Iglesia Ni Cristo celebrates Centennial on July 27, 2014

by Emmanuel Samonte Tipon

“If you came to ask for money, I don’t have any,” exclaimed President Ferdinand Marcos as we were ushered into his office in Makiki Heights, Honolulu. I was with former Assemblyman Nemesio V. Ganan, Jr. of Romblon.

“No sir, we did not come to ask for money,” I answered, emphatically. “We attended the dedication of the Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church of Christ] chapel in Waipahu and we stopped by to pay our respects to you before going back to San Francisco. But if you think we came to ask for money, we are leaving, good-bye.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marcos apologized. “Everybody who comes to see me these days asks for money, even the relatives of Cory.” “Who, sir?” I asked. “Never mind,” he remarked. (I later learned who they were, accompanied by an Ilocano congressman).

“I did not know you were Iglesia,” Marcos remarked. (I had known Marcos since 1949. Roque Ablan, Jr. and I learned how to drive using Manong Andy’s car. Roque’s father who was the Governor of Ilocos Norte when Marcos was tried for murder provided Marcos with special treatment in the jail, including giving him a set of law books so he could review for the bar.)

“You know, I believe that the Iglesia Ni Cristo is the true church,” Marcos said.

“What makes you say that, sir?” I inquired.

“How can the Iglesia be so successful, building all these churches with thousands of people joining? God must be behind it,” Marcos explained.

“Sir, may I ask you then to join the Iglesia. You will be my first convert,” I said.

“I have already changed my religion once. It is too late for me to change it again,” Marcos demurred. (The Marcoses were originally Aglipayans before he became a Catholic. Their home in Batac, Ilocos Norte is directly across from the first Aglipayan church in the Philippines).

“I know your parents, you were not an Iglesia ni Cristo at birth, you were Protestants, what made you join?

“Only my mother was Protestant, my father was Catholic. I went to the church of whoever I was courting,” I joked. Marcos laughed, shaking his head.

COMMON SENSE DOCTRINES

My fiancée, Natividad Valerio, was a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo. She personally introduced me to Brother Erano G. Manalo, then the Executive Minister of the Iglesia. He is the father of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, the current Executive Minister, and the son of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, the first Executive Minister.

I did not join the Iglesia simply to marry a beautiful woman. Iglesia doctrine prohibits members from marrying outside the faith. Before I joined, I attended at least 20 indoctrination sessions listening to the Iglesia’s history and doctrines. I would not have joined if I did not agree with the Iglesia doctrines. I found that the doctrines are based not only on the Bible but reflect common sense.

Foremost is that the Iglesia believes that there is only one God, not three nor thirty three. That is the first commandment. The Iglesia believes that Jesus Christ is a man, not God. Indeed, for if Jesus Christ was God, how come he died? God does not die. Jesus Christ may be the son of God, but that does not make him God. Everyone knows the expletive “son of a b…..” The son is not a b…..

The Iglesia members do not eat blood. That is the dirtiest part of an animal. I tried it once when I was a child during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. I found it yucky. This is especially true of the Tagalog version called “dinuguan” where the meat is literally swimming in cooked blood. At least the Ilocano version called “dinardaran” is tolerable. It is cooked like adobo. When I was in London for the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, I went to breakfast and asked the waiter, a Filipino, what the sausage was made of. “Blood,” he answered, “try it, it is delicious.” “I am Iglesia,” I told him, “I do not eat blood.” “I am Iglesia, too, but I will not report you,” he assured me.  “God is watching,” I told him.

The most difficult doctrine of the Iglesia that I accepted was voting as one in the elections. I told the minister who was teaching us that I do not want anybody telling me what to do. “But does not your wife tell you what to do?” he asked. “No, I am not married,” I replied. “You went to U.P. (University of the Philippines), did you not belong to a fraternity?” “Yes, in fact I was the Lord Chancellor of a fraternity, the Alpha Phi Beta,” I replied. “Don’t the fraternities vote as one?” he asked. “Yes, that is the essence of brotherhood - unity,” I told him, “But the fraternity leaders first assess the qualifications of the candidates with input from the members and then the head of the fraternity makes the final decision.” “That is the same with the Iglesia,” the minister explained. “You mean I can suggest to Ka Erdie whom the Iglesia should vote for?” I asked. “Sure,” the minster replied. Since joining the Iglesia, I had been suggesting to Ka Erdie whom the Iglesia should vote for in Philippine and American elections and he always accepted my suggestion, even when my suggestion was not the llamado (favored winner). I also suggested to Ka Eduardo during the last Philippine presidential election whom the Church should vote for as president but he did not accept my suggestion. Millions are now suffering from voter’s remorse.

ORIGIN OF IGLESIA NI CRISTO

The Church of Christ was actually established by Jesus Christ, hence the name. But the original members of the Church of Christ became apostatized. However, the Church of Christ (in Tagalog, Iglesia Ni Cristo) was re-established in the Philippines on July 27, 1914 when its articles of incorporation were registered with the government. Brother Felix Ysagun Manalo, considered the last messenger of God, led the re-establishment of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Coincidentally, the First World War began on that day.

The Iglesia ni Cristo members are the most persecuted and ridiculed people in the Philippines. Once upon a time, an attractive lady I was seeing eye to eye, came up to me and said “I heard you are a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, is that true?” “Yes,” I admitted. “But that is the church of the poor. You are not poor.” she continued. “No, I am not poor, I am the poorest.” I told her.

The Church of the “poor” will celebrate 100 years of receiving God’s love and blessings which has enabled it to expand throughout the world with the members sharing their faith with others and performing acts of kindness among their fellow human beings. We will be going to the Philippines to join in the celebration which will be commemorated at the Philippine Arena at Ciudad Victoria, a city within a town, in Bulacan province. It is considered the largest air-conditioned domed structure in the world with a seating capacity of 55,000 people.

Click here for pictures of Felix Y. Manalo, Erano G. Manalo, and Eduardo V. Manalo,

(Atty. Emmanuel Samonte Tipon may be reached at: filamlaw@yahoo.com)