| Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) | |
| Seal of the Iglesia ni Cristo | |
| Classification | Independent |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Nontrinitarian |
| Governance | Hierarchical |
| Leader | Eduardo V. Manalo |
| Geographical areas | 98 countries and territories[1] |
| Headquarters | No. 1 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City, Philippines[2] |
| Founder | Felix Y. Manalo |
| Origin | July 27, 1914 Punta, Santa Ana, Manila, Philippines |
| Congregations | Over 5,600[1] |
| Members | 3 million[3] |
| Aid organization | Lingap sa Mamamayan (Aid for Humanity), INC Giving |
| Tax status | U.S. IRS 501c3 |
| Tertiary institutions | 1 |
| Official website | N/A |
Iglesia ni Cristo[4] (Tagalog for Church of Christ) also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian[5] religious organization that originated from the Philippines[6] and the largest independent church in Asia.[7] Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in outlook and theme.[8] INC, however, does not formally consider itself to be part of the Restoration Movement.
Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church with the Philippine Government on July 27, 1914[9] and because of this, most publications refer to him as the founder of the church.[10] However, the official doctrines of the church profess that Jesus Christ is the founder of the INC[11] and that Felix Manalo was the last messenger, sent by God to re-establish the Christian Church to its true, pristine form because the original church was apostatized. INC teaches that the apostate church is the Roman Catholic Church,[12] and proclaims that Catholic beliefs[13] shared by most Christians, such as the Trinity are proof of this apostasy. The church teaches that the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit are not biblical.[14][15][16] As of 2010[update], the Executive Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo is Eduardo V. Manalo, the grandson of Felix Manalo.[17]
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Felix Manalo, born on May 10, 1886 in Taguig, Philippines, was baptized a Roman Catholic. In his teenage years, Manalo became dissatisfied with Roman Catholic theology. According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the establishment of the Philippine Independent Church or the Aglipayan Church was his major turning point but Manalo remained uninterested since its doctrines were mainly Catholic. He started seeking through various denominations, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1904, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church,[18] entered the Methodist seminary, and became a pastor for a while.[3] Manalo left the Methodist church in 1913, and associated himself with atheist and agnostic peers.[19][20]
On November 1913, Manalo secluded himself with religious literature and unused notebooks in a friend's house in Pasay, instructing everyone in the house not to disturb him. He emerged out of seclusion three days later with his new-found doctrines.[19][21]
Manalo, together with his wife, went to Punta, Santa Ana, Manila on July 1914, and started preaching. He left the congregation in the care of his first ordained minister, and returned to Taguig to evangelize. In Taguig, he was ridiculed and stoned in his meetings with locals. He was later able to baptize a few converts, including some of his persecutors. He later registered his new-found religion as the Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog for Church of Christ) on July 27, 1914 at the Bureau of Commerce as a corporation sole with himself as the first executive minister.[18][19][20] Expansion followed as INC started building congregations in the provinces in 1916.[1] The first three ministers were ordained in 1919.[21]
In 1922, the INC's first schism, led by Teofilo Ora, one of INC's first ministers,[2][22][23] resulted in the loss of several congregations, along with their church buildings, in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.[3] Ora founded Iglesia Verdadero de Cristo which was later changed to Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus.[24] By 1924, the INC had about 3,000 to 5,000 adherents in 43 or 45 congregations in Manila and six nearby provinces.[20]
By 1936, the INC had 85,000 members. This figure grew to 200,000 by 1954.[1] A Cebu congregation was built in 1937—the first to be established outside of Luzon, and the first in the Visayas. The first mission to Mindanao was commissioned in 1946. Meanwhile, its first concrete chapel was built in Sampaloc, Manila in 1948.[20][25] Adherents fleeing for the provinces away from Manila, where the Japanese forces were concentrated during the World War II, were used for evangelization.[20] As Manalo's health began to fail in the 1950s, Eraño Manalo started to take leadership of the church. Felix Manalo died on April 12, 1963.[1][25]
The first overseas INC mission was sent in 1968 on its 54th anniversary. The INC started operating a radio station in 1969.[1] In 1973, the church established a congregation in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 27, and in San Francisco, California (both in the United States).[25] The Ministerial Institute of Development, currently the New Era University College of Evangelical Ministry, was founded in 1974 in Quiapo, Manila. It moved to its current location in Quezon City in 1978. As of 1995, it had 4,500 students and five extension schools in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga and Rizal. In 1971, the INC Central Office building was built in Quezon City. Fifteen years later, the Central Temple was added in the complex. The Tabernacle, a tent-like multipurpose building which can accommodate up to 4,000 persons, was finished in 1989. The complex also includes the New Era University, a higher-education institution run by the INC.[20]
