[Note: Long, religious post ahead. Hope you read it still.]
“I want to be a priest” I said. My closest friends stared at me in wide-eyed disbelief, eyebrows angled at 90°, and after doing a couple of somersaults, told me encouragingly, “Utot mo!!”
Their reaction did not take me by surprise, really. If you’re someone close to me, you’d know that I am anything but priestly. I only hear the gospel during the first Friday mass at school or during Christmas Eve. I don’t pray the rosary. And I only knew my Bible stories because of Flying House.
But it doesn’t mean that I am a man of little faith. In fact, I am a man with a lot of faith. And my self-imposed recollection in my room last Holy Week just magnified every bit of faith I have in my soul. I realized that God almost always gives me what I pray for. It’s my turn now to give back the glory and serve Him on a higher level.
That’s when the idea of priesthood entered my mind. Only with one big dilemma: I’m not sure if I can live up to a celibate life. I want to have a family of my own, of course.
Now that’s when the idea of converting my religion from Catholicsm to Born Again Christianity came into view. “If I can’t be Father Joel, then better be Brother Joel” I said to myself. And being surrounded by a lot of Christian friends, I somehow have the gist on how it is to be in their group.
I religiously followed Bo Sanchez’s blog, listened to Hillsongs music, and started reading the Bible by heart. For a time, I somehow thought I wanted to be a true Christian.
Then one day, one of my friends told me to read a particular book written by a Christian pastor. Interested, I obliged. I was enjoying reading the first few pages of the book, but for a certain reason, I felt the urge not to continue.
What I don’t like (not that I hate it) about some Christians is they sometimes try to impose on others that what they believe in is right. That the other religions are spreading falsehood among their men. That their OWN interpretation of the Bible is the RIGHT one and should be the one to believe in.
I know I’m not the right person to talk about religion but I can’t help but feel disconcerted. It’s not only an attack to my religion, but a personal attack on me, as well as the other followers of my religion.
Now please, don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning to start World War III here. Kristiyano ka man o Iglesya o kahit pagano, nire-respeto kita. I just want to get my message across: We all believe in ONE God. In the end it’s not about who’s got the better religion because there is NO such thing. This is not about religion. This is about FAITH. And faith is not something you impose on others. It’s something you find for yourself. Something you find IN yourself.
So what now, Father or Brother? I still don’t know. So help me God.
PBA09252oo5s
44 Comments:
Nice one tol..tama yung message iisa nga ang Diyos natin pero iba-iba lang ang paniniwala...
ayos to!
my belief exactly. i for one wanted to be a priest one time in my life. i almost entered the seminary. I was a sacristan back then. for me, that you believe that there is a God is enough, just be god-fearing and youll be alright. And also, a hate it when people are debating about religion, that theirs is the right one and the others are "lost: souls. There is only one God, ita our cultures that draws the line.
-http://paolomarcosmanalo.blogspot.com/
MOKONG: salamat Moks!
JOYCE: ayos ka din! lol. hehe.srsly, salamat
PMM: ayos! parehong-pareho tayo. salamat Father Paolo!
gusto ko ring maging pari... kaya lang naging sakristan muna ako... dun ko nakilala ang napangasawa ko hahaha...
fortunately, we can serve God through other means aside from being a priest ;)
nice message you got here
Naks! pero di kita matutulungan diyan.. di kc ako katoloko eh... pero siguro kung nasan man ang puso mo dun ka...
Religion can not guarantee our soul to be saved when the judgement day comes. I believe that we will be judged based on our faith at kung paano tayo nabuhay ng tama dito sa mundo.
And oh I like Hillsong too! Their one of my favorite christian band along with Jars of Clay.
tama sila!
tama talaga!
pwede ka namang maging as God loving person as much as you want to kahit di ka pari.
to serve, encourage others to serve! at lahat lahat.
Brother na lang kasi! okei?
joke.
pero sabi ko nga tama sila! sundin mo puso mo.
sabi nga ni Bo, all you have to do is to choose.
At ilalatag na ni Lord God lahat para sayo.
Either way!
It's all in His will.
go badong!
hephep! hurray!
:P
hi badong!
nice post! interesting blogspot, actually!
i agree.. faith is something you find for yourself..
i suggest you visit an institution or talk to a priest to confide more of how you feel about that 'calling'..
sabi nga nila, you can serve God in different ways..
you can join din naman other christian groups like singles for christ and the like.. dun rin malalaman kung anu pang mga options mo how to serve God more...
goodluck!
btw, some of my hillsong fave songs are: one day and still... :)
naku badong, meet mo muna ako at mag heart to heart tayo about that.
i don't want to lose someone like you to the four walls of the church. si bo sanchez naman di ba keri pa rin nya ang pag preach and all (which is his gift) kahit may asawa na zsa?
you can make this world better by not being bogged down by religion. ay napa-inggles tuloy ang veykla.
huwow.
may point ka. what is amazing with our religion is that it does not impose faith.(pwera na lang vsa ilang obispo at mga konserbatibo.) haha. pero let us be careful on relativism. mahirap yun.
like you, kinoconsider ko rin ang pagpapari. pero hindi ko pa talaga alam.
mahabang usapin talaga pag relihiyon ang pag-uusapan. napakahaba. :)
ngapala. if interesado ka sa mga jesuits, sabihin mo lang sken. malaki yung tulong na nabibigay nila sa mga nagdidiscern. :)
may tama ka diyan, bro!.
wala sa relihiyon iyan, sabi kasi sa bible, ang importante eh iyong "personal na relasyon" mo sa Panginoon.
at yan, hindi mo magagawa kung walang pananampalataya.
TAMA ka, kuya its all about FAITH & your RELATIONSHIP with GOD. In a long journey of life, priest, brother, sister, normal people or sinner ka man, in the END its your FAITH with HIM, will be judged... Follow your heart & desires, kuya, as for HIM, the guidance.
ROY: haha! pero for sure mas naging masaya kayo nung nakita niyo yung napangasawa niyo. your soulmate.
XPROSAIC: oo nga e. ano ba religion mo mmatanong lang? sana hindi masyadong masama yung mga sinabi ko!
VONFIRE: amen! amen! nakikinig din ba kayo sa sonic flood? astig rin yun!
GEGE: ay ewan. pag-iisipan ko. hehe
GESMUNDS: salamat sa pagbisita at sa mga makabuluhang pahayag! gagawin ko yung mga yon! at fave ko rin yung still! mighty to save yung ultimate fave ko tska salvation is here! hehe
ANUFI: tumpak ka don. kaya nga wine-weigh ko rin ang mga options ko e. uhm, san ka ba ngayon? hehe
KAROGER: wow! andami pala nating gusto ring mag-pari! hehe. andami rin nating naguguluhan. salamt din sa pagsabi ng tungkols sa mga jesuits. sana one of these days. kokontakin kita a!
SIYETEHAN: korek! totoo lang masaya na ko sa personal relationship ko kay God bago ko naisipang mag-serve ng higit pa. salamat!
Badong,
This is a well written post. Wow! It will still be up to you. You said you have a lot of faith and that might be what everyone needs these days.
As for those people who try to impose their religion on you, well, I'm sure you found your way to say what you needed to say to them as the Brother Badong that you are.
Z
BATHANWEBDOTCOM: wala na kong madadagdag pa don! salamat kaibigan!
ZORLONE: thanks po Doc! oo nga e. at the end of the day, nasa sa akin pa rin ang desisyon.
Hi Badong, salamat sa pagdaan. Makikiraan din. :)
Teka, paanong magko-convert ka kamo sa Christianity? Akala ko Katoliko ka?
Salamat. :)
EDERIC: hello at salamat sa pagbisita! at salamat sa pagre-remind sakin! dapat talaga born again cristianity yun. salamat!
hahahaha...ikaw ba yan bro.. hehehe pero ok na yung brother wag na magpari hehehe
BATERYA: haha! kagulat no? parang di ako.
..oha. hmmmmm ano nga nga ba brother (father) hehe. basta kung ano man ang nasa iyong puso, yun ang sundin mo. at may point ka naman dun sa sinabi mo na gusto mo i enter ang priesthood ngunit like mo din magkaron ng sariling family. brother ka nalang. apir! ;)
Somehow we have similar sentiments about the issue. Ang tawag ng friend ko jan ay: "the other brother" syndrome (you know from the story The Prodigal Son...?)
We are all brothers in faith but there are people who regard themselves better than anyone. Sila yong 'the other brother'.
Faith doesn't come from someone else. It is a gift from God. So you're right Badong in asking God's help.
I'm sure God will give you signs on whether you'd become a Father, a father, a brother or simply Badong.
