Persecution base on the definition by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically - to cause to suffer because of belief. A second definition by Webster is to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks, pleas, or importunities) : PESTER.
In the religious context, persecution is harassment because of propagating a belief or practice that is contrary to the existing beliefs and practices, or traditions and doctrines or a new belief or religion that is different from the religion or beliefs of a place or region.
Persecution o PAG-UUSIG ay maaari din magmula sa mga iba’t ibang uri ng pananaw, kuro-kuro ng tao or grupo sa isang religious denomination o sekta.
Hindi ko na iisa-isahin pa ang mga accounts ng pag-uusig na naitala at mababasa sa Biblia, na ang may pinakamaraming tala dito ay ang Acts of the Apostles. In this particular article, ipepresenta ko ang ilan mga sitwasyon o kaganapan na maaarin nating i-label na uri ng PERSECUTION at sa badang huli, pagbulaybulayan natin kung bakit pinapahintulutan ito ng Diyos.
Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan lamang sa mga naiulat na uri ng PAG-UUSIG laban sa iglesia dito sa ating bansa. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, last year, November, 2006, isang evangelical pastor of a protestant church named Pastor Isaias Sta. Rosa (Malobago, Eastern Bicol Region) was in the headline of a local national newspaper and later on, UMC pastor pala ang taong ito. According to the accounts in the news, Pastor Sta. Rosa is a peasant leader, aside from being a minister.
October of the same year (2006), isa pang insidente ang naganap (this one never hit the news), Mr. & Mrs. Librado & Martina Gallardo (active church member and chairperson of the council of Brgy. Conversion UMC, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija) were, harassed, arrested and tortured. The couple ended up dead, according to Bishop Solito K. Toquero’s letter (Bishop Solito K. Toquero, MEA, Facsimile letter to Rev. Jose Padang dated October 27, 2006), due to pesticide poisoning. It was claimed to be “suicide” sa dahilang hindi na nila makayanan ang mga pagpapahirap sa kanila ng militar. Pati ang pastor ng Conversion UMC ay nasa talaan ng militar na miembro (daw) ng NPA. Sa takot ng pobreng pastor, nilisan niya ang destino sa nasabing lugar.
Ilan lamang ito sa mga naitala o naibalitang mga insidente ng EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTION na nagaganap sa ating bansa. Ang Aglipayan Church ay isa rin sa mga hot list ng military at may mga ilang lugar na implicated naman ang mga Roman Catholic priests.
One more thing, watch out natin ito - The “Anti-Terrorism Bill”. I believe in my heart that this bill will justify the Extrajudicial Execution by the government at sa paniniwala ko ito ang mag-po-police sa lahat ng “unauthorized” na pagpupulong and that will include the fellowhip of Christians anywhere.
Maaaring sabihin natin na “talagang ganyan sa paglilingkod, kasama ang pag-uusig” and we can easily quote the words of Jesus: “if they persecuted me, they will persecute you…” (John 15:20,NRSV).
Naniniwala ako na marami sa Evangelical Christian groups ang nagtatanong kung bakit pinapahintulutan ito ng Dios? Sino ba naman yung mga “persecutors” e, mga Kristyano din naman sila?
Balikan po natin ang Banal na Kasulatan, ang Biblia sa Luke 24:49-“And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Alam na po natin kung anu yung pinapahintay ni Jesus sa mga disipulo Niya…ang HOLY SPIRIT, kasi wala pang “power” ni karunungan ang mga ito, and the HOLY SPIRIT is their only hope to have “power from of High”. So, hinintay nga nila ito hanggang sa araw ng Pentecost ng manaog ang Spiritu Santo sa 11, kasama ang 150 na nanatili sa paghihintay (noong kinumisyon ng Panginoong Jesus ang mga disipulo niya, later called apostles, 500 silang lahat). During that morning when the Holy Spirit descend upon the 150 disciples, while they are waiting in prayer in the upper room. The disciples suddenly showed different manifestations of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and also that was the first time Peter preached and testified boldly…since then, tremendous growth in the numbers of the believers of “The Way” has been experience (Acts 2:41; 2:47; 4:4). Thousands of people are being converted to the faith…it was truly a tremendous church growth. Even the wealth of the early church grew (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-37).
From Acts chapter one verse eight to Acts chapter 8:1, according to scholars, had a lapse of 10-15 years. So, the apostles of the First Christian church enjoyed the TREMENDOUS CHURCH growth, marahil nakalimutan na nila yung mga unang habilin ng Panginoon Hesus na makikita sa Matthew 24:14; 28:19,20; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:47 and Acts 1:8.
