A continuation...
To convert to Iglesia ni Cristo, or "INC," one attends 27 one on one sessions with a pastor in which one is taught (brainwashed) Church doctrine. Known as "Doctrine" (how clever of them), these lessons cover the whole gamut from soup to nuts. One is first taught how 1st Century Christianity quickly apostacised from the "Original Church" introduced by none other than Christ Jesus. The pastor discusses how Catholicism is the creed most responsible for this apostacy and a bunch of other similar subjects.
At about the 10th lesson they start teaching about the founder of the cult, Felix Y. Manalo and how he is the last of the celestial messengers and how only through his teachings can one survive the impending Apocalypse. I'm always curious about how cultists rationalise failed past predictions of impending doom. Having been founded in the same era as the Jeh-vah Witnesses, Manalo adopted that cult's millenialist claptrap and even adopted the predicted year of 1914 as the year in which the world would end. Of course we are still here but at the time new adherants were so taken up with the talk of hellfire, hail and brimstone that they sold all possesions and waited atop roofs and trees for the predicted Rapture to sweep them up to the Heavenly Kingdom. It is a miracle that such cults manage to survive those failed predictions, but then cultists are not the most rational of creatures.
At the 27th lesson the pastor will schedule your Baptism, which like many Pentecostal Churches involves actual immersion and not just a sprinkling on the forehead. After Baptism one is then a full fledged member of the cult. As Mariz's father and I discussed the issue I made it quite clear that I am firm in my beliefs and not searching for a new outlook. I told him that conversion for the sake of marriage isn't something I had ever considered and that I view it as a disgusting capitulation of will, integrity, and values.
Interestingly, I would come to discover that the INC abhors such conversions and will not allow anyone to convert simply for the sake of marriage. Why then did Mariz's father, a pastor himself, push the issue? I told the pastor that I could not see myself ever even considering such a thing, and about how countless Jews have died rather than convert. I even told him about Isaac Lopes. During the Spanish Inquisition Spain Ethnically Cleansed itself of all Jews. On one ship heading to Asia was a 17 year old Jew named Isaac Lopes. Stopping in the Balearic Islands to take on supplies the ship was overtaken by zealous Catholics who dragged all Jews to the square of the largest town. They were offered conversion or death. Most converted- even if only a token conversion. However, Isaac- on principle- refused and because of it was burned at the stake.
At the end, Mariz's father and I agreed to put the issue on hold for the moment and to re-consider it at a later juncture. Breathing a sigh of relief I re-joined Mariz's family in the "sala" (parlour/living room) and continued watching DVDs. After supper I excused myself and took my leave. Guests are considered extremely important, how much more so if the guest is a potential son in law? If I had stayed in the sala the family would not go to sleep as they normally would have and I didn't want to impose upon their hospitality.
At around 10PM I saw the doorknob on the door of the guesthouse begin to turn, as if someone were trying to jimmy the door. Luzon is nothing at all like Mindanao. At home in Mindanao I keep an M653 (mini-M16) on my nightstand, safety off. On Luzon I do not even carry a pistol. Still, the first thing crossing my mind was a kidnapping attempt. I called out loudly, "What do you want?" In response I heard Mariz loudly whisper, "Shhhhh! It's me!" I quickly unlocked the door and asked her if everything was OK. To my suprise she just as quickly sidestepped me and entered the guesthouse. As I have mentioned before, being alone before marriage is verboten and in some cases can cost an unfortunate man his life.
Not long ago in Manila, two teams of neighbourhood boys were playing a game of basketball, the Philippine national sport. As games sometimes do, the match became violent and the two teams pummled each other. The team on the losing end consisted of INC members. The INC team left the court with their tails between their legs but soon returned with a couple of vans full of armed men. The INC members kidnapped 3 members of the winning team and placed them in the basement of their church as Easter festivities took place above them. Just by chance, a middle-aged woman had just left the church and saw the 3 men being dragged into the basement via a side entrance.
Waiting for her ride, the woman heard horrendous screams coming from the basement and decided to report what she had seen and heard to the Church's pastor. Counseled to "just forget it" the woman went above his head and reported the incident to the Church hierarchy in Metro Manila's Quezon City. To make a long story short (is this even possible with Rachamim?), the 3 kidnap victims had been tortured with a battery charger on their genitals and an oxy-acetylene blowtorch to various parts of their bodies. They were then placed unconscious into burlap sacks which were then secured, and summarily tossed into a river where they drowned. The point being that the INC is NOT an organisation to trifle with.
With this on my mind I turned to face Mariz only to find her sitting on a sofa with a shy smile. Hmmmm, what to do?...
