Talking with the opposition

House Minority leader Francis Escudero (1^st District, Sorsogon) says he cannot be accused of being one of the elected government officials who received top secret material from accused spy Michael Ray Aquino by electronic mail because of one simple reason: he doesn't have an email address. Escudero made the rather startling revelation at the end of a press conference last week at The Apo View Hotel; I was asking for a way to contact him and he whipped out a calling card and started scribbling his cell phone number at the back of it. Now I don't ask people like him for their cell phone address because that information is a little too private, so when he volunteered it I had to ask if he didn't want to give me just his email address instead. “I don't have an email address,” he replied, and I had to ask him again just to make sure I heard him right. “I don't have an email address,” he repeated. “Low-tech ako, e. All I need is my cell phone.” He has had a string of three email addresses (all web-based, presumably), but all have been canceled by the system because he rarely opened them. I found that strange since he is quite young, and I presumed he would at least have an active email address since, second to text, that is the easiest way to communicate with people these days. He is no technophobe either since he has a high-end cell phone and was texting away during lulls in our interview. The House Minority Office (which, as his card indicates, is located at the basement of the Batasan Complex), does have an email address, so if you have queries you can send them to minorityoffice@gmail.com.

-oOo-

Anyway, our interview was quite fruitful because it crystallized for me what the opposition is fighting for. When I received the invitation to the press conference some friends told me to ask him when all the political squabbling will end (actually most of them told me to tell him categorically to stop all the political squabbling), and so the first question I asked him and fellow opposition stalwart Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio of South Cotabato even before the press con started was that. The answer was short: “When Mrs. Arroyo tells the truth.” “Hindi pa rin siya sumasagot sa mga paratang sa kanya hanggang ngayon (She still hasn't answered the charges against her until now),” he said. “Why doesn't she answer? Baka lalo siyang mabaon (She might sink deeper).”

-oOo-

Escudero said the venue for the President to tell the truth about allegations of cheating would have been the impeachment trial, but she prevailed upon her supporters in the Lower House to scuttle it. Having lost in the impeachment stage, he said, the opposition is left with no recourse but to take the matter to the streets. “It has always been about the truth,” Escudero said. “That is why we have been moving around the country, to get the people to support our call for the truth.” I told him that this crusade for truth seems to be getting the least media attention, with more focus being given to the call for the President to resign. “The problem is we can't control what the media report. We always say that the primary issue is that the President tell the truth, but then we get asked what should be done if she is found to have cheated in the elections. We naturally say she should resign, so the headlines the next day focus on resignation and not on the search for the truth. But is has always been about the truth,” he said.

-oOo-

But since the President is not about to expound on her “I am sorry” address, the opposition will keep beating at its door through protest actions and through the budget hearings that the executive department must go through. “For example,” Escudero said, “we will grill them on PhilHealth. Why was the government giving away free health insurance in 2004 but cannot give it anymore now? They also used the road users' tax. They will have to answer these during the budget hearings.” Another venue is the formation of a “Citizens' Commission” that would “give the President the chance to answer” the charges.

-oOo-

Escudero, however, was a bit vague about this “Citizen's Commission” and what it is supposed to accomplish and how it would accomplish it. As near as I could tell, it would be something like a “people's court” in which the opposition would “try” the President for her alleged offenses, and this much could be gleaned from Escudero's statement that the Citizen's Commission would give Mrs. Arroyo “the chance to answer” the allegations of cheating in last year's elections. How they would get the President to actually face the Commission is a mystery, and unfortunately the flow of the press conference (which was attended by a number of other reporters) led us away from the topic and I wasn't able to steer it back. At any rate, Escudero emphasized that the intent of a Citizen's Commission is to get to the truth, a word that has really been buried underneath the political ramblings that have filled the media the past months.

-oOo-

I actually told Escudero that the perception of many people we talk to here in Mindanao is that the opposition is only intent on unseating the President by hook or by crook, using any means possible – legal or otherwise – to achieve it. “It has always been about the truth,” he repeated, and also repeated that all this will end “when she tells the truth.” But isn't power the ultimate goal? “Let me make it clear,” Escudero said. “We don't want to grab power. Who will replace GMA if she resigns ? The Constitution answers that: the Vice President. What would happen if she is removed from office through People Power? There should be a transition group who will have only one task: to call for clean elections. Hindi kami ang papalit.”

