God – Ideas on a Question of Faith

Nat Santiago

National Chairman League of Filipino Students

 

I believe in the God of justice and peace. I come from a Protestant family. When I was young, I handled church duties. People ask me, “If you’re a Christian, what are you doing in the LFS?” I told them I am here because I am a Christian. A Christian, in the sense that, I spend much of my time serving my fellow students. How can you truly love God when you can’t even show concerns for those who are in need?

 

There are conservative Christians who believe that to be saved, all you have to do is enrich your spiritual life through Bible studies or being active in church. Now, I am not saying that these things are wrong. Nevertheless, accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior is not the end of Christianity. It is just the beginning.

 

 

Once a person is set free from the bondage of sin, he also should be liberated from the chains and shackles of social sin – oppressions, and the unjust society. I believe in the God of justice and peace. But not the kind of over-spiritual, out-of-this-world God who doesn’t care for the lives of the little people.

 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible in Jeremiah 1:10, “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root and out and pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant.”

 

Godliness is a way of life. It’s not some kind of pious religious dogma. Ang pagiging maka-Diyos ay di nasusukat sa pamamagitan ng ilang beses kang naglalabas-masok sa chapel o kung ilang religious practices ang pinag-gagawa mo. Ang sukatan ng pagiging maka-Diyos ay kung paano mo pinaglilingkuran ang pinaka-maliit na kapatid mo. Mas mahalaga ito kaysa kung ano ang namumutawi sa bibig.

 

Every Christian has a role to play in this world. And that is to heed the inner calling of God. To do good to your neighbor, to serve the poor, the deprived and the oppressed. Religiosity is not Christianity. Christianity is life, patterned on Jesus’ life. (Jonnie Anzures -PUP)

 

 

 

 

Caselyn Francisco

TV Personality, That’s Entertainment

Grade 6, St. Scholastica – Marikina

 

Na’ng mapasok ako sa News Watch Junior Edition at That’s Entertainment ay mga blessing iyon ni God. I’m sure na kaloob iyon ni God kasi sa Kanya ako nag-pray so Siya ang nagbigay nu’n sa akin. For me, dapat na sumampalataya ka kay God pero huwag naman yung sobra-sobra sa paniniwala na halos oras-oras ay Bible ang binabasa. Baka kasi matulad lang sa isa naming kapitbahay na sobrang palabasa eh nag-iba na siya ng pananampalataya. Wala na siyang bilib sa dati niyang relihiyon hangga’t sa siya na mismo ang nagtayo ng sarili niyang relihiyon. (Irwin Corpuz)

 

 

 

 

Carlos Pazaulan

Member, Philippine Muslim Students Association

Manuel Luis Quezon University

 

We believe that there is no God but Allah. Magka-iba ang Islam at Christianity. Sa amin – si Allah ang Diyos. Si Allah ang tagapag – likha. We believe that there is no God but Allah. Si Allah ang tumutulong sa amin at kahit na sinumang naniniwala sa Kanya.

 

Mohammed is Allah’s prophet. His mission was to warn men of imminent judgment. The Moslem creed is “There is god but Allah. Mohammed is the apostle of God.” Islam is a divine revelation communicated to the world through Mohammed. It is based upon the Word of God (Koran), the traditions (Hadith) and the manner of life of Mohammed.

 

 

Ipinalalaganap naming ang nilalaman ng Koran. The Koran is the sacred book of the Moslems, recording the revelation of Allah to Mohammed. Ngayon, ang pagkaka-iba ng Bible at ng Koran – ang Bible ay dumaan sa maraming revisions, mga pagbabago at marami din itong versions. Subalit, ang Koran ay hindi nagbabago. Walang nababawas o nadadagdag sa nilalaman nito.

 

Sa aking personal na buhay, malaki ang naitulong ni Allah sa akin. Ibinigay NIya sa akin ang aking mga minimithi. Gaya ng pagkakataong makapg-aral ako sa kolehiyo. Mabait talaga si Allah. (Jonnie Anzures – PUP)

 

 

 

 

Badz Hilario

Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)

Member – College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)

 

God is like the Converse shoes. He’s everywhere!

 

Well, seriously, naging bahagi rin ng buhay ko ang Diyos. Nuon ngang lumaki ako, kinuwestiyon ko yung relevance ng believing in God. Kasi ako, medyo turned off ako sa Lord. Para bang, at the moment na magkamali ako, nariyan ang Diyos na handa akong pukpukin ng martilyo or whatever sa ulo. Lumalabas na parang Punisher siya. God makes me feel guilty.

 

Dahil sa maraming experiences with the folks I’ve talked with, napagnilay-nilay ko rin kung bakit ina-allow ni God ang ganitong hardships sa mundo. When cataclysms happen, or when a typhoon sweeps a town or city off the face of the earth, scores die – or if an earthquake strikes, the earth opens up and swallows humanity, it’s not easy to think that somebody is in charge up there.

 

Sa tingin ko, confident ako sa sarili ko, at sa Diyos nga. Kung may Diyos, di mabuti! Kung wala, oks din. At least, nabuhay ako sa life ng maayos. (Jonnie Anzures -PUP)

 

 

 

 

Patricio Gaspi

BSBA – Far Eastern University

National Boxing Team Member – Welterweight Division

 

Wala akong kakampi doon kundi Siya.

 

I believe that there is God kasi nararamdaman ko yung presence Niya in my everyday existence. Besides, lahat naman siguro ng Katolikong tulad ko eh naniniwalang may Diyos dahil kung wala eh siguro we won’t be able to live happily and do whatever we wish, di ba?

 

I am a typical Catholic na if I wanted to attend mass, pupunta ako. If I don’t, eh di hindi. Pero, nagsisimba ako nagdarasal lagi. Sa Katoliko naman kasi eh wala namang masyadong kailangan gawin unlike yung ibang religion, di ba?

 

 

So, simple lang ako as a Catholic. Ang ginagawa ko para maipakita na I really believe na there’s God and He’s alive is just by praying. Pero hindi yung basta pagdarasal, kasi as an athelete mahalaga yung taos ang paniniwala mo sa Kanya.

 

Let’s face it na kapag lumalaban kami lalo na sa abroad eh wala na kaming kakampi doon kundi Siya. Although we practice hard for the fight, iba yung tutulungan ka Niya. Besides, mas malakas ang loob mo kung alam mong nandiyan lang Siya sa tabi mo.

 

Kapag may problema ako, mas taimtim ang pagdarasal ko kasi sa ganoong paraan eh napi-feel ko na lumuluwag ang pakiramdam ko and suddenly maso-solve na yung problema ko.

 

Malaking bagay Siya sa career ko as a boxer lalo na kaming nasa national team. Dinadala naming ang pangalan ng bansa kaya I always make it a point to call on Him bago yung laban or pagkatapos ng laban dahil I believe na kung hindi dahil sa Kanya eh wala naman ako sa kinanalagyan ko. (Virgie Tiu)

 

 

 

 

Istudyante Magazine

 

(July 25 – 31, 1988, Focus, Page 10 – 11)