The INC's stand to support the RH Bill is Biblical

The stand of the Iglesia ni Cristo regarding its support to the Reproductive Health Bill is very clear, that it is not political, but Biblical:

Here is what is written in the letter:

12 October 2010

HON. ROGELIO J. ESPINA, M.D.Chairman
Committee on Population and Family Relations
House of Representatives
Republic of the Philippines

Dear Congressman Espina,

We would like to thank the Committee on Population and Family Relations for requesting our position concerning the Bills of Reproductive Health. We are all well aware of the dire situation of our country caused by overpopulation. Many of society’s worsening ills—from homeless families starving in miserable conditions and children not in school but instead begging day and night in nearly every major street to the rapidly spreading problems with drug abuse and rising crime rates—can be traced to families growing so large that an increasing number of parents cannot provide the most basic human needs to their families.

We consider it commendable that our lawmakers care enough for our fellow Filipinos that they are doing what they can do to alleviate the hardships so many of our countrymen are facing. IN what they propose, they can bring about not only an economic good for our countrymen but also a moral one. We are ready to support the Bills on Reproductive Health as long as there would be no immoral elements in them.

What are the moral aspects of the proposed bills that we support? We believe that it is moral imperative for parents to watch over all their children and provide them with food, shelter, and clothing, as well as proper education and religious and moral training.  Hence, parents todayhave (sic) a moral obligation to plan the number of their children and keep it under control. The Bible states that a parent who does not provide for the needs of his own household is worse than an unbeliever (I Tim. 5:8). Since modern methods of contraception—by preventing married couples from having any unplanned pregnancies—assist in supporting this Christian principle, we support their use as long as these methods are empirically not abortifacient. Abortion and the use of abortifacients involve the taking of life, which God explicitly forbids (Exod. 20:13).

We do not support the natural family planning method and all its variants. These so-called birth control methods depend upon abstinence on the part of the married couple when the woman is fertile but allows marital relations only when she is not. These methods are not only unnatural and ineffective but they also are immoral, since they contradict the commandment that God has given to married couples. The Bible instructs married couples not to deprive one another of intimate marital relations for long, extended periods of time; further, any abstinence at all for a married couple is supposed to be with the mutual consent of husband and wife and not for the purpose of preventing pregnancies (I Cor. 7:3-5).

We appreciate the Committee’s gesture of soliciting our stand on this timely yet controversial issue.

Very truly yours,

EDUARDO V. MANALO
Executive Minister

Source:  http://readmeinc.blogspot.com/2011/04/inc-in-rh-bill.html

It is God’s commandment to control the population

As Clearly stated in the Holy Scriptures:

Genesis 1:28  “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, BE FRUITFUL, AND MULTIPLY, AND REPLENISH THE EARTH, AND “SUBDUE” IT: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

As I quote again the very words of God:  “BE FRUITFUL, AND MULTIPLY, AND REPLENISH THE EARTH, AND “SUBDUE IT”, it is quite clear in this statement that God orders the first couple to multiply which also means to populate or reproduce and replenish the earth, he did not say “OVERFILL IT”, did he?  Once the population reached the level that the earth is fully replenished,  God said:  “SUBDUE  IT”

SUBDUE means:

“SUBDUE :   verb,  to bring under control   [Webster’s 3rd New International Dictionary]”

See, my dear fellowmen, God did commanded us human beings to be responsible for this matter, that we should subdue or put the population under control.

Because if we were not able to provide the needs of our children or was not able to take care the members of our own family, because they are too many the Bible stated this:

1 Timothy 5:8  “But if any do not take care of their relatives, especially THE MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN FAMILY, they have denied the faith and are WORSE THAN AN UNBELIEVER.” [Good News Bible]

How we would be able to afford the expenses of a large family members these days? Due to the fact that the prices of prime commodities are continuously rising.

