Ang INC (Iglesia ni Cristo) ba at ang COC (Church of Christ) ay pareho at iisa?

Buong ipinagmamalaking sinasabi ng mga kaanib ng IGLESIA NI MANALO na ang 'Iglesia ni Cristo' (INC) raw ay pareho sa 'Church of Christ' (COC).  Kung papansinin niyo sa mga forums at Facebook group accounts na gawa ng mga kaanib ng IGLESIA NI MANALO ay puro INC ang pagpapakilala nila at hindi COC.  Katulad na lamang ng halimbawang pagpapakilala nila sa ibaba.

Sa Pilipinas, kilalang-kilala ang INC bilang iglesiang tatag ni Felix Manalo.  Mapa-English man ang mga artikulo o balita'y INC pa rin ang pagkakakilanlan sa grupong tatag ni Felix Manalo at HINDI COC.

Islam's 'Purpose Driven' Jihad

Read the PART I Introduction of this article from Facing Islam

The Purpose of Islam

Order the Book

One of the most telling aspects of Islam concerns its calendar, which begins from a pivotal event in the life of its founder, Muhammad. Born circa 570 A.D., Muhammad, according to classical Muslim sources, began having revelations at about the age of forty, in a cave near Mecca, where he used to retreat in prayer to Allah. These powerful experiences, during which he was told by a spirit being (later to be identified as the angel Gabriel) to “Read and Recite” were frightening, yet compelling: “He pressed upon me so tightly I thought it was death!” [1]

Yet neither Muhammad’s birth nor the beginning of his self-proclaimed prophethood mark the start date of the Islamic calendar. It is not merely the message, nor the messenger, which defines Islam’s purpose.

Muhammad’s initial message of Allah as the only true God, and submission (“islam”) to him the only true way, did not attract many followers in Mecca, and he fled north to Medina (Yathrib) in 622 A.D. to escape persecution. This migration is called the Hijra, and it is the pivotal event in Islamic history, and in its self-understanding.

Following the Hijra, Muhammad won a series of battles against various Jewish and Arab tribes, consolidating his power and expanding his forces until returning to take Mecca in 632 A.D. These victories were taken by Muslims as divine validation of the truth of Islam and of its very purpose; Muhammad’s life became The Example for all Muslims, and the story of his victory over southern Arabia as the prototype for Islam’s goal of eventual victory over the whole world.

This new purpose may be seen in the Quran itself, as during the ten year Medinan period, Muhammad’s revelations took on a distinctly warlike, supremacist tone, with strident anti-Christian and anti-Jewish messages, and commands to wage jihad against the unbelievers until the whole world had submitted to Allah’s rule, as can be seen from these Medinan verses:

9:5. Then when the Sacred Months have passed, then kill the Mushrikun [unbelievers] wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salat [the Islamic ritual prayers], and give Zakat [alms], then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

8:39. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah] and the religion will all be for Allah Alone. But if they cease [worshipping others besides Allah], then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.

9:29. Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth [Islam] among the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians], until they pay the Jizya [the poll tax for non-Muslims] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Islamic tradition combines the revelations of the Quran (literally, the “recitations”), together with the Hadiths (traditions about Muhammad) and the Sira (the Life of Muhammad, the most significant written by Ibn Ishaq in the mid-eight century). The Quran cannot be understood properly without the Hadiths and Sira, which form the Sunnah (or ‘Way’) of the Prophet for Muslims. The two most revered collections of Hadiths (Bukhari and Muslim) recount Muhammad as saying:

I have been commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and perform the prayer, and pay zakat. If they say it, they have saved their blood and possessions from me, except for the rights of Islam over them. And their final reckoning is with Allah. (Sahih Bukhari 8:387, Sahih Muslim 1:33)

Thus the full weight of Islamic tradition set up an ultimate purpose for Muslims to fight, to wage jihad to spread Islam. Also according to Muhammad’s example, the Muslims were permitted to take spoils of war (“booty”) from their victories, thus adding a temporal incentive to the call to jihad. Though very little of Islamic tradition was codified in the first decades after Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D., the purpose to wage jihad and conquer in the name of Islam were clearly embraced by his followers, as the Muslim armies swept forth from southern Arabia, in less than a century conquering a vast area stretching from the Iberian peninsula in the west, to central Asia in the east. Raymond Ibrahim has concisely written about the historical reality of these early Muslim conquests elsewhere.

Thus it is Muhammad’s flight to Medina (the Hijra) and the events surrounding it which herald the transformation of Islam from a marginal religious movement into a religious-political-military community (the ‘Umma’), which soon established itself as the dominant force in the Arabian Peninsula and the world of its time. And it is from this date of the Hijra that the Muslim Calendar begins.

