Eliseo Soriano of Ang Dating Daan, Guilty or Not Guilty of Libel
Eliseo Soriano of ang Dating Daan has been accused and charged by the Quezon City Regional Trial court last December 29, 2013. Is this an honest declaration of justice?
Read the facts before you judge!
Petitioner Eliseo F. Soriano, a television evangelist, hosted the Ang Dating Daan, a popular television ministry aired nationwide everyday from 10:00 p.m. to midnight over public television. The program carried a “general patronage” rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
The Ang Dating Daan’s rivalry with another religious television program, the Iglesia ni Cristo’s Ang Tamang Daan, is well known. The hosts of the two shows have regularly engaged in verbal sparring on air, hurling accusations and counter-accusations with respect to their opposing religious beliefs and practices.
It appears that in his program Ang Tamang Daan, Michael M. Sandoval (Michael) of the Iglesia ni Cristo attacked petitioner Soriano of the Ang Dating Daan for alleged inconsistencies in his Bible teachings. Michael compared spliced recordings of Soriano’s statements, matched with subtitles of his utterances, to demonstrate those inconsistencies. On August 10, 2004, in an apparent reaction to what he perceived as a malicious attack against him by the rival television program, Soriano accused Michael of prostituting himself with his fabricated presentations. Thus:
“….gago ka talaga Michael. Masahol ka pa sa putang babae. O di ba? Yung putang babae ang gumagana lang doon yung ibaba, kay Michael ang gumagana ang itaas, o di ba! O, masahol pa sa putang babae yan. Sabi ng lola ko masahol pa sa putang babae yan. Sobra ang kasinungalingan ng demonyong ito…”
Michael and seven other ministers of the Iglesia ni Cristo lodged a complaint against petitioner Soriano before the MTRCB. Acting swiftly, the latter preventively suspended the airing of Soriano’s Ang Dating Daan television program for 20 days, pursuant to its powers under Section 3(d) of Presidential Decree 1986 and its related rules.
Petitioner Soriano challenged the validity of that preventive suspension before this Court in G.R. 164785. Meanwhile, after hearing the main case or on September 27, 2004, the MTRCB found Soriano guilty as charged and imposed on him a penalty of three months suspension from appearing on the Ang Dating Daan program. Soriano thus filed a second petition in G.R. 165636 to question that decision. The Court consolidated the two cases.
On April 29, 2009 the Court rendered a decision, upholding MTRCB’s power to impose preventive suspension and affirming its decision against petitioner Soriano with the modification of applying the three-month suspension to the program And Dating Daan, rather than to Soriano.
Petitioner Soriano’s Bible ministry has been on television continuously for 27 years since 1983 with no prior record of use of foul language. For a 15-second outburst of its head at his bitterest critics, it seems not fair for the Court to close down this Bible ministry to its large followers altogether for a full quarter of a year. It is like cutting the leg to cure a smelly foot.
Primarily, it is obscenity on television that the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech does not protect. As the Court’s decision points out, the test of obscenity is whether the average person, applying contemporary standards, would find the speech, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest. A thing is prurient when it arouses lascivious thoughts or desires or tends to arouse sexual desire.
A quarter-of-a-year suspension would probably be justified when a general patronage program intentionally sneaks in snippets of lewd, prurient materials to attract an audience to the program. This has not been the case here.
Actually, the Court concedes that petitioner Soriano’s short outburst was not in the category of the obscene. It was just “indecent.” But were his words and their meaning utterly indecent? In a scale of 10, did he use the grossest language? He did not.
First, Soriano actually exercised some restraints in the sense that he did not use the vernacular word for the female sexual organ when referring to it, which word even the published opinions of the Court avoided despite its adult readers. He referred to it as “yung ibaba” or down below. And, instead of using the patently offensive vernacular equivalent of the word “fuck” that describes the sexual act in which the prostitute engages herself, he instead used the word “gumagana lang doon yung ibaba” or what functions is only down below. At most, his utterance merely bordered on the indecent.
Second, the word “puta” or “prostitute” describes a bad trade but it is not a bad word. The world needs a word to describe it. “Evil” is bad but the word “evil” is not; the use of the words “puta” or “evil” helps people understand the values that compete in this world. A policy that places these ordinary descriptive words beyond the hearing of children is unrealistic and is based on groundless fear. Surely no member of the Court will recall that when yet a child his or her hearing the word “puta” for the first time left him or her wounded for life.
