Beware of false prophets!

As the election furor is quite high at this point in time, let me pause to caution our countrymen on the many false prophets lurking around our midst.

In Ancient Israel when rulers became immoral, corrupt and abusive and God’s chosen people disobeyed covenant laws, God sent prophets who warned the wayward rulers and their idolatrous subjects with prophesies of drought, famine, conquest by foreign invaders and destruction of their cities if they did not mend their ways.

God’s prophets did not patronize the crooked rulers; nor did they seek favors from them. No prophet of God in ancient Israel was rich or lived luxuriously. They did not use God’s word to amass wealth and attract followers to become influential.

Among ancient Israel’s great prophets were Elijah, Jeremiah and Isaiah. Elijah was God’s fearless and uncompromising champion who reproached the corrupt King Ahab and threatened him with the wrath of God in the forms of a prolonged drought and famine which eventually afflicted the land. After Elijah accomplished his mission, he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot without dying. It was Elijah who was transfigured with Jesus Christ and Moses before the apostles Peter, James and John in Mount Tabor in Galilee.

The Prophet Jeremiah revealed his passion more than any other prophet. He wept bitterly over the sins of his people, the destruction of Jerusalem, the deportation by Judah’s Kings and the exile of the people to Babylon. He was vigorously opposed by false prophets and suffered much for his preaching. Isaiah’s prophetic indignation was aroused by the oppression of the poor, the arrogance and sensuality of the rich and the empty formalism of temple rituals regarded as sufficient expiation for all sins. The Book of Isaiah contains promises of a messiah, a new era, from the dramatic denouncements of wicked Judah to assurances of God’s love and restoration to visions of the new heaven and new earth.

Like ancient Israel when it was afflicted with moral, social and political ills and God sent his prophets – we also have our own evangelists like prophets preaching the word of God.

But though our own “prophets” also preach the word of God – they are so unlike the prophets in ancient Israel. Our evangelists own business corporations engaged in profitable undertakings like real estate development. One of them who admitted to having been paid P1.2 billion by the government for a right-of-way in a major road-building project – was described by journalist Marites Dañguilan Vitug in her book “Shadow of Doubt” as using his clout well, deftly mixing religion, business and politics, endorsing candidates as well as justices and made his real estate business thrive. This evangelist lives in a multi-million peso house in upscale Ayala Alabang. Because of his huge flock, he is courted by politicians. Thus, he can make presidents, members of Congress and other right government officials grace his flock’s prayer meetings.

Another evangelist, a Pampango from Lubao, is based in Davao province. He says he is the anointed son of God. He lives in a big house in his large estate. He claims to have had visions suggesting the candidates to support. Recently, he was visited by several presidential candidates for his anointment for the May 10 polls.

 One of the eight presidential candidates, campaigning on a platform of moral righteousness, pledging a graft-free administration if elected, is also an evangelist. He too is rich, owning several business firms. He says that in the past, he was offered a cabinet position by GMA. Years ago, when he enjoyed a good relationship with GMA, he was able to have a Sandiganbayan justice, a SEC Commissioner (now deceased) and a DOJ undersecretary appointed. His son is a party-list congressman.

 An evangelist from Apalit, Pampanga has an amazing memory: he answers questions from his TV audience with Biblical quotations citing pertinent chapter and verse numbers of the quotations. But his interpretations are outlandish like asserting that Jesus Christ had brothers by the Virgin Mary. This evangelist conducts his preaching in absentia by the teleconference. He is abroad, allegedly in Brazil, evading a sexual molestation case filed by a young boy. At one time, his TV program was suspended for three months because he used offensive language against an INC minister who also anchors a television program.

Religious figures engaging in activities alien to religion include high-ranking Catholic prelates close to Malacañang. Judicial sources say they have lobbied for nomination by the Judicial and Bar Council and appointment by GMA of justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, lower court judges and Comelec Commissioners. One of these prelates is an archbishop in a Visayan city while another is also another archbishop in a northern Luzon city. Writing on power brokers in her book “Shadow of Doubt” Marites Dañguilan Vitug described this Visayan Archbishop as one who “liked to be in influential circles, a fund raiser who was known to ask businessmen for P500,000 in donations for his foundations”.

But what makes the lobbying of these religious figures more than just highly improper – is the harm to public service their protégés inflict. Several of those appointed at their behest lack integrity. Thus, may they not be deemed morally guilty for the distortion of justice by extortions committed by those appointed at their behest?

But the most potent of all the religious sects whose prelates and heads intrude into non-religious matters is the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Quoting an authority on the INC, Marites Dañguilan Vitug wrote in her book: “The INC use political power – their voting block to put people in government with the goal of keeping their economic power.”

It is this political power that has eroded the right senses of our voter to choose the right candidate. People particularly the so called “masa” look up to their spiritual leaders not only for guidance but sad to say also for a chance to have a new lease in life. So, they blindly follow without doubt and without any question. In their inability to comprehend and analyze things, they believe that it is a mortal sin not to follow the orders of their leader. How pathetic!

It seems there is no real difference between the conduct of certain religious figures in our country today and the high priests of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees in Christ’s time. In his book “The Murder of Jesus”, John Mac Arthur described the Sanhedrin as a corrupt and politically motivated body. Annas, the high priest at that time was one of the most powerful men in Jerusalem whose five sons and son-in-law Caiaphas succeeded him as high priest. Remember, when Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas was the high priest. Annas had managed to turn the priesthood into an incredibly profitable business and had amassed great wealth through it. By what we see from the way our own religious figures deftly mixing religious, business and politics to amass wealth – is there really a difference between them and Annas? Jesus Christ warned us of false prophets who will lead us astray.