Rep. Lito Atienza lived his Catholic faith and defended the Church against Duterte attack!

Thanks for defending the Church!

Atienza to Duterte: Stop insulting Catholic faith; Church can’t be destroyed

Lito Atienza (Photo Source: Inquirer)

By: Pathricia Ann V. Roxas - Reporter / @PathRoxasINQ

INQUIRER.net / 08:20 PM January 15, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza has defended the Catholic Church from President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades, urging the Chief Executive to stop insulting the faith as the Church “cannot be destroyed.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Atienza pointed out that Duterte’s “incessant” statements against the clergy are “creating a climate and culture of death.” He added that Duterte should instead focus on his campaign to stamp out corruption.

“The Church cannot be destroyed. Many have tried but failed. I’d rather that the President devotes his time to giving Filipinos a better life and I want him to succeed in that,” Atienza said.

The former Manila mayor also noted that while he has been supporting Duterte’s flagship campaign against illegal drugs and increasing the pay of military and police personnel, he “speak out against him when he is wrong.”

“Huwag niyo pong maliitin, insultuhin, at ilagay sa kapahamakan ang ating mga pari at obispo. I believe in my faith and I will continue defending my faith,” said Atienza, pointing out Duterte should not focus on the Catholic Church, “which has been dealing with wrongdoings committed by its members.”

“We in Congress must stand and prevent the continuing efforts to destroy the foundations of our Church. What will succeed in the end is still the will of God,” he added.

Christmas in Our Hearts

Philippine President-elect mocks Saints and the Catholic Church... again!

Photo source: Monk's Hobbit

President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was hailed from Mindanao, once again mocks the Catholic Church. And at this time, he mocks saints and Catholic practice of venerating them. According to this news, he mocks the saints by joking on having difficulty choosing between more than 5,000 declared saints to pray for. And blurted out that there is only ONE GOD and his "name" is ALLAH.

'Allah' is NOT a name but it's an Arabic word الله‎ which is the English equivalent for 'god' or 'God'. Therefore to say that God's name is 'allah' is erroneously incorrect.  His name, according to Judeo-Christian tradition is 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah' or mostly substituted with 'Elohim' or 'Adonai'.

The 'SAINTS' aren't gods. They're like us. They live like us but died a heroic death for God and His Church. In other words, they are Christianity's heroes worthy of emulation. And in particular, we Catholics venerated them because we firmly believe the saints OFFER our prayers before the throne of God (Rev. 5:8).  

And as his followers liked his revolting commentaries, he even went beyond INSULTING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES “Those were written 3,000 years ago. Ano ba pakialam natin sa kanilang sinulat?”

Let's pray for his leadership and be vigilant for we cannot be complacent with his detestable, very distasteful and very destructive strong worded comments on the Catholic Church and our bishops and priests. -CD2000

Duterte makes fun of Catholic Church’s practices
By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) | Updated June 27, 2016

MANILA, Philippines - President-elect Rodrigo Duterte Monday made fun of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which has been critical of his stance on family planning and death penalty.

Duterte, in particular, joked about the Catholic practice of venerating saints, people officially recognized by the Church as models of the faith.

“I believe in one God Allah. Period,” he said during his last flag ceremony as Davao City mayor. Allah is the name of the God worshipped by Muslims.

Duterte’s discomfort with Catholicism, it seems, stemmed from his unpleasant experiences when he was still a child. He recalled that when he was a child, his mother Soledad would punish him by asking him to kneel before an altar.

"I told Jesus, help me. He said I can’t help a naughty boy,” he said in jest.

Duterte said in the Catholic faith, there are about 5,000 saints to choose from.

“You choose your saint: San Tiago, Santo Isabelo, Santo Roman, Santilmo, Santo Rodrigo,” the next Philippine president said, drawing laughs from the audience.

“St. Peter himself loves cockfighting,” he said in jest, referring to the apostle whose symbol in art is the rooster.

According to the Christian Bible, a rooster crowed after St. Peter disowned Jesus Christ.

Roman Catholicism is a monotheistic religion, which means that it worships only one God, Jesus Christ. Catholics do not worship saints but only venerate or respect them.

Duterte said he has been at odds with the Catholic Church because of its opposition to artificial family planning methods. He noted that in Davao City, pills, ligation and other birth control methods are accessible to couples.

