hindi lamang dito ngayon nakatatag;

Tumawid na ito sa ibayong Pangpang nitong Pilipinas;

Pati na sa Hawaii at sa San Francisco doo'y lumaganap;

Nakatatag ngayon si Cristong pinakahahamak;

Papaano di gayon ay kalat na ngayon ang mga kapatid;

At nangakalatag sa palibut-libot ng buong daigdig."

Thanks to readme2.blogspot.com for providing us a more solid fact of its being "laganap".

Iglesia ni Cristo™ un-Official Directory by an INC™ Minister Conrad J. Obligacion aka "readme" aka "truthcaster" at readme2.blogspot.com

Again, according to their own standards, if the Iglesia ni Cristo is now worldwide (LAGANAP) "kung gayon ito ang nadaya ni Satanas." PASUGO September 1970, p.20!

Indeed! Praise alone to Jesus Christ!

The Deceiver

(Source: Webupon)

Confused INC™ Member Concerning the Dead

The Iglesia ni Cristo™ is known to be the MOST notorious anti-Catholic (anti-Protestant) cult (see Exposing the cult) in the Philippines. Most of its members were former Catholics who were poorly catechized including its own founder Felix Y. Manalo a baptized Catholic, became a protestant preacher until he decided to build his own church and named it “Iglesia ni Cristo” according to St. Paul's letter to Roman Catholics in Romans 16:16.. Badly formulated, all their teachings were based on proving that the Catholic Church’ doctrines were wrong and that theirs are right.

Among its list of ANTI-CATHOLIC doctrines, Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Number 6 enumerates some list of Catholic doctrines they so strongly oppose Purgatory which states:

“The apostasy of the Catholic Church from the Church established by Christ in the first century took place with their turning away from the teachings of God taught by Christ and His Apostles (Worship of Images, Mass, and Priests as vicars or successors of Christ, Mediator Saints, Purgatory). Therefore, the apostasy takes place whenever there is a teaching of God the Catholic Church violates. In view of this, all the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church should be rejected.

Let’s say for example a member of the cult Iglesia ni Cristo™ at Cenon Bibe's Tumbukin Natin Blog (Central at Kaanib ng INC Aatras na sa Debate) by the name Jay Manalo repeatedly accused Catholics as "idol worshippers".

(Statue of Felix Manalo in their Central Temple in the Philippines)

Jay Manalo said: Posted Date: 22 February, 2010 Time: 07:33

“WALANG KWENTANG TAO ANG GUMAWA NG REBULTO AT SUMASAMBA DITO SAIAH 44:9-20”

This is one example of the many double standard, two-faceted man-made teachings in the cult. They openly complained about Catholic holy images of Jesus and the Saints accusing us of worshipping them while they themselves cannot criticize themselves while offering flowers before the image of Felix Manalo in Central temple in the Philippines.

Jay Manalo, a member of the cult also make fun of Catholic practice of honoring their dead relatives. After I pointed out their immense reverence to Felix Manalo's image in Central, he was caught saying this statements Posted Date: 22 February, 2010 Time: 07:17

“kayo po ba ang pag namatay ba ang nanay at kamag anak mo mahal mo sa buhay,matalik mong kaibigan,di ka pag ng bibigay ng bulalak tanda ng inyong pag respeto sa PATAY,at pag alala mang catholic defender” [how about you when yoru mother and your beloved relatives, your closest friends, are you not paying them proper respects by offering flowers as a form of reverence for the DEAD for their memory mr. catholic defender]

Mr. Jay Manalo forgot that the Iglesia ni Cristo™ is very strict in its implementation of its man-made doctrines (teachings Felix Manalo formulated according to PASUGO Mayo 1961, p. 4 and PASUGO Mayo 1963, p. 27) and strictly cautions its members NOT to hold on to any CATHOLIC PRACTICES such as remembering the dead.

