The bloc voting of the Iglesia Ni Cristo was considered by many of its detractors as the scandal engaged by the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Many accused the church that its bloc voting was used by them to gain support from politicians like giving them cash in exchange of the votes of its members. And according to them, it is the reason why the Iglesia Ni Cristo successfully built beautiful and expensive churches or house of worships.
In order for me to write about it, I really studied the doctrine of the Iglesia Ni Cristo about bloc voting and do some research and investigation whether it is used by the church in gaining financial support from politicians.
First, I learned that the Iglesia Ni Cristo vote as one. The decision of its leader is the decision of all members. This is in accordance to the teaching in the Bible that the church and Christ are one new man in front of God. The church is the body of Christ and Christ is the head of it. However, the church is composed of its members as parts of the body. These members act according to the command of one head who is Christ. All of its members are advised to be united in all things, including in judgment. And voting during the election is one of the ways where in the members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo should be united in judgment.
Those who don’t understand the feelings of the members of the church thought that its members are deprived of its freedom. However, for the members of the church, becoming united with the church even in election is not a deprivation of their freedom but its the way they perform their freedom. They don’t consider it as if they were forced to vote as one because for them, it is good to vote one with the church. They are happy doing this.
Second: Politicians who seek the support of the church are instructed to report the member of the church who asked favor from them. They are told by the church administration that their support on the election doesn’t have anything in exchange. However, the church administration is careful in choosing among them because they don’t want the church to vote those candidates who hate the Iglesia Ni Cristo and those who do not support the freedom of religion and the separation of the church and estate.
Third: I knew of member of the church who received money from the politicians but those people were already expelled from the church. In other words, the church is really strict regarding to receiving favor from politicians who seek the support of the church.
In other words, bloc voting of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is not really a scandal or scam.
Read also a blogpost written by its member: “People are unfair to the Iglesia Ni Cristo“.