“I go against the Church because its position is not realistic,” the tough-talking leader said.

Duterte has called the Catholic Church “the most hypocritical institution” for its supposed failure to practice what it teaches. He claimed that bishops continue to teach morality but has failed to address clergy sexual abuses.

Last December, Duterte revealed that a Jesuit priest molested him when he was in high school but was too afraid to file a complaint.

Duterte, however, went beyond Catholic doctrines and questioned the relevance of the scriptures themselves.

“Those were written 3,000 years ago. Ano ba pakialam natin sa kanilang sinulat?” he said.

'Iglesia ni Duterte'

President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte (Photo from New Mandala)

By: Red Tani from Inquirer Opinion

Tweeter @inquirerdotnet
12:18 AM June 1st, 2016

After admitting in a recent press conference that he is no longer a Catholic, Rodrigo Duterte remarked that he had a new religion: “Iglesia ni Duterte.”

He invited people to join it, presumably after leaving the Catholic Church, which he has called “the most hypocritical institution.”

Many will dismiss the invitation as just another joke. But I think the idea of a religion with Duterte as its deity is not as far from the truth as you’d expect.

For starters, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call some of Duterte’s followers fanatical, even cultist. Teachers at the high school where Duterte recently cast his vote plan on preserving the chair he sat on as he voted in a museum. In at least one sortie, supporters braved crowds for a chance to get a towel graced with his sweat—a scene that evokes the Black Nazarene procession. A Facebook page called “Duterte Savior of the Philippines” has over 27,000 fans.

Duterte is without fault for this fanaticism. In a speech he delivered at an assembly of the Makati Business Club, he said that to understand his mind, we must “forget about the laws of men” and “imagine the… justice of the Lord.”

In a program hosted by Apollo Quiboloy, the leader of a sect that believes him, Quiboloy, to be the actual Son of God, Duterte recalled how the evangelist’s prophecy gave him the idea to seek the presidency. He said that despite his initial reluctance, God made it his destiny to become president.

Many #DearPresidentDigong posts on social media sound less like requests and more like prayers. And who can blame them for expecting this much from someone who originally promised to eliminate crime in three to six months?

The Philippine president-elect's shocking insult to Catholic bishops

What a disgrace!

Rodrigo Duterte, the Filipino president-elect, who is expected to take office June 30, 2016. Credit: Malacañang Photo Bureau/Public Domain via Wikipedia

Manila, Philippines, May 26, 2016 / 04:25 pm (CNA).- The president-elect of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, recently described the country's bishops as corrupt and “sons of whores” for allegedly resorting to seeking favors from politicians.

During a May 20 press conference, the president-elect described the Catholic Church as “the most hypocritical institution” and insulted the Filipino bishops: “You sons of whores, aren't you ashamed? You ask for so many favors, even from me.”

It is estimated that more than 80% of Filipinos are part of the Catholic Church.

Duterte won 38.5 percent of the vote for president of the Philippines, which was held May 9. While the nation's congress has not yet declared the result official, his lead is unassailable.

Currently mayor of Davao City, Duterte has built his political image as a tough leader. Nicknamed “the Punisher” by Time Magazine, Duterte brought law and order to Davao – known in the '70s and '80s as the murder capital of the country – with drastic measures which included, according to various human rights organizations, allowing death squads to operate.

He has served as mayor of Davao since 1988, except a three-year period when he was term-limited, and another three-year period when he served as vice mayor, while his daughter Sara was mayor.

During the election campaign, the Church in the Philippines expressed its opposition to several of Duterte's proposals, such as re-instituting the death penalty.

PDI OPINION: Duterte’s unfair tactics and lies against Roman Catholic bishops

BULLSEYE!

Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:10 AM May 25th, 2016

These are presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s false charges and unfair tactics against the bishops of the Catholic Church whenever they humbly assert their moral duty and their magisterium, as apostles of God, like when they opposed his plan to reimpose the death penalty (this time, by hanging, at that):

1. Ad hominem. Attack the honor, character and integrity of the Catholic Church and its bishops.

He alleges he was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest 50 years ago when he was 10. (His father, former governor of Davao, apparently ignored it or did not believe it because until recently, Duterte did not talk about the actions taken by his prominent family in response—if what he claims is true).

