THE MORAL LIFE

One of the most urgent factors compelling the coming of Protestantism to the Philippines was the moral state of the dominant religion in the islands, at the turn of the century. Despite widespread adherence to the outward forms of religion, the real substance of the Christian ethical life was woefully neglected and even flagrantly violated by many of the religious leaders of the day. The strong words of the Old Testament prophets were strikingly relevant to the times:

Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen.
Cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
Seek justice,
correct oppression.
I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take
no delight in your solemn assemblies
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
(Isa. 1:13, 17; Amos 5:21, 24)

In like manner, the first Protestant missionaries were given the prophetic task of fearlessly proclaiming the need for moral righteousness in the Christian life. The Methodists, following the vitally ethical ministry of John Wesley, made an important contribution to this emphasis. Methodist converts were expected to bear the fruits of righteousness in their own lives. Compassion, honesty, tolerance, fairness, self-control – such qualities were lifted up as hallmarks of the Christian life. The Church showed concern both for the individual and for society. From the beginning, there was a Committee on Public Morals which sought continually to awaken the Church, and society as a whole, to such evils as cockfighting and other forms of gambling, the opium trade and prostitution. The missionaries and national pastors stressed the moral life in their work. One humorous incident in the report of B.O. Peterson for 1913 illustrates this point:

In the Rosales revival, Eugenio Caretativo a backslidden exhorter, was so revived that he called in some of the brethren to help him eat the fighting rooster. This matter was brought up at District Conference. I informed our preachers that there was no rule in our Discipline which forbids eating fighting roosters.⁹⁰

Cockfighting was condemned as evil because, like other forms of gambling, it contributes to a way of life built upon "chance" rather than upon steady, consistent, hard work. It breeds in people a reliance on getting something for nothing. Actually, of course, it most often consumes money that should have been used for food, clothing, and medicine – to say nothing of the cruelty of cockfighting as a sport.

In reading these early reports one is reminded of the ministry of John Wesley in the jails, the poor districts and coal mines of England. Thus Joshua Cottingham, District Superintendent of the Central District, reported:

One of the earliest experiences of this writer was a visit to a Bulacan town on Good Friday when 300 naked men were doing penance on the public square. It was a disgusting, bloody sight.

This year not a man in the town committed this horrid spectacle. "Influence of Methodism," said a town official. For there are three Methodist churches there. And this and other reforms are going on.

A Christian jailer works with the prisoners and in some instances great changes have taken place in the lives of the so-called criminals.

Twenty-five years ago no Methodist congregation anywhere, but now each town has a congregation, except two that are yet friar-land towns.

God has wrought thus in twenty-five years – a little property, some fine workers, a great company of consecrated members, a host of friends who are with us in morals and education, and a tremendous moral influence that is the light of the new day.⁹¹

The Rev. Cottingham, in that same report of 1924, mentions another highly significant result of Protestant work:

Twenty-eight years ago a Rizal could be executed for his liberal ideas and for his love for education. Today a Methodist governor who was elected for a second term sits in the office at Malolos and is known everywhere as the anti-gambling, anti-vice, good roads governor, the Honorable Pio Valenzuela, one of the finest types of the ideals of the Martyr Jose Rizal.⁹²

In a similar vein J. F. Cottingham reported in 1922:

Recently at a great public function, at which the Governor-General delivered an address. seven leading Filipino educators and politicians spoke. Of these seven, three were members of The Methodist Episcopal Church.⁹³

Men and women of integrity and great leadership ability were thus produced by the preaching of the gospel; and they were contributing to the national life in significant ways. As Arthur Beckendorf said in that same year:

The Protestant Church will probably never be in the ascendancy in the Philippines. But it is placing a powerful impression upon the thought of the people, making them more discriminating in the selection and standard of their public officials; in their demand for a higher personal morality among the masses; in the desire for the best in education and a truly democratic government.⁹⁴

A representative listing of some of the outstanding lay leaders produced by Methodism, over the years, would include such men and women as:

Dr. Jorge Bocobo, outstanding educator, president of the University of the Philippines, Supreme Court justice and chairman of the Code Commission;
Atty. Crisolito Pascual, professor of constitutional law at the University of the Philippines;
Dr. W. Pascual, governor of the province of Rizal and professor at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines;
The Adduru family of Cagayan;
Dr. Isidoro Panlasiqui, psychologist and Dean of the College of Education of the University of the Philippines;
Cirilo B. Perez, librarian at the Bureau of Science and outstanding World War II guerilla leader, who was beheaded by the Japanese;
Dr. Asuncion Perez (wife of Cirilo Perez), also a guerilla leader, Administrator of Social Welfare under Magsaysay and president of Philippine Wesleyan College;
Medina Lacson de Leon, Undersecretary of Commerce and former Representative;
Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, Regent of the University of the Philippines, Administrator of Mary Johnston Hospital and president of both the Philippine Federation of Christian Churches and the Manila Breakfast Club;
Jose Luna Castro, managing editor of The Manila Times;
Sinforoso Padilla, psychologist and Dean of Men at the University of the Philippines;
Juan Rodriguez, governor of Pangasinan and Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources;
Dr. Cicero Calderon, formerly head of the Labor Education Center and now president of Silliman University;
Jovito Salonga, Representative in Congress, Dean of the College of Law of Far Eastern University and outstanding authority in international law;
Dr. A. Caesar Espiritu, executive secretary of the Philippine Chamber of Industries, economic adviser to President Macapagal and active in the Student Christian Movement throughout Asia;
Melquiades Gamboa, Ambassador to Great Britain;
Dr. Eliseo Pajaro, director of cultural affairs at the University of the Philippines and one of the nation's leading composers.

Many, many others could be listed, especially some of the outstanding Methodists of the early years. But this sampling at least gives an indication of how Methodism has been at work throughout the Philippines, in many key areas of society.

The national life has thus been influenced through individuals in responsible positions. At the same time, it should be said that it is not enough to change individuals in the hopes of changing society. The Church must concern itself with the ills of society in more than an individualistic way, for social evils are vast and complex, and must be attacked in every possible manner. Methodism, along with other Evangelical churches, showed a growing awareness of this fact when in 1938, it endorsed Manuel Quezon's statement of social justice. This statement touched on property, public lands, under-employment, taxation., collective bargaining, and other issues Unfortunately, social justice is still a crying need through. out the country and the active concern of the Church or this matter has not been great enough. It is an encouraging sign of the dawning social vision of the Church, however, that following the General Conference mandate of 1960, Philippine Methodism began, establishing Commissions of Christian Social Concerns in many churches throughout the country, in coordination with conference-level Boards of Christian Social Concerns. A vast job has yet to be done but, at least, a highly encouraging beginning has been made.

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