Eraño Manalo died on August 31, 2009.[26] His son, Eduardo V. Manalo, succeeded him as executive minister upon his death.[17]
In September 2011 the INC bought 59 parcels of land in Scenic, South Dakota for approximately $700,000.00. Scenic is a ghost town in western South Dakota. No plans for the land have been revealed by the church.[27]
Iglesia ni Cristo church buildings (chapels) serve as places of worship and other religious functions, are "vehicles for glorifying God." These are described by Culture and customs of the Philippines, a book published by Greenwood Publishing Group, as structures "which employ exterior neo-Gothic vertical support columns with tall narrow windows between, interlocking trapezoids, and rosette motifs, as well as tower and spires." There are multiple entrances leading to the main sanctuary, where males and females sit on either side of the aisle facing a dais sermons are made. The choir loft is located behind the dais, and in larger churches, baptistry pools for immersion baptism are located at the back of the church.[28] Meanwhile, Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita, an anthropologist from Ateneo de Manila University,[29] said that INC churches can be uniquely identified for "its exuberant use of fanciful forms and ornaments [and a] brilliant white facade whose silhouette is a cusped Gothic arch or a flattened Saracenic arch."[20] The distinctive spires represent "the reaching out of the faithful to God." Churches were started to be built in this style during the late 1940s and early 1950s with the first concrete chapel built in Sampaloc, Manila in 1948.[21]
The Central Temple can accommodate up to 7,000 persons, and costed about US$2 million.[30] The Central Temple features octagonal spires, "fine latticework" and ribbed windows. Recent buildings are variations of Carlos A. Santos-Viola's designs on the Central Temple. These are designed to accommodate 250 to 1,000 persons while larger churches in Metro Manila and provincial capitals can accommodate up to 3,000 persons.[20] Prominent architects, such as Juan Nakpil (a National Artist of the Philippines for architecture) and Carlos Raúl Villanueva, had been involved in designing INC churches while the Engineering and Construction Department of INC, established in 1971, oversees the uniformity in design of church buildings.[28]
| Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Ministers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tenure of office |
|
|
|
| Felix Y. Manalo | July 27, 1914 – April 12, 1963 |
| Eraño G. Manalo | April 23, 1963 – August 31, 2009 |
| Eduardo V. Manalo | September 8, 2009 – present |
Iglesia ni Cristo has had three executive ministers (Tagalog: punong ministro), also known as administration (Tagalog: pamamahala). Eduardo V. Manalo or Ka Ed, as the current executive minister, serves as the church's leader, and, in this capacity, manages the administration of the church.[31] Along with the deputy executive minister and eleven other senior ministers, the executive minister forms the Central Administration of Iglesia ni Cristo.[32] All church ministers are male, however, there are a number of female church officials. Ministers are encouraged to marry since the church believes that family responsibilities make them more capable in handling "socio-religious problems".[21]
The Central Office in Quezon City is Iglesia ni Cristo's headquarters. It was formerly located at San Juan, and then Makati. It houses the offices of INC's administration. Administration and ministerial work are delegated into ecclesiastical districts (termed divisions prior to 1990) which are led by supervising ministers (formerly, division ministers). Ecclesiastical districts comprise 30 to 120 congregations (referred to as locales) on average. The ecclesiastical district's range is generally a single province of the Philippines; however, populous provinces often have more than one ecclesiastical district.[20] There were about 5,000 Iglesia ni Cristo locales in 96 countries in 2008.[1] 200 of these congregations, including 150 in 39 U.S. states, were outside the Philippines in 2001.[20] All locales were directly managed by Felix Manalo until 1924 when the first ecclesiastical district was organized in Pampanga.[21]
Adherents hold that Iglesia ni Cristo is the only true church of Jesus Christ as restored by Felix Manalo. The church recognizes Jesus Christ as the founder of the Church. Meanwhile, its reestablishment is seen as the signal for the end of days.[2][3][20] For example, its founding in July 27, 1914 coincides with the beginning of World War I.[30] They believe that the church was apostatized by the 1st[23] or 4th century due to false teachings.[21][33] The INC says that this apostate church is the Roman Catholic Church.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
— Isaiah 43:5 (New International Version)[34]
They believe that the Iglesia ni Cristo is the fulfillment of the passage above while "east" refers to the Philippines where the Church of Christ would be founded.[3][20][21][23][30] The INC teaches that its members constitute the "elect of God" and there is no salvation outside the Iglesia ni Cristo.[20][32] Faith alone is insufficient for salvation.[2][33] The Iglesia ni Cristo says that the official name of the true church is "Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo (in tagalog)". The two passages often cited by INC to support this are Romans 16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you"[35] and the George Lamsa translation of Acts 20:28: "Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood"[36]
Manalo concluded after his three-day seclusion that "that the conflicting doctrines of various Christian groups could be resolved only through a fresh examination of the Bible from a non-Western perspective." The Iglesia ni Cristo believes in the infallibility of the Bible, which is its sole source of authority.
