The Parable of Religious Freedom

Two groups met to pray and worship. One group was composed of 2 pastors, some teachers and an ex-cop, and the other group was a bunch of young and carefree students.

The first group met at the Oliverio hall and they started praying: “Dear Lord in heaven we thank you for this opportunity that we can assemble for prayer and worship to you. We thank you for giving us this freedom, and for the democracy that we enjoy here in the Philippines. We pray for our Christian brothers who live in communist and Islam countries where they do not have the freedom to worship and where they are violently dispersed, persecuted and killed if caught in the act of doing so. Please bless them, oh Lord, and deliver them from the persecution of the devil.”

After their prayer meeting they notice the other group praying in the medical clinic, and so they send the ex-cop to stop the prayer meeting. The students are then told to report one at a time to the pastors office where they are warned that their grouping together for prayer and worship is not allowed because it is an act of “illegal assembly,” and that they will be blacklisted and given demerits, which will debar them from acceptance in the following semester.

Two groups went home that night after prayer. Who was justified? Which group received God’s mercy and grace?

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, and the other a cheating tax collector. The proud Pharisee prayed this prayer: ‘Thank God, I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t commit adultery, I go without food twice a week, and I give to God a tenth of everything I earn.’ But the corrupt tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed, but beat upon his chest in sorrow, exclaiming, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home forgiven!” (Luke 18:10-14)