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The Bible said that, there are 3 things that a person needs to possess: faith, hope, and charity (or love). The Greek word “agape” was translated in English as “charity.” Agape means, holy love, holy concern, holy charity. Why am I mentioning this? Charity, or love, for others is very necessary. Without it, religion is useless. That is what you must remember. Actually, all religions claim that they have love and charity. In fact, their organization is called “Caritas de Manila.” Practically, all claim that they have charity. But the question is: in reality, do all religions exercise charity and love, and concern for others? Let us readI John 3:17 it says--
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
If you have the means, if you live comfortably, and you see that your brother is in need . . . Please, take note, he is not asking for anything yet, you simply have seen that he was in need, and yet, you denied him charity, how do you expect that God’s love will dwell in you? Therefore, you will never attain salvation, and your religion is not pure. Why? Because you abandoned your brother who is in need. Now, enumerate the different religions today, and see for yourself if they show charity to their less fortunate brethren. Obviously, they do not. Please, don’t get offended, but let me cite an example.
Try to go to Quiapo—right in Quiapo Church. Outside the church were churchgoers and vendors. And in between stalls of vendors were beggars—very dirty . . . flies feasted on the sores on their body . . . and there were also infants, cuddled by their mothers, being exposed to the scorching heat of the sun. When evening came, we could see them sleeping on the sidewalk. We had a locale in Quiapo, right across Mercury Drug. That is why I am able to see these things. You can even saw how a mother, together with her child, ran for shelter when the rain poured. And if you are going to look upward, you will realize that the air-conditioning unit in the pastor’s room was working. The pastor is up there in his room. No flood will reach his room; no mosquitoes could enter his room. On the other hand, his brethren in faith were outside–under the rain, being bitten by mosquitoes, and very dirty. If God would descend from heaven, and he would see those beggars and their pastor, He would definitely reprimand the pastor. “Didn’t I tell you that a true religion looks after the less fortunate?” And the pastor would reply, “My Lord, if I would look after all of them, I would surely run out of resources. I might go bankrupt. I do not want to be poor, so I just abandoned them.” Very well, then, go to hell!
The Bible said, whoever has this world’s good, and sees his brethren in need, but denies him compassion, how will God’s love dwell in him? Will that person be saved? Be the judge. From that verse alone, a lot of religious organizations today will not qualify (to be called a true/pure religion). We know of a pastor who lives in a palace, while his members are living in the squatter’s area, near the Pasig River. That is why, they all get nervous whenever it rains; they are afraid that the flood might drown their children. Did you see the great difference in their living condition? A palace versus a shanty, made out of tin cans. But when Thursday comes, these squatters give donations to the one who lives in the palace. Is that right? That is wrong! No pastor can prove that such a practice is right. We are challenging anybody, who can prove that such is right. And we will prove that it is wrong. I will let them cut my throat if they can prove, by using the Bible that, it is right that the one from the squatter’s area must give donation to the one residing in the palace (who would no longer run short of money in his lifetime). What a disgraceful religion, if that is the case!
If I may compare our group with theirs, ours is a poor organization. I am the poorest in the group. But the members of our group can never accuse me that I am enriching myself at their expense. But despite our being poor, I can guarantee you that we do not have any beggar member here, not even one. Why? It is because I believe that the true religion, in the Bible, looks after the less fortunate. That is why, we have orphanages. Although we are poor, we do not have a single member who begs for alms. But there is a religion whose members beg for money even in market places. They carry pouches. Those people are shameless! Others would perhaps say that my language is quite tough and biting. Aren’t those people really shameless and bold-faced? What do you want me to say? . . . That they are good looking? Is that it? If that is the case, then, we are not being true! In the Bible, there is really such a thing as “bold-faced” people. Let us read in Ecclesiastes 8:1--
“. . . a man’s wisdom maketh his face shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”
There are bold-faced people, but they pretend to be the opposite. They carry pouches, and they tell people that the money that they collect is for the Lord. If they see the fish vendor giving you your change, they will surely await you. They are the “beggars” who are wearing neckties. They are competitors of the real beggars. But they do not only compete with real beggars, they even rob them of the alms that they received from other people.