The “Natural Method” is not approved by the Scriptures

The Catholic Church rejects the RH Bill, since it will be promoting the usage of Artificial Contraceptives, because they are promoting the Natural or Rythmic Method to avoid pregnancy.   This method requires the married couple to avoid having intercourse in certain periods, which also known as abstinence.  This method is not allowed by the Bible, as the holy book clearly states:

1 Corinthians 7:3-5  “A man should fulfill his duty as a husband, and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and EACH SHOULD SATISFY THE OTHER'S NEEDS. A WIFE IS NOT THE MASTER OF HER OWN BODY, BUT HER HUSBAND IS; IN THE SAME WAY A HUSBAND IS NOT THE MASTER OF HIS OWN BODY, BUT HIS WIFE IS. DO NOT DENY YOURSELVES TO EACH OTHER, UNLESS YOU FIRST AGREE TO DO SO FOR A WHILE IN ORDER TO SPEND YOUR TIME IN PRAYER; but then resume normal maritalrelations. In this way you will be kept from giving in to Satan's temptation because of your lack of self-control.”  [GNB]

The married couple should fulfill or satisfy each other’s needs, and the Bible clearly stated that they should not avoid each other, because both of them are masters of their bodies as I quote again:  “A WIFE IS NOT THE MASTER OF HER OWN BODY, BUT HER HUSBAND IS; IN THE SAME WAY A HUSBAND IS NOT THE MASTER OF HIS OWN BODY, BUT HIS WIFE IS.” The Bible said:  “DO NOT DENY YOURSELVES TO EACH OTHER, which clearly objects theNatural and Rythmic Method.

But the Anti-RH Bill would say:

 It said also in that verse that:  “DO NOT DENY YOURSELVES TO EACH OTHER, UNLESS YOU FIRST AGREE”, Isn’t it that the Natural Method functions that way? The couple will agree not to have intercourse during the fertile period?

The question is what if one of the couple, say the husband, feel that he wants it during that period, so the agreement is forfeited,  since the husband is the master of his wife’s body, can the wife disagree? The Bible said: “EACH SHOULD SATISFY THE OTHER'S NEEDS’’ and “DO NOT DENY YOURSELVES TO EACH OTHER’’,  so their agreement not to have sexual intercourse ends there.

So what’s gonna happen after that?  Therefore a risk of having a baby is inevitable.  That’s where Artificial Contraceptives save the situation.  It is safe and far more effective than theRythmic Method that the Catholic Church promotes.

The couple can satisfy each other, therefore they will not disobey what the Bible said, and at the same time follow another commandment of God which he said “SUBDUE IT” or put it under control…It’s like hitting two birds in one stone, isn’t it?

The True Reason why the Catholic Church oppose the RH Bill

Of course the Catholic officials were not dumb not to comprehend that the Natural Method is only effective for those women with regular menstrual periods, and totally inappropriate to be used by those women that have irregular periods, and they knew so well that if that method will not work, of course a new baby will be born from a Catholic couple, and that means A NEW CATHOLIC MEMBER.

The Catholic Church do not propagate or increase their member’s number by inviting people to join them in their religion, have you ever noticed that not even a single program in the television, radio, or newspaper that the Catholics have that is convincing non-Catholics to join their church?

That’s why the reason for opposing this RH Bill is quite obvious whether they admit it or not. 

The RH Bill is a BIG THREAT to the CATHOLIC CHURCH’s CONTINUOUS GROWTH.

Was Baptizing innocent infants a commandment from God and Jesus Christ? Ask a Catholic a verse as a reference if anyone would like.  Believe me they can’t show you not even a single one…

Jesus Clearly states:

Mark 16:15-16  “He said to them, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people.  WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” [GNB]

Does an infant pass this requirement?  

That a person to be baptized should be taught by the gospel first, then he should believe then that’s the only time he is qualified for baptism.

Can a baby understand the Holy Scriptures?  Does an infant have the capability to believe?  I bet you can never answer YES. 

And that means Infant Baptism is against the teachings of the Bible.

Have you ever ask yourself whose in the side of the Bible here on this issue? It’s quite clear that the IGLESIA NI CRISTO is…and not the CATHOLIC CHURCH, which is not unusual.