THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION TO FILIPINOS

Historically, the Filipinos have embraced two of the great religions of the world " Islam and Christianity. Islam was introduced during the l4th century, shortly after the expansion of Arab commercial ventures in Southeast Asia. Catholic Christianity was intro­duce as early as the l6th century with the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. However, it did not become firmly established until the 17th century when the Spaniards decided to make the Philippines one oftheir colonies. Catholic Christianity is the predominant religion.

Protestantism was introduced to the country in 1899 when the first Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries arrived with the American sol­diers during the Spanish-American War. Following closely were the Bap­tists (1900), the Episcopalians, the Disciples of Christ, the Evangelical United Brethren (1901) and the Congregationists who came in 1902. Since then, many other Protestant denominations have come.

Locally, two Filipino independent churches were organized at the turn of the 20th century and are prominent today. These are the Aglipay (Philippine Independent Church) and the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) founded in 1902 and 1914, respectively.

A Filipino is very religious but at the same time very superstitious. Some superstitions and beliefs that can influence the behavior of the Filipino seaman are the following: 1) One must not organize teams of 3 or 13, otherwise one member will die. 2) If someone smells the odor of a candle when there is no candle burning, one of his relatives will die. 3) When a group of three have their picture taken, the one in the middle will die first. 4) If one meets a black cat while crossingg the road, a misfortune will occur. 5) When a duck flies it is a sign of bad luck. 6) When a cat washes himself, a storm is coming. 7) Sweeping the floor at night one to lose all his wealth. 8) If one breaks a glass, a plate or a cup during a banquet, something bad win happen. 9) One will have bad luck if he breaks a mirror. 10) Whistling in the evening is bad. Common among

Filipinos is the belief that sickness is the work of some evil spirits.

The Filipino world-view is personalistic and he explains the physical reality in a religious and metaphysical manner. He looks at the world and nature as controlled by other beings different from himself and governed by forces above him. His fatalism leads him to believe that one's life is shaped and directed by superior forces beyond control. He interprets success or failure, health or sickness, life or death, a good or bad harvest on the basis of the supernatural and trust and reliance on a divine providence. Thus Filipinos believe in lucky and unlucky dates and num­bers.

The Filipino articulates the presence of God through symbols. He is fond of rituals and external manifestations of piety. Candles, incense, processions, statues, medals, ritual dancing, ritual devotion to the in­visible dead, etc. are the more common visible articulations of the Filipino's contemplative sense of the invisible. This the Westerner and other people of other cultures may never understand but must respect.

Fiestas may be held any time of the year but the most celebrated are Christmas (December 25), New Year (January 1), the Feast of the Black Nazarene (January 9), Holy Week (March-April), Santacruzans (May), and All-Saints' Day (November 1). For the Filipino, the fiesta is the ultimate gesture of respect and esteem. He who does not celebrate it is taken to be rude, for the fiesta is a time for showing appreciation to the saints for favors received, for favors done. The fiesta is an occasion for a party. Officers may be invited to participate in the celebrations by way of being offered a drink and a little food. Have the drink and the food offered. It is in good taste to inquire as to the reasons for the celebration but it is not advisable to enter into a discussion as to the relevance of such celebrations in a modern world. What may seem out of date and superstitious to a Westerner may be very important and sacred to some Filipinos.

Religion plays an important role in the lives of Filipino seamen. Worship is essentially a communitarian affair and Filipinos go to church every Sunday and Holydays to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Freedom may be given to Filipino seamen to go to Mass or their churches whenever possible. Representatives of the crew ashore may be allowed to find a priest or a pastor to administer the Sacraments of the Word of God to Filipino seamen.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 663