In a Sunday morning sermon, Pastor Dr. Benny M Abante Jr., a senior pastor of Metropolitan Bible Baptist Ekklesia in manila, explains his views on President Rodrigo Duterte’s “stupid god” statement that provoked and storm outrage among many religious groups, not only in the country but also abroad.
In a televised speech of President Duterte, he questioned the wisdom of the story of creation and the beginning of sin to humanity that leads him to make “Who is this stupid god,” statement.
According to Pastor Abante, who is also a president of Bible Believers League for Morality and Democracy (BIBLEMODE) and a former congressman of the city of manila, “many were offended to the president’s statement because they do not understand where he is coming from.”
In several speeches, the president openly criticized the Roman Catholic Church in relation to moral issues. In fact the president himself claims to be a victim of priest’s misconduct when he was a young boy.
In an official statement of the presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that the president’s “stupid god” statement is stemmed from his bad experiences in the hands of a priest. Roque explains that President Duterte was previously molested by an American Jesuit priest when he was a student of Ateneo de Davao.
Aside from moral issues being thrown to these supposedly called “Man of God,” their teachings are also erroneous.
Abante pointed out that the president’s distorted view of the story of creation is a result of wrong teaching. “The president did not learn what the bible says but he learned catechism. He learn distortion of truth, He learn false teachings from false prophets, false priest and false bishops.”
“It is bad enough for the president to make reckless statements like that. But it is worse when those people who are religious would distort the truth of the bible,” Abante added.
The idols
Pastor Abante cited several verses in the bible that the catholic church intentionally removed or not being taught among their congregants.
In Exodus 20:3-5 (KJV), the bible clearly states that, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”
The bible is very clear, “I do not even need to interpret it,” Abante said.
He also cited Habbakuk 2:18 to 19 (KJV),“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make DUMB idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the DUMB stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.”
Abante explains that the word dumb in those verses, could be translated in our modern dictionary — “stupid.”
Psalm 135:15-18 (KJV) “The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.
Abante also clarifies that those words are not his own words but the bible itself.
Concern over other Filipinos
“What I am frustrated about, is that, not what the president said. But what the priest taught the president,” Abante lauded.
“Kung ang ating pangulo na napakatalino at abogado, ay ganun ang pakakaturo sa kanya, ano pa ang libo-libo o milyon-milyong mga kabataan na kumukuha ng Katekismo, na tinuturuan ng lahat ng kamaliang yan.”
“Religion cannot change man but Jesus Christ alone,” Abante concluded.
Abante also encourages all believers who already learned the truth of the bible to come out and reach for those souls who are in need of the light of God.
Abante’s official statement as president of the BIBLEMODE
We do not totally blame the president for his statement, “who is this stupid god,” we believe he is referring to a religious god who is tyrant, cruel and unloving. The so called “man of the cloth” who claims to represent their god on earth are not even examples of what godly men should be in reference to the experience of the president when he is a young boy.
The wrong catechism that was taught all contributed to his frustration on religion. The political attacks that these “men of the cloth” against the president when what they can do is teach moral values to their people. It is no wonder that the president can utter such statement.
We BIBLEMODE Pastors and preachers numbering about 4000 all over the world believe in the God of the bible, Holy, righteous, just, perfect, loving and merciful.
Religion oftentimes distort the teachings of the bible.
We are not in anyways slighted over the president statement. I listened fully to the speech of the president and I believe that we should not judge his statement out of context.
We also believe that we are all accountable to the real God in whatever we say and do. Let the true God be his judge.
As far as we are concern we shall continue to support the president in the many good things he is doing for the country and we will continue to pray for him and his success.
We say, he will be accountable to the true God who ordained him to lead our nation.
This article is also published on my website: https://www.worldngayon.com/2018/07/baptist-pastor-explains-dutertes-stupid-god-statement/