-oOo-

Escudero said the country should have learned from the experience of the past two People Power uprisings: “Mrs. Corazon Aquino should not have sat as President. Mrs. Arroyo should not have sat as President. What they should have done was call for new elections.” It was therefore no surprise when he welcomed the then-new (or freshly renewed) call for snap elections, although he said it cannot be done “under this Comelec.” “We need to overhaul the Comelec first, removing those who had participated in cheating in last year's elections.” He said unless this is done, any elections – be it a snap poll or the regular elections in 2007 - “will not be credible.” Escudero also criticized the President for not having taken steps to clean up the electoral process in spite of the perception that the 2004 polls were the dirtiest in recent history. “Has she done anything to address this? She has not even certified any bill on overhauling the elections as priority.”

-oOo-

Escudero said an important first step is to cleanse the voters' list, which is presumably so questionable that it gave rise to massive cheating last year. How about computerization, I asked, and he said that per se “is no guarantee” that elections will be clean and “may even give way to cheating.” He said the opposition has been pushing for computerization to be held on a pilot basis in certain areas before it is implemented nationwide, just to make sure it does work and does not result in even more problems. And even before elections are held, voter education must be conducted so that the people would learn to vote for those who would really serve them and not those who are paying them off. “We have had painful experiences in this area, and we can learn from these,” he said.

-oOo-

“The root of our crisis,” Escudero declared, “is rotten elections, and the solution is clean elections. We are a young democracy and we are going through growing pains, but we hope we can learn from our past. We hope we don't repeat history.”

Another text hoax

About a week and a half ago I got this text from a close friend: "pls pray 4 pstr ferdie flores, msnary in east timor, he's going 2 b killd ds sunday thru beating. pls pray dat God will not allow it. frwrd to other christians." If you don't speak textese, here's a translation: "Please pray for Pastor Ferdie Flores, missionary in East Timor. He's going to be killed this Sunday through beating. Please pray that God will not allow it. Forward to other Christians." As is my habit when I receive such messages, I took it with a grain of salt but resisted scolding the one who sent it to me for passing on unconfirmed information like that. How did I know it was unconfirmed and thus dubious? Well, for one thing, if Flores was really to be killed that Sunday, it would surely have hit the news already. We do have an embassy in East Timor, and any problem of this magnitude would have merited its attention. Media would also have already reported it. Also, the "frwrd to other christians" was a dead giveaway, a tool used by spammers both in emails and in texts to get the spurious message spreading. Correctly or not, I simply ignored the text, certain that it was another hoax.

-oOo-

Soon, however, it became apparent that the text had taken a life of its own and was circulating not just in the Philippines but in other countries as well. A number of people I know sent me the same text, and that Sunday – the day of the supposed execution by beating – Pastor Ferdie Flores was mentioned in our church and prayers were made for him and his family. One of our members had taken the effort to verify the existence of Flores, and he found that there indeed was a Pastor Ferdie Flores, a native of Iligan City, who is a missionary to East Timor. I was unconvinced, through, that he was in the sort of danger the circulating text was purporting, so concerned that we could be praying for a hoax, I texted a friend who works at the Department of Foreign Affairs (who had visited East Timor about two years ago on a UN mission) and asked her to verify the report – something I know should have done when I first got the information. Her response was immediate: "I could try," indicating that as far as the DFA was concerned, no such "execution" had been scheduled.

-oOo-

My friend then sent a follow-up: "Do you really believe the East Timorese government or the Catholics (who make up the majority of the East Timor population) would beat him to death? We have an embassy there and if he's being deported, or going to be killed for that matter, it would be informed." True, I said, and I told her I myself was extremely skeptical of the text. But I still asked her to confirm the report with finality and with authority, and so she said she would call her former boss who is the husband of the Philippine Ambassador to East Timor. Moments later she called, and I had to rush out of the church sanctuary to answer her (I was communicating with her throughout the church service, anxious as I was to get confirmation immediately). "Tell your churchmates that Ferdie Flores is alive and well," she said, "and that he himself is surprised that such a text has been going around. He has been having some problems with residents there, but he has not been scheduled for execution."

-oOo-

Back in the office that afternoon (yes, I work Sundays) I googled the words "pastor ferdie flores east timor," and I came upon Christian websites in which members from all over the world were praying for delivery for Pastor Flores and his family. As I said, the text had spread not just in the Philippines but in other parts of the world as well. The lesson we can learn is to never forward texts like these until we verify if they are accurate. It is unfortunate that even Christians can become tools of disinformation, and we must do all we can to prevent this from happening again. It's actually simple: just don't forward texts like this.

