C
Cathecism_2008
Guest
I have always heard of the BNP (or Banal na Pag aaral) for a long time. So to see what’s in it, I joined and opened my heart and mind to it.
They send you to an overnight retreat as some gymnasium. They set up tents. They make everyone (mainly kids in teens and early twenties recruits) sit in a tent room and watch compelling, dramatic, quasi-spiritual videos feature, you guessed it, the matriarch of the the organization Ate Salve (which stands for Sister Salve, in english).
You go through a whole spiritual bootcamp of some sorts. It almost felt like brainwashing. There seems to be a heirarchy of individuals facilitating this activity. The apex of the event is when Ate Salve dresses up like the “Black Nazarene” and carry Jesus’ cross around. She then speaks in very deep but obviously feminine voice, portraying as though she turned into Jesus Christ for a short moment.
A separate crucifix is placed at the center while everyone kneels and walks with their knees toward the cross. It looks like a 6-foot crucifix. However, other graduates utterly convince newbies that the cross was a small cross to begin with (and that the size of the cross has something to do with the magnitude of your sins and the gravity of help you need).
You walk away convinced of the event. They embrace you with comaraderie and solidarity. They then invite you to events such as Ultrea (some form of major gathering) and vigils (or events at churches that last until the late hours of the night).
Eventually, they become comfortable compelling you to contribute money towards the organization. You then realize that an unspoken pecking order is created within the microcosm that is BNP. Other Filipino families have more influence than others. And then, it starts to seem as though it becomes some sort of popularity contest as to which family is in the higher pecking order than another.
Friendships, as well as marriages, are built within this organization. Selected few lucky people are sent out to Grand Ultreas in different places in the United States. The most recent will be a Grand Ultrea in NYC (www.bnpnewyork.org/ny20)). You judge this very modest and Holy event. Far cry from the Catholic study groups and such. These lucky few self-proclaimed faithful and devoute Catholics will lavish in this event before heading out to a gymnasium in Queens for the Grand Ultrea.
Now, is it wrong to form groups, help each other in faith, and form bonds derived from Spiritual origins? Not necessarily. What I found to be very immoral about BNP are their beliefs that stray far from the doctrines and the cathecism of the Catholic Faith.
To them, Jesus is abbreviated into what they casually call MNI. As in “em-men-naih”. Such an abbreviation, which stands for Mahal Na Inkong (or an elder that is loved, literally speaking), becomes the new Brand used by the group, encouraged unto members to be used, and is highly used in their events.
Some specific questionable practices within the faith may involve the organization’s taxation of members. They may deny this but such an organization generates so much revenue protected from the US Federal Government’s power to tax. However, where does the money go? Do they really use them for events. Probably. But you cannot deny that more of that revenue went some place else.
Members are asked to chip in money towards the cost of retreats (their recruitment tool), aside from the money they regularly provide. And as you can see from the link above, the Cipriani Hotel in New York City will be the venue of a dinner celebration while the rest of the impoverished members in the Philippines stay on the sideline and drool.
But what was the deal breaker for me? It was simple and unexpected. It was during their vigil inside a church. They shared stories, cried, and prayed to MNI. It was leading up to the Christmas Season.
They matter of factly asked the congregation “Let’s Sing MNI’s Favorite Christmas Song”. And without hesitation, they sang “Silent Night”.
Now, I have not seen that in any Bible or the book Cathecism of the Catholic Faith. How can such a fair, unbiased, loving God have a favorite song among the rest? A God that favors one song over another? God loves the poor, that’s a given. He favors poor over the rich. But God favors Silent Night over Joy to the World? Hmmm… that was just a crumb from the big piece of bread.
You cannot question anything about their congregation. And if you do, you better be anonymous like me. Or they will not relent in punishing you through their microcosm of politics and pecking order. The seniors will intimidate you and and redicule your and your family. You will become an outcast.
So with the facts and the analysis above, I leave it unto you. But one thing is for sure about BNP, they DO NOT represent the Catholic Faith.
