VOICE OF THE BRETHREN:
February 13, 2016
Dear Mr. Antonio Ebangelista,
I honestly don’t know if my letter will end up in the right AE or if you really are the notorious AE. But let me just tell you that we were never fans of yours, because prior to this, I can proudly say that I and my husband belonged to the anti-AE campaign set up by our District Minister and we never read your articles but instead only shared and liked anything anti-AE. But thank God, He did not allow us to be blind anymore. Although this did not happen overnight…
My family have been here in the United States for quite sometime and we have always been active and helped out in any way possible in the name of faith and love for the church. When we first heard of the Iglesia Ni Cristo Silent No More, we were adamant to read about your blogs because we have been told that you are the devil’s handiwork in straying the brethren away from the faith. We followed our Minister’s advice and refrained from reading any of your writings. But our children, who were born and raised here in the US, being liberated and all, refused to be censored and read all of your articles including the INC-sponsored and promoted articles. My children and I would always have a heated discussion because they were already inclined to your writings and it already caused us to be alarmed. I did not speak to our Minister about this because I know that they will probably take it the wrong way since some of the brethren I know have been the receiving end of the so-called express expulsion.
Ironically, what led me to start reading your articles was not because somebody forced me or because I have no other choice, but because in the course of our discussions with our children, I noticed that my children would always be calm and compassionate in their arguments (which ironically they were not to begin with), while I and my husband would always be ill-tempered, aggressive and spiteful (which we were not to begin with). So I talked to my husband and we started talking to our other friends about it and I noticed that they too have changed their attitudes and temperament from being mild-mannered and respectfully brethren we’ve come to know over the years. This alarmed me and my husband. It was good that we were able to make a self-evaluation of ourselves and came to the realization that we were changing negatively, very much the same way as the church is. Because of this, my husband and I started reading your blogs, not because we wanted to believe in you, but because we wanted to find faults and loopholes in your writings, we wanted to prove you and our children wrong, we wanted to prove that you are just out to disgrace the church, that you are just a puppet and that your intentions were questionable and evil, we desperately wanted to prove that you are just against Ka Eduardo personally and you wanted to replace him or start your own religion. But we realized for our ourselves that we are complete wrong in all our impressions of you and your objectives. Like a bucket of ice-water poured over our heads, we suddenly realize that we were just feeding on false information from the church administration solely dedicated to painting an evil picture of you so as to stop anybody from believing in any of the things you write. This self realization changed our lives completely.
The first article we were able to read was entitled, The Red Pill, The Blue Pill. It’s now pretty obvious which pill we picked. I simply cannot forget how we felt for the first time upon reading your articles. I could imagine how the people must have felt when they read the writings of Dr. Jose Rizal that started a revolution, they may not know the writer personally then, but his writings speak the truth regardless of the writer’s imperfections and faults, and it was enough to fuel the hearts of the masses to move them towards a common goal and that was freedom from oppression and suppression. The pen was indeed mightier than the sword. I can safely say that the same thing goes for our time. Your writing brought out our first reaction, which was anger and hate for the person who wrote all these articles against the church. Then it slowly dawned on us like a fresh breath of air and it was like learning how to breathe for the first time. I and my husband cried as we read your articles from the very start entitled “Ang Simula” simply because it was what our heart was aching for, it was what our mind was searching for, it was our eyes were looking for yet was never able to see, and from that moment on, we couldn’t stop reading your other articles, and now we understand why our children were like that. That despite their frustration with the current irregularities and anomalies in the church, they were still very compassionate and understanding towards people like us who were still blinded by “complete submission” mantra by the church administration. And because of this revelation to us, we have been following your writings and updates from other defenders, and we save those articles on our smartphones and computers, USB and printouts. We try hard to keep all of your writings extremely hidden because our Resident Minister would always come by the house and surprisingly seems to be doing more of a loyalty check and inspection rather than visitation for edification. That’s why we would make sure that all AE-related materials are kept on a safe and other discreet hiding places. With the current state of mind of the Ministers and brethren today, you can’t help but feel like we’re in a martial-law era and going to church activities and worship services can’t get any drier than it already is. Many of the brethren share the same sentiments but are all afraid to speak up. The worship services are all centered on complete submission to EVM, monetary offerings and more monetary offerings. No more mentions of love for parents, love for one another, compassion, forgiveness, diplomacy, holiness and all other spiritual teachings during the time of Bro. Erdy. This is really saddening.
