Simpleng Tanong na Ikinahihiyang Itanong ng Iba: May Loud Speaker o Sound System na Kaya Noong Panahon ni Moses

Simpleng Tanong na Ikinahiyang Itanong ng Iba:

May Loud Speaker o Sound System

Na Kaya Noong Panahon ni Moses?

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Huwag sanang magalit sa akin ang makakabasa ng titulo lang. Hindi ako namimilosopo dahil ang tanong ko ay simple at maaaring kinahihiya lang na itanong ng ibang nagbabasa ng Bibliya dahil baka pag-isipan silang “simple minded”…o bobo. Hindi ko rin kinokontra ang Bibliya dahil isa ito sa pinakapaborito ko, pati Koran, Webster Dictionary, at National Geographic.

 

Kaya ako nagtatanong nito ay hindi ko maunawaan kung paanong narinig halimbawa si Moses ng libo-libong mga Israelitas na tumakas mula sa Ehipto at naglakbay sa disyerto sa loob ng 40 taon hanggang sa sila ay pumirmi sa “Pinangakong Lupain”. Hinati ang mga Israelita sa 12 na tribu noong nagreklamo si Moses sa tinawag niyang “Lord”. Nahirapan siya sa pamamahala sa kanila dahil sa katigasan ng kanilang ulo na humahantong sa maingay na pagreklamo. Upang mabawasan ang kanyang pasanin ay pinasailalim ang mga tribu sa kani-kanilang “prinsipe”. Subalit ito ay nangyari sa bandang huling yugto na lang ng kanilang paglalakbay sa disyerto. Ganoon pa man, kahit nahati na sila, malaking hindi hamak pa rin ang kanilang mga numerong daan-daang libo. Kung sa grupo ngang wala pang isang libo ang mga miyembro ay hindi na nagkakarinigan, paano na kung daan-daang libong katao pa?

 

May isinasaad sa Bibliya na gumamit daw sila ng tambuli at bawat tribu ay may kanya-kanyang uri ng tunog nito. May mga tunog ding naghuhudyat ng dapat nilang gawin tulad ng pagtigil sa paglakad, pagtayo at pagbaklas ng tent nila at ng tabernakulo, pagsimula uli ng lakad, etc., pero sapat na kaya ang tunog ng tambuli o trumpeta? Kung walang loud speaker, gumamit kaya sila ng “message relay system”, isang sistema na pagpasa ng mga mensahe mula sa nakarinig na nasa unahan at nagsasabi sa mga nasa likod nila, na pinapasa naman nila sa nasa likuran nila, hanggang makarating sa mga nasa pinakalikurang bahagi?

 

Kung ginabayan sila ng “pillar of fire” o sa literal na translation ay isang animo’y “nag-aapoy na haligi” kung gabi, at sa araw naman ay ulap na animo ay nagliliwanag….. ang mga ito kaya ang nakatulong upang magkarinigan sila…paano?

 

Noong nagsalita si Hesus sa isang burol kung saan ay nagkaroon ng milagro na pagkasya ng pagkain para sa mga libo-libong tagasunod niya mula sa iilang piraso ng isda at tinapay, gumamit kaya siya ng mikropono upang marinig ng lahat ang mga sinabi niya? Kung sumigaw man siya sa pagsalita, umalingawngaw kaya ang kanyang boses kahit walang mikropono upang marinig ng lahat?

 

Maraming sinasabing milagrong nangyari noong panahon ng Bibliya na pinaniniwalaan ng mga nanalig, subalit ang tila nakaligtaan ay ang aspeto ng komunikasyon, lalo na kung paanong magkarinigan ang mga daan-daang libong tao kung magsalita ang kanilang mga lider at nang panahong namahagi ng kanyang mga salita si Hesus.

 

Marami pa yatang sikreto sa archive ng Vatican ang hindi pa naipapamahagi sa mga nananampalataya upang hindi masira ang tiwala nila sa mga namumuno, lalo na sa santo papa.

Dapat nating isaalang-alang na hindi kawalan ng tiwala o pananampalataya ang pagtatanong bagkus ito ay nangangahulugan ng interes sa panig ng nagtatanong. Paano mo halimbawang mamahalin ang isang tao kung hindi mo lubusang kilala ang kanyang pagkatao? O di kaya ay, papaano mong masasabing ligtas na kainin ang isang pagkaing hindi pamilyar sa yo kung hindi mo aalamin kung ito ba ay nakaka-allergy, or nakaka-LBM (nakakatae o loose bowel movement), etc?

 

Are the Ten Commandments for the Israelites also Intended for the Future Converts Today

Are the Ten Commandments for the Israelites also Intended

for the Converts Today?