The calendar emphasis, which rests not on Muhammad’s birth, nor on the beginning of his so-called revelations, but on Islam’s reinvention with force, victory, wealth and dominion defines Islam’s self-awareness and its purpose. Writ large, Islam sees its purpose as bringing the whole world under submission to Allah and Islam through the practice of jihad.

(Read PART 11)... PART III to be continued by the Author.

[1] Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, trans. by A. Guillaume (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980), 106.

CBS News: More Young Men Choosing Priesthood

Contrary to what anti-Catholics like the cult Iglesia ni Cristo founded by Felix Manalo in the Philippines in 1914, the number of seminarians is rising and Catholics grew by 18 million.

FORT WORTH (CBS 11) - No sex, no money, and complete obedience. Not what you think the average 20-year-old guy would go for. But according to the Catholic Church, the number of men joining the priesthood is up.

In the Diocese of Fort Worth alone, the number of seminarians has nearly doubled in the last 10 years.

And who is joining might surprise you.

Brett Metzler bench presses 250 pounds, squats 305, and can shoot hoops with the best of them.

But the former high school Athlete of the Year is not your typical college student.

20-year-old Brett believes becoming a priest is a better fit.

The Denton County native is preparing for the priesthood at Saint Joseph’s Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana–1200 acres of woods, water, and worship north of New Orleans.

He says his calling came during his freshman year at Texas A & M.

“Everything that everybody was telling me to do that was supposed to fulfill me, it just wasn’t working,” explained Metzler. “I was living in a house with four of my best friends from high school. I mean it was a blast. We’d throw the frisbee and play football every day. I just felt a feeling kind of like unfulfillment every night when I was going to sleep.”

Muslim Persecution of Catholic Christians in Bengazi, Tunisia

Kung aling Iglesia raw ang inuusig ay siyang patotoo na TUNAY nga itong IGLESIA NI CRISTO ayon sa PASUGO Nobyembre 1954, p. 2, 1. (Pasugo is INC's official magazine)

Bombers target Catholic church in Benghazi, priests escape unhurt

Bishop of Benghazi, Maltese Mgr Sylvester Magro
is currently in Spain and was not there at
the time of the attack, a spokesman for the
Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed.

Bengazi, Tunisia (Malta Today)- Fr Alan Castillo and Fr Raghib Marzouk escaped unhurt after a bomb went off at the Catholic church in Via Torino, Benghazi, late Friday night.

According to sources, a bomb was placed at the main of the church when an explosion rocked the area at around 11.30pm shattering several glass windows on the opposite side of the narrow road and also several windows in the building adjacent to the church housing the priests.

Fortunately, Maltese bishop Mgr Sylvester Magro was not there as he is currently in Spain attending a religious function.

Fr. Alan Castillo and Fr. Raghib Marzouk were however present at the time of the explosion, but both escaped uninjured.

Soon after the explosion security officials cordoned the area barring anyone from entering or leaving the area.

No one was hurt in this incident.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella also contacted the Maltese Consul in Benghazi Joe Pirotta to obtain "first hand" information on the incident and to express his solidarity with the people.

The Maltese Consulate is the only consulate, from among the EU member states, still open in Benghazi. The other consulates are those of Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt.

In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry described the situation in Benghazi as being "highly fluid" and "easy to obtain explosive material".

Vella also spoke to Fr Alan Castillo, a father from the Philippines who assists Mgr Magro in his work. Fr Castillo said repair works to the church will be carried out by a Maltese man who lives near Benghazi.

Vella said that the situation in Libya was worrying the Maltese government, especially due to the Maltese citizen who in this case were giving their diplomatic and ecclesiastical services.

"The situation is worrisome and our attention is focused on to see how matters will develop, especially in the surrounding areas of Benghazi were the situation is highly instable," the foreign affairs minister said.

Vella added the Maltese government condemned all attacks: "We will be strengthening our bilateral and international efforts in the hope that the situation in Libya normalises as soon as possible."

Despite the end of the revolution, bomb attacks are still taking place in Benghazi. On the same night there were other bombs placed in different parts of the city: A bomb went off in the early hours of the morning outside the diabetes clinic in Sidi Hussein area; another bomb was placed inside one of the pipes of the Great Man Made River monument in Sciara Dubai; a third bomb was placed near the headquarters of one of the brigades manning the checkpoints close to the souk area by the sea.

Catholics around the world incresed by 18 million!