-oOo-

It is now difficult to find any more information on Flores and his family because apparently the organization that had sent him (which I can't even find out) pulled out his prayer letters for security reasons. Fortunately, a UK-based reporter was able to access one of the latest prayer letters of Pastor Flores before it was pulled out of the net. The reporter says Pastor Flores “wrote of a terrifying ordeal that left one of the co-workers, Maria, so traumatized that it caused her to suffer a 'breakdown.' Pastor Ferdie said:

“Few months back, we rejoiced for the breakthrough in Laclo, a village 12 km southwest of Manatuto. Four families with 10 of them follow the Lord in believer’s baptism. Since then we started to have a regular Bible study every Saturday.
"October 8, I and my family with two other believers went to Laclo for our regular Bible study. There about 25 believers gathered in one of the church member’s house. While I was preaching I noticed that there were people surrounded the house making noise trying to destruct our service. Just when I finished preaching and I heard a commotion. I went outside and saw people running away back and forth chasing each other. I noticed some believers lost their patience and was drawn to the rumble. While we are trying our best to pacify the situation, I feel terror is imminent. Jeannie then rushed our children to safety. In the next few minutes a mob appeared from every direction is coming towards us. As the mob comes closer I seated calmly and some hot tempered, furious catechists started to ask intimidating, long and tedious questions. I tried to answer the questions short and simple and try to evade discussion. In spite of this trouble the Lord is in control.. Finally the fire was subdued. It is a very long and horrifying day but praise the Lord the mob left us unharmed.
"The believers later told me that they already heard the rumor that some notorious fanatics are planning to beat me but they didn’t inform me about it. In the eyes of our companion the aborted horror is still obvious. Maria, our companion had nervous breakdown in the last few days. Jeannie also bore the trauma as well.”

Waniban's waters are so clean it's unbelievable. It's also wonderfully relaxing, and we enjoyed simply sitting around. 

My mother-in-law Cecil, Dadaii, and Shaolin strike a pose. 

Sunrise at Gregorio Beach Resort... 

The first interesting sight on the way to Mati is the "Sleeping Dinosaur," an island lying on Pujada Bay that looks like, well, a sleeping dinosaur. Some people -- like my brother-in-law Phillip -- can't seem to see the figure, but this picture should remove all doubt. 

MAGICAL MATI

My family (and extended family) and I spent the long weekend in Mati, our favorite place in the world, and since some of those who were with us were making their first trip there, we made sure we visited two of the most beautiful places there: Waniban (actually spelled Juan Ivan but this is rarely used) island and the mangrove forest/nursery in barangay Guang-guang. Waniban is a 4-hectare island surrounded by white sands and volcanic rocks, and a more beautiful place one is hard-pressed to find. Located in Pujada Bay a few kilometers off Gregorio Beach Resort where we were billeted, one reaches Waniban by boat, which we rented from the adjacent resort. Fifteen minutes later we were in the cleanest, most beautiful beach we had ever seen, and the fact that it was still largely undeveloped made it even more magical. The first thing we did was arrange for our lunch, and one of the wonderful things about Waniban is that the family that is caring for it serves seafood newly caught from the waters, making for the freshest feast one can ever enjoy. Having taken care of that we started off on a trek around the island, and since Waniban is quite small it took less than an hour to do it – and that was including swimming and sight-seeing breaks.

-oOo-

Lunch was, as expected, simple but delicious, made up entirely of fish: broiled, tinola, and kinilaw. We wanted Coke, of course, so one of the caretakers sped off on a small banca to the mainland to buy some, making it look as simple as hopping on board a bicycle to buy soft drinks from the neighborhood sari-sari. After a short rest and some more swimming it was time to head back, for we did not want to get caught in the late afternoon winds that made Pujada Bay's waters a little choppy. We rested a while at Gregorio, and then we were off again to Guang-guang with its 21,000-plus hectares of mangroves that are either newly planted or old growth. I keep using the word "magical" in Mati and Guang-guang is no exception: it's truly magical to walk through mangroves in shallow water for many many meters away from the shore. There is talk that the water actually gushes from the hard coral floor to fill the area, but I think it's just the tide coming in; either way, being at the mangrove forest/nursery as the water rises is wondrous because the place literally turns from placid lake to flowing river – albeit with saltwater.

-oOo-

Sitting in the warm waters of Guang-guang always makes us wonder why we do not have something like it here in Davao City. It should be fairly simple and there is certainly a lot of shoreline available that is not being used commercially. At the beach property of my friend Atty. Jude Ralph Yap in Binugao, Toril there is a small mangrove area, which goes to show that mangroves can thrive in Davao City if we only put our minds to it. If environment protection by itself is not enough to spur us, then perhaps this bit of news emailed by a friend can give us more reason and impetus to do it:

Trees Protected Some in India From Tsunami

Coastal villages set behind mangrove forests in southeast India suffered much less damage in the Asian tsunami than places without the protection of trees, a new study reports.

The massive wave last December struck 11 countries, leaving more than 230,000 people dead or missing.

Researchers led by Finn Danielsen of the Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology in Copenhagen, Denmark, studied tsunami damage along the coast in the Cuddalore District in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

"In the north, stands of mangroves had five associated villages, two on the coast and three behind the mangrove. The villages on the coast were completely destroyed, whereas those behind the mangrove suffered no destruction, even though the waves damaged areas unshielded by vegetation north and south of these villages," the researchers report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

South of that area, they added, "the shore is lined with Casuarina plantations. Five villages are located within these plantations and all experienced only partial damage. The plantations were undamaged except for rows of 5 to 10 trees nearest to the shore, which were uprooted."

Overall, the researchers found damage in 35 percent of the coastal land without trees, 15 percent where there were some trees and less than 1 percent where there was protection by dense tree growth.

The researchers noted that mangrove forests have become threatened in some areas and commented that "conserving or replanting coastal mangroves and greenbelts should buffer communities from future tsunami events."

Sorry for the very late post, but I've been busy the past months. Anyways, this is my band 220 performing at our first self-produced show at Basti's Brew in Victoria Plaza , Davao City. Singing are Ellen and Kukie, with me playing guitar. It was a great show: the place was packed, and a royal good time was had by all. 

My fledgling duet, tentatively called 220, performed for the first time at the World Press Freedom Day celebration at SM City Davao. My singer is Ellen Domag, and of course I play guitar. Here are some shots of that great day. 

Ellen and I perform at the World Press Freedom Day celebration at the SM City Davao, May 3, 2005. We sang "Doobidoo" by the Apo. 

Would Jesus wear a Rolex?

(This two-part column appeared in the Mindanao Daily Mirror on March 1 and 2)

Would Jesus wear a Rolex? Back in the 70s or 80s (I don’t know the exact time of publication), singer/comedian Ray Stevens wrote a song that became an anthem of sorts against the then-growing number and influence of the so-called televangelists. “Would Jesus Wear A Rolex?” he asked, and the answer, since it was a rhetorical question, was a resounding “No.” If Jesus had chosen this time to do His earthly ministry, He would probably still have chosen to be a carpenter, and He would certainly still identify Himself with the poor. No Rolexes for Him, probably not even a cheap digital watch from China that could be bought nowadays for little more than a hundred pesos. Stevens’ song was a reaction to the excesses that some televangelists were prone to and which, as we now know, led to their own respective falls from grace. “Would He wear a pinky ring,” Stevens asked, “would He drive a fancy car? Would His wife wear furs and diamonds, would His dressin' room have a star? If He came back tomorrow, well there's somethin' I'd like to know: Could ya tell me, Would Jesus wear a Rolex on His television show.”

-oOo-

I write this for two reasons: one, yesterday’s Mirror editorial wrote of a certain television preacher who had anointed himself the “Son of God” and many people have told me they know who this referred to – Pastor Apollo Quiboloy – and asked if we could expound on this, and two, a few weeks ago I had written here that while I do not agree with what Quiboloy says in his television show, I will defend his right to say it. Regarding this second reason, I have been asked by people many times if I were a follower of Quiboloy’s; my initial reaction was irritation because they had obviously missed that I said I did not agree with what Quiboloy preaches. But then I realized that perhaps I did not emphasize that fact enough.

-oOo-

Before I actually discuss Quiboloy and what he has been preaching, let me say that I actually tried to avoid writing about this, and in fact I had advised some pastor friends of mine that the best way to treat the matter is simply to ignore the man. Answering him and engaging him in debate will lead nowhere because he bases his claims on a subjective experience: he believes and teaches that God – or the Father, who in his teaching is actually Jesus Christ, which makes me ask what happened to the original Father (I know, it’s confusing, but don’t blame me, blame him) – personally called him to become the Son of God in these “last days.” How exactly this happened is not clear in his shows, and even his website does not give a history of how he earned his “sonship.” All Quiboloy says is that he went through a period of training and trials before becoming chosen to be the “appointed son.” It is this vagueness that makes it difficult to debate with him on this point. He just claims the position, and his followers believe him.

-oOo-

OK, so what are these claims? In case you don’t have cable (he has three channels on SkyCable) and are not able to see his programs, Quiboloy has declared himself to be the “appointed son of God” in these last days for the Gentiles. If that’s not shocking enough, check out this entry in his website’s FAQ (see www.kingdomofjesuschrist.org): Are you Jesus Christ in the Gentile body? More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came in the flesh to testify to all that God can dwell in a human body, in the life of a man. It is here now. The life that lived in Israel before is now here. He is now using a Gentile body. If He was able to come to the Jewish people, He can also come to the Gentile people. John 5:23 says, "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." My works bear witness of me. And the Father Himself, who sent me, has borne witness of me.

-oOo-

As you can see, Quiboloy, after having declared himself the son of God, now appropriates for himself the words of Jesus. He also has the habit of waving his finger and telling members of “religions and denominations” that they do not have the right to interpret the Bible; only he does. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s hard to argue against it because it is based on a subjective “experience.”

(Part 2, March 2)

I got some reactions from readers and friends on yesterday’s column on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and I guess I should repeat my stand on the man: I don’t believe a word he says, but I respect his right to say it and will even defend it. Why? Because freedom of expression is the essence of democracy. The freedom he uses in spreading his word is the same freedom I invoke both as a journalist and, more importantly, as a Christian who as an evangelical is in the minority in the Philippines. If I agree with those who say (and there are many of them) that Quiboloy should be taken off the air, then I would have no right to protest when one day the dominant church tries to censure me and prevent me from writing about what I believe in.

-oOo-

Having said that, however, let me continue what I was saying yesterday. Quiboloy claims to be not just a son of God but THE Son of God, and in his website he confirms that he believes himself to be Jesus Christ, come in the flesh again to save the Gentiles “now using a Gentile body.” As the “Son of God” he also claims that the Bible is his, and that no one, especially those from the “religions and denominations,” can interpret it correctly but him. Again, this is why it would be difficult to debate with him and his followers: having decided that everyone else is “the son/daughter of the devil” (believe me, he does refer to “unbelievers” as such), they claim to have sole authority to read and interpret the Bible. There can thus be no common ground, and he and his followers close their ears to those who dare criticize him.

-oOo-

In fact, Quiboloy preaches nothing new: to him, salvation can only be received through genuine repentance. He claims, however, to be the first Gentile in history to realize this, and now he claims to be the only one to preach this – completely ignoring the fact that Christians have been preaching it for 2,000 years. In fact, we read in Acts 9:15 that the apostle Paul was God’s “chosen instrument” to carry His Name “before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.” A chapter later, we read of Cornelius the centurion to whose household Peter preached and on whom the Holy Spirit fell (10:44). In verse 45 we read this: “And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” And in Acts 11:47, we read that Paul and Barnabas were commanded by the Lord, who told them, “I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Note that the Lord was talking to Paul and Barnabas here, not Quiboloy. Read your Bible carefully and in context; it’s there.

-oOo-

It is thus absolutely false for Quiboloy to say that before he came to the world, no Gentile had believed in Jesus and that no one had repented unto salvation. It is also presumptuous for him to say that no one preaches repentance but him: Christians all over the world today are preaching repentance and trusting Jesus for salvation, and I myself hold on to the Gospel that Jesus preached, and which He summed up in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The difference between Christians and Quiboloy is that Christians believe only in Jesus, whereas Quiboloy believes and preaches that he (Quiboloy) is necessary for salvation. He even claims for himself the words that Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by ME (emphasis Quiboloy’s, as it appears in the banner of his website, www.kingdomofjesuschrist.org)”

-oOo-

Quiboloy teaches that he is the completion of Jesus’ work, but we know that this is not true. What were Jesus’ last words before He died? “It is finished (John 9:30).” In Greek it is actually one word: Tetelestai, which means “done,” “finished,” or “completed.” Jesus was not saying that His life was finished: He was saying that His work was done, finished, completed. Tetelestai was a common word used in financial transactions: when a loan has been paid in full, it is said to be “tetelestai.” What did Jesus pay in full? We can turn to Romans 6:23 for that: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sin has a penalty, which is death, but because of His love Jesus took our place and died for us. It is no longer necessary for us to suffer the penalty of death (which in the Bible means eternal separation from God) because Jesus paid the penalty. It is finished, completed, done, paid in full. All we need to do is to receive this gift directly from Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast.” It is a gift that is ours for the taking. And since Jesus would not give an incomplete complete gift, we know that there is no need for another son to come to complete His work.