But we do have an open mind and we also often go to the INC-sanctioned social sites and blogs but it really makes me sick. Even during the times when I haven’t started reading your writings, I would go to the INC sites and will just end up asking myself why is the INC sinking to this level of reasoning and argumentation? Why is INC now stooping so low… maybe because most of the members are becoming shallow minded too? I beg to disagree. But why are these sites and writings of Ministers who used to be very decent and respectable become tabloid-speaking bullies? I never expected the likes of Bro. Arnel Tumanan, Joe Ventilacion, Joel San Pedro to post indecent messages unworthy of the Ministry which they represents. Marlex Cantor whom I remembered before during his PNK years when he was often bullied by other children and ridiculed for being fat and very effeminate, but we would always correct the wrong behavior of the children then. I just hope that this is not his way of manning-up for his insecurities when he was still very young because if it was not then there must be really something wrong with him and others like him. Of all the Ministers I see now offensively leading the attack on Defenders, I regret the most, Bro. Joel San Pedro. Why? Because we were very close with him and his whole family and I simply adore him and his wife and children. They used to be the picture of a role-model Christian family. But now, sad to say, he is not the decent Minister I remembered him to be. He turned into a monster-robot with no sense of decency whatsoever, just another minion, following blindly even if it is already unchristian-like. A lot of the brethren who knows them, loved them, but now he is like a monster blood-thirsty for any defender to sacrifice at the altar. And to tell you frankly, a lot, if not all of the O.W.E. ministers have one thing in common now, arrogant, spiteful, foul-mouthed, rumor-chasing mongrels. I used to have so much respect for Ministers, but they just stripped the dignity and decency of the holy Ministry with their foul actions and words.
That is why, the more we, open-minded brethren, read the blogs promoted by these Ministers and brethren about wordpress blogs, or FB pages containing stories likened to a filthy tabloid or slut magazine filled with malicious stories and unsupported accusations, cheap shots and personal attacks, the more brethren who will be enlightened with the truth. Because this is certainly not the church we grew up in, this is not the church where we feel the holy spirit and most certainly, this is not the church led by Ministers guided by God but by worldly evil spirits. Unfortunately, the only people who will believe their concocted stories and malicious lies are the same malicious-minded and disgusting people like them who makes these trash.
Ka AE, I may not know you personally even if a lot of people say that you are Ka Lowell, which I am declined to believe because I also know Ka Lowell personally before when we were still in the Philippines and (no offense to him) I know that even with a lot of help, he cannot be the AE that the whole world is following now. As for his so called cases, I do not know what the real story is, but common-sense would dictate that “if” his adultery case is really valid, then Bro. Flores would have to prove it with actual and factual evidences and not just stories of his observations and hunches or expensive gifts and phones, these are mere speculations and hearsay, his lawyer knows this, but still they continued with the empty case. After reading his version of the story, I actually laughed to myself thinking that this guy must be crazy! He may be the only guy in the history who proudly announced to the whole world that his wife betrayed has been cheating on him, complete with press release and presscon interviews just to disgrace and discredit Ka Lowell not to mention, disgracing himself and his wife in the process thanks to his own doing. It just doesn’t make sense, it more of absurdity if anybody would believe him. Provocative pictures and mysterious blog writings do not constitute material evidences enough to convict Ka Lowell without reasonable doubt in a court of law. The only thing it can accomplish is implicate Ka Lowell, put malice to his name and derail him from his most important case and that is the kidnapping and illegal detention cases against some INC officials. And the timing is just really, really, as in really oh my god, really OBVIOUS! A few days before Ka Lowell’s Amparo hearing, a disgruntled guy with marital problems from 8 years ago, accuses Ka Lowell of adultery and files charges in court, and announces it in nationwide TV and social media, how pathetic can you get huh? Well that’s no wonder why it did not pick up on media and social media the way they planned it be. Simply put, their wicked plan, back-fired! But I do admire Ka Lowell’s wife, Ka Jingky for her brave and honest response to allegations against her husband. Because honestly speaking, even if it were true, which I highly doubt, who among us did not sin? And if he did sin, it does not diminish the validity of Ka