O anong masasabi ng mga kaanib ng Iglesia ni Manalo ngayon? Noong 2010, ang naitala ng Census ay 2.25 million lang ang mga kaanib ng INC ni Manalo. Nganga!

The statistical information, which refers to the year 2011, reveals details about the Catholic Church in the 2,979 ecclesiastical circumscriptions around the planet. The number of Catholics in the world increased from 1.196 million in 2010 to 1.214 million in 2011, an increase of eighteen million faithful, corresponding to a growth of 1.5%. Over the last three years the presence of baptised Catholics in the world has remained stable at around 17.5%... continue reading...

Catholics vs. Iglesia ni Cristo adherents

Catholics around the World
(according to Wikipedia)
1.2 billion (1,200,000,000)

Iglesia ni Cristo
(according to Philippine Census as of 2010)
2.25 million (2,250,000)

96 Years After Its Foundation, the Iglesia ni Cristo has only 2.25 Million as of 2010 Census

Contrary to what they claim, members of the politically influential religious group founded by Felix Manalo in 1914-- the IGLESIA NI CRISTO has only 2.5 million-- not 10 million as they deceive us. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer):

A total of 2.25 million Filipinos were members of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in 2010, up from 1.76 million in 2000, data from the latest census by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed.

The number of voting-age INC members at the time was estimated at 1.37 million, as 61 percent of the country’s population was 18 and above.

Of some 92 million Filipinos in 2010, 56.5 million were of voting age.

Based on the same NSO data, of the 5.13 million Muslim Filipinos, about 3.13 million were of voting age, while of the 74.2 million Catholic Filipinos, 45.3 million were of voting age."

Martyred for Christ: 800 victims of Islamic violence who will become saints this month

News Source: Telegraph UK

The cathedral of Otranto in southern Italy is decorated with the skulls of 800 Christian townsfolk beheaded by Ottoman soldiers in 1480. A week tomorrow, on Sunday May 12, they will become the skulls of saints, as Pope Francis canonises all of them. In doing so, he will instantly break the record for the pope who has created the most saints.

I wonder how he feels about that. Benedict XVI announced the planned canonisations just minutes before dropping the bombshell of his own resignation. You could view it as a parting gift to his successor. Or a booby trap.

The 800 men of Otranto – whose names are lost, except for that of Antonio Primaldo, an old tailor – were rounded up and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. In 2007, Pope Benedict recognised them as martyrs “killed out of hatred for the faith”. That is no exaggeration. Earlier, the Archbishop of Otranto had been cut to pieces with a scimitar.

The Average Salary of a Catholic Priest

If you're looking for a career that provides an opportunity to stack up worldly wealth, any job in the clergy probably isn't your best option. If you've heard the call, however, you may be curious about your ability to support yourself should you become a Catholic priest, as you're bound to have expenses like any member of the laity. Before you dedicate your life to the church, investigate the financial impact of your decision.

Read more: The Average Salary of a Catholic Priest | eHow.com

Understanding the ‘Catholic vote’

Catholics are not blind followers.  They use their consciences to vote. -CD2000

(Source:Opinion Inquirer) Many people will liken the notion of a “Catholic vote” to the alleged bloc vote of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. First, we must explain what it is not. The Catholic vote is not a bloc vote according to the dictates of the clergy. It would not be acceptable for the bishops and priests to dictate whom to vote. All this would be very alien to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Catholics are united in what the “Magisterium,” or the teaching authority of the Church, teaches regarding faith and morals. The true mark of Catholicity is this unity in matters of faith and morals combined with great respect for individual freedom and responsibility in temporal matters. Since politics is concerned with temporal matters, Catholics are free to use their own criteria, keeping in mind the common good.

Thus, the decision process of a Catholic is two-tiered: The top tier is the criteria for matters that have to do with faith and morals, and the lower tier is concerned with temporal issues. Before Republic Act 10354, there was never any need for a Catholic vote: Legislation was exclusively concerned with policymaking on temporal matters regulating civil life. The situation changed completely with the introduction of the reproductive health bill—a policy that impinged on the sacredness of human life and the sanctity of marriage. The Catholic vote was born in the hearts of the faithful as they helplessly listened to politicians they elected cast their votes in favor of RH.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: “When the Church addresses her social teaching to issues of the common good, she has no intention of giving the Church power over the State or to impose on those who do not share the faith ways of thinking and modes of conduct proper to faith.”