The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that God the Father is the only true God. The church believes that God is omnipotent, and that He created all, including Jesus Christ, the Son. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is the power sent by God in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in the INC ministers giving them the exclusive ability to interpret the Bible correctly.[37] Thus, the INC rejects the trinity as a heresy.[2][20] They believe that this position is attested by Jesus Christ and the Apostles.[21][38]
Christ and the Apostles are united in teaching how many and who is the real God. Similar to other true Christians, according to Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the Father—not the Son and more so not the Holy Spirit. The Apostles also did not teach that there is one God who has three personas who are also Gods. ... It [Trinity] is not found in the Holy Scriptures or the Bible, and if [Catholic] priests ever use the Bible to prove this teaching of theirs, all are based only on suppositions and presumptions.
— trans. from Pasugo (November 1968)[38]
The church believes that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God the Father and humanity,[20] and was created by God the Father. God sanctified him to be without sin, and bestowed him the titles "Lord" and "Son of God". The church sees Jesus as God's highest creation, and denies his divinity. Thus, INC theology is classified as Arian by Robin A. Brace, a British apologist, and Anne C. Harper, former director of publications of Gordon College in Massachusetts, United States.[3] Adherents profess Jesus' substitutionary role in the redemption of humankind. He is believed to have been "foreordained before the foundation of the world", and sent by God "to deal with sin". Members "are saved by Christ's blood" who died because of his "self-sacrificing love".[2][39]
Felix Manalo is said to be the restorer of the church of Christ, and "God's last messenger"(sugo in Tagalog).[3][23]
INC divides time into three periods: the era of the patriarchs (from creation to the birth of Moses), the era of the prophets (from the birth of Moses to the birth of Jesus), and the Christian era (from the birth of Jesus to the Last Judgment). Adherents believe him to be the last messenger of God in the Christian Era.
The INC says that Manalo is the "angel from the east", mentioned in Revelation 7:1–3 who started the INC at the same time that World War I broke out. This period of time according to INC is referred to as the ends of the earth (cf Is 41:9-10; 43:5-6) the time when the end of the world is near, even at the doors (cf. Mt. 24:3, 33), which began with the outbreak of a war of global proportions (cf. Mt. 24:6-7)[33][40] Felix Manalo is from the Philippines, which they say is in the ‘center’ of the Far East.[41] The ‘four winds’ in Revelation 7:1-3, they say refers to World War I and the four angels are the four leaders known as the big four(Woodrow Wilson, Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Vittorio Orlando) who they say worked on the prevention of the war.[42][43]
Manalo is also portrayed as the fulfillment of several passages in Isaiah and other books of the Bible.[20][21] Manalo's titles are "ravenous bird from the east" (Isa. 46:11), "worm Jacob" (Ps. 22:6-7), "one sheperd" (John 10:6)and "the last Elijah" (Mt.17:10-11; Mal.4:5)
As the one who established the INC, Manalo was the chief administrator, chief theologian and spiritual leader of the church.[30] As such, he was the ultimate authority in all aspects of the church, and effectively "the foremost Biblical authority for all humanity and the divinely designated leader of a reestablished church of Christ in the modern world." His influence within the church caused people from other religions to call INC and its members "Iglesia ni Manalo" (Tagalog for Church of Manalo) and "Manalistas", respectively,[20] labels INC members considers as both pejoratives and blasphemous.
Members believe that when a person dies, his/her body and soul both die and go into the grave where both would remain until the Second Coming of Christ. Upon his return, all dead members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, including Manalo, would be resurrected to join living INC members. They would be rewarded by living in the Holy City together with God the Father, Christ, and Manalo. After 1,000 years, a second resurrection would occur, and non-INC members will experience second death which is the Lake of Fire.[2] This mirrors Seventh-day Adventist, theology.