Lowell’s case in the Amparo and kidnapping and the illegal detention cases. It even strengthens the truth that there is on-going harassment and threat to Ka Lowell’s family simply because of all the attacks they have been receiving left and right, front, back and center. The attacks are so cheap and disgusting really. And all these, just to derail and dishearten them from this epic david and goliath battle. The whole world now knows that the all-powerful INC will not stop at anything just to stop the proceedings in court which will eventually send some pretty bad men in jail, starting with those Ministers and brethren who were involved in their kidnapping and illegal detention. That is something that the current administration is really petrified about that is why they will do everything to destroy and even eliminate Ka Lowell. I would also like to commend Ka Lowell for not dignifying the malicious attacks on him with a comment or retaliation, he respected the privacy of the people who were being maligned and dragged into the mud just to discredit and attack him. I guess people should read up on basic law regarding adultery to realize that that case will not stand in court. And to think, it is an open secret how many well-known Ministers like Bro. Arnel Tumanan, Amor Quebral, Michael Sandoval, Levi Castro, Jun Santos, and many more who have been charged and convicted of extra-marital affairs yet most of them you can find holding key positions in central now and others are either District Ministers or District Officers. Come on, we are not naïve about these things, I wonder what these Ministers might be feeling right now… self-righteous? And many more which are just not yet known or discovered, they must be meticulously cleaning their tracks by now. So let he who is clean and who have never sinned be the first one to cast a stone. Let lightning strike you when you do.
I’m sorry Ka AE if this letter got so long, I don’t know if you will publish this, I just wanted you to know how we feel and that not all brethren who are still members in the church are O.W.E. minions, a lot of us are just silent, but we are aware. And with what we actually witnessed personally during the worship service in Fremont and how Bro. Bob Pellien, Rommel San Pedro, Barry Thompson, and Bro. Sonny Santiago and other Ministers, orchestrated the fiasco of using cloths and umbrellas and human shields to cover the defenders and their placards, we were really appalled and disgusted. I saw what they did to the defenders and how they told us to do whatever is necessary to make sure the convoy of Bro. EVM does not see the placards, I was just like… “huh? what are they afraid of?” Because for me, I personally want Bro. EVM to see the placards and I would have felt proud if our current Executive Minister would be man enough to go down from his vehicle, approach the protesters and talk to them with all compassion and diplomacy that his honorable father possessed when he was still alive, instead of just speeding away like that. When I heard the chanting of the brethren of “INC, INC, INC, EVM, EVM,EVM” it send shivers down my spine for it was like the chanting of the pagans worshipping their graven idols. Hundreds of mindless minions chanting for absolutely no reason, a mob-like trait that raises so much concern.
When I saw what Bro. Sonny Santiago did when he grabbed and pushed the placard of a defender for no reason and how our brethren violently and physically harassed the defenders, I knew then that these people, the INC members and Ministers of today will gladly take a life of anyone because in their minds, they are doing a great service to god. I am more and more afraid of the brethren today who share the same fanatical conviction as these Minister hoodlums. Bro. AE, how I wish this will all stop now. It breaks our hearts to see the church being led by blind followers and evil hearted people. I know God is not pleased with these Ministers and brethren, but most of all, I know that God is not pleased with brethren and Ministers who will remain silent and refuses to do something while His church is being manipulated, abused and is now being led astray. That is why, after this, our whole family and extended family will be silent no more. I will stand for what is right according to the teachings of God guided with the holy spirit towards hope, faith and love. I will love the brethren even if they consider me their enemy, but most of all, I will love God and our Lord Jesus Christ above all and will not follow instructions that will contradict His teachings, even if it comes from Ministers and the Church Administration. The buck stops here. I refuse to let me and my family to be used as instruments by the corrupt administration who do not have the balls to face the current issues plaguing the church and is even so petrified with just a handful of defenders peacefully picketing their sentiments.
I and my family will join the next vigil at Bakersfield! See you there Ka Eduardo, maybe this time you can show what a good leader should do in times of crisis and not just avoid the problem. Face it head on. Face it head on.
