A follower of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, the Filipino cult that made headlines a few months ago for its bloody runs-in with the law, left a defense of his “Divine Master” in an old comments thread this morning. Apparently they are not a cult because they are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But hey, so is the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. Does that also make them the one true faith?

I don’t know why SEC registration is touted by so many Philippine cults as an automatic stamp of their “truth.” That doesn’t make their leader’s drug-crazed murdering spree any more right, nor does it in any way validate their false, misguided teachings. “Love and benevolence,” my foot. Maybe Peter cut off Malchus’ ear when the guards came to arrest Jesus, but the Lord stopped him and healed the ear, didn’t he? Ruben Ecleo did no such thing while his followers rained bullets on the police. He was probably too high on methamphetamines to even notice.

I’ve said everything I’ve had to say on the PBMA here. I stand by the true Word of Scripture, and I refuse to accept the ramblings of a fallible man, let alone a deluded criminal like Ruben Ecleo.