Ngayon lang ba nagdesisyon ang INC sa pagsuporta sa family planning at paggamit ng contraceptives?

Ang mga hindi INC member ngayon ay magrereact lang ay mali pa. Nung nailabas kasi ang opisyal na stand ng INC tungkol sa RH BILL galing sa Tagapamahalang Pangkalahatan ay sinasabi nila na "Magtataka pa ba tayo, syempre lagi namang against ang INC sa stand ng Catholic Church".

Parang itong nasa balita:

Unlike the Catholic Church, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) has expressed support for the highly controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

"We are ready to support the bills on Reproductive Health as long as there would be no immoral elements in them," INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo said in a letter dated October 12, 2010 to Rep. Rogelio Espina, chairman of the House committee on population and family relations.

This is the first time the INC has expressed its stand on the issue." source: gmanetwork.com

Ngayon lang ba nagdesisyon ang INC tungkol sa stand nito ukol sa family planning at paggamit ng contraceptives?

HINDI. Hindi pa pinopropose ang pagsasabatas ng RH BILL ay matagal ng sinusuportahan ng INC ang family planning at paggamit ng contraceptives sa mga mag asawa. Sa katunayan, noong 1973, nagrequest ang INC sa FPIA (Family Planning International Assistance) na magkaroon ng programa na tinawag na "INC Integrated Family Planning Program" sa pakikipagtulungan sa doktor na dating INC member na si Dr. Melanio Gabriel Jr. at itoy naisakatuparan noong July 1978.

Meron din akong kopya ng Pasugo Issues kung saan tinalakay ang tungkol sa Family Planning at Contraceptives noong 1980's, at ang Felix Y. Manalo Memorial Puericulture Center and Maternity Clinic na itinayo noong 1965 ay nagsilbi ding Family Planning Clinic. At ayon sa pagreresearch ko, nung 1966 pa pala naglabas ng panig ang INC ukol dito:

Jan. 1966 First articulation of the family planning policy opposing abortion and supporting non traditional means of contraception (In assertion of the Church's biblical position concerning human life and reproduction) Source: Pasugo Issue Sep. 2009

Kaya sana lang ay wag magtataka ang marami kung bakit sinuportahan ng INC ang RH BILL, hindi ito para makipagkumpetensya o kalabanin ang Iglesia Katolika, ito ay para sa sambayanang Pilipino. Naglabas lang ang INC ng sarili nitong stand tungkol sa isyu, at hindi ibig sabihin nito na "iloloby" ng INC ang mga politiko para lang ipasa ang bill, na ginagawa ng Catholic Church ngayon na pilit namang inaakusa sa INC, halibaway sasabihing nakikialam ang INC sa pulitika at nananakot na hindi iboboto ang mga pulitiko sa susunod na eleksyon. Walang ganun, sa Iglesia Katolika lang may ganun.

Eto ang saloobin ng mga hindi INC member tungkol sa stand ng INC:

ELIZABETH OXIMER, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL: The INC is the only religious group that could command obedience from its members, at marami sila. I believe the RH bill will be passed.
REY ONATE, PALAYAN CITY: There won’t be any earth-shattering impact. The INC has all the right to take sides on the issue.

Iglesia ni Cristo acts as one

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: Great impact. The INC is a large and solid religious group. They are known to support a candidate or an issue as one.
Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: The impact of the support by INC for the highly controversial RH Bill is that most, if not all, members of INC will support it, regardless of any consequence that may come up once the RH Bill becomes a law.
Ruel Bautista, Laguna: Unlike Catholics, INC members follow orders of their leader faithfully, as shown during elections.
J.R.Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: Well, first of all, I support the RH Bill. The support of Iglesia Ni Cristo is favorable, especially since most members will follow the dictates of their leaders, although I find that absurd, as if the followers of Iglesia don’t have a mind of their own. But in this case, I feel INC is making more sense on this issue compared to the Catholic Church.

Battle royale with the Catholic Church

Felix Ramento, USA: Fortunately or unfortunately, the INC’s support is tainted by religious color that smacks of an open confrontation with the Roman Catholic Church over the RH bill.
Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: That would be a big blow to the Catholic Church.

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: Expect a battle royale of influence between CBCP and Iglesia Ni Cristo, as well as pro-/anti-RH/RP Bill groups.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: It will greatly impact on the rabid contra vote of the Catholic Church. The millions of INC votes might as well be the waterloo of the Church.

Example for the Catholic Church

Elpidio Que, Vigan: INC’s open declaration of support for the RH Bill is a strong signal for the Catholic Church to cut its bigotry and sham holiness in condemning the use of condoms and contraception as tools in halting population explosion, the spouse of corruption in transfixing us into a pauperdom. The frocked fathers, who have in their ranks lots of real biological fathers and child molesters, should now come to their senses that indeed, the pie on the table of the majority of Filipino families is shrinking because of their diminishing buying power, if at all, while the number of their children is expanding. This should tell P-Noy to push his policy of free choice and responsible parenthood without abortion. Other religious groups have joined the RH Bill bandwagon as well.

Catholics also support it

Ric Vergara, Calamba: I believe that a big majority of Catholics also support the RH bill.

Other religious groups

Gene Ian Saliganan, Cagayan: How about JIL, El Shaddai? Come on! Show your side, brothers.
Louella Brown, Baguio City: I sense more religious denominations openly supporting the RH Bill with the support of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Join the bandwagon

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: INC is just catering to the voice of the noisy crowd. The Church has always been a sign of contradiction, just as Christ exemplified. As to those sects that join the bandwagon, well, they have their own leaders to follow.
Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: The INC and other religious groups just echoed the majority and popular public sentiment, which the arrogant, stubborn Catholic hierarchy philosophizes as sinful and criminal. Priests and bishops should stop acting like the tyrannical friars of the olden days if they expect believers to remain faithful.

CBCP as sole dissenter

Donato Brazil, Quezon City: As the INC, along with other religious groups, join hands in supporting the swift passage of the RH Bill, it leaves out the CBCP as the lone dissenter standing in the middle of the road. Ironically, with the Catholic Church as a staunch supporter, the mother has now become a pain-in-the-neck of the son on this issue. Still, it remains to be seen whether it can effectively control population growth that will translate to a quality life among the poor. Otherwise, if the population continues to swell at its present rate and the gap between the rich and the poor widens, then someone will say “Seeeeee?”.
Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: None that I can consider so spectacular. Almost all religious organizations support the RH Bill. The Catholic Church is the exception.

Leave it up to God

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: Though I am a Protestant, I have yet to see a Protestant church that is against the RH Bill. With the Iglesia Ni Cristo supporting the bill, numbers will now decide the issue favorably. As someone against the bill, I leave the matter to God, who has the perfect wisdom. He allowed Himself to be arrested and did not call upon His legion of angels to change the turn of events. He submitted to authority and never protested when He was sentenced to be crucified at the instance of church leaders.

Pragmatic

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: It implies that the Iglesia Ni Cristo has a more pragmatic perspective on social realities. What can we gain from arguing against the RH Bill if many big-sized poor families cannot even provide quality life to their starving children? Let us stop the moro-moro style of arguing about the RH Bill and let us not play politics on the issue.

Engage itself in debate

Jesus Mendoza, Pangasinan: I see no major impact from INC supporting the RH bill, except that it has to engage itself in debate on its morality, based on facts and enlightened reason.

Separation of Church and state

Reynold Fulgencio, Bulacan: It sows confusion as to who holds the better version of morality. Why do churches always meddle on affairs of the state?
Janet Lopez, Manila: The INC is merely exercising its right to express its stand on an issue that affects both Church and state. It is very shallow thinking to say: Hands off, walang “kapatid Damaso” dito.
Mandy Rillon, Cabanatuan City: I admire the Iglesia Ni Cristo for its outright support of the RH Bill. I regret that there are people and churches that do not reveal themselves in supporting this bill, yet they know its substance and good intent. It is not an encumbrance on the separation of church and state, but a brave act in choosing life that is blessed and prosperous.

P-Noy under pressure

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: Politically, the INC is an influential religion by virtue of its voting power and it has supported P-Noy during the elections, so it would not be a surprise if P-Noy will be subjected to enormous pressure when dealing with the RH Bill, because he has to make a very delicate balance between his personal convictions and pleasing a major political supporter.
Rex Earlou Calmerin, Iligan City: The bigger the support the RH Bill musters, the more attention it will get from the Catholic Church. Chances are, P-Noy would be ousted.
Cris Rivera, Rizal: Like the INC, though Catholic, I’m not one among Catholic parishioners and priests threatening and coercing P-Noy. It invites perdition.
Noel Alquiza, Metro Manila: Nothing, for INC is merely airing its stand as citizens, just like any other sects, like Pastor Quiboloy who is also pro-RH Bill. With or without their support, the President stands by what he believes is good for all sectors in our society, in spite of the strong opposition of the church.