Formerly, the Munoz junction was being occupied by an old beggar. Later on, that old beggar had to look for another post because it had been occupied by the followers of the pastor from Marikina. Those people do not really select the people they are going to molest. They will just approach you with their pouches. The power of darkness has spread everywhere. Sometimes you would just be surprised that they are already standing in front of you, with their pouches. When the day had ended, the beggar counted the alms that he received. On his way home, he passed by his former post, which was now occupied by the followers of the man from Marikina. And to his amazement, when he passed by them, they extended toward him their pouch – a manifestation that they were asking him to drop inside his donation. The beggar got angry. Can you imagine that? They already kicked him off his original post, and now, there they were asking him to give a part of his earnings from begging! Now, will you not consider them shameless and bold-faced? They were elegantly dressed, and yet, they were soliciting money from a beggar! Is that right? Is that justice?
My countrymen, if nobody will talk and disclose all these, we will forever be misled in religion. A true religion is one that looks after the less fortunate . . . it shows love to others. A true religion is not abusive, or advantageous, of its members. From that aspect alone, many religious organizations today will not meet the standards of the Bible. Isn’t it that the question that we are trying to answer is: Who is practicing true (pure) religion today? So, you have to choose which of the religious organizations today exercise true religion.
There are big religious organizations today, but they all neglect their members. If only our group is as big as theirs . . . But granting that the owner of SM happened to be one of our members, we will tell him to accommodate inside SM all the beggars outside every evening, so that they won’t get wet whenever it is raining. The main essence of true religion is, to do good to one’s fellow all his life. That means, loving one’s fellows. Unfortunately, you were never taught to do that; you were never taught of what true religion is all about. Why did we say that? .Because you do not even care for your neighbors. The rich did not even show any concern to his neighbor, who was in a state of delirium. Insofar as the Bible is concerned, let us find out if you really have an obligation to your neighbors. Let us read what is written inProverbs 27:10--
“Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.”
Your neighbor is important to God. However, there are rich people who do not care about their neighbors. Sometimes, they even let go of their dogs to chase the poor who are begging for alms. That is because they were never taught of true religion. Their philosophy in life is for one “to teach oneself.” It is bad not to care for one another. It has become very unfortunate to see that love no longer exists among men, especially, love for the less fortunate. Nowadays, the poor are even used as instruments in cheating other people. Isn’t it that today, there are syndicates that employ beggars? That is why many people do not want to give alms to the beggars anymore, believing that they are parts of the syndicate.
Personally, my line of thinking is that, if a beggar asks for alms and you have the means, you better give him, regardless of the possibility that he could be a member of a syndicate. That is his means of livelihood, so, we should show our compassion to them. Whenever I give alms to beggars, I always tell myself that, the amount I am giving him will be spent for his meal, instead of being given to the syndicate. But there are people who deny their peso to the beggar. And yet, they claim that theirs is the true religion, and that, only they have the right to go to heaven. They firmly believe that their group is real; that only they will go to heaven. So, we couldn’t help but conclude that, perhaps, those people thought that heaven was meant only for the Filipinos. Can you imagine that? Heaven is so vast but there is only a handful who would occupy it!
There are groups of faith, which have that kind of belief. (One of them is the group from Hagonoy.) They consider themselves as believers. Do you know how many they are? Three hundred! And one of their doctrines is that, only they would be saved. Imagine? Heaven was made so big, and yet, only 300 will occupy it. What kind of a belief is that? In the first place, how can you be saved when you do not have love for your fellows? Do you know what these religions have learned? They wanted to be loved, but they do not want to love! Why? They only love their pastor. So, they give him donations; they make him richer; they buy him a car, an airplane, a jet, and a ship. Their pastor had brainwashed them that, when they give they will receive a hundred-fold . . . that, they would receive abundant and overflowing blessings. If that were true, how come the members remain impoverished? They still have no rice. Who, then, received abundant and overflowing blessings? Of course, it was their Pastor or Evangelist despite the fact that these pastors do not even look after the welfare of their poor members; they do not even bother to share with them a little of what they enjoy. And yet, they unabashedly claim that, theirs is the true religion. How can that be true when their members loiter in the streets, day and night . . . rain or shine; they sleep on the sidewalks without any pillow. Is that the true/pure religion?
A religion has a responsibility to other people, not only among neighbors, but even to the beggars, to the orphans/fatherless, to the widows, and to all, who need help. A true religion has a responsibility . . . that is what the Bible says. It shows love for others.
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