Some bishops received vehicles and financial support from former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (They returned the vehicles to the government during a Senate inquiry, as an act of spiritual detachment to material things, despite their great need for mobility and accessibility, considering their multifarious field pastoral work to serve millions of Catholics in far-flung areas).

By virtue of the constitutional doctrine of “separation of Church and state,” the Church is “absolutely” prohibited from collaborating with and receiving assistance from government for its social action programs that benefit the poor and the oppressed. (According to many Supreme Court decisions, the Constitution allows “collaboration” between Church and state to promote the general welfare, and the matter of the Church receiving reasonable support from the state does not violate the separation doctrine.

That the Church is the “most hypocritical institution” in the Philippines. (Duterte, of course, skirts the issues on his unexplained wealth in BPI, his dubious SALNs, the inconsistencies, if not lies, in his speeches [his positions on issues change from time to time, depending on his audience], his secret meetings with Chinese officials and the Sultan of Brunei during the campaign, his allegation about poverty and lack of campaign funds [belied by his TV and radio political ads worth millions of pesos] his secret big-time financiers from mining, rice-trading and other business sectors, and his many other claims that amounted to gross dishonesty, irresponsibility and hypocrisy).

2. Diversionary tactic. Ignore the main arguments. (The United Nations and its agencies urge member-states to reject death penalty as a policy. The Second Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Convention prohibits death penalty since the 1970s. The current international norm rejects death penalty, except for a few states—e.g., United States, China, Singapore). Divert instead the attention of the public to irrelevant or collateral issues.

Sometimes I am tempted to conclude that Duterte’s very close, if not fanatical, association with top-ranking communist leaders and his deep ideological indoctrination to communism since the 1960s up to now have turned him into an atheist, the “religion” of hardcore communists.

Whenever I listen to Duterte, I always get the feeling that his mind is not only agitated by hate and overblown ego but also closed to reason and differing opinions, and that he listens only to himself and his alter egos, and that he believes his own lies.
—MANUEL J. LASERNA JR., former professor of law, Far Eastern University, partner, Laserna Cueva-Mercader Law Offices, Las Piñas City

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/94893/dutertes-unfair-tactics-and-lies-against-roman-catholic-bishops#ixzz49osX8YH3

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MY LOYALTY TO A LEADER ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND OBEDIENCE TO HIS CHURCH AUTHORITIES BEGINS

When told about Quiboloy's hurt feelings when Duterte seems to ease out the pastor during the selection of his Cabinet members, Duterte blurterd: "I am sorry. My loyalty to my friend ends where my loyalty to my country begins." (Read HERE)

 

As a Catholic, I too will say "I AM SORRY MR DUTERTE. MY LOYALTY TO MY PRESIDENT ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND HIS CHURCH BEGINS."

Revealing his deep-seated grudges against the Catholic Church during his interview with ABS-CBN News Sunday, Mr. Duterte lambasted the Catholic Church as the "MOST HYPOCRITICAL INSTITUTION" after enumerating what he says the sins of the Catholic Church. I could only shook my head in disbelief.  What  a disgrace. And what would Catholic priests and bishops from the Visayas and Mindanao who defended his unbecoming behavior would say in response?  And what would CFD's (Catholic Faith Defenders) response to his venomous attack against the Church as an institution and her ordained priests and bishops?  I can only surmise.  Is this the kind of 'CHANGE' we Catholic Filipinos are expecting from him? Did we vote for him so as to attack us the next day?

Here are his rantings:

• He belittle the power of the Catholic Bishops as he considers his win as a clear referendum between him and the Catholic Church. 
• He boasts that although the bishops issued a Pastoral Letter "not to vote" for him (but the Bishops didn't name names), still he won among Catholics.
• He assumes his authority over Catholics with their bishops "iilan lang kayo!"
• He was "molested" by a Catholic priest according to him of which he laments because the priest already died 20 years ago and this is what he wants to start a fight against the Catholic priests and bishops.
• He wants to lecture Catholic bishops and priests of the sins of the Catholic Church since "institution of papacy" began.
• He dares he can drop names of bishops and priests who have fathered illegitimate children and that this is the "explosion" in the Catholic as a church.
• He wants a debate with any of the Catholic Bishops!
• Catholic bishops and priests are humans (still that's what we Catholics thought of our bishops and priests) prone to sin. And that this sin of clandestine priests will ultimately cause them "all fall down".
• The Catholic Church is just a "show" (pageantry).
• He curses Catholic bishops and priests living in "luxurious lifestyles" allegedly coming from politicians.
• Catholic bishops and priests who are soliciting donations from him, now barking at him.
• He believes in God but not in religion.
• He rejects Catholic rituals!
• He doesn't believe someone (like sinful human Catholic priests) could take away sins.  He said, priests / bishops aren't Gods (and we Catholic also believed that but they're given the authority to 'bind and loose')

As a Catholic 'faith defender', I cannot be silent on this matter. it's time to role up our sleeves once again and let's go back to prayer, fasting, sacrifice and action! RISE UP CATHOLICS!

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 22 2016 01:20 PM

Duterte calls Catholic Church 'most hypocritical institution'

Warning: Video contains offensive language.

(2nd UPDATE) OLD GRUDGES. Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday dubbed the Catholic Church as the "most hypocritical institution" as he lambasted its bishops for supposedly attempting to erode public support for him before the May 9 elections.

Duterte told reporters in Davao City that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a pastoral letter a few days before the elections in a bid to dissuade the electorate from voting for him.

Despite this, Duterte said he still won the presidential elections, which he described as a "public referendum" between him and the bishops. The long-time mayor of Davao City has a 6.2 million lead over administration candidate, Mar Roxas, going into the official canvassing of the results by Congress this week. Three of his four rivals have conceded.

"They campaigned against me, everybody was saying 'Do not vote for Duterte.' Fine. I said, let this election be a referendum between me and the Catholic Church... Sabi ko, this will be a referendum kung sinong tama sa atin. Look, were you able to stop me? Iilan lang kayong mga obispo diyan," he said.

In an apparent reference to Duterte, the CBCP on May 1 urged the public to reject a "morally reprehensible" candidate who has shown "scant regard" for the rights of others and the teachings of the Church.

BREAKING: Catholics Will not be Part of Duterte's Presidency

Source: Abante

Out ang Katoliko sa gobyerno ko! -- Du30

Tahasang sinabi ni Davao City Mayor Rodrigo ‘Digong’ Duterte na sakaling manalo siya sa pagka-pangulo nga­yong eleksyon ay walang magiging role o ga­gampanang papel ang Simbahang Katoliko sa ilalim ng kanyang admi­nistrasyon.

“No more. Why should I acknowledge them? They say I should not be elected. I will not die if the Catholics will not vote for me,” sabi pa ni Duterte.

Gayunman, sinu­suportahan niya ang fa­mily planning, moderno man o ‘yung natural me­thods at binigyang-diin pa na ang ideal number of children per family ay dalawa hanggang tatlo upang mas mapalaki nang mabuti.

Samantala, minaliit lamang ng Catholic Bi­shops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ang pagyayabang ni Duterte na hindi nito kailangan ang boto ng mga Katoliko sa buong bansa.

Ayon kay Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, kung hindi kailangan ni Duterte ang boto ng may 81 por­siyentong registered voters na Katoliko ay bahala na itong maniwala sa kanyang sarili.

“Kung hindi niya kailangan ang boto ng mga Katoliko ay bahala siya basta sa kasalukuyan ay nasa 81 porsiyento lang naman ang mga botante na pawang tagasunod ng Simbahang Katoliko,” sa panayam ng Abante kay Arguelles.

Ani Arguelles, kahit nakuha ni Duterte ang basbas ng Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) ay hindi ito nakakasiguro na mapupuwersa ng pamunuan nito na sumunod ang mga miyembro nito.

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.”

Risa Hontiveros, one of the noisiest ladies promoting the deadly RH Bill in the House of Representatives wrote a letter to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines expressing her opposition to the Bishops unmovable stand against the RH Bill. Thanks to The PinoyCatholic

Dear Bishop Odchimar,

Peace!

I will not respond to all the points raised in the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which you sent us, your Filipino brothers and sisters, last 30 January. Most of them are old points that have been raised and clarified repeatedly in so many debates and too few dialogues in the past decade, though it drives me almost to tears that it seems the good Bishops have not been listening intently or understanding with empathy. 