Up to Congress

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna: The Iglesia Ni Cristo may be a large group, but it will still largely depend on the Philippine Congress, which creates and establishes bills, and also the President who has the power either to sign a bill into law or to veto it.
Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: INC’s support of the RH Bill is a subtle technique to induce and encourage solons and also the President who got their support and won in the last elections. The fate of the RH Bill is now in their hands and the said impact will be mirrored if it results are in the affirmative.

Time for government action

Louie Vallo, Pangasinan: Does the government have to wait for the support of a religious block to have the guts or political will to pursue the enactment and implementation of the RH Bill? Whether all the religions are for or against the bill, the government must do what it must to ensure that the ballooning population is checked and controlled so that basic public services would be delivered effectively to the populace.

Influential sect

June Deoferio, Cavite: INC’s support will have a big impact, especially on lawmakers that are against the RH Bill, because of the votes coming from the Iglesia Ni Cristo bloc.
Richard Decena, Quezon City: Sigurado po na papasa ang RH Bill dahil kailangan po ng mga pulitiko natin ang boto ng mga kapanalig ng Iglesia Ni Cristo.
Jemz Ramos, Metro Manila: With the support of the INC on the RH Bill, politicians will surely vote for the passage. INC should develop the mentality of making public its views.
Princes Mines, Metro Manila: I love Iglesia Ni Cristo. They’re modern-day moralists. Sana dumami pa ang ating kapatid.

INC’s prerogative

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: We are in a democratic country. If the INC wants to push RH Bill, so be it. Karapatan nila iyon eh.
Dr. Francis Regalado, Manila: It’s INC’s prerogative. I believe, however, that the problem is not the population explosion in this country, but corruption. Get rid of corruption, and the population will be happy, well-funded and taken care of.

Here’s the real deal

Keith Harcourt, Metro Manila: Big pharmaceutical companies invested a big sum of money to lobby for the passage of this bill, because it stands to gain the most economically as well as immorally, due to its depopulation scheme when this bill becomes law. Certainly, a good amount of the lobby money went into the pockets of leaders of religious institutions, whose members are ignorant that money was involved just to support the passage of this bill. The ones who will suffer later are those members and ignorant people who were fooled into thinking that this bill, when it becomes law, was meant to uplift their physical and spiritual welfare. Realization always comes later for many, but rest assured that those who are rewarded for their deception now will eventually reap the wrath of God’s justice later.

What have we done about it?

Elmo Cruz, Manila: It is for us believers, Roman Catholic or Protestants alike, to reflect on our attitude and actuations that have given way to God’s abhorred artificial means as a better option than natural means for birth control. Fifty years ago, overpopulation was already blamed for rising poverty and hunger. The Church then thought that artificial means in birth control was a sin, but failed to educate how to practice natural means without so much difficulty. At the same time, the Church neglected the cries of the poor begging for alms, as she was focused in spending ostentatiously their resources in splendored rituals and erecting magnificent church buildings.

RH Bill approval imminent

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: The approval of the said bill is imminent.

Ranks of Catholics will grow

Alanah Jean Bacerra, Bacolod City: This could mean more Roman Catholics and less Iglesias in the future (tongue-in-cheek). LOL.

Pro-RH

Marlon Posidio Guiao, Pampanga: Nice, I support it.
Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: Like in an election, the Iglesia Ni Cristo has a solid vote of support for the passage of the RH Bill. I may be Catholic but count me in as pro-RH Bill.
Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: The impact is great for religious faiths give conflicting stands on RH Bill. It gives due advantage to supporters of the RH Bill, including me.
Johann Lucas, Quezon City: Kudos, INC, for supporting this very important bill. While the CBCP is pressuring the government not to pass this, at least the Filipinos have the INC to realize this much-awaited pro-life bill.
Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: With INC’s support of the RH Bill, only then can real sustained reforms begin.
source: philstar.com