The TREMENDOUS CHURCH GROWTH and CHURCH WEALTH GROWTH made the apostles lingered quite longer than expected, in Jerusalem, at marahil nakaligtaan nila yung bahagi ng habilin ni Jesus patungkol sa “Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Come to think of it…the borders of the Temple Courts of Jerusalem ay hindi man katiting sa sinabi ni Jesus tungkol sa “ends of the earth”, ni ang borders ng Jerusalem. The disciples started to become comfortable in the new, big and wealthy Jerusalem church and this comfort zone veiled the eyes of the disciples on God’s mandate…”blessing the nations” by preaching the Good news of the Kingdom of God.
The COMFORT ZONE suddenly was turned into a PERSECUTION ZONE. In Acts 8:1, ay ang simula ng matinding pag-uusig sa mga followers of The Way. Ito’y makalipas na patayin si Stephen by stoning. Acts 8:1 is also the start of the GREATER GROWTH of the followers of The Way (which were later called “Christians”), outside Jerusalem and Judea.
We all know God used Saul to pursue His plan for the apostles “to preach the Gospel to the Nations” and to “the ends of the earth”. Matapos mabulabog at LUMABAS ang mga Kristyano sa Jerusalem – God with His mighty powers converted Saul to do His mission work overseas. Saul, na tinawag ding Paul, ay ginamit ng Panginoon ng husto sa pagpapalaganap ng GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM.
Isang simpleng pagbubulay-bulay sa tunay na layunin ng PERSECUTION o PAG-UUSIG. Upang ipalaganap ng Panginoon ang Mabuting Balita ng Kanyang Kaharian. God is not interested in BIG CHURCHES, He is interested in THE GOSPEL REACHING THE HEARTS OF MEN.
God is not very interested in churches busy in doing a lot of ministries which are out of target, according to Bishop Leo Soriano’s message among the Methodist in Solano, “OUT OF FOCUS”. God is not, interested, even sa mga churches na ang plans ay pagtatayo ng nursery o eskwelahan. God is very much interested in church program reaching the UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP (these are the group of people who are not Christians from the other churches, like Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu, Tribal people, and the non-religious blocs like the communists).
Islam is by far, the fastest growing religion in the world. Noon, nasa Middle East lang sila, now they are almost anywhere in the world. Dito sa Pilipinas, noon ang mga Maranao, Tausug at Badjao ay nasa Mindanao lang. Ngayon, sa bawat lungsod may mga Muslim na. Sa tanggapin natin o hindi, marami na ang dating Kristyano who became converts of Islam.
In Tarlac alone, there are more than a thousand Maranaos and quite a number of Badjaos. There are four (that I know of) mosques in Tarlac (1 in San Rafael, 1 in San Isidro, 1 in Victoria and 1 in Balingcanauay, at baka may alam pa kayo na hindi ko alam).
Ever since, kahit noong ako’y bata pa…marami ng Bumbay dito sa Pilipinas. Sa Tarlac, naglipana na rin ang mga Punjabi Indians on their motorcycles at nag-iikot na naninigil ng kanilang mga 5:6 na pautang sa mga Kristyanong Pinoy.
There is one Buddhist Temple that I know in Villa Perpetua, at hindi rin ako magtataka kung magkaroon din ng Hindu Temple dito.
Let us look at the EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTION – isang anyo ng 21st century na PAG-UUSIG, in a different perspective…tignan natin sa ibang angulo…Hindi kaya masyado na tayong comportbale sa ating mga iglesia? O, baka naman yung mga programa natin sa atin iglesia e, huli o mababa ang rating ng MISSIONS (pag-abot sa UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP or known in the mission community as UPGs).
God is a gracious and good God. Imagine, yung mission field (mga Muslim, Buddhist, Hindus at komunista) e, hinahatid na Niya sa ating bakuran…halos matisod na nga tayo sa dami nila sa daan. Isang babala din ito sa ating mga Kristyano…kapag hindi tayo nagplano at kumilos upang abutin sila…they have made their plans in converting Christians into their faith. At kung tayo’y mananatili sa ating mga programa na out of TARGET, out of focus sa kalooban ng Diyos, our God has many ways and will use the enemy of the Christian faith to PERSECUTE THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. The Anti-Terrorism Bill may be used by God as an instrument to shake the church in order to spread the Message of the Kingdom to the Nations.
