A controversial story of Iglesia ni Cristo Church in Iloilo City who allegedly refused to shelter some victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda have gone viral after it was posted on 'Splendor of the Church' blog on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013.
According to certain Mai Militante, the story was shared by her staff during the Typhoon Yolanda incident in Iloilo City.
The blog story was intensified after an @EagleNewsNET25 Twitter account posted an Iglesia ni Cristo Church picture in Tacloban with caption "Standing among the ruins is The Iglesia ni Cristo Church in Tacloban, Leyte after Monster Typhoon Yolanda left".
SCAN International, a committee on Iglesia ni Cristo posted the image as well on its Facebook page and quickly went viral, gathering close to 17,000 shares, 24,000 likes and almost 5,000 comments.
Netizens share mixed opinions regarding the viral story and picture of the church. The "Library of Most Controversial Files" even picked the blog post of the Splendor of the Church before the site went down.
Excerpt:
It is striking that they have such an attitude when people are loosing homes during the onslaught of the super typhoon Haiyan. Outside trees were falling and iron sheets from the rooftops of many houses were flying like paper sheets. In face of danger, it is natural tendencies of Filipinos to take shelter to Churches and schools. Yet there members of Iglesia ni Cristo refused to open doors like the unmerciful inkeepers in Bethlehem during the birth of the Messia, refusing shelter to the Holy Family.
Take note, they pride themselves for having their chapel standing right after the storm, Good for them. However, a house of worship that is not a house of charity is evil. Like the Pyramids of the pagans they stand aas lasting memorial of the emptines of the Pharaoh's heart.
Reacting on the contents shared by LMCF, Facebook Fan Page "100% Katolikong Pinoy" posted an "Open Letter to Iglesia ni Cristo"
An open letter to Iglesia ni Cristo, Locale of Tacloban, Ecclesiastical District of Leyte East.
We understand that your edifice is sacred to you, and we understand that the use of your buildings is deemed for worship. This is the default for you, as we see it.
What we cannot comprehend in the spirit of Christianity, or at least in the humanitarian spirit, that you can refuse anyone who desperately needs help despite the act of goodwill you show in your group's mammoth Medical Mission.
Where is the "Kabayan ko, Kapatid ko" slogan? In the times past when disaster strikes (especially at Ondoy), churches from the Catholic Church and different denominations took in your members without questioning their affiliations.
It is written in the Word of God that you also use: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOME ME, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."
Is anyone a stranger in the name of God?
And now you boast that your church edifice defied the wrath of the Typhoon, according to your official fan pages.
We always turn to God in times of distress, in problems, in great need. And God is a helper in these times. His Divine Mercy is pouring out like a raging river in these times. We REBUKE you of this heartlessness, or not standing up to Christianity's greatest asset: Charity.
We write this for the sake of the victims who were grieved when they were turned down. It is our Christian duty to REBUKE (2 Timothy 4:2) for the sake of the good.
As of writing, no official statement issued yet from the Iglesia ni Cristo regarding the Iloilo INC Church incident. Even the story from Mai Militante is subject for verification as it was just forwarded by her staff.
Meanwhile, the death toll from a super typhoon that decimated entire towns in the Philippines could soar well over 10,000, authorities warned Sunday, making it the country’s worst recorded natural disaster.
For more trending news and updates, like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter add us to your circle in Google+ and we will keep you posted directly on your news feeds.
No comments: