Islam And Christianity In The Philippines

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The Philippines is located in Southeastern Asia, closest to Taiwan to the north and Malaysia and Indonesia to the south. The country is an island chain between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea that is east of Vietnam; it is made up of 7,107 islands (Steinberg, 1994).
In the past, the Filipinos have acknowledged two religions – Islam and Christianity. Islam was first introduced to them soon after the growth of Arab commercial schemes in Southeast Asia in the fourteenth century (Forbes-Lindsay, 1906). Nowadays, it is solely restricted to the southernmost region of the country. Filipino Muslims make up only 5% of the nationwide population (Steinberg, 1994). On the other hand, Christianity was introduced to them in the midst of Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in 1521 (Forbes-Lindsay, 1906). This remained to be the most practiced religion due to the fact that the Spanish ruled over the country for about three hundred years. It is estimated that 81% of the population today is Roman Catholic (Steinberg, 1994).
The Filipinos hold a couple of essential common beliefs. They believe that Jesus sacrificed himself for them therefore they are forever indebted to them. The notion of debt and reliance exemplify the relationship they have with Jesus. They perceive the Holy Father and Jesus as “a God who always credits his own debtors” (Steinberg, 1994). The natives believe that God promised to help them go to Heaven. Their gratitude to Jesus is similar to the manner one may have with a family member who “helps” their relative due to their connection. Therefore, the action is seen as assistance that does not essentially need to be paid back in full or equally.
Furthermore, the belief in spirits is widespread in the Filipino views of the spir...

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...Spanish buildings with wide balconies and tiled roofs (Steinberg, 1994). It is quite evident that the Spanish left a permanent mark after their invasion in the country. They acquired the designs from the Spanish in order to enhance their own country.
Furthermore, the Philippines attempt to keep peace with its neighboring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam by agreeing on peace accords. For instance, they, along with China and Taiwan, claim self-government over Scarborough Reef and over particular areas of the Spratly Islands, which is also claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. In 2005, the public oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a mutual accord to control maritime seismic activities in the Spratly Islands. The Philippines maintains a dormant claim to Malaysia’s Sabah State in northern Borneo (Simbulan, 2005).

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