Third, Soriano did not tell his viewers that being a prostitute was good. He did not praise prostitutes as to make them attractive models to his listeners. Indeed, he condemned Michael for acting like a prostitute in attacking him on the air. The trouble is that the Court, like the MTRCB read his few lines in isolation. Actually, from the larger picture, Soriano appears to have been provoked by Michael’s resort to splicing his speeches and making it appear that he had taught inconsistent and false doctrines to his listeners. If Michael’s sin were true, Soriano was simply defending himself with justified anger.
And fourth, the Court appears to have given a literal meaning to what Soriano said.
“Gago ka talaga x x x, masahol ka pa sa putang babae x x x. Yung putang babae ang gumagana lang doon yung ibaba, [dito] kay Michael ang gumagana ang itaas, o di ba!”
This was a figure of speech. Michael was a man, so he could not literally be a female prostitute. Its real meaning is that Michael was acting like a prostitute in mouthing the ideas of anyone who cared to pay him for such service. It had no indecent meaning. The Bible itself uses the word “prostitute” as a figure of speech. “By their deeds they prostituted themselves,” said Psalm 106:39 of the Israelites who continued to worship idols after God had taken them out of Egyptian slavery. Soriano’s real message is that Michael prostituted himself by his calumny against him.
If at all, petitioner Soriano’s breach of the rule of decency is slight, one on a scale of 10. Still, the Court would deprive the Ang Dating Daan followers of their nightly bible teachings for a quarter of a year because their head teacher had used figures of speech to make his message vivid.
The Court claims that, since Ang Dating Daan carried a general patronage rating, Soriano’s speech no doubt caused harm to the children who watched the show. This statement is much too sweeping.
The Court relies on the United States case of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) v. Pacifica Foundation, a 1978 landmark case. Here are snatches of the challenged monologue that was aired on radio:
The original seven words were, shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Those are the ones that will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor and bourbon…Also cocksucker is a compound word and neither half of that is really dirty…And the cock crowed three times, the cock—three times. It’s in the Bible, cock in the Bible…Hot shit, holy shit, tough shit, eat shit, shit-eating grin…It’s a great word, fuck, nice word, easy word, cute word, kind of. Easy word to say. One syllable, short u. Fuck…A little something for everyone. Fuck. Good word. x x x
Imagine how the above would sound if translated into any of the Filipino vernaculars. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the above is not protected speech and that the FCC could regulate its airing on radio. The U.S. Supreme Court was of course correct.
Here, however, there is no question that Soriano attacked Michael, using figure of speech, at past 10:00 in the evening, not at 2:00 in the afternoon. The average Filipino child would have been long in bed by the time Ang Dating Daan appeared on the television screen. What is more, Bible teaching and interpretation is not the stuff of kids. It is not likely that they would give up programs of interest to them just to listen to Soriano drawing a distinction between “faith” and “work or action.” The Court has stretched the “child” angle beyond realistic proportions. The MTRCB probably gave the program a general patronage rating simply because Ang Dating Daan had never before been involved in any questionable broadcast in the previous 27 years that it had been on the air.
The monologue in the FCC case that was broadcast at 2 in the afternoon was pure indecent and gross language, uttered for its own sake with no social value at all. It cannot compare to Soriano’s speech where the indecent words were slight and spoken as mere figure of speech to defend himself from what he perceived as malicious criticism.
The Court applied the balancing of interest test in justifying the imposition of the penalty of suspension against Ang Dating Daan. Under this test, when particular conduct is regulated in the interest of public order and the regulation results in an indirect, conditional, partial abridgment of speech, the duty of the courts is to determine which of the two conflicting interests demands the greater protection under the particular circumstances presented.
An example of this is where an ordinance prohibits the making of loud noises from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Can this ordinance be applied to prevent vehicles circling the neighborhood at such hours of night, playing campaign jingles on their loudspeakers to win votes for candidates in the election? Here, there is a tension between the rights of candidates to address their constituents and the interest of the people in healthy undisturbed sleep. The Court would probably uphold the ordinance since public interest demands a quiet night’s rest for all and since the restraint on the freedom of speech is indirect, conditional, and partial. The candidate is free to make his broadcast during daytime when people are normally awake and can appreciate what he is saying.
But here, the abridgment of speech—three months total suspension of the Ang Dating Daan television bible teaching program—cannot be regarded as indirect, conditional, or partial. It is a direct, unconditional, and total abridgment of the freedom of speech, to which a religious organization is entitled, for a whole quarter of a year.
In the American case of FCC, a parent complained. He was riding with his son in the car at 2:00 in the afternoon and they heard the grossly indecent monologue on radio. Here, no parent has in fact come forward with a complaint that his child had heard petitioner Soriano’s speech and was harmed by it. The Court cannot pretend that this is a case of angry or agitated parents against Ang Dating Daan. The complaint here came from Iglesia ni Cristo preachers and members who deeply loathed Soriano and his church. The Court’s decision will not be a victory for the children but for the Iglesia ni Cristo, finally enabling it to silence an abhorred competing religious belief and its practices.
What is more, since this case is about protecting children, the more appropriate penalty, if Soriano’s speech during the program mentioned was indecent and had offended them, is to raise his program’s restriction classification. The MTRCB classify programs to protect vulnerable audiences. It can change the present G or General Patronage classification of Ang Dating Daan to PG or “with Parental Guidance only” for three months. This can come with a warning that should the program commit the same violation, the MTRCB can make the new classification permanent or, if the violation is recurring, cancel its program’s permit.
This has precedent. In Gonzales v. Katigbak, the Court did not ban the motion picture just because there were suggestive scenes in it that were not fit for children. It simply classified the picture as for adults only. By doing this, the Court would not be cutting the leg to cure a smelly foot.
SOURCE:
Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
G.R. No. 164785
G.R. No. 165636
April 29, 2009
Why is it so that this Judge clearly saw the underlying circumstances with the case filed against Eliseo Soriano while the others failed to do so? There are more injustices committed against Eliseo Soriano and his group the Members Church of God International (MCGI) also known as Ang Dating Daan (ADD). One article is not enough to write all of these. But I am more than willing to share it to the world, especially to the wise men of the online community.
Read the facts before you judge!
Dissenting Opinion of Judge Abad on a Similar Case Filed against Eliseo Soriano by the Iglesia ni Manalo INC with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) under the leadership of former Chairman Ma. Consoliza P. Laguardia
The Libel Case Filed Against Eliseo Soriano of Ang Dating Daan - The Brief Antecedent
Petitioner Eliseo F. Soriano, a television evangelist, hosted the Ang Dating Daan, a popular television ministry aired nationwide everyday from 10:00 p.m. to midnight over public television. The program carried a “general patronage” rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
The Ang Dating Daan’s rivalry with another religious television program, the Iglesia ni Cristo’s Ang Tamang Daan, is well known. The hosts of the two shows have regularly engaged in verbal sparring on air, hurling accusations and counter-accusations with respect to their opposing religious beliefs and practices.
It appears that in his program Ang Tamang Daan, Michael M. Sandoval (Michael) of the Iglesia ni Cristo attacked petitioner Soriano of the Ang Dating Daan for alleged inconsistencies in his Bible teachings. Michael compared spliced recordings of Soriano’s statements, matched with subtitles of his utterances, to demonstrate those inconsistencies. On August 10, 2004, in an apparent reaction to what he perceived as a malicious attack against him by the rival television program, Soriano accused Michael of prostituting himself with his fabricated presentations. Thus:
“….gago ka talaga Michael. Masahol ka pa sa putang babae. O di ba? Yung putang babae ang gumagana lang doon yung ibaba, kay Michael ang gumagana ang itaas, o di ba! O, masahol pa sa putang babae yan. Sabi ng lola ko masahol pa sa putang babae yan. Sobra ang kasinungalingan ng demonyong ito…”
Michael and seven other ministers of the Iglesia ni Cristo lodged a complaint against petitioner Soriano before the MTRCB. Acting swiftly, the latter preventively suspended the airing of Soriano’s Ang Dating Daan television program for 20 days, pursuant to its powers under Section 3(d) of Presidential Decree 1986 and its related rules.
Petitioner Soriano challenged the validity of that preventive suspension before this Court in G.R. 164785. Meanwhile, after hearing the main case or on September 27, 2004, the MTRCB found Soriano guilty as charged and imposed on him a penalty of three months suspension from appearing on the Ang Dating Daan program. Soriano thus filed a second petition in G.R. 165636 to question that decision. The Court consolidated the two cases.
On April 29, 2009 the Court rendered a decision, upholding MTRCB’s power to impose preventive suspension and affirming its decision against petitioner Soriano with the modification of applying the three-month suspension to the program And Dating Daan, rather than to Soriano.