The church conducts regular worship services, one during the week, and one during the weekend. It is conducted in the local languages (for example, English, Tagalog and French). It involves singing of hymns, prayers, preaching and offering, which some observers, including Robert R. Reed, label as tithing.[20] Both God the Father and Jesus are worshiped.[37] The ministers of every congregation in a given worship service use the same sermon outline prepared by the executive minister. Deacons and Deaconesses guide worshipers to their seats and collect offerings.[33] The Singing of hymns is led by the locale's choir. The first hymnbook, termed as Himnario, which contained about 220 songs, was published in 1937. Children's worship services are held every weekend. They use similar lessons as the standard worship services taught using the Socratic method (question and answer).[21] The church teaches that willfully forsaking the worship service is a grievous sin,[44] thus members are expected to attend the congregational worship services twice a week without fail.[45]
The church encourages its members to make prayer a part of everyday life. Thus prayer before various activities, such as taking meals and going to sleep, are commonly practiced.[46] Prayers recited in rote repetition are not observed.[47]
Since February 1939, the church has been publishing Pasugo[2] (English: God's Message) in both Tagalog and English.[23] As of 2010, the God's Message Magazine also features a Spanish Section. Bro. Felix Manalo wrote its first editorial where he stated the publication's purpose, including the propagation of the faith.[21] Issues contain articles which detail INC doctrines and refute doctrines which it considers as heresy, such as the Trinity.[3][33] It also features information on church history, educational programs and missionary achievements, including lists and photographs of newly dedicated chapels. It had a monthly circulation of 235,000 copies in 2001.[20]
Brethren are encouraged to help in missionary works, such as Bible studies and to distribute copies of the God's Message Magazine (Pasugo).
In the Philippines, radio and television programs are produced, and they are broadcast on 1062 kHz DZEC-AM radio, DZEM 954 kHz, the Net 25 television station operated by Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, the broadcast division of the Iglesia ni Cristo and GEM TV, the sister station to NET 25, also owned by the INC and Iglesia ni Cristo TV broadcast on cable.
In North America, a television program called The Message is produced in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is currently aired in the United States and Canada and some parts of Europe. Each 30-minute program is hosted by one of a panel of INC ministers, who share the main beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo with a television audience.[48] The INC use to maintain an hour long time slot on The Filipino Channel and airs two among many of its programs including the INC Chronicles and Ang Tamang Daan. It has since stopped and instead GEM-TV began broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on DirecTV channel 2068.[49] Live streaming of INC Programming is now available at www.incmedia.org
From the beginning, the INC has continuously extended help not only to the well-being of local townspeople but also to protect the environment through its various humanitarian services.[50]
The INC has outreach programs, such as its "Lingap sa Mamamayan (Filipino: Care for the People)", offering free medical and dental services,[51] community cleanups[52] and tree planting projects.[53] In California, Daly City twice declared a week in July as "Iglesia ni Cristo Week" in recognition of the efforts of the INC members in community service events such as community beautification projects, blood drives, and food distribution sessions.[54]
Coinciding with the 67th anniversary of the local congregation in the Barangay of Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga, the INC launched a program called "Vigorous Environmental Concern for Mankind" which included programs to support the "clean and green" programs of the local government. The INC conducted Linis Bayan (Filipino: Clean Town) and Lingap sa Mamamayan within the local area.[55]
They also host a website for Iglesia Ni Cristo members to have an update of the past and present activities of the Church. The website is also used by members to listen and watch Christian Music Videos (CMVs). The CMVs are composed of original music and hymns of Iglesia Ni Cristo composed by the INC members themselves.
The website has pictures of past activities of the Church, blogs, and every member can share the happenings of their designated locales, and inspirational messages and compositions which is also sometimes published in the magazine of the Iglesia Ni Cristo which is the PASUGO or God's Message. There is also an Online Live feed of the channel GEM-TV (Global Expansion Media) on the website.
