Christians launch initiative on honest polls

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… `People look at outward at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’…” (1 Samuel 16:7, the Holy Bible).

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CHRISTIANS LAUNCH INITIATIVE ON HONEST ELECTIONS: I am glad there is now an attempt by Christian-believing Filipinos to band together to remind our countrymen that the selection and installation of the next president, vice president, and other elective officials of our nation in 2016 must be based on Christian doctrines, in particular, and spirituality, in general, and not on humanly considerations like popularity, wealth, terrorism, and vote-buying.

As I was writing this column in the morning of Sunday, June 14, 2015, preparations were furiously being made for an organizational meeting in the afternoon of the same day, at the Club Filipino in San Juan City, of various groups and individuals who believe that the time has come for those who believe in God to actively seek out candidates with an agenda on God, and for our people to be taught to vote only for these godly candidates.

It is a tall order, of course, considering the life-long culture of patronage politics that has become ever so ingrained among Filipinos, which is politics based on personalities, or on politics based on favors asked and granted, and on politics anchored on cheating and electoral fraud as well as politics based on threats, intimidation and outright murders.

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IF THE GODLY WON’T JOIN POLITICS, ONLY THE EVIL POLITICIANS WILL: But then, something or someone has to start doing things right on matters of election, or we can just simply give up and pack our things and say goodbye, or pursue reforms in the manner that those who go to the mountains have chosen. I am glad I have been invited to be a part of this beginning, by a friend whom I met for the first time during the second Roco campaign for the presidency in 2004, Atty. Alex Lacson.

The coming-together of Christian believers and their churches or religious organizations to pursue electoral reforms based on Christian and spiritual principles and tenets represents an important change of mindset among churchmen who have long maintained a hands-off policy when it comes to politics, on the theory that politics is dirty and is not part of the agenda of God.

Yet, the recurring rebuke persists: if godly and spiritual men would choose to stay away from politics, it is a certainty that only the ungodly and lacking in spirituality who get elected to sensitive and important political positions, and hence are given the opportunity to rule in an ungodly and spiritual-less manner, as the example of the Philippines has shown.

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SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY FROM GODLY LEADERS: If godly and spiritually-inclined men and women participate in electoral exercises and are given the chance to win, then we can be assured of officials who will not lie, who will not cheat, and who will not steal.

We can be assured that the officials who are godly will have the Spirit of God in them, just like Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was made the second Pharaoh of Egypt after he showed spiritual discernment in fighting off the seven-year famine that was to strike the land.

We can also be assured that the officials who are godly will have fear and love of God, and would be capable of leading their constituents towards success and prosperity, as Jethro admonished his son-in-law, Moses. Then, we can also be assured that officials who are godly will obey what Jesus, our God and Savior, admonished those who wanted to become leaders: they should become the slaves of the people they lead.

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PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way), a Bible study and prayer session on radio, airs Mondays to Fridays, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at DWAD 1098 kHz on the AM band. For replays, go to www.facebook.com/angtangingdaan or www.facebook.com/ANDKNK and scroll for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts. Phone: 0922 833 43 96, 0918 574 0193, 0917 984 24 68. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

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