The Issues Seen by Justice Abad but not Seen by other Justices of the Supreme Court
1. A tiny moment of lost temper.
Petitioner Soriano’s Bible ministry has been on television continuously for 27 years since 1983 with no prior record of use of foul language. For a 15-second outburst of its head at his bitterest critics, it seems not fair for the Court to close down this Bible ministry to its large followers altogether for a full quarter of a year. It is like cutting the leg to cure a smelly foot.
2. Not obscene.
Primarily, it is obscenity on television that the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech does not protect. As the Court’s decision points out, the test of obscenity is whether the average person, applying contemporary standards, would find the speech, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest. A thing is prurient when it arouses lascivious thoughts or desires or tends to arouse sexual desire.
A quarter-of-a-year suspension would probably be justified when a general patronage program intentionally sneaks in snippets of lewd, prurient materials to attract an audience to the program. This has not been the case here.
3. Merely borders on indecent.
Actually, the Court concedes that petitioner Soriano’s short outburst was not in the category of the obscene. It was just “indecent.” But were his words and their meaning utterly indecent? In a scale of 10, did he use the grossest language? He did not.
First, Soriano actually exercised some restraints in the sense that he did not use the vernacular word for the female sexual organ when referring to it, which word even the published opinions of the Court avoided despite its adult readers. He referred to it as “yung ibaba” or down below. And, instead of using the patently offensive vernacular equivalent of the word “fuck” that describes the sexual act in which the prostitute engages herself, he instead used the word “gumagana lang doon yung ibaba” or what functions is only down below. At most, his utterance merely bordered on the indecent.
Second, the word “puta” or “prostitute” describes a bad trade but it is not a bad word. The world needs a word to describe it. “Evil” is bad but the word “evil” is not; the use of the words “puta” or “evil” helps people understand the values that compete in this world. A policy that places these ordinary descriptive words beyond the hearing of children is unrealistic and is based on groundless fear. Surely no member of the Court will recall that when yet a child his or her hearing the word “puta” for the first time left him or her wounded for life.
Third, Soriano did not tell his viewers that being a prostitute was good. He did not praise prostitutes as to make them attractive models to his listeners. Indeed, he condemned Michael for acting like a prostitute in attacking him on the air. The trouble is that the Court, like the MTRCB read his few lines in isolation. Actually, from the larger picture, Soriano appears to have been provoked by Michael’s resort to splicing his speeches and making it appear that he had taught inconsistent and false doctrines to his listeners. If Michael’s sin were true, Soriano was simply defending himself with justified anger.
And fourth, the Court appears to have given a literal meaning to what Soriano said.
“Gago ka talaga x x x, masahol ka pa sa putang babae x x x. Yung putang babae ang gumagana lang doon yung ibaba, [dito] kay Michael ang gumagana ang itaas, o di ba!”
This was a figure of speech. Michael was a man, so he could not literally be a female prostitute. Its real meaning is that Michael was acting like a prostitute in mouthing the ideas of anyone who cared to pay him for such service. It had no indecent meaning. The Bible itself uses the word “prostitute” as a figure of speech. “By their deeds they prostituted themselves,” said Psalm 106:39 of the Israelites who continued to worship idols after God had taken them out of Egyptian slavery. Soriano’s real message is that Michael prostituted himself by his calumny against him.
If at all, petitioner Soriano’s breach of the rule of decency is slight, one on a scale of 10. Still, the Court would deprive the Ang Dating Daan followers of their nightly bible teachings for a quarter of a year because their head teacher had used figures of speech to make his message vivid.
4. The average child as listener
The Court claims that, since Ang Dating Daan carried a general patronage rating, Soriano’s speech no doubt caused harm to the children who watched the show. This statement is much too sweeping.
The Court relies on the United States case of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) v. Pacifica Foundation, a 1978 landmark case. Here are snatches of the challenged monologue that was aired on radio:
The original seven words were, shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Those are the ones that will curve your spine, grow hair on your hands and maybe, even bring us, God help us, peace without honor and bourbon…Also cocksucker is a compound word and neither half of that is really dirty…And the cock crowed three times, the cock—three times. It’s in the Bible, cock in the Bible…Hot shit, holy shit, tough shit, eat shit, shit-eating grin…It’s a great word, fuck, nice word, easy word, cute word, kind of. Easy word to say. One syllable, short u. Fuck…A little something for everyone. Fuck. Good word. x x x
Imagine how the above would sound if translated into any of the Filipino vernaculars. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the above is not protected speech and that the FCC could regulate its airing on radio. The U.S. Supreme Court was of course correct.
