rizal and the rizalistas
...zal is to have faith in him though you do not know the reality of him. In the article “We Believe in the Good Teachings of Rizal,” we can see the profession of faith of these Rizalistas –“the Watawat ng Lahi” on Rizal’s teachings. They follow the teachings of Rizal, which they believe that would make their lives better and more meaningful. They claim that they are not like the other Rizalista groups who believe that Rizal is a god-like persona with supernatural qualities. The article speaks of their stand and their beliefs as a group. There are many cults arising these days and there are people who establish cults having Jose Rizal as their main figure of worship and adoration. I have to admit that I have an unease feeling about these cults and Rizalistas believing that they are some what engaged in some kind of activities of insanity and stupidity. And I also admit that I was harsh in perceiving them as such. I never thought that the Rizalista groups might actually have different views and beliefs. I was made to believe that they just worship and adore Rizal as a god and not as a human being. It is only when I read this article that I was informed that not all Rizalista groups stand on that kind of belief. I do not know if I am in the right position to comment or even argue to the statements in this article since I have no enough information regarding the different cults or Rizalista groups. Nevertheless, I can still stand on what I firmly believe in and take away the doubts in my mind in order to make a better explication in the points of the article. What I can say is that I have always believed that Rizal was indeed a great man. He was a man of great talents and wisdom. I am a philosopher and I think I can understand him in terms of his thoughts and teachings. I cannot have many criticisms on the stand of the article. That is their belief and this belief deserves to be respected. What I can do the most is to affirm perhaps in my own views that Rizal indeed had good teachings that are worth remembering and that are good guides in our lives. Nevertheless, I do not agree with them in terms of the religious issues. I grew up as a Catholic and though I do not fully agree in some of the beliefs held in this religion, I respect them and I remain a Catholic in my own ways. For me one’s being Catholic does not depend on your agreement with all the beliefs held in Catholicism, it is how you live as one and how you conceive the ideal of being a Catholic. They say that the benefit they get from the group is inner peace. For me, inner peace is not actually dependent on any group or religion. It is dependent in you… because it is in you. What struck me in the article is the word LOVE. Truly, love is very important teaching. It is the root of all good values. Rizal did profess love, not only for his family but also for his entire fellow Filipinos. The article speaks also of the group’s practices and how they are different from other religions and sects. I have always believed that Rizal is person with extra-ordinary talents. Nevertheless, I also believe that he is just but human with his weaknesses and flaws. Rizal is indeed not a god as other Rizalista groups claim him to be. I think that one may idolize him and look at him as a their inspiration and model but to look at him as a god for me is too much already. The Watawat ng Lahi group clings to their own beliefs of what will benefit them better when it comes to their practices as a group. I am not really sure whether they really look at their group as a true religion but they seem so. They have very different beliefs and practices although some of them are similar ones with the practices of Hinduism. The focal point of their organization is their belief or trust in the teachings of Jose Rizal as good teachings and that it is through these teachings that they will become the citizens living their ideal kind of life. Security and inner peace is found in the very inside of a person and findin...