(Eraño Manalo's image adorned with flowers Source: INC Church)

In a book published by the Iglesia ni Cristo™ entitled "ISANG PAGBUBUNYAG SA IGLESIA NI CRISTO" page 110, this is what we read:

“Kaya kapag ang tao'y namatay kasamang namamatay ang kanyang kaluluwa. Kung ang namatay ay inilibing, saan kaya naroroon ang kaluluwa? Ang kaluluwa ay dumidikit sa alabok." [That’s why when a person dies together with his/her soul he/she dies. When the dead is buried, where would his/her soul be? His/her soul fuses to the ashes.]

The same teaching was published in their Official Magazine PASUGO issued in December 1966, page 10:

"Kung patay na ang tao ay wala nang nalalamang anuman. Wala siyang isip. May bahagi ba ang patay sa anumang ginagawa ng buhay? Wala! Walang nababahagi ang patay." [When a person dies he/she knows nothing any longer. He/She has no more thoughts. Does the dead have any connection with the living? Nothing! A dead relates nothing!]

While they criticize Catholics, they also restricted their own members, former catholics, of adhering to the practice while their ministers are free to do so for Felix Manalo.

PASUGO Mayo 1964, p. 3: (patula)
Sa ubod ng aming puso at damdamin;
Nagkapalad kami sa gintong layunin;
Sa sikap ng Sugong naghirap sa amin.

Ang pagtatagumpay, dangal at alindog;
Ng Iglesia ngayo'y banal na kinaloob;
Sa isang pag-asa kami ay nabuklod;
Ang aming dalangin sa paninikluhod;
Salamat sa SUGO... Salamat sa Dios."

Notice here, that when Felix Manalodied in April of 1963, they fervently pray with suplications praying to the dead Felix Manalo.

PASUGO Disyembre 1964, p. 2: (ukol kay Erdy)
Tandang-tanda namin noon nang ang sugo ay namatay;
Ikaw noon ay nanumpa sa harap ng kanyang bangkay;
Para ko pang nakita na nagtaas ka ng kamay;
At ikaw ay lumuluhang pangako ay inusal;
Ang sabi mo'y tutupad ka sukdang ikaw ay mamamatay;
Mamahalin ang Iglesiang pasugo ng Amang Banal."

Notice above Pasugo quotes. What did Erano Manalo do? He swore and oath with his right hand raised before the dead body of his father Felix Manalo. And he was in tears swearing to uphold what his father has began.

Just like as its own Ministers and the late Eraño Manalo's double standard man-made beliefs, no wonder Jay Manalo, a member of the cult only inherited his own confusion.

The truth of the Catholic Church cannot be hidden and even from the mouth of its own detractors came the truth that we Catholics do not worship the statues but we only venerate them for they represent the image (just as they have their own statue and photos of the Manalo clan).

So maybe you are curious what was Jay Manalo's reply?

It's a deafening silence!

Founders of the Catholic Church?

Author: Edgar Jacinto at Filipino Catholic Defenders

The Catholic Church, referring to the One, Holy, Apostolic, Roman Catholic Church, has been teaching, through her teaching office, her scriptural accounts and her holy tradition, that her founder is no other than Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This can be logically demonstrated through enormous ecclesiastical historical records of early Christianity to include canonical and related scriptural accounts. The founding of the Church of Christ which is actually the Catholic Church, irrespective of the theological interpretation of the church, either as a movement or a community or as an institution or a society with a structural hierarchy, is not much challenged among believers in the Philippines.

However, the various anti-Catholic sects in this country have persistently argued that Jesus Christ never established the Catholic Church. This is purposely to support their argument that the Catholic Church is not the true Church of God founded by Jesus Christ.

To support this ridiculous argument, these sects argue that the original Church is distinct and different from the Catholic Church which is allegedly an apostate institution. In fact, most of them are inclined to believe that Christ indeed established His church in Jerusalem way back in 33 A.D. as also preached by the Catholic Church. Of course, there may be varying presentations on the period and circumstances which unfolded the founding of the church but essentially the founding of Christ’s church in the early Christian period is generally acceptable to them.

Allegations on Who Founded the Catholic Church

Surprisingly, these sects, though targeting the Catholic Church as a common enemy of their faith, exhibit different and contradicting arguments as to when, how and who initiated the emergence of the Catholic Church as an alleged heretical organization coming out of the true Church of Christ. The following are some of the fanciful arguments of the various anti-Catholic sects in the Philippine religious spectrum:

Founded by a Pagan Emperor?