Here, however, there is no question that Soriano attacked Michael, using figure of speech, at past 10:00 in the evening, not at 2:00 in the afternoon. The average Filipino child would have been long in bed by the time Ang Dating Daan appeared on the television screen. What is more, Bible teaching and interpretation is not the stuff of kids. It is not likely that they would give up programs of interest to them just to listen to Soriano drawing a distinction between “faith” and “work or action.” The Court has stretched the “child” angle beyond realistic proportions. The MTRCB probably gave the program a general patronage rating simply because Ang Dating Daan had never before been involved in any questionable broadcast in the previous 27 years that it had been on the air.
The monologue in the FCC case that was broadcast at 2 in the afternoon was pure indecent and gross language, uttered for its own sake with no social value at all. It cannot compare to Soriano’s speech where the indecent words were slight and spoken as mere figure of speech to defend himself from what he perceived as malicious criticism.
5. Disproportionate penalty
The Court applied the balancing of interest test in justifying the imposition of the penalty of suspension against Ang Dating Daan. Under this test, when particular conduct is regulated in the interest of public order and the regulation results in an indirect, conditional, partial abridgment of speech, the duty of the courts is to determine which of the two conflicting interests demands the greater protection under the particular circumstances presented.
An example of this is where an ordinance prohibits the making of loud noises from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Can this ordinance be applied to prevent vehicles circling the neighborhood at such hours of night, playing campaign jingles on their loudspeakers to win votes for candidates in the election? Here, there is a tension between the rights of candidates to address their constituents and the interest of the people in healthy undisturbed sleep. The Court would probably uphold the ordinance since public interest demands a quiet night’s rest for all and since the restraint on the freedom of speech is indirect, conditional, and partial. The candidate is free to make his broadcast during daytime when people are normally awake and can appreciate what he is saying.
But here, the abridgment of speech—three months total suspension of the Ang Dating Daan television bible teaching program—cannot be regarded as indirect, conditional, or partial. It is a direct, unconditional, and total abridgment of the freedom of speech, to which a religious organization is entitled, for a whole quarter of a year.
In the American case of FCC, a parent complained. He was riding with his son in the car at 2:00 in the afternoon and they heard the grossly indecent monologue on radio. Here, no parent has in fact come forward with a complaint that his child had heard petitioner Soriano’s speech and was harmed by it. The Court cannot pretend that this is a case of angry or agitated parents against Ang Dating Daan. The complaint here came from Iglesia ni Cristo preachers and members who deeply loathed Soriano and his church. The Court’s decision will not be a victory for the children but for the Iglesia ni Cristo, finally enabling it to silence an abhorred competing religious belief and its practices.
What is more, since this case is about protecting children, the more appropriate penalty, if Soriano’s speech during the program mentioned was indecent and had offended them, is to raise his program’s restriction classification. The MTRCB classify programs to protect vulnerable audiences. It can change the present G or General Patronage classification of Ang Dating Daan to PG or “with Parental Guidance only” for three months. This can come with a warning that should the program commit the same violation, the MTRCB can make the new classification permanent or, if the violation is recurring, cancel its program’s permit.
This has precedent. In Gonzales v. Katigbak, the Court did not ban the motion picture just because there were suggestive scenes in it that were not fit for children. It simply classified the picture as for adults only. By doing this, the Court would not be cutting the leg to cure a smelly foot.
SOURCE:
Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
G.R. No. 164785
G.R. No. 165636
April 29, 2009
Why is it so that this Judge clearly saw the underlying circumstances with the case filed against Eliseo Soriano while the others failed to do so? There are more injustices committed against Eliseo Soriano and his group the Members Church of God International (MCGI) also known as Ang Dating Daan (ADD). One article is not enough to write all of these. But I am more than willing to share it to the world, especially to the wise men of the online community.
Tag :
General Discussion
Eliseo Soriano and False Rape Allegations
Everyone beware! Not all rape cases filed in court are to be
believed. Therefore, judge not Eliseo Soriano until you have full knowledge of
all the evidences filed by his complainant and the defenses Eli Soriano has
laid in front of the court of justice.
False Rape Allegations and the Numbers
In an analysis made by Celda of www.redditt.com, she states that:
- At least 6% of rape claims are false
- The vast majority of rape claims are unknown whether they are true or false
- The 6% figure does not include mistaken accusations where the accuser was raped but named the wrong defendant
- The 6% figure only includes those cases where there is strong proof it was false
Other Facts:
Around two false rape allegations are made every month
(Source courtesy of huffingtonpost.co.uk)
(Source courtesy of huffingtonpost.co.uk)
Reasons behind False Rape Allegations
So why are there some women and men who file false rape
allegations? What are their motives?