I would like to respond to just two points. 

ATTY. MARWIL N. LLASOS RESPONSE TO CONRADO DE QUIROS AND RINA JIMENES DAVID ON CARLOS CEDRAN-RH BILL ISSUES

SOURCE: THE KNIGHT OF MARY - In today’s Philippine Daily Inquirer (October 5, 2010), columnist Conrado de Quiros lauded protester Carlos Celdran’s act of desecrating Manila Cathedral and disrupting the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as “brilliant.” De Quiros went on to “canonize” Celdran for having “done this country the not inconsiderable service of drawing its attention to the real problem, which is not just reproductive health but the health of the country itself.”

The issue is no longer about reproductive health but the proper limit of protest and dissent. To De Quiros, it is alright to violate the law as long as you are able to dramatize your protest against the Church and its prelate. It is perfectly justifiable for you to disrupt the liturgical services of a religion and bring your protest inside the confines of its sacred temple as long as that religion is the Catholic Church.

Journalists, like De Quiros, are known to be jealous of their rights. But when it comes to the Catholic Church’s right not to be molested or disrupted in its religious services, De Quiros would hear none of that. This is hypocrisy and double standard in the highest order.

To follow de Quiroz’ logic to the extreme, the terrorists who attacked the Twin Tower on September 11, 2001 were justified in doing so. Those terrorists were exercising their freedom of expression anyway. Like Celdran, they wanted to effectively send their message across. To be consistent, De Quiroz should praise those terrorists to high heavens for jolting the US to its senses.

It is clear that to De Quiroz, the end justifies the means. He sanctions taking the law into your own hands. He approves of lawlessness and commission of a crime as long as it is directed to “unaccountable” prelates.

Another columnist who lambasts the Church and its leaders at every opportunity is Rina Jimenez David. For David, “the arrest and incarceration of Celdran speaks of the lingering vestiges of Church power and influence in this country.” David forgot that Celdran violated the law and he was arrested by elements of the police in flagrante delicto. Celdran committed a crime, plain and simple, for which her was arrested and detained. The “lingering vestiges of power and influence” of the Church has nothing to do with it. By deploring the arrest and incarceration of Celdran, David clearly wants impunity for the criminal acts of her pro-RH Bill champion. She condones violation of the law as long as it is directed against the Catholic Church.

It is obvious by now that we can express our opinion, dissent and protest, even lawlessly, as long as our position agrees with the views of opinionated newspaper columnists like Conrado De Quiros and Karina Jimenez-David. If we do so, we would be reaping commendations from these columnists. But if the Catholic Church and Catholics loyal to the Church’s magisterium voice their opposition to birth control, they will be branded as ignorant and superstitious who abysmally fail to read the “signs” of the times. De Quiroz and David would want us to keep our mouth shut because we are infringing on the separation of Church and State.

Freedom in this country is only for those who approve of RH Bill. Crime is condoned so long as you protest against the Catholic Church. This is now what the rule of law means.

-Atty. Marwil N. Llasos

A reaction to Emil Jurado's "The cruz of the reproductive health issue"

I am not a journalist so I am no match to our journalists who are accusing the Church of medling in politics.

But we have to admit that some of our local journalists DO NOT always tell the truth. We need to read and re-read what they said. We need to be vigilant and do our own research. Then we can only uncover that what they were saying are not always the truth.

Take for example the opinion of Mr. Emil Jurado, The crux of the reproductive health issue of
Source: The Manila Standard Today when he said:

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines certainly needs a lot of public relations advice.

Catholic Bishops DO NOT need "public relations advice(s)" because our bishops do not follow the dictates of the public and any politician. They follow the dictates of the teachings of the Church because Catholic teachings do not change by votation nor by popularity. What the bishops are doing is to DEFEND LIFE against those who are against it.

The issue here IS NOT about condoms or pills. It's the moral principles which ultimately has a longer effect on our citizens. If we are animals, then we can have sex anywhere if we want. We can have it right inside the malls or cinemas or shopping centers and demand it's our individual rights to have sex anywhere as we wanted

Take the case of Intramuros tour guide Carlos Celdran, who became an instant celebrity when he was jailed overnight for waving that “Damaso” placard and disrupting Mass at the Manila Cathedral last week.


