My Journal

Date: October 17, 2020

Name: Adrian Clark delos Santos
Course: BSAc - 1 - Block 10
Reflection Topic Discussed:
MOPG, a quick intro to JPICIP and
the difference of Service and Volunteerism
WARNING: This journal is long for a certain and important reason.
In our second meeting, we just reviewed the last meeting and sir CJ, discussed some of the con-
tents of the module. Our professor had some hard time tackling with us because some of us are hesitant
to recite and open themselves in the class. I find it funny how they suddenly close their cameras when it’s
time to recite. Also, I really like how sir CJ talks to us like he is our older brother and we are his siblings,
because it makes him so approachable. And it is fun talking and asking questions with him. Moving on, we
talked about the practical applications of the Manual of Procedures and Guidelines (MOPG) of Saint Louis
University – National Service Training Program (SLU-NSTP) and reiterated the legal basis of the subject
and my favorite part is number twenty-four where the CSI requires a relevant level of technical compe-
tency or specialization, and maturity. “One cannot give what one does not have.” Else, one can best serve
with what one already has (intellectual or practical skills, or other personal resources). Hence, it is expected
that students should develop knowledge, skills, capabilities, and attitude responsive to specific needs. We
also have an in-depth understanding of the difference of service and volunteerism. Service is an obligation
while volunteerism is the embodiment of altruism. You give for the goodness of giving without expecting any
in return.
This particular journal is very important to me, because I have crucial
information to share regarding our NSTP class. The meeting commenced with
the singing of the SLU Hymn, and of course, I am still unfamiliar with lyrics.
The thing is, throughout my schooling, I never memorized my school’s hymns. I
don’t sing the Provincial and Regional Hymns either because I am a Jehovah’s
Witness. Our belief about singing such songs, is that they imply idolism, where
we are almost worshipping the school. That’s also my case for the singing of
the National Anthem and taking the Patriotic Oath (Panatang Makabayan)