INC members are noted for bloc voting in Philippine elections,[56][57][58][59] although INC has the biggest conversion turn-out, between 68 and 84 percent of its members voted for candidates endorsed by its leadership, according to comprehensive surveys conducted by ABS-CBN.[60] This is in part due to their doctrine on unity, which puts the penalty of expulsion on anyone swaying from the doctrine. Some reports say that the INC can deliver 2 million members of voting age,[61] although pollsters believe the actual figure is closer to between 1 million and 1.5 million.[62] Others argue that the INC vote is only significant in close-run elections, noting that some INC-supported candidates lost in the election. Businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. lost to Fidel Ramos in the 1992 Philippine presidential election.[63][64] Michael Defensor, Ralph Recto, Vicente Sotto III in 2007 and Ruffy Biazon in 2010 were endorsed by INC but lost in the senate election.[65][66] INC endorsed Rafael Nantes and Jamie Eloise Agbayani but lost in the 2010 Quezon and 2007 Pangasinan gubernatorial elections respectively.[67][68]
Ever since former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon created a lasting friendship after asking Felix Manalo for advice, the INC has been known for its strong political influence. Not all candidates in Philippine politics however embraced support from INC. Diosdado Macapagal has refused INC's support during his runs for Vice President in 1957, and re-election for President in 1965 – in which he lost to Ferdinand Marcos. In the 1969 presidential election, INC supported Senator Sergio Osmeña Jr. earlier in the campaign but has swung behind Marcos who won the election.[69] The INC supported Ferdinand E. Marcos until he was ousted in 1986.[62]
In 2002, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported that INC leader, Bro. Eraño Manalo himself wanted to support Panfilo Lacson.[70] Eraño saw that Lacson will likely succeed Estrada.[70] This worried Arroyo during her 2001-2004 term as President.[70] But that did not prevent President Arroyo from courting the church. The church eventually offered their support for Arroyo’s presidential campaign in the 2004 elections.[71] Arroyo dismissed rumors that she paid off the INC to support her candidacy. In an open letter to the INC which was read in all INC chapels across the country, Mrs. Arroyo said "I would never taint their (INC) sincerity by offering money for it".[72] Newspaper reports say that the Philippine Congress decision to uphold the decision on September 2005 rejecting the Arroyo impeachment complaint over alleged election fraud and corruption was swayed largely by INC influence. Behn Fer. Hortaleza Jr. says otherwise and wrote an op-ed piece for The Sun·Star Pangasinan stating that Representative Joey Salceda "had wanted to pit the INC against the Catholic church by so timing the congressman's 'news' with another expose on the bishops' receiving Pagcor "sin money" for their projects."[73]
The support of the INC was reportedly sought out for passage of the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008. In 2008, the INC and the Catholic Church were again pitted against each other when health advocate RH Advocacy Network (RHAN) sought the support of the INC to counter the firm opposition of the Catholic Church and President Arroyo to the bill.[74] Representative Janette Garin of the first district of Iloilo said the INC's stand could determine if the bill gets passed in the House of Representatives. She said the opinion of the Iglesia ni Cristo is “important” in determining the fate of House Bill 5043.[75]
On July 27, 2008 on the occasion of its 94th Anniversary lawmakers, governors, mayors, councilors and other government officials cited the meaningful role of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Filipino society. Rep. Annie Susano of Quezon City's second district where the INC's executive offices are located, along other government officials said that the INC continues to contribute not only to the spiritual development of the Filipino but also in shaping the country's destiny. Susano said INC also plays a crucial role in improving the socio-economic condition of its followers and other Filipinos, at home and abroad.[76] A year before, on the same date, President Arroyo declared July 27 of every year as "Iglesia Ni Cristo Day" to enable millions of INC followers in the Philippines to observe the occasion with fitting solemnity. President Arroyo’s proclamation was based on a resolution of the House of Representatives authored by Rep. Annie Rosa L. Susano.[76] On July 8, 2009, Arroyo declared that July 27 of every year as "Iglesia Ni Cristo Day" making it an official national working holiday.[77]
In 2010, Iglesia ni Cristo has declared support for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas for president and vice president respectively. Aquino won the election but Roxas lost to Jejomar Binay.[78] In 2010, Iglesia ni Cristo withdrew their support from President Noynoy Aquino.[79]
In 2011, the organization purchased Scenic, South Dakota, an abandoned "ghost town" with a saloon, a roadside jail, and 46 acres (19 ha) of surrounding land. The church has not announced its plans for the property.[80]
As of the 2000 Philippine census by the National Statistics Office, Iglesia ni Cristo had 1,762,845 members, making it the third largest religious denomination in the Philippines after the Roman Catholic Church and Islam, respectively.[81] A 2009 estimate by Brace puts it between 4 to 9 million. The Iglesia ni Cristo does not publish official membership figures.[3] Majority of its members are Filipino ex-Catholics while most non-Filipino members converted prior to marrying Iglesia ni Cristo people.[23] The earliest non-Filipino converts were American soldiers stationed in the Philippines.