- They need to cover up an illicit sexual encounter.
- It serves as their defense of femininity, especially after having a one night stand affair with someone out of the sexual urge to just get it going with someone. The remorse they feel inside motivates them to put the blame on someone else.
- Some would do so to destroy the reputation of someone, just in the case of Eliseo Soriano. His accuser, Daniel “Puto” Veridiano was once a member of the Members Church of God International; but he decided to leave the faith and join an enemy church, the Iglesia ni Manalo. It is during this time that he filed his rape case lawsuit against Soriano. Sad to say, the case has been declared closed by the lower court because it has immediately seen the vested interested of the accuser to just gain favor from the opposing church. Interestingly, someone with higher ranks had the case opened.
Bro. Eliseo Soriano is innocent and this is clear to every Member of the Church of God International.
Tag :
General Discussion
News Alert! Atheism is now World's Biggest Faith!
The Bible predicted that in the latter days, the “love of
many shall wax cold.” Today, it is alarming to see growing number of atheists
and agnostics. Most of which reside in highly industrialized countries of the
world. Kindly see this map from the Washington Post:
What Could Be the Reason for the Growth of Atheists?
Believe it or not, but the world biggest faith is not
Christianity nor Muslim but Atheism. It is really an eye opener for us believers,
but this fact may be saying more than what the numbers would want us to see.
Why is this so? What are their reasons for believing that God
does not exist?
- There are so many contradictions in the Bible.
- Those who say they are believers act immorally more than non-believers.
- The existence of pain, suffering and evil in the world.
Other reasons may surface, but are these justifiable reasons
to believe that God does not exist?
Bro. Eliseo Soriano's Response to Those who Doesn’t Believe in the Existence of God
I am not well-versed in the scriptures and I can’t answer
for other religious denominations using scriptures other than the Bible.
However, I am happy to share the argument laid out by Bro. Eli on why it is still
logical to believe that there is GOD.
Please watch and share your thoughts with us.
Does God Exist Video
Tag :
Atheism
Bible Prophecies, Is It Being Fulfilled Today?
After typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, many are now asking if it is time to rethink and reread the Bible. Is it time to see what it has to say about our future? Do you think the bible prophecies are now being fulfilled?
Bro. Eliseo Soriano has challenged the claims of many false prophets, especially the coming of Christ. One of these includes Jose Miranda. Jose Miranda claimed he is Christ resurrected and that he is the second coming. Many has believed him to the point of selling their goods.
In as much as Bro. Eliseo Soriano tried hard to convince them that such a claim is false, many still wanted to believe Miranda's lies. In the end, they learned that Bro. Eli was indeed right. The world did not end as Miranda has predicted, rather we are living proof that he is wrong.
"The belief of the self-proclaimed Christ, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, leader of the cult “Growing in Grace”, that sin no longer exist is an illusion. Thousands are being deceived by inappropriately citing a verse he do not understand.
(Hebrews 9:28) “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Read here for complete details: http://esoriano.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/the-sin-of-jose-luis-mirandas-illusion/
Prior to Typhoon Haiyan striking the Philippines, a certain Indian prophet claimed the event is to happen. Once it did, many slowly followed him. They believe that he must be the gifted one. Should this be believed?
We are yet to see the accuracy of the rest of his so called predictions, however be reminded that according to the Bible, if any so-called prophet predicts something and it doesn't happen, then you are sure he is not of God.
Let us not be too easy to believe. It is always best to consult the bible rather than base it on your own assumption.
Bible prophecies will indeed become a reality, but when it will happen. It's really hard to tell.
What can you say about this?
Bro. Eliseo Soriano and the False Prophets
Bro. Eliseo Soriano has challenged the claims of many false prophets, especially the coming of Christ. One of these includes Jose Miranda. Jose Miranda claimed he is Christ resurrected and that he is the second coming. Many has believed him to the point of selling their goods.
In as much as Bro. Eliseo Soriano tried hard to convince them that such a claim is false, many still wanted to believe Miranda's lies. In the end, they learned that Bro. Eli was indeed right. The world did not end as Miranda has predicted, rather we are living proof that he is wrong.
"The belief of the self-proclaimed Christ, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, leader of the cult “Growing in Grace”, that sin no longer exist is an illusion. Thousands are being deceived by inappropriately citing a verse he do not understand.
