Cult, for so long a time, has been confined to mean
a pessimistic and underground religious movement. Thus this description, which
has eventually turned into a semi-permanent belief, brought to mind a flood of ghastly
images of unorthodox rituals: men veiled in black or white priest-like garbs,
with heads covered by a pointy hat having only two small openings for the eyes;
hair-raising voices muttering a mysterious language before an altar decked and
draped with melting candles, skulls, bones, and blood of a sacrifice; and on
the wall facing the altar, an emblem of the brotherhood – all these the typical
iconic images of a cult’s ceremony in progress.
On the other hand, if a close examination of the
term ‘cult’ will be made, a different perspective will be held. The true
meaning of cult is not what many people believe and popularize it to be.
According to http://www.etymonline.com/,
cult means any of the following: “worship” or “particular form of worship.” It is
derived from the Latin cultus which
means “care; labor; cultivation; culture; worship; reverence; to worship or give reference to a
deity.”
In this regard, if being a cult is
what most people think of Members Church of God International (MCGI) to be, and Presiding Minister
Brother Eli Soriano a cult leader, the question is – which description of a
cult fits MCGI?
This question is for you to answer. But let us help
you make a decision by considering these circumstances.
MCGI is a non-profit, recognized organization duly
registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines.
It means that the Philippine Government acknowledges the presence of MCGI, and its
registration records can be accessed and verified.
This privilege grants MCGI to conduct activities
without getting apprehended by law. It is what makes MCGI work continuously on evangelization
and charity activities in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. Visit
http://www.mcgi.org/about/charities/
and http://www.mcgi.org/broadcasts/
to see and read more of the Organization’s documented charity and evangelism
events.
As MCGI stretches evangelization efforts abroad, it
seeks permit to operate on countries where local chapters are established. MCGI
had been allowed by foreign governments to conduct charity missions, like blood
donation, clean-up, and charity runs, to name a few. See again the Charities
Section of www.mcgi.org for more details.
For these efforts, the Church and Bro. Eli Soriano
as well, had received citations for its charitable activities and missions.
Look here.
MCGI is on the Web. Internet surfers can freely visit
the Church’s portal, www.mcgi.org, to find
out their latest news and activities, including vital information they need to
know more about the Organization.
MCGI lives within the legal norms of the
society. Members worldwide submit to the laws of their country of
origin. They are disciplined, law-abiding citizens, which is a part of
their learning as Christians to be subject to the laws and ordinances of men, a
doctrine written in I Peter 2:13 to 16 which says “Submit yourselves to
every ordinance of men for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as
supreme; (14) Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. (15) For so
is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of
foolish men: (16) As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke [cloak] of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (KJV) Read here to find out more about the
members of the Church.
MCGI abides by the teachings and doctrines of the
Bible. Brother Eli Soriano, Presiding Minister, teaches every member to
faithfully heed God’s laws relevant to the time. He encourages members to think
and do what is right before God. He invites them to converse on matters that involve
their faith and continuance in God’s service, and listens to and accepts
suggestions from members, especially if it will help the Congregation be more
responsive Christians.
On a weekly basis, Bro. Eli shares biblical topics
that teach, enlighten, and direct the MCGI congregation in dealing with life’s difficulties.
Through it, the members become well-informed of their duties and obligations as
Christians, dedicated to spiritual and social service.
In conducting religious gatherings, MCGI follows
the practice of the first-century Christians. They follow what is written in I
Corinthians 14:26 that says “How is it then, brethren? when ye come
together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a
revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” (KJV)
Read this section to find
out more on church assemblies.
What about a cult’s supposed power to cure diseases?
MCGI believes primarily in the power of God to
heal. The Church also appreciates the help of science in curing ailments.
Ailing members are advised to see licensed doctors.
Through Brother Eli’s biblically-based teaching
that doing good must be done to all men, MCGI initiated free medical help
throughout the Philippines, like rescue/ambulance services, a polyclinic with
free pharmacy and on-call physicians, and a clinic-on-wheels to address the
medical needs of indigent people. Both MCGI and non-MCGI members can benefit
from these services. You can read
this section for articles on such services.
In addition to the facts already stated, Brother
Eli explained the biblical essence of a cult. In a recent Bible Exposition this year,
he said that essentially a cult is good. He cited Romans 12:1 in both Spanish and
Portuguese, and identified the word culto which means “reasonable or rightful worship.”
Originally in Greek, the same word was
rendered “latreia” (pronounced la-tri-ah) which means “ministration of God, which
means “worship, divine service.”
The Philippine language adopts and adapts culto from the Spanish and Portuguese as
kulto, and the standard definition is
surprisingly contradictory to what many people think of it. In the UP
Diksyunaryong Filipino (UP Filipino Dictionary), kulto means “sistema ng
ritwal at tuntuning panrelihiyon (a system of rituals and religious
guidelines). This is the very essence of worship described in the Bible stated
in Romans 12:1.
Another definition of cult in Filipino is “may natatangi o pinong pag-uugali,
pag-iisip, o panlasa (having unique or refined demeanor, thinking, or
taste).” Brother Eli says there is nothing wrong to be said of in this
definition.
Brother Eli analyzes that the lack of understanding
of many preachers, pastors, and religious ministers caused the misinterpretation
of the meaning of cult for many people.
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