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There’s a saying that goes, “The first generation in a family makes money (goes from rags to riches); the second generation holds or keeps the money; and the third generation squanders or loses the money (and so goes back to rags).”
While the family that built the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) doesn’t appear to be in the “rags” state in terms of their finances, their current situation has wrecked its otherwise formidable reputation.
The fact that INC’s current leader, Eduardo “Eddie” Manalo (left in photo) had to expel his own mother, Cristina or “Tenny,” and brother, Felix Nathaniel or “Angel,” (right in photo) from the church is bad enough.
BROTHERLY ISSUES
Angel said many anomalies started happening when Eduardo became leader of the church group in 2009.
“Binabago nila ang aral eh. Sa panahon po ng pamamahala ng kapatid na Felix Y. Manalo, hanggang sa panahon ng kapatid na Erano Manalo, wala tayong nakikitang anomalya (They changed the teachers. Under Felix Y. Manalo up to the time of Eraño Manalo, we didn’t have these anomalies),” he told journalists who gathered outside the Manalo home in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
Angel added in Filipino: “We love our brother. Our problem is with the people around him. They ruined the doctrine of Iglesia ni Cristo. There are just so many anomalies now. That’s what we reject.
‘THREATS’ FROM THE INC SANGGUNIAN
Angel also alleged they have been receiving threats from the INC’s Sanggunian, or council of advisers. He claimed, “Pinagbabantaan po kami. Iyun pong Sanggunian. Sinasabi lumalaban kami sa pamamahala. Hindi po kami lumalaban. Mahal po namin ang aming kapatid. Ang amin lang pakiusap, huwag siyang maniniwala sa Sanggunian (They have threatened us. That’s the Sanggunian. They said we’re opposing the church. We are not. We love our brother. We hope he doesn’t listen to the Sanggunian).”
Angel added that INC funds are being spent on big projects like the Philippine Arena in Bulacan instead of building INC churches.
Text: Jojo Malig, ABS-CBNnews.com
Photo: News clips
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