Membership is conferred through immersion baptism of adults. The church rejects infant baptism. Newborn children of members are instead offered to God through a Congregational Prayer, led by an ordained minister of the INC.[82] Members who are not living in accordance with the church's teachings may be excommunicated or expelled from the Church, and thus lose salvation (as opposed to the perseverance of the saints). Grounds include adultery, alcohol intoxication, consumption of blood and marriage to members of other faiths.[2][32]
The Iglesia ni Cristo has come under fierce criticism from apologetics groups and other mainstream religions mainly due to disagreements over their doctrines and beliefs regarding the interpretation of the Bible. They have also been criticized by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) for their political influence.[83] According to PCIJ, the INC's use of its clout mirrors the way in which the Catholic Church has tried to influence successive Philippine governments.[83]
Karl Keating, the founder of Catholic Answers accused Jose Ventilacion, an INC minister, of breaking an agreement in 1990 for a one-on-one debate made by the two organizations in National City, California (part 1, part 2). Instead of a one-on-one debate, Keating says that Ventilacion had three helpers assisting him, and that "they" allegedly were shouting at him during the debate. The head projector at the side of Mr. Ventilacion was not also in the agreement. Keating views the church as being built on a set of "anti-catholic" doctrines, and that their lessons, as well as their God's Message magazine are dedicated more to debunking Catholic and Protestant beliefs and doctrines, although he did reveal the extent of his studies concerning the church save for his own account of the debate he had with Ventilacion.[84][85] Catholicism and Protestantism remain among the predominant religions in the Philippines especially in Luzon and Visayas islands.[86] Keating also states that the INC began as a Protestant sect, comparing its doctrines with those of the American Campbellites saying it "heavily borrowed" from the latter.[84] Keating criticized the Iglesia ni Cristo for teaching that the Whore of Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church and that the Beast of Revelation is the Pope, a belief shared with some other Christian religious organizations,[87][88] and an assertion which the Catholic Church denies. Keating says the this INC position is based on a Latin-language version of gematria, in which numerical values of the letters in a name or phrase are added to find a number with symbolic significance. When applied to an alleged title of the Pope, Vicarius Filii Dei (Vicar of the Son of God), the resulting number is 666, which is one of several alternative numbers known as the "Number of the Beast." Keating says the Iglesia ni Cristo also claims that "Vicarius Filii Dei" is engraved on the Pope's tiara[89]. The INC's source for this claim is a Seventh-day Adventist Church book.[85][90][91] "Vicar of the Son of God" is not among the many official titles traditionally used for popes, neither past nor present, although Vicar of Jesus Christ one of the most prominent papal titles.[92][93]
Catholic Answers rejects the Iglesia ni Cristo's interpretation of certain Bible verses and use of some translations to support its doctrines. They also criticized INC's use of the George Lamsa translation of Acts 20:28 as proof that the true church is called "Church of Christ". They argue that it is not based on the original Greek. In Greek, the phrase is "the church of God" (tan ekklasian tou Theou) not "the church of Christ" (tan ekklasian tou Christou).
Charles Caldwell Ryrie has criticized the INC for misquoting his Ryrie Study Bible regarding John 1:1 in the May/June 1984 issue of the Pasugo.
