Pinoy Christianity and corruption

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“How can a supposedly Christian country,” a taipan asked me, “allow its culture to be so permeated by corruption?” The taipan sounded dismayed and worried about how foreign investors look at us.

The taipan then said we are fake Christians, that’s our problem. He blames our Christian churches for their failure to properly teach the basic tenets of the Christian faith.

 Look at something basic, he said… sin. The God we claim to worship hates sin. Psalm 5:4 says “O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.”

Sin caused Adam and Eve to be thrown out of Eden and suffer the consequence of death. Yet, the taipan said, we do not take sin seriously. We don’t think hell is real.

A UP sociologist, Prince Kennex Aldama, writing in the Inquirer observed: “Ours is a nation of faith yet also a nation haunted by dishonesty, patronage and moral compromise. Every Sunday, millions of Filipinos attend Mass, pray for grace and seek divine guidance. Yet on Monday, the same society tolerates deception, favoritism and abuses of power as if they were part of ordinary life.”

If we took our Christianity seriously, we should know sin leads to death (spiritual and physical) (Romans 6:23) and separation from God (Isaiah 59:2).  Good for us, God offers forgiveness and restoration through confession (1 John 1:9).

The taipan asked me, is public repentance enough?

The taipan pointed out the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, who repented and promised Jesus he would pay back four times the amount he had cheated people (Luke 19:1-10).

So, the taipan said, it is not enough for the corrupt who stole from the national treasury to say they are sorry. They must return what they stole. Everything. Up to the last centavo.

The Bible teaches us that the consequences of sin are severe. Unforgiven sin results in eternal punishment in the “lake of fire,” described as the second death (Revelation).

These corrupt officials may escape accountability under our corrupt justice system but will not escape God’s justice. God holds people accountable.

Look at Zaldy Co, he pointed out. His punishment starts here on earth. With all that money, he can’t sleep in peace, he and his family will be constantly on the run and under surveillance. That’s not a life.

Aldama also observed that for us Filipinos, “faith marks one part of a community but not necessarily a participant in moral transformation. It provides symbols and rituals yet sometimes lacks the power to reshape social structures.

“The result is a kind of cultural Christianity that thrives in devotion but falters in discipline, a faith strong in sentiment but weak in consequence.”

Aldama further explains that: “Here lies the heart of the sociological problem. Corruption survives not simply through the powerful but through the consent of the ordinary. It is sustained by a culture that confuses kindness with tolerance and faith with resignation.

“Christianity was meant to redeem this weakness. The gospel offers not only personal salvation but also a vision of social renewal.

“Christ preached compassion, yes, but also courage. His call was to justice, honesty and love that transforms. Yet Filipino Christianity has often settled for comfort over conviction.

“We pray for a better nation without confronting the injustices that make it worse. We admire the humility of Christ while ignoring His boldness to challenge hypocrisy. Faith becomes a refuge from the world rather than a force to renew it.”

Bullseye! Indeed, I am not convinced that our bishops and other Christian religious leaders understand true Christianity. Remember the bishops who accepted SUVs from then President GMA?

The Discayas said they have contributed to the Church. A Church in Romblon was built through the contributions of the Discayas and Co. The local bishop said that’s OK because they received the money before the corruption scandal broke out. The stolen money was clean before it was nabuking?

Recently, a parish in Bulacan returned a Nissan Navara given by ex-DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara after the corruption scandal broke out. Our corrupt officials think that they can buy forgiveness from their sins by sharing their loot with the Church. And some priests and bishops happily accept.

Then we have this politician from a supposedly “born again” Christian group always in the news involving corruption cases. Remember Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and inner spiritual decay.

The taipan feels strongly about the failure of Pinoy Christian leaders to strongly warn against sin and the reality of hell.

The taipan is concerned about the country’s future. Perhaps, if Filipinos can practice true Christianity, not Sunday Christianity, the renewal that can save our country’s future is within reach.

Mr. Aldama’s conclusion is apt: “Corruption is not destiny. It is culture, and culture can change. But such change requires more than outrage. It requires conscience. The gospel reminds us that transformation begins in the heart but must never end there…

“Only when faith becomes action and conviction becomes culture will the Philippines finally reconcile its Christianity with its integrity.”

Abolish congress

My column last Monday with a tongue-in-cheek suggestion of abolishing Congress was based on a post in the website of PIDS, the government economic think tank.

The folks at PIDS wrote to say that none of their studies advocated abolishing Congress. They were just reprinting a previously published item that mentioned them in connection with the rising cost of corruption.

Well, there was no disclaimer so the article reposted in the PIDS website’s news section seemed like theirs. I assumed that PIDS technocrats are a cut above the usual government technocrats in calling out issues the way they really are.

I understand their concern. Congress can abolish PIDS by denying it a budget. That would be a loss to good policy making in this country.

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on X @boochanco