To be continued...
To convert to Iglesia ni Cristo, or "INC," one attends 27 one on one sessions with a pastor in which one is taught (brainwashed) Church doctrine. Known as "Doctrine" (how clever of them), these lessons cover the whole gamut from soup to nuts. One is first taught how 1st Century Christianity quickly apostacised from the "Original Church" introduced by none other than Christ Jesus. The pastor discusses how Catholicism is the creed most responsible for this apostacy and a bunch of other similar subjects.
At about the 10th lesson they start teaching about the founder of the cult, Felix Y. Manalo and how he is the last of the celestial messengers and how only through his teachings can one survive the impending Apocalypse. I'm always curious about how cultists rationalise failed past predictions of impending doom. Having been founded in the same era as the Jeh-vah Witnesses, Manalo adopted that cult's millenialist claptrap and even adopted the predicted year of 1914 as the year in which the world would end. Of course we are still here but at the time new adherants were so taken up with the talk of hellfire, hail and brimstone that they sold all possesions and waited atop roofs and trees for the predicted Rapture to sweep them up to the Heavenly Kingdom. It is a miracle that such cults manage to survive those failed predictions, but then cultists are not the most rational of creatures.
At the 27th lesson the pastor will schedule your Baptism, which like many Pentecostal Churches involves actual immersion and not just a sprinkling on the forehead. After Baptism one is then a full fledged member of the cult. As Mariz's father and I discussed the issue I made it quite clear that I am firm in my beliefs and not searching for a new outlook. I told him that conversion for the sake of marriage isn't something I had ever considered and that I view it as a disgusting capitulation of will, integrity, and values.
Interestingly, I would come to discover that the INC abhors such conversions and will not allow anyone to convert simply for the sake of marriage. Why then did Mariz's father, a pastor himself, push the issue? I told the pastor that I could not see myself ever even considering such a thing, and about how countless Jews have died rather than convert. I even told him about Isaac Lopes. During the Spanish Inquisition Spain Ethnically Cleansed itself of all Jews. On one ship heading to Asia was a 17 year old Jew named Isaac Lopes. Stopping in the Balearic Islands to take on supplies the ship was overtaken by zealous Catholics who dragged all Jews to the square of the largest town. They were offered conversion or death. Most converted- even if only a token conversion. However, Isaac- on principle- refused and because of it was burned at the stake.
At the end, Mariz's father and I agreed to put the issue on hold for the moment and to re-consider it at a later juncture. Breathing a sigh of relief I re-joined Mariz's family in the "sala" (parlour/living room) and continued watching DVDs. After supper I excused myself and took my leave. Guests are considered extremely important, how much more so if the guest is a potential son in law? If I had stayed in the sala the family would not go to sleep as they normally would have and I didn't want to impose upon their hospitality.
At around 10PM I saw the doorknob on the door of the guesthouse begin to turn, as if someone were trying to jimmy the door. Luzon is nothing at all like Mindanao. At home in Mindanao I keep an M653 (mini-M16) on my nightstand, safety off. On Luzon I do not even carry a pistol. Still, the first thing crossing my mind was a kidnapping attempt. I called out loudly, "What do you want?" In response I heard Mariz loudly whisper, "Shhhhh! It's me!" I quickly unlocked the door and asked her if everything was OK. To my suprise she just as quickly sidestepped me and entered the guesthouse. As I have mentioned before, being alone before marriage is verboten and in some cases can cost an unfortunate man his life.
Not long ago in Manila, two teams of neighbourhood boys were playing a game of basketball, the Philippine national sport. As games sometimes do, the match became violent and the two teams pummled each other. The team on the losing end consisted of INC members. The INC team left the court with their tails between their legs but soon returned with a couple of vans full of armed men. The INC members kidnapped 3 members of the winning team and placed them in the basement of their church as Easter festivities took place above them. Just by chance, a middle-aged woman had just left the church and saw the 3 men being dragged into the basement via a side entrance.
Waiting for her ride, the woman heard horrendous screams coming from the basement and decided to report what she had seen and heard to the Church's pastor. Counseled to "just forget it" the woman went above his head and reported the incident to the Church hierarchy in Metro Manila's Quezon City. To make a long story short (is this even possible with Rachamim?), the 3 kidnap victims had been tortured with a battery charger on their genitals and an oxy-acetylene blowtorch to various parts of their bodies. They were then placed unconscious into burlap sacks which were then secured, and summarily tossed into a river where they drowned. The point being that the INC is NOT an organisation to trifle with.
With this on my mind I turned to face Mariz only to find her sitting on a sofa with a shy smile. Hmmmm, what to do?...
To be continued...