| “ |
"In the annotations of his Ryrie Study Bible he had this to say about the phrase in John 1:1 and the Word was with God. In this verse the Word (Christ) is said to be with God (that is, in communion with and yet distinct from God). Therefore, when Dr. Ryrie says, that the Word is distinct from God he is saying the Word is not the same, but rather separate or different from God." (Pasugo 1984, pp. 14-15) |
” |
Ryrie has been quoted as saying, in a letter to Robert Elliff, the author of the book, Iglesia Ni Cristo: The Only True Church? "Anyone can look in my Study Bible and see how conveniently this author [the INC] omitted the last phrase in the note of John 1:1. The full note reads: “In this verse the Word (Christ) is said to be with God (i.e., in communion with and yet distinct from God) and to be God (i.e., identical in essence with God).” If that is not clear enough to say that I believe in the full deity and equality of Christ, let anyone read the notes at John 10:30 and 20:28. The doctrinal summary in the back of the Bible under Trinity is also quite clear. "[94]
Let Us Reason Ministries, an online apologetics research group, criticized the INC for holding the belief that it has the sole authority from God to interpret and preach the Bible, while other religions do not. They also say that the INC intentionally misinterprets and misappropriates verses to agree with their doctrines and that they use fallacious arguments against other religions,[95] stating: "Unfortunately they ignore the whole history of the Church in the zealous rebuttals against Catholicism. Nothing is out of reach of their researchers to demean and belittle. Some of the greatest scholars in languages and history are ignored or misrepresented as they present what they believe is correct. I suspect that many know better in what they teach."[96] They also reject the INC's doctrine that one can only be saved if they are a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.[97]
According to The Bereans Apologetics Research Ministry, some of the beliefs of INC are contrary to mainstream Christianity.[98] The Bereans also refute the INC belief that Felix Manalo is the "angel from the east" in Revelation 7:1-3, since the "angel from the east cried with a loud voice to the four angels"(Rev 7:2) but according to them Manalo was never consulted by the Big Four(Wilson, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Orlando) and Manalo was never involved in ending World War I.[99]
On April 18, 2005, MCGI members headed by former INC member Marcos Mataro had an apparently unauthorized religious debate with members of INC in a Jollibee outlet in Apalit, Pampanga.[100] Local police on orders of the town mayor went to the restaurant and tried to stop the debate for lack of a mayor's permit. Mataro insisted on pushing through with the debate, assuring no trouble. Apalit Mayor Tirso Lacanilao had instructed the town's chief of police to transfer the venue of the debate either at the ADD convention center or at the INC chapel in an effort to prevent any trouble. Leaders of the MCGI group said they do not trust the local policemen. Mataro shouted, which reportedly provoked some INC members to a confrontation, and led to a free-for-all.[101][102]
On April 27, 2008, Mataro was shot dead by two unknown assailants in San Simon, Pampanga.[103] Murder charges were filed against Nickson Icao and Felizardo Lumagham, both of Macabebe, Pampanga and allegedly members of INC, before the San Fernando prosecutors office.[104] Mataro's killing could also be linked to his pending attempted homicide case before the Apalit Municipal Trial Court and Quezon City Regional Trial Court.[105]
The main accusation of restraint of press freedom arises from the church's seeking to stop the publication of writer Ross Tipon's book, The Power and the Glory: The Cult of Manalo. The INC says the book contains "outright blasphemy" towards the late founder Felix Manalo by likening the INC to a criminal syndicate.[106][107] However, Tipon, represented by lawyer Fervyn Pinzon, said stopping the publication of the book infringes on his freedom expression rights. An attorney representing the INC, Abraham Espejo states "direct assault on freedom of religion and seeks to destroy the image of the INC" and "The publication of the criminal manuscript will trigger social unrest, Millions of people may come out in the streets and this may lead to violence." The Iglesia ni Cristo alleges that the book has defamed its organization and Felix Manalo. The INC seeks PHP1,000,000 in damages from Tipon and the unknown publisher.[106]
With the help Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), actress Rochelle Barrameda has said she wants to speak with Manalo following reports that lawyers of the religious group are allegedly influencing the outcome of her sister Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez’s murder case. In March 2010, Agnes Devanadera dropped the case against the suspect Lope Jimenez who is a member of INC before she stepped down as justice secretary despite the fact that "there was a preliminary investigation and she(Devadanera) herself said we have a strong case". Jimenez joined the INC to protect his fishing business. According to suspect-turned-eyewitness Manuel Montero, the two suspects brothers Manuel Jimenez II and Lope Jimenez were the ones who ordered him to abduct and kill Ruby Rose, whose body was found stuffed in a steel drum that was filled with cement and submerged in the waters off the Navotas fish port in June 2009.[108] In a letter to Manalo, VACC said "the “delicate” matter needs to be discussed considering how the issue is threatening to erode the victims’ confidence in the INC and the whole criminal justice system".[108] The VACC also expressed alarm over reports that lawyers of the religious group are allegedly influencing the trial of road rage murder suspect Jason Ivler, who allegedly killed Renato Ebarle Jr., son of Malacañang Undersecretary Renato Ebarle.[108] The Philippine Star has tried but failed to contact Manalo or other INC officials.[108] On August 12, 2010, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima reinstated the murder charges against Lope Jimenez.[109]
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