And for what—violating a Jurassic law against offending the sensibilities of worshippers? This is a law which has its beginnings in the Spanish period."

Thank heavens, this Carlo Celdran DIDN'T HURT the "jurasic law" against offending the "sensibilities of worshippers" in ISLAM-- thanks God he DID it in a Catholic Church, NOT in a Mosque. If he did it in a mosque, his relatives would be grieving today and may bury him the next day. (Note: Muslims also are against this RH Bill)

The problem of the bishops is that while they tell the Catholic faithful that the use of contraceptives is morally wrong, they don’t tell us why. As Catholics, are we supposed to just say amen?

Mr. Jurado lied. He DID NOT do his homeworks. He is very quick in accusing Catholic Bishoops of "not telling us" the reason why the Catholic Church is OPPOSING against artificial contraceptive methods.

Here are the reasons and I hope Mr. Jurado reads them all!

1. HUMANAE VITAE Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI in 25 July 1968
2. GAUDIUM ET SPES, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 7 December 1965
3. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
4. The Statements of Pope John Paul II on Contraception from 1978-1996
5. VERITATIS SPLENDOR written by Pope John Paul II in 6 August 1996
6. Contraception vs Abortion, a Comparison and some Implications
7. And what the Scripture says about it.
8. And he should read why the CATHOLIC CHURCH is against CONTRACEPTION HERE and HERE!

I think this is why there are more and more Catholics staying away from the Church and joining other groups like the Iglesia ni Cristo and the Born Again Christians.

The Catholic Church ISN'T WORRIED "Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ" said St. Athanasius who lived in the 4th Century A. D.

We have numerous ex-Catholics. While their lifestyles are not compatible with their lives, they shop for other "churches" that can accomodate their rantings. The best place of refuge is the Iglesia ni Cristo, a known anti-Catholic sect (cult) in the Philippines founded by Felix Manalo who preached he's the "Last Messenger", like Joseph Smith of the Mormon Church, as the "Last Prophet" re-establishing an apostate "church".

Even Mr. Jurado would jump off the fence, the Catholic Church isn't bothered. This same CATHOLIC CHURCH has attracted many people and have swam the Tiber River for the salvation of their souls.

Real Catholics are ready to defend the LIFE everyone has and the Church will stand and safeguard the TRUTH.

Some might be dismayed but we Catholic do not live by POPULARITY. We live according to the Gospel principles of Jesus Christ.

My gulay, in this age of information technology, people, especially the young, cannot be simply told: “do this, don’t do that.” They ask questions. They seek explanations. Even in school, they are taught to ask questions and seek explanations.


And in the case of a population growth rate of 2.3 percent a year, bishops telling Catholics that using condoms to prevent conception is wrong just is not enough. Bishops think all artificial contraceptives are abortifacient. And as we know, abortion in the Philippines is a heinous crime.

Mr. Jurado is right. In this "age of information technology, people, especially the young", cannot visit any sound websites. They populate social networks and other sites that promotes sex and violence.

They're very much addicted to indicency, pornography, masturbation, pre-marital sex that the likes of Mr. Jurado's OPTION for them is CONTRACEPTION.

Maybe he thinks that our youths should keep CONDOMS and PILLS ready in their wallets so that whenever they want sex, no one could trace them. No pregnancy, SAFE, no responsibility, no obligation-- they can DO it again and again.

No baby-- POPULATION IS CONTROLLED!

And when CONDOMS and PILLS fail, ABORTION is available. They call it "women's choice"-- while the baby in the womb has NO CHOICE!

No baby-- POPULATION IS CONTROLLED!

Recall that during the incumbency of President Aquino’s late mother, there were also moves to control population growth. The succeeding presidents all faced the problem. But it was not as pronounced then as it is now. This is why President Noynoy Aquino is advocating that couples should choose how they plan their families and that they should receive tools for contraception.


President Aquino is not only the President of all Catholics but of all Filipinos, regardless of their religion.

The President is not a puppet of any. He has moral obligation to promote LIFE, not to distroy it. Noynoy was voted by many because of his parents. If Noynoy relied only to his own credentials, perhaps Gilber Teodoro, his cousin would be our president today.