First, some argue that the Catholic Church was founded by Emperor Constantine the Great, a pagan emperor. Allegedly, this emperor established the Roman Catholic Church, made himself its first pope and rendered it as the official religion of the whole empire. They argue further that the emperor convened councils to define the significant dogmas of the Catholic Church to include the Council of Nicea which greatly spelled the Divinity of Christ among the Christian fold. They concluded that the emperor converted early Christianity into a Romanist Paganistic Christianity which the Vatican is said to be now propagating in the whole world. On the contrary, these arguments are historically incorrect and misleading. The Roman Empire was gradually converted to Christianity rather than the Christianity being transformed as a paganistic movement. The empire carried the cross of Christianity, adapted its religious teachings, modified its rituals and traditions in consonance with Christianity and revolutionized the moral standards of the empire. In return, the emperor accorded due security and safety to Christianity and considerable freedom in the exercise of this new religion. The efforts of the emperor in the councils of the church were meant to safeguard it from violence and never to interfere in essence in the church definition and proclamation of its faith.

Founded by Satan?

Second, others point to Satan or the Demon as the founder of the Catholic Church. This argument is the weakest propaganda offensive of the anti-Catholics for there can be no literal and explicit biblical and historical support which can be utilized to label the Catholic Church of such anti-Christ overtones. Nevertheless, this is a very prevalent and dominant attack of the fundamentalists against the Catholics. These sects have been brainwashed to accuse that the Catholic Church is an instrument of the Anti-Christ, Satan or the Demon. It is allegedly its handiwork. This is very abundant in the writings of the Witnesses of Jehovah, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ, Pentecostals and Baptists. Local Born-Again Christians and non-Catholic charismatic groups have been easily infected by this propaganda campaign against the Catholic Church. In various debates and dialogues with these anti-Catholic sects, they arrogantly, maliciously and satirically accuse the Catholic Church to be the invention and the instrument of Satan in his struggle to deceive the faithful and embattle the Christ Jesus outside and within His living and militant church. A variant of this argument is espoused by some sects which believe that the bad spirits tempted the church leaders and believers to discreetly defect from the original teachings and to gradually transform the original church into becoming an apostate church by amalgamating pagan and demonic teachings and traditions. In debates, this is their common propaganda offensive. They will have all the elbow room to attack every Catholic teaching in order to prove it to be demonic and to somehow conclude in the process of their argumentation that the church is heretical. The problem with this argument is that this is fallacious and can never withstand academic scrutiny. The purpose of this argument is to simply attack in a shotgun approach with all the pandemonium of hearsays and fanciful stories, unsupported biblical interpretations and all other rhetorical styles just to gain public attention, sympathy and support. They will never stick to any discussion on a single controversy but will merely jump from one attack to another to gain propaganda mileage simply because they lack deeper biblical and logical support for their arguments inasmuch as most of them are not properly schooled on scriptural studies, historical analysis and philosophical tools for debates and argumentation.

Founded by Saint Ignatius?

Third, there are those who accuse St Ignatius of Antioch as the inventor of the Catholic Church. Just because early records show that St Ignatius was allegedly the first to literally use the word catholic to describe the early Christian church, this did not mean that he invented the church. What he invented, if that may be appropriate, is the coining of the word catholic to the Christian Church, not the invention or the founding of the church which he named. How can St Ignatius describe the church to be catholic if the church has never been in existence before he named it as catholic? Historical records can attest that the Catholic Church has been in existence even before St Ignatius wrote his letters regarding the early church.

Founded by a Council?

Fourth, some sects insist that the Catholic Church was only established when a council declared that the Catholic Church must be officially named as the One, Holy, Roman, Catholic, Apostolic Church, thereby marking the alleged birth of the Roman Catholic Church. Again, this is a ridiculous argument since before that council the Catholic Church has already been in existence. It does not necessarily follow that when an entity declares to have a new name, a new entity is created distinct from its original existence. The essence of a being or an entity does not change just because it receives a new name. In natural phenomena, a typhoon does not exist only when it receives a new name when it enters a certain territory inasmuch as it is already a typhoon even before it received a new name. A newly discovered organism which is given a new scientific name cannot be construed to have not existed prior its discovery and giving of a new name. The Catholic Church, since its very existence has been accorded numerous names; but, its existence has never been construed to have been obliterated and reconstituted as it receives a new name as it transcends every generation, culture and change. It has survived amidst difficulties and emerged renewed and significant to every generation to truly serve as the prophet of God in this ever-changing world.