-oOo-

As I said yesterday, I had tried to avoid writing about Quiboloy because I felt the best way to treat his claims is to ignore them. But the Mirror editorial last Monday, which alluded to Quiboloy but did not name him, sparked some reactions from readers who said they knew who it was referring to. Many also asked me to explain my stand on the matter, remembering that I had earlier written that I do not believe what he says but will defend his right to say it. It is not my wish to disparage anyone, but I and – as I have found out through the numerous texts and emails I got yesterday – many other people are becoming increasingly agitated that Quiboloy is making these fantastic claims. That this is a matter of public interest was brought home by a reader who said his concern is that Quiboloy is apparently close to the powers-that-be: “He is a friend and golfing buddy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s, and he is part of the Presidential Commission on Values Formation (PCVF) which is chaired by no less than the President herself. God knows what he can do with such acquired power. In his television show, Quiboloy has already given his blessings on the DDS (Davao Death Squad) which he says is killing off the evil persons to save the good.” I share the same concern, and tomorrow I will share with you a concern expressed by a broadcaster/minister.

Wakeup call

The Rev. Arnel Tan is a respected leader in the evangelical community and heads the Davao City station of Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). I first saw and heard him him back in 1990 when I was new in Davao City and he was an up-and-coming young pastor; he spoke at a youth fellowship that I was also attending and it was immediately clear to me that the Lord was moving mightily in and through him. The topic he had been given was rather difficult especially if delivered to a group of youngsters: Baptist distinctives (in other words, what Baptists believe). But he approached his message with earnestness and simplicity, and as I looked around I saw that the young people with me, whose ages ranged from about 13 to 20, were digging everything and understanding him. I was surprised when I found out that he was younger than me, but since that first meeting I have deferred to him and have given him high respect. But I know he is the first to say that any gift he has is exactly that, a gift, and that any praise we may give him rightly belongs to God.

-oOo-

I write about Pastor Arnel because he sent me an email the other day in reaction to my column about television minister Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. As a media professional himself, Pastor Arnel knows how powerful the media – especially broadcast – can be, and that like any other tool it can be used both for good and evil, to inform and to deceive, to build and to destroy. His email is more balanced and looks at the bigger picture of the phenomenon not just of Quiboloy but of the use of media for evangelism in general:

Dear Jon,

Greetings!

My job as a minister and a broadcast practitioner requires me to read newspapers, and that’s how I came across your article “Would Jesus wear a Rolex?” Please allow me some thoughts: Records of church history and evangelical history show that religion and religious leaders have shown their dark sides more than once or twice. Scandals in the “ministry” are truly downward embarrassing and offensive! Especially when those who remained true to their calling as ministers of the gospel are all labeled along with those who arrogantly flaunted their privileges.

I think the crisis we see on the tubes and what we hear on the radio is more than a doctrinal error. It is an issue of power and control. I would like to say that we should be vigilant and not paranoid. Religious liberty, which I cherish as a Baptist minister, allows people with different faiths, extreme positions on doctrines, and personal claims to exist together. Perhaps the call for the moment is religious responsibility and discernment as a group, as individuals, and as a community. Lack of accountability may lead to another Guyana tragedy, may God forbid.

While we allow ourselves and others space to express, I think the same space must be allowed for responsibility especially when we go public using powerful mass media to convey our message. Basically, the ACQ phenomenon is a wakeup call to all of us: a call to go back to the authority of Scriptures and not personalities, a call to grace instead of religious pressure and political alliances or maneuver, a call to make a difference through the true gospel that the true Jesus Christ preached and modeled. A call to all parishioners of any faith to become people of discernment and wisdom.

Ultimately, a person who has become allergic to criticism and doctrinal scrutiny will self-destruct! And besides, blind loyalists or followers of any good minister must equally share the blame for making a monster out of a minister or a politician. If no one is above the law, no one should be above the Scripture. I think your journalistic scrutiny is much more needed today especially in this issue than my ministerial opinion. Keep on, and God bless. Thanks for writing something that will make people think and hopefully act. By the way, the real victim here is no other than the sincere soul down the pew who wants to hear hope. What I fear the most is when from being victims, people progress to be volunteer prey.

All for now

Rev. Arnel Tan