God bless you AE and all the AEs all over the world. God Bless the Church of Christ and may it be restored to its previous holy and unblemished state according to His holy will. May God bless Ka Eduardo and hopefully it will not be too late for him to repent from his sins and mishandling of the church. God bless us all in the greatest fight of our faith.
Respectfully,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
P.S.
We are American citizens and we will invoke our constitutional
Rights and will go after anyone who will suppress these rights.
======================================================
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
I would like to thank you for your conviction and bravery in writing me. Not many people would admit to their shortcomings for being an anti-AE advocate before, but atleast you were able to open your eyes and see the truth for what it is and not for what other people tell you. That is the pristine characteristic of the truth, it is universal and is not bounded by language, race or culture. You are among the many who was able to see both sides of the equation and no one will be able to question your ability to discern the facts for what they truly are because you are all living witnesses to the many changes inside the church and the continuing unresolved issues plaguing the church administration yet are still left unanswered or not properly addressed because of obvious mishandling by the Church Council.
Instead of resolving the problems, the Church Council covertly sanctioned deliberate and simultaneous attacks on the Defenders, particularly on Ka Lowell and his Family and all those who may be associated with him or even supporters and friends. This is really getting way too cheap. I don’t who the masterminds of these daily cheap shots of the Church Administration, but whoever their advisers are, one thing is for sure, they are dragging the name of the church administration with them. Eventhough the Church Council denies their involvement over and over again, nobody believes them, especially the general public simply because they have the power to stop the attacks sanctioned by the INC-created and promoted blogsites and fb pages, yet instead of being the bigger men, they become the filthier men and even promote such disgusting and malicious attacks. All they are doing now is showing the whole world exactly what kind of church the INC has become. A church who exudes hypocrisy by preaching on the pulpit godliness and holiness yet on the other hand their acts betray them by promoting so much hatred and filthy-below-the-belt personal attacks and character assassinations with absolutely no regard or respect for people’s privacy and dignity and the worst part is, the Ministers are in the forefront in propagating these dirty tactics. One would expect this from thugs and crooks, but not from Ministers and brethren…proof that with regards to the church standards, things have definitely changed…for the worse.
So in closing, do expect more and more dirty tactics, character assassinations, below the belt and disgraceful personal attacks, malicious stories and fabricated lies courtesy of our INC-sanctioned social media sites. Anything and everything under the sun, even the cheapest of the lowliest and the darkest, they are willing to do just to destroy anyone whom they consider a threat in exposing the corruption, irregularities and anomalies perpetrated by the Sanggunian and their cohorts. Yet in the face of all the evidences against them plus the evidences they try so hard to hide or destroy, these Ministers still proudly say with a stiff-face “walang ebidensya…wala kayong nalalaman…wala! wala! wala!”. That is why with so many unanswered and unresolved problems facing the integrity of the Church Council and the church in general, it’s no longer a surprise why a new breed of culture is emanating from the brethren of today… not love and compassion, not faith and forgiveness, not diplomacy and honesty… but HATRED. Anybody who asks or defy the current church administration council is dealt with the maximum force of hatred and aggression. No explanation required, just vile aggression and despicable anger. They have learned that fear is a great motivator for a cover up.
I wonder until when will they cover up the truth…? Well…your guess is as good as mine.
~ Antonio Ebangelista
“They tried to bury us…they didn’t know we were seeds.”
How did did this all start? “Ang Simula” / “The Start”
This is my STAND: “Let me Make Myself Clear”
F.A.Q.: Question and Answer with Antonio Ebangelista
Our Standard: Let this be a CLEAN FIGHT even if THEY FIGHT DIRTY
Philippine Daily Inquirer Article: “Antonio Ebangelista writes Philippine Daily Inquirer, Warns Iglesia Elders”
Para sa lahat ng mga MINISTRO: FOR IGLESIA NI CRISTO MINISTERS
The CHOICE is always UP TO YOU : “The Red Pill. The Blue Pill”
Contact Information
Offcial Email: AntonioRamirezEbangelista@gmail.com
Official Blog: Http://incsilentnomore.wordpress.com
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Iglesia-Ni-Cristo-Silent-No-More-by-Antonio-Ramirez-Ebangelista-1611787305760651/
Official Facebook Account:https://www.facebook.com/antonio.ebangelista.77
Official Instagram: @antonioebangelista
Official Twitter: @AEbangelista1
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