Warning on these Accusations

Those who accuse the Catholic Church to have branched out from the original church will expectedly claim to be the living descendants of the original church. As such, they claim to possess the orthodox teachings and traditions of church established by Christ. To a certain extent, some extreme fundamentalist groups even claim that their generation of believers could be traced as underground groups of believers who survived the alleged persecution mounted against them by the Catholic Church. It is speculated to some extent that some of the local preachers and believers espoused these arguments to include that of some of the Anabaptists and some Adventists groups. Unfortunately, documentation of their arguments is too scarce inasmuch as their debaters seem to be very shadowy in their argumentation to hide their real doctrinal positions to escape scrutiny and dissection of their arguments. They may try to modify their argumentation but in essence they will concede in some angles that their generation of believers can be traced back to the early church.

Those who accuse that the Catholic Church is the apostate transformation of the original church of Christ, will claim that their sect leader was prophesized and ordained by God to re-establish the true Church of Christ which was destroyed by the devil through the apostate Catholic Church.

Most of the locally established sects in the Philippines belong to this group. Their founders are equipped with biblical verses which they use as the alleged prophesies for their authority to establish a new church in the Philippines or in any part of the globe. Some of their founders even fancifully claim to be an angel, an apostle, Christ himself, a direct messenger of Christ or a direct messenger of the Heavenly Father.

No matter how fanciful, magical, superstitious or heretical their invented stories are, this is their seemingly expected argument in order to circumvent their syllogism so as to justify the existence of their sect as an alternative to the Catholic Church.

These sects could easily choose any name, title or designation to the early church as depicted in the Bible to be their alleged authoritative name of their church. It is easy to understand why some of these sects labeled themselves as Church of Christ, Churches of Christ, Church of God, Church of the Living God, Church of the First Born, Church on the Rock, Church of the Gentiles, Apostolic Church, Church of God, Church of God Pillar and Bulwark of Truth, Church of the Latter-Day Saints and many other bible-copied descriptions, names or labeling of the early church.

Since the name of their church can be read in the bible simply because they copied their name from the bible, they will fallaciously argue that their church is the true church as their name is bible-based.

Unfortunately, if they have the same basic argument that their church name can be read in the bible, this does not guarantee that if they can find their name in the bible, they already belong to the true church.

Since only one church can be the true church of Christ, it is statistically impossible that one of them is the true church. The greater possibility is that they are merely pirating the names of the true church as depicted in the bible. In all angles, not one of them can be the true church of Christ.

Warning on these Accusations

It is then impossible to demonstrate that the Catholic Church was never founded by Jesus Christ because these anti-Catholics shall have the difficult task of pointing who established the Catholic Church if Christ has nothing to do with its institution.

For those who posit that the church which Christ established defected into heresy and apostasy, they will be faced with the sacrilegious questioning and even doubting the divine institution of the church of Christ. If the church which Christ established truly defected into heresy and apostasy, are we inclined to believe that Christ is not powerful enough to build a truly strong church founded on a rock which can never be defeated by the forces of evil? If Christ failed in his mission to build a strong church, how can we possibly accept that the new sect leaders in this century and of this country, can emerge to be more powerful than Christ for being able to re-build the church which Christ failed to establish in perpetuity? Are we talking of new Christs in this century or anti-Christs to that effect as foretold in the prophecies of the New Testament that false prophets and messiahs shall come to deceive many?

Logically, it will be safe to conclude that Christ truly founded a strong church which shall never be destroyed and can never be replaced or rebuild by the numerous sect leaders in this century. This church which is catholic in essence since its establishment, as to its doctrine and believers, prophetically become truly catholic as time goes on as the world now can see.