A need to strengthen our national ideology

When Malacañang proclaimed this day to be a special non-working holiday last Friday, I panicked. I had scheduled several appointments for today and with the late announcement made that evening on television, I hastily had to reschedule all of them. I must admit I was upset. I said to myself, here they go again, doing things at the last minute and bringing more chaos into our lives. Now, was this really a sincere move or another political scheme?

Please don’t get me wrong. I acknowledge that this day was proclaimed a holiday to honor a great representative personality, Bro. Eraño “Ka Erdy” Manalo, the son of Felix Manalo (founder of Iglesia Ni Cristo) whose remains will be buried today at noon.

For people who are not aware of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) and how important its role is in our society, let me indulge you on a bit of information about this force burgeoning in our country’s landscape.

Felix Ysagun Manalo founded Iglesia Ni Cristo before World War II. It was quite an aggressive indigenous movement that brought about a variety of rural anti-colonialism sentiments during that time. When the Americans came, the INC was born as an alternative to the work of the Roman Catholic Church, which had been installed under Spanish rule. It became a major religious movement in only a period of 50 years.

Did you ever wonder why the INC has such influence in politics? Just by observing all those politicos flocking to Ka Erdy’s wake, one doubts their intentions. Are they really going there to condole or to ride on the INC’s strong force? Or do they just want to be seen? Their presence seems to signal a calling to the INC congregation, “Hey! Vote for me”.

So what makes the INC such a strong force? Well, to start off, the INC is the second largest religious organization in the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. In 2008, the INC had grown to more than 5,000 congregations in the Philippines, and more than 600 abroad. The INC has local congregations in 89 countries and territories with its members belonging to 102 nationalities and ethnic groups. According to the 2000 census of the Philippine National Statistics Office, over 1.76 million persons in the Philippines are affiliated with the INC as of that year or roughly doubling in size in a span of 20 years.

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. While it strongly maintains a close “friendship” with incumbent administrations, the INC also sees to it that they do not lose “discreet connection” with the opposition. The INC reportedly supported Ferdinand E. Marcos until he was ousted in 1986. INC members are noted for their bloc voting in Philippine elections. 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. 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. In fact the media credited the presidential campaign victory of Joseph Estrada in 1998 and the election of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004 to the INC bloc vote.

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We all know that religion is a basic factor in any process of social change. There is no influence more powerful than religion to restore order and happiness to the world, to raise the moral and social standards in society, and to help the government in the maintenance of social discipline, and of law and order. Morality has its firmest basis in religious principles. Even the authority of the government finds its final sanction in religion. This is why our politicians would always go out of their way to show support to any religious sect much more so if it is going to be for their own benefit.

The coming elections may have brought about farther divisions of parties but the death of a spiritual leader has brought everyone together in one wing. But the question is, will INC continue to have that clout and influence on its followers come May 2010? At present the situation is more dangerous because major religious groups in the country have established themselves and are at war with one another when it comes to their beliefs and ideologies.

On the other hand, religion has a huge potential to heal and prevent conflicts. Mere ideas of morality and the civic desire to obey the law may fail to restrain a man from dishonesty and unfair dealings or from the commission of a crime when his own interests are seriously involved, and he thinks that his wrongdoings would not be discovered or that he would escape punishment. But religion would stand guard where and when human means fail, for it goes to the very conscience, it penetrates the very heart and mind of the individual and of the citizen. He knows that there is an Almighty God who knows and sees all things, who is infinitely good and just, and who unfailingly rewards virtue and irremissibly punishes evil.

We do not put in doubt the sincerity of any Filipino. But we must think not as individuals, but as a nation. A nation is such because it has a common destiny, solidarity of interests and aspirations, traditions and ideals that are the bottom-rock of its existence: a soul. Without such a unifying principle, without such traditions and ideals that unite the past with the present, a people is but an aggregate of individuals who live for the day and are guided by their particular interests and convenience. That is not the status of our people, for our nationalism, is firmly welded by the epic struggles and sacrifices of our ancestors, and it has been consecrated by their patriotism and their ideals.

Hence in times of national crises, or when problems and issues that will profoundly affect our people demand a decision, it is proper that we submit our judgment to the test of our national ideology. There is always that strong connection between spirituality and morality. To this end, it is necessary that we bear in mind the high ideals of the nation and keep ever burning in our hearts that flame of patriotism that gave to our ancestors the courage to dare all dangers, and to our heroes and martyrs the strength to make the supreme sacrifice for their country.