FACTS-Iglesia Ni Cristo members (Balasan Iloilo) refused to help Typhoon Victims
Before you proceed, please be advised that it's not our intention to fuel more debates nor to intensify the issue between Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) and the Roman Catholic. DH.com is not in the position to judge either of the two religious groups. We just want to relay the information that we gathered online which may serve as your reference.
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A screen grab image of a facebook user's status update stating Iglesia Ni Cristo members refusing to help typhoon victims in Balasan, Iloilo has gone viral on various social media platforms including the micro-blogging site, Twitter.com.
The alleged controversial claim of the Facebook user, Mai Militante, caught the attention of the public especially the Roman Catholic devotees and members of Iglesia Ni Cristo. The post speficied that typhoon victims were blocked by the followers of Iglesia ni Cristo from entering their church since the victims are not members of INC. The said Facebook status was also blogged by Splendor of the Church. The verbatim of Mai's Facebook status reads;
Story of our staff from the yolanda typhoon incident... they were walking from estancia to balasan road...it was still raining and they were soaking wet, hungry, tired and dead scared...
they stopped and thought could rest at the church of Iglesia ni Cristo... but people from that church told them they cannot come in bcoz they are not members of that church.... i was shocked with this story.... as they say "what you sow shall you reap." Grabe
In addition, a photo of INC church was also posted on the same site with the following caption.
The INC Pride. The Body of Christ suffered and died for the people and with the people. Untouched by storm but closed to the needs of the people around it who became homeless.
However, when DH.com made a thorough research, we found the actual caption of INC's church which is available on the official Fanpage of Iglesia ni Cristo and its caption reads;
THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO IN LEYTE , PHILIPPINES
AFTER THE SUPER TYPHOON YOLANDA
It also included a verse from the Bible.
II CHRONICLES 20:9 NIV
“If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us."
In response, an open letter to Iglesia ni Cristo, Locale of Tacloban, Ecclesiastical District of Leyte East was posted on KatolikongPinoy Facebook page.
We understand that your edifice is sacred to you, and we understand that the use of your buildings is deemed for worship. This is the default for you, as we see it.
What we cannot comprehend in the spirit of Christianity, or at least in the humanitarian spirit, that you can refuse anyone who desperately needs help despite the act of goodwill you show in your group’s mammoth Medical Mission.
Where is the “Kabayan ko, Kapatid ko” slogan? In the times past when disaster strikes (especially at Ondoy), churches from the Catholic Church and different denominations took in your members without questioning their affiliations.
It is written in the Word of God that you also use: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOME ME, I was N$k&d and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Is anyone a stranger in the name of God?
And now you boast that your church edifice defied the wrath of the Typhoon, according to your official fan pages.
We always turn to God in times of distress, in problems, in great need. And God is a helper in these times. His Divine Mercy is pouring out like a raging river in these times. We REBUKE you of this heartlessness, or not standing up to Christianity’s greatest asset: Charity.We write this for the sake of the victims who were grieved when they were turned down. It is our Christian duty to REBUKE (2 Timothy 4:2) for the sake of the good.
Recently, INC's official facebook page identified the person who allegedly authored the "malicious report" against INC. According to the post, the admin of www.splendorofthechurch.com.ph is a Roman Catholic priest named Abe Arganiosa.
This topic caused an online outrage and has sparked multiple heated debates on various blog sites. But instead of favoring one of them, DH.com chose to air something else.
DH.com wants facts and not hearsays. We want clear justification that this incident really happened at the church of Iglesia ni Cristo in Balasan, Iloilo. We tried to check the wall of Mai Militante but none of her most recent status updates is similar to the message above. Well, it could be hidden or only viewable by her friends.
DH.com sent a private message to Mai Militante and as of writing, Mai is yet to reply.
Disclaimer: None of the content writers and researchers of DH.com belongs to the Roman Catholic nor member of INC.