(Hebrews 9:28) “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Read here for complete details: http://esoriano.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/the-sin-of-jose-luis-mirandas-illusion/
India and their Prophet
Prior to Typhoon Haiyan striking the Philippines, a certain Indian prophet claimed the event is to happen. Once it did, many slowly followed him. They believe that he must be the gifted one. Should this be believed?
We are yet to see the accuracy of the rest of his so called predictions, however be reminded that according to the Bible, if any so-called prophet predicts something and it doesn't happen, then you are sure he is not of God.
Let us not be too easy to believe. It is always best to consult the bible rather than base it on your own assumption.
Bible prophecies will indeed become a reality, but when it will happen. It's really hard to tell.
What can you say about this?
Tag :
General Discussion
Lessons from Typhoon Haiyan, Teachings from Bro. Eliseo Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon
Is there anything good one could learn from Typhoon Haiyan? Others may say, "Nothing!", but for Bro. Eliseo Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon of the Members Church of God International, there is plenty to be learned from it.
A family expected that the coconut tree would directly fall to their house, but after saying the word of God, a strong wind changed its direction leaving them safe.
The papaya tree is never a strong tree, but for someone with faith in God, this is more than enough to be saved from the flood. He held strongly to it while he watched the strong wind pulled the roots of the sturdier coconut trees. Amazingly, the inferior papaya remained on the ground; thus saving him.
Events such as:
makes one think that there nothing SURE in this world and only GOD knows what will happen in the future. The next question is, "Are you prepared of HIS arrival?"
Is there anything to learn from Typhoon Haiyan? Definitely, there is! Bro. Eliseo Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon revealed just some of these.
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| Eastern Samar after the Rampage courtesy of philstar.com |
LESSON 1: The Name of God is a Strong Refuge
Several stories by survivors of Typhoon Haiyan reveals how simple utterance of the name of God did them salvation.Coconut Tree Falling
A family expected that the coconut tree would directly fall to their house, but after saying the word of God, a strong wind changed its direction leaving them safe.
Clinging to a Papaya Tree
The papaya tree is never a strong tree, but for someone with faith in God, this is more than enough to be saved from the flood. He held strongly to it while he watched the strong wind pulled the roots of the sturdier coconut trees. Amazingly, the inferior papaya remained on the ground; thus saving him.
LESSON 2: A Glimpse of the Apocalypse
Some is yet to be convinced that the Bible speaks of the future, but with the recent devastation that happened in Tacloban; it is enough for anyone to be convinced. The Bible is more than a literary masterpiece. It is a window into the future and those who are wise should be cautious of its warnings.
Events such as:
Looting
Rape
Hunger
makes one think that there nothing SURE in this world and only GOD knows what will happen in the future. The next question is, "Are you prepared of HIS arrival?"
LESSON 3:Revealing the True Church
While a popular religion in the Philippines, the Iglesia ni Manalo, closed its door to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan; the Members Church of God International showed affection to anyone who needed aid. They were ready to:
Feed the hungry with ready to eat food
Shelter those who needed rest
Provide warm relief to those who needed comfort
Is there anything to learn from Typhoon Haiyan? Definitely, there is! Bro. Eliseo Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon revealed just some of these.
Sachin Tendulkar and the Best of Crickets India
Sachin Tendulkar is known in India as one of the best ever cricketer to have lived. He has broken all records of those before him with over 34,000 runs listed on his playing record. It’s hard to see if anyone could beat this record, but for today India gives him a very warm exit as he performs his last cricket game today.
“He Embodies the Aspirations of a Billion People: Tendulkar’s initial years in cricket (he debuted in 1989) took place against a turbulent backdrop. India was trying to come to grips with economic liberalization, caste clashes, communal riots and political instability. Every time he scored a hundred runs (known in cricket as a century), the hopes of a billion people took flight. In the words of Indian poet, CP Surendran, when Tendulkar walked out to bat, “a whole nation, tatters and all, marched with him to the battle arena.”
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Sachin Tendulkar | TIME.com http://world.time.com/2013/11/14/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sachin-tendulkar/#ixzz2kcuReCyi
It may sound as an exaggeration, but many people in India consider Sachin Tendulkar as a god, which is a total living embodiment of the divine. Do you think this is biblically sound?
Bro. Eliseo Soriano has the following insights about idol worship and the Bible:
"The Lord Jesus Christ is the “express image” of God’s person!The Father dwells in Him.