Since majority of our population are Catholics (78% of total population) then it is the moral obligation of the Catholic Church to remind every Catholic of the consequences of this Bill.

So I would suggest Mr. Jurado to research more since his profession is journalism before he writes. Don't put the blame on our bishops, teach our younger generation a life of purity, self-control, self-respect and to value life more than anything.

Don't blame the population and the Bishops. Blame our CORRUPT POLITICIANS and our corrupt goverment!

Philippine Senator Pleaded NOT to Excummunicate her for Supporting RH Bill

Still there's hope with Filipino Politicians, let not a letter stop their excommunication unless they uphold the Church' Moral Teachings.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philippines senator asks bishops not to excommunicate her due to contraceptive bill conflict

Philippines, EWTN News - Responding to reports that excommunication is a possibility in a conflict over the Philippines’ “reproductive health” bill, one of the country’s senators has written to the Catholic Church asking that she not be excommunicated. Her letter also repeats a common dissenting interpretation of the 1968 papal encyclical which reiterated Christian opposition to contraception.

Left: Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago; Right: Bishop Nereo
Odchimar, President of the CBCP

In a Friday letter to Bishop Nereo Odchimar, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago defended the proposed legislation as a way to “liberate the poor from social, political, and economic oppression.

"If I were to be excommunicated, I would be expelled from the Church, more particularly from the Eucharist. I would thus be placed in the same category as those guilty of so-called serious sins, such as apostasy, murder, heresy, and adultery. I plead that I am not guilty of mortal sin,” her letter continued, according to ABS-CBN News.

Citing Church teaching that mortal sin is “a fundamental rejection of God and a reorientation of one’s whole life away from all that is good and just,” Sen. Defensor-Santiago described herself as “a strong advocate of social justice, particularly the anti-corruption crusade.”

The senator said she had been taught to implement “liberation theology,” which in her view means that believers achieve salvation by liberating the poor from oppression.

“This is what I am trying to do with my bill,” she added.

She stated “respectfully” that the penalty of excommunication for bill supporters would be “too extreme and disproportionate” and will raise constitutional issues about the church-state relationship.

The senator also challenged Catholic teaching on contraception reiterated in Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical “Humane Vitae.”

“I am humbly but morally convinced that the arguments for contraception are superior,” she said.

Her letter repeated many common objections of those who dissent from “Humanae Vitae.” She cited disagreement on the commission which advised Pope Paul VI and claimed opponents of the Philippines bill “fail to recognize the evolutionary character of Church teaching.” She also said that natural law theory is “already obsolete.”

Defensor-Santiago also cited the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, which says no one should be forced to act “in a manner contrary to one’s conscience” or should be restrained from acting in accord with one’s conscience.

“So please do not excommunicate President Aquino, myself, and those similarly situated,” her letter to Bishop Odchimar concluded. “Thank you very much.”

The “reproductive health” bill would require sex education in public primary and secondary schools and would also necessitate that public hospitals stock contraceptives. One of its goals is population control.

Catholic prelates involved in the debate have noted that some contraceptives can have abortion-causing effects.

Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Family and Life, has charged that the U.S. government is involved in promoting the bill.

He said the U.S. and other international organizations are engaged in a “colonization of morality” and are “imposing their morals on us, disrespecting our own principles and morality.”

What RH Bill does not tell us

Exerpt from filipinoscribbles

Digging “skin-deep” into the issue now, one should realize sooner or later that the youth are actually being exploited, the same way me and Yeyette were exploited years ago. We all grow up, bound to be curious about sex, about our bodies.

Nothing wrong with that.

But with this youthful curiousness, this innocence, comes a vulnerability with which these conspirators against life are after. And they use the mass media to glamorize sex, to captivate these young people into doing the things that only a couple bound by God’s covenant are ought to be doing.

And to be safe, these conspirators against life subtly create a “sex industry”, for like military matters, sex is BIG BUSINESS. Imagine the millions and perhaps billions of money it would generate for these conspirators.

Also, RH Bill does not, and will never, inform you that many contraceptives are actually abortifacients. They cause early abortion.