Egyptian TV Host Riham Said Removes Veil during Interview, Clashes with Guest Cleric Sheik Yousuf Badri Al-Nahar TV (Egypt)

Quasi-churches who claimed to be Christians but deny the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is central to most Christian denominations and faith groups, although not all. The term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible and is a concept of Christianity that is not easy to grasp or explain. Yet most conservative, evangelical Bible scholars agree that the Trinity doctrine is clearly expressed within Scripture. (Source: About.com)

The following faith groups and religions are among those that reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The list is not exhaustive but encompasses several of the major groups and religious movements. Included is a brief explanation of each group's beliefs about the nature of God, revealing a deviation from the doctrine of the Trinity.

For comparison purposes, the biblical Trinity doctrine is defined as follows: "There is only one God, made up of three distinct Persons who exist in co-equal, co-eternal communion as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Mormonism - Latter-day Saints

Founded By: Joseph Smith, Jr., 1830.

Mormons believe that God was once a man, but became God. He has a physical, flesh and bones, eternal, perfect body. Men have the potential to become gods as well. Jesus is God's literal son, a separate being from God the Father and the "elder brother" of men. The Holy Spirit is also a separate being from God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is regarded as an impersonal power or spirit being. These three separate beings are "one" only in their purpose, and they make up the Godhead.

Jehovah's Witnesses

Founded By: Charles Taze Russell, 1879. Succeeded by Joseph F. Rutherford, 1917.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God is one person, Jehovah. Jesus was Jehovah's first creation. Jesus is not God, nor part of the Godhead. He is higher than the angels, but inferior to God. Jehovah used Jesus to create the rest of the universe. Before Jesus came to earth he was known as the archangel Michael. The Holy Spirit is an impersonal force from Jehovah, but not God.

Christian Science

Founded By: Mary Baker Eddy, 1879.

Christian Scientists believe the trinity is life, truth and love. As an impersonal principle, God is the only thing that truly exists. Everything else (matter) is an illusion. Jesus, though not God, is the Son of God. He was the promised Messiah but was not a deity. The Holy Spirit is divine science in the teachings of Christian Science.

Armstrongism

(Philadelphia Church of God, Global Church of God, United Church of God)

Founded By: Herbert W. Armstrong, 1934.

Traditional Armstrongism denies a Trinity, defining God as "a family of individuals." Original teachings say Jesus did not have a physical resurrection and the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force.

Christadelphians

Founded By: Dr. John Thomas, 1864.

Christadelphians believe God is one indivisible unity, not three distinct persons existing in one God. They deny the divinity of Jesus, believing he is fully human and separate from God. They do not believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, but simply a force—the "unseen power" from God.

Oneness Pentecostals

Founded By: Frank Ewart, 1913.

Oneness Pentecostals believe that there is one God and God is one. Throughout time God manifested himself in three ways or "forms" (not persons), as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Oneness Pentecostals take issue with the Trinity doctrine chiefly for its use of the term "person." They believe God cannot be three distinct persons, but only one being who has revealed himself in three different modes. It is important to note that Oneness Pentecostals do affirm the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Unification Church

Founded By: Sun Myung Moon, 1954.

Unification adherents believe that God is positive and negative, male and female. The universe is God's body, made by him. Jesus was not God, but a man. He did not experience a physical resurrection. In fact, his mission on earth failed and will be fulfilled through Sun Myung Moon, who is greater than Jesus. The Holy Spirit is feminine in nature. She collaborates with Jesus in the spirit realm to draw people to Sun Myung Moon.

Unity School of Christianity

Founded By: Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, 1889.

Similar to Christian Science, Unity adherents believe God is an unseen, impersonal principle, not a person. God is a force within everyone and everything. Jesus was only a man, not the Christ. He simply realized his spiritual identity as the Christ by practicing his potential for perfection. This is something all men can achieve. Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, but rather, he reincarnated. The Holy Spirit is the active expression of God's law. Only the spirit part of us is real, matter is not real.

Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ)

Founded By: Felix Manalo , 1914

Felix Manalo denies the divinity of Jesus quoting bible verses that are only stating his humanity. For them Jesus was a creation of God-- a plan (Jn 1). He existed only when he became flesh. The Iglesia ni Cristo denies the Trinity which for them was a "invented doctrine" by the Catholic Church in the Nicene Council (325) but failed to acknowledge Church fathers who lived during the times of the apostles and testified to this truth.

Scientology - Dianetics

Founded By: L. Ron Hubbard, 1954.

Scientology defines God as Dynamic Infinity. Jesus is not God, Savior or Creator, nor does he have control of supernatural powers. He is usually overlooked in Dianetics. The Holy Spirit is absent from this belief system as well. Men are "thetan" - immortal, spiritual beings with limitless capabilities and powers, though often they are unaware of this potential. Scientology teaches men how to achieve "higher states of awareness and ability" through practicing Dianetics.