(John 14:10) “Believest thou not that I am in the Father,and the Father in me?the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:but the Father that dwelleth in me,he doeth the works.”
Read more about idol worship here: http://www.elisoriano.com/a-different-shape-of-idol-worship/
If it is a form of endearment towards someone who has done great, then it is but natural. We do admire someone for being talented but to the point of treating that person as someone divine, I think we better think again.
How about you? Do you think Sachin Tendulkar is a god?
Sachin Tendulkar, the Pride of India
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| Sachin Tendulkar |
“He Embodies the Aspirations of a Billion People: Tendulkar’s initial years in cricket (he debuted in 1989) took place against a turbulent backdrop. India was trying to come to grips with economic liberalization, caste clashes, communal riots and political instability. Every time he scored a hundred runs (known in cricket as a century), the hopes of a billion people took flight. In the words of Indian poet, CP Surendran, when Tendulkar walked out to bat, “a whole nation, tatters and all, marched with him to the battle arena.”
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Sachin Tendulkar | TIME.com http://world.time.com/2013/11/14/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sachin-tendulkar/#ixzz2kcuReCyi
On Considering Sachin Tendulkar as a God
It may sound as an exaggeration, but many people in India consider Sachin Tendulkar as a god, which is a total living embodiment of the divine. Do you think this is biblically sound?
Bro. Eliseo Soriano has the following insights about idol worship and the Bible:
"The Lord Jesus Christ is the “express image” of God’s person!The Father dwells in Him.
(John 14:10) “Believest thou not that I am in the Father,and the Father in me?the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:but the Father that dwelleth in me,he doeth the works.”
Read more about idol worship here: http://www.elisoriano.com/a-different-shape-of-idol-worship/
If it is a form of endearment towards someone who has done great, then it is but natural. We do admire someone for being talented but to the point of treating that person as someone divine, I think we better think again.
How about you? Do you think Sachin Tendulkar is a god?
Tag :
General Discussion
Typhoon Yolanda and the Power of a Hug
Typhoon Yolanda has left such a disaster in the Philippines. Many families are clueless on how to start their lives while those who are less fortunate are still in despair if there is still hope their loved ones are alive. But how do you find comfort during this time of crisis?
“Advocacy group 1000bearhugs has set up a toy drive to help traumatized children recover faster.
While food, water, and medicine should remain as top relief goods, stuffed toys could serve as an integral part of recovery of the young survivors, especially during calamities like Yolanda. Conflicting reports say hundreds have died due to monster storm Yolanda. Children who survived, however, may experience heavy trauma.”
Read more here: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/the-power-of-a-hug--what-can-help-children-overcome-yolanda-trauma-140619926.html
Do you think bears will help comfort these children?
In a study conducted by Virginia Satir, hugging provides several advantages and health benefits to include:
♦ builds stronger bonds with the people you see everyday
♦ lowers stress
♦ lowers blood pressure
Thus she recommends:
✔ 8 hugs a day for maintenance
✔ 12 hugs a day for growth
A few inspiration words and life lessons from Bro. Eliseo Soriano before we end this discussion:
Let us continue to pray for everyone who has been victims of the recent Typhoon Yolanda.
Image courtesy of: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/yolanda-damage-in-samar-slideshow/debris-clogs-coastline-near-pier-town-guiuan-eastern-photo-105127316.html
The Power of Hug Maybe the Comfort-Solution for Typhoon Yolanda Victims
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| Typhoon Yolanda |
“Advocacy group 1000bearhugs has set up a toy drive to help traumatized children recover faster.
While food, water, and medicine should remain as top relief goods, stuffed toys could serve as an integral part of recovery of the young survivors, especially during calamities like Yolanda. Conflicting reports say hundreds have died due to monster storm Yolanda. Children who survived, however, may experience heavy trauma.”
Read more here: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/the-power-of-a-hug--what-can-help-children-overcome-yolanda-trauma-140619926.html
Do you think bears will help comfort these children?
The Power of Hug, Is it Scientific?
In a study conducted by Virginia Satir, hugging provides several advantages and health benefits to include:
♦ builds stronger bonds with the people you see everyday
♦ lowers stress
♦ lowers blood pressure
Thus she recommends:
✔ 8 hugs a day for maintenance
✔ 12 hugs a day for growth
A few inspiration words and life lessons from Bro. Eliseo Soriano before we end this discussion:
Image courtesy of: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/yolanda-damage-in-samar-slideshow/debris-clogs-coastline-near-pier-town-guiuan-eastern-photo-105127316.html