Finally, RH Bill, even if enacted into law, will sooner or later show its hollow face. For in reality, contraception is already a failure. Why? Because many Filipinos, like other nationalities, have been using contraceptives long before RH Bill was even framed. The rate of unplanned pregnancy, especially among teenagers, has been rising steadily over the last 30 to 40 years. Many such cases end either in abortion or single parenthood.

Finally, RH Bill, again wittingly or unwittingly, will only promote promiscuity, something that is against the natural order of things. Besides, all promises of contraception, since it was invented during the latter half of the last century, never came through. Instead, we have more promiscuity, therefore more unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, more broken families and single parents, an alarming rise in sexually transmitted diseases, sexual crimes against women and children, pornography (that is being, bit by bit, accepted into the mainstream!), abortion trauma, etc.

So this is the kind of society you want? =(

As for Celdrán’s supporters, look at your “hero” now. He still dons his Pepe Rizal suit, smiling whenever there is a photo op for him. What has he done for you? He only created more fame for himself. And he has paved the way for a much sicker society, a society of sex-starved individuals who will one day rape their own children, notwithstanding pet dogs and goldfishes.

If only Rizal were alive —he who died a Catholic, he who died having repented from his immature ways— he would have slapped Celdrán for having maligned his memory.

Yet you call Celdrán your “new José Rizal” just because you claim that he had the balls to defend the freedom of the human genitals from what is supposed to be sacred?

Before I end this rage, let us, again, for argument’s sake, imagine that the Muslims are also against the RH Bill, and that they are the most vocal, more vocal than the Catholic Church…

Will Carlos Celdrán have the same “balls” to invade a Muslim mosque?

I will bet my life that he wouldn’t dare do so. Whatever “balls” he may have will instantly turn into wrinkled grapefruits if he dares to step inside a mosque.

Cowards like him will only attack a weary institution, such as the Church, which has been in constant attack ever since Jesus Christ was executed.

And you believe Carlo Celdan should be banned from Intramuros, sign your petition here

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).

Prayer for the New Elected Philippine President

Dear Lord,

I implore you to look upon our new elected President Benigno Aquino III whose parents have been blessings to our people. Shield him from the influence of ravenous people and bestow him the iron will to wipe up corrupt officials still serving our communities. Bless him with wisdom that he may judge rightfully between the interests of the Filipino people from the interest selfish elites.

Look after his hearts from egotism that he may live not for himself but for the marginalize Filipinos. May the spirit of his virtuous parents keep him from falling into dishonesty. May he defend his Christian faith and live it according to the moral teachings of the Church that he may uphold the dignity of every human being including the unborn.

May he lead us just as Moses led a stubborn people while searching for the promise land you always wanted our country to have. Fill every Filipino with sincerity to support him and his government, not so much on what he could do for us but what we can do for our country.

May all Filipinos unite behind him remembering the legacy his parents had always wished for Filipinos.

May God bless the Philippines.

Amen.

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!

Can we expedite Justice in Mindanao's killing fields?

(Photo Source: AP)
Brutally murdered innocent Filipinos were summary executed by a soul-less person who, until now is in hiding. Today, as the development news pours in, there are a total of 57 dead found in Maguindanao (YahooNews.

I don’t feel just sorry for the family of the victims but I grieved for seeing all bodies littering around like dead animals. I just couldn’t hold my tears back seeing all their bodies buried in the same way how suspected farm animals were summary executed and buried in a deep ditch without proper tomb for each to rest.

It’s hard to say a word at this time who could have been behind this senseless killing. Initially, investigators are saying it was all politically motivated. If that’s the case, we can narrow down our list of suspects. Heavily, that of the powerful Ampatuan clan. Today they surrendered to the police (read PhilStar).

Before the ambushed, Ismael Mangudadatu, one of the dead received numerous death threats from an unknown man.

Today, I join the rest of the Filipinos to mourn for the dead. Also, today, President Arroyo declared a National Day of Mourning.

May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

How much is many for INC bloc vote?

The Mythical Iglesia ni Cristo bloc voting has to be exposed for accuracy. How many votes is expected to come from the politically powerful Iglesia ni Cristo bloc voting? According to Philippine Daily Inquirer) "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."

So with that, our politicians are ready to get wedded to the church founded by Felix Manalo?

Stop believing in myths. Our politicians are becoming funnier.