You'll be in our prayers. Godbless.
Similarly, I am no position to know the answers. I think what's important in your post is that you recognize that no one religion is perfect - even though all of them "claim" to be - and that the key point here is tolerance.
JOAN: hehe. siguro nga brother na lang. ang hirap.
NEBZ: wow, i love evry word that you said. thank you.
REYJR: yes! i'm implementing maximum tolerance right now. hehe. thanks!
JOAN: hehe. siguro nga brother na lang. ang hirap.
NEBZ: wow, i love evry word that you said. thank you.
REYJR: yes! i'm implementing maximum tolerance right now. hehe. thanks!
got the point.
oo nga no? minsan sa "sobrang faith" nila sa alam nilang pinaniniwalaan ay hindi nila napapansin na talagang kinokontra na nila yung paniniwala ng iba. its a matter of respect lang naman pero kung maninira kana, ibang usapan na yun. after all ay pare-pareho naman tayong mga tao at magkakapatid sa mundong ito so y not spread love ke iglesia, sabadista, kristiano o kahit ano pa man, hindi ba?
DENCIOS: tumpak at wala ng iba. salamat!
Baptist ako jijijijiji... wala namang masama sa mga nasabi mo eh... May mga nabarkada rin akong nasubukan ang seminary pero yun nga lang di naman namin napaguusapan ang mga ganyang bagay... jejejejejeje
nice one bro.
i totally agree.
sometimes instead of binding all people under one roof of peace and tranquility, religions instead divide us even more.
remember all the wars in the past? and all the wars that are still happening?
all true, everything is a matter of respect. RESPECT.
beautiful post..few people understand faith like you do, go for it if its a calling God will always lead you to the right path
there's never enough space for tolerance in this world. faith is personal, religion social. i have only deep respect for those who can reconcile the two without ending up killing each other. ;)
*waves at badong*
Have you looked into the United Church of Christ (UCC)? Not all UCC Churches are the same (some are conservative, some are quite liberal). Each is autonomous, but they are united in faith. And ministers can certainly marry and have families.
Hyan magpastor ka daw sa UCCP sabi ni Kana. He he. Ako man minsan bnlak ko magpari hanggang sa namulat ako sa katotohanang ang pagpapari ay wala sa paggamit ng sotana kung hindi sa kung panu mo isinasabuhay ang iyong pananampalataya di lang para sa yo kung hindi mas lalo na para sa iyong kapuwa.
Enjoy ako dito kc naman dto ako pwede magcomment ng Tagalog khit minsan dinudugo ilong ko. LOL
To all who left their comments and wonderful suggestions, thank you very much! really appreciate it! seriously.
Come as you are, Badong. I don't care. Your religious beliefs don't figure at all in the equation as long as you don't mess with my soul. My soul is something I alone have jurisdiction over.
Be a Father, be a Brother - you'd still be a dear friend. You can even convert to Islam or Judaism and I'd still support you. :)
But I guess you already know that. You've a wonderful, beautiful mind. What a great find you are and this post proves it.
I think you'll find that all beliefs, not just religious beliefs, are specific. Something that is black cannot at the same time be white. Some of the comments to your post are in English and others are not. To observe this does not make me a judgmental hypocrite; it just means that I can distinguish English from another language. So it is with Christianity. Some beliefs, such as the one that Christ died for our sins, is clearly found in the Bible. Others, such as that there is no Heaven or Hell, are not. So read for yourself, and ask God to guide you. "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me, with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
that's the process of achieving one's conviction. normally, those who are hard to convince are the ones who become passionate about a new ideal. if they don't get transformed to believe a new one, they stick like glue to their current one. pero s'yempre 'di lagi gan'un. sa experience ko, 'yun namang madaling ma-convince tend to be wayward in their beliefs 'pag nag-change na ng belief. tutoo ngang ang ending n'yan ay you are responsible for your own faith.
i just hate talking about religion with some people kasi discuss kayo ng discuss, wala namang mananalo sa inyo. lalo na yung mga taong gusto kang imbitahin magsimba sa simbahan nila kasi ganito ganyan. i don't like that.
love,
nobe
www.iamnobe.wordpress.com
www.deariago.com
I know I’m not the right person to talk about religion but I can’t help but feel disconcerted. It’s not only an attack to my religion, but a personal attack on me, as well as the other followers of my religion.
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