May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be in each and everyone of you.
Cathecism_2008
They send you to an overnight retreat as some gymnasium. They set up tents. They make everyone (mainly kids in teens and early twenties recruits) sit in a tent room and watch compelling, dramatic, quasi-spiritual videos feature, you guessed it, the matriarch of the the organization Ate Salve (which stands for Sister Salve, in english).
You go through a whole spiritual bootcamp of some sorts. It almost felt like brainwashing. There seems to be a heirarchy of individuals facilitating this activity. The apex of the event is when Ate Salve dresses up like the “Black Nazarene” and carry Jesus’ cross around. She then speaks in very deep but obviously feminine voice, portraying as though she turned into Jesus Christ for a short moment.
A separate crucifix is placed at the center while everyone kneels and walks with their knees toward the cross. It looks like a 6-foot crucifix. However, other graduates utterly convince newbies that the cross was a small cross to begin with (and that the size of the cross has something to do with the magnitude of your sins and the gravity of help you need).
You walk away convinced of the event. They embrace you with comaraderie and solidarity. They then invite you to events such as Ultrea (some form of major gathering) and vigils (or events at churches that last until the late hours of the night).
Eventually, they become comfortable compelling you to contribute money towards the organization. You then realize that an unspoken pecking order is created within the microcosm that is BNP. Other Filipino families have more influence than others. And then, it starts to seem as though it becomes some sort of popularity contest as to which family is in the higher pecking order than another.
Friendships, as well as marriages, are built within this organization. Selected few lucky people are sent out to Grand Ultreas in different places in the United States. The most recent will be a Grand Ultrea in NYC (www.bnpnewyork.org/ny20)). You judge this very modest and Holy event. Far cry from the Catholic study groups and such. These lucky few self-proclaimed faithful and devoute Catholics will lavish in this event before heading out to a gymnasium in Queens for the Grand Ultrea.
Now, is it wrong to form groups, help each other in faith, and form bonds derived from Spiritual origins? Not necessarily. What I found to be very immoral about BNP are their beliefs that stray far from the doctrines and the cathecism of the Catholic Faith.
To them, Jesus is abbreviated into what they casually call MNI. As in “em-men-naih”. Such an abbreviation, which stands for Mahal Na Inkong (or an elder that is loved, literally speaking), becomes the new Brand used by the group, encouraged unto members to be used, and is highly used in their events.
Some specific questionable practices within the faith may involve the organization’s taxation of members. They may deny this but such an organization generates so much revenue protected from the US Federal Government’s power to tax. However, where does the money go? Do they really use them for events. Probably. But you cannot deny that more of that revenue went some place else.
Members are asked to chip in money towards the cost of retreats (their recruitment tool), aside from the money they regularly provide. And as you can see from the link above, the Cipriani Hotel in New York City will be the venue of a dinner celebration while the rest of the impoverished members in the Philippines stay on the sideline and drool.
But what was the deal breaker for me? It was simple and unexpected. It was during their vigil inside a church. They shared stories, cried, and prayed to MNI. It was leading up to the Christmas Season.
They matter of factly asked the congregation “Let’s Sing MNI’s Favorite Christmas Song”. And without hesitation, they sang “Silent Night”.
Now, I have not seen that in any Bible or the book Cathecism of the Catholic Faith. How can such a fair, unbiased, loving God have a favorite song among the rest? A God that favors one song over another? God loves the poor, that’s a given. He favors poor over the rich. But God favors Silent Night over Joy to the World? Hmmm… that was just a crumb from the big piece of bread.
You cannot question anything about their congregation. And if you do, you better be anonymous like me. Or they will not relent in punishing you through their microcosm of politics and pecking order. The seniors will intimidate you and and redicule your and your family. You will become an outcast.
So with the facts and the analysis above, I leave it unto you. But one thing is for sure about BNP, they DO NOT represent the Catholic Faith.
May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be in each and everyone of you.
Cathecism_2008