By Apolinario Villalobos

With what are happening all over the world today, I cannot help but take a look again at the “Ten Commandments” that the God of the Israelites issued to them through Moses. When Jesus Christ came, the frontier of the Mosaic faith has been moved extensively outward to include gentiles who are willing to be converted. That makes the “Ten Commandments” applicable to the modern-day Christians and others who trace the origin of their religion to Moses.  In other words, the commandments have become universal as to include even those not yet born, but whose parents are within the fold of the mentioned faith.

The Ten Commandments are supposed to be the gauge of God in judging His faithful, be they the original “chosen people” or the converted gentiles, at the end of their day. Each simply-stated commandment is encompassing and has even become clearer with the passing days. Let us take a look at them:

1. “You shall have no other gods beside me.” Due to fanaticism and despair, how many bow to the power of nature after a natural calamity has struck? How many trust amulets to protect them…with such trust akin to worshipping an unseen power?

1. “You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the form of anything….you shall not bow before them or worship them…” How many kneel and bow before an image…wipe and caress its face…kiss the seam of its outfit or false hair…imploring it to perform miracles?

1. “You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God in vain”. How many swear to high heavens and invoke Him, so that even lightning may strike them on the spot, if indeed, they are telling a lie?

1. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.” The “rest day” is supposed to be Saturday, but today most sects, observe it on Sunday, still some, on Friday. Is not moving the Sabbath day, already a violation of the commandment? Nevertheless, what is required here is that such “rest day”, should be dedicated to Him. But how many attend religious gatherings of worship on a Sabbath day or gleefully motor off to resorts to unwind, instead?

1. “Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long life…” How many homes are broken today because of the evil attitude of children? A home with discordant atmosphere affects the mind of those living in it. It has been proved that one of the reasons why children run away from home is their refusal to take orders with disciplinary intent from their parents. Running away from home results to the children’s indulgence in drugs and prostitution, as well as, other crimes. Will not those vices shorten the children’s lives? The medical science has proved that stress and vices can cause cancer and other diseases.

1. “You shall not kill.” A simple statement which many people oftentimes forget when they are blinded with pride and dire material need. Some kill to protect their honor, others do it just for fun when under the influence of drugs and liquor, others do it to carry out their evil desire such as robbing or raping, or worst, others do it as a gainful occupation.

1. “You shall not commit adultery.” During the Bible times, even the Israelite kings committed such crime, but today it is worst, as self-serving rules are promulgated to make such crime acceptable within a society. Such crime is even committed with the consent of parties involved. The pea-brained violators blame the “marriage” contract as the culprit for such crime. For them, without the binding contract, there would be no adultery. But, can they blame the God whose intention was to prevent the blatant practice of uncontrolled sex? Is not the uncontrolled sex or promiscuousness one of the causes of the dreaded HIV disease?

1. “You shall not steal”. This is the most commonly-committed crime. Stealing is prevalent in all kinds of society. Even at a young age, children learn to commit petty stealing which develop into a bigger crime as they grow. Today, in some societies that do not prosecute minors, parents even prod their children to steal as they cannot be charged anyway. Growing children learn to steal from their parents for extra money that they spend for their vices, one of which is addiction to internet games. As students, some learn to steal intelligence of others via the internet by copy/pasting dissertations to satisfy thesis requirement in school. And the ultimate act is when “intelligent” government officials steal the people’s money resulting to the latter’s social distress and poverty.

1. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”. How many innocent people are now suffering behind bars because their poverty prevented them from hiring reliable lawyers to defend them in court, leaving them helpless as false testimonies were heaped upon them? How many of these innocents have been dragged to prisons after the real culprits of crimes were successfully “defended” by false, though, convincing oratorical deliberations of handsomely paid lawyers?

1. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…wife…” The greed of man before and today could have made God issue such reminder. Coveting for weak nations by the powerful ones has been rampant even before the covenant was etched on the blocks of stone. Today such evil desire is sophisticatedly called “expansionism”. Strong nations come up with flimsy allegations as basis in overrunning territories of weak nations. Along this line, such greed is also manifested in the seduction of other people’s better half or spouse, as well as, properties such as in the case of squatting on other people’s land and forging documents that cover them, even using poverty as alibi.

As an answer to the question in the title, yes…the Ten Commandments, originally issued to the Israelites, are very much applicable to the converted Gentiles of today. Those who were born into the Faith of their parents and were forced by virtue of baptism at their infancy, may choose if they have reached the appropriate age, any other affiliation not “covered” by the so-called “covenant”, rather than criticize the firm believers.

This blog has no intention of sparking an exchange of criticism on religions. Rather, I am presenting a personal view of what are happening in the world today. I would rather accept criticisms for oversight, exaggeration, etc., than read comments of viewers criticizing each other based on their religious affiliation, to express their having been incited unknowingly, which again, is not the intent of this simple presentation.