Bundok Banahaw

We were told that Bundok Banahaw is practically a huge church—a church with lichened trees for marble columns, cold stones for pews, and creeks and rivers to provide the holy water. I find the idea of a leviathan natural church fascinating. I have lost my faith a some time ago but the symbols of faith have a certain majesty and mysticism which reels me in to explore.

Before we went up to the forest, we visited two Rizalista churches. The first one was called Iglesia del Ciudad Mistica de Dios, which claims to be a Christian sect headed by what they call a “Suprema”. They do not exactly worship Jose Rizal, but they do revere him as one of the heroes of our country, along with Ninoy Aquino and Andres Bonifacio. The name of the second church we visited escapes me at the moment, but I remember that they are what one might call “hard-core” Rizalistas.

They believe that Rizal is one of the manifestations of god and that the Bible corroborates this belief. Specific verses can be found in the Songs of Solomon “referring” to Rizal as god. I find this belief…strange, for lack of a better term. As an agnostic I feel strongly about people interpreting the Bible any way they feel like, because really, all those thousand pages can tell you anything anyone might like to hear if looked at from a certain perspective. But of course—it's this thing they call faith. It's never logical, and this group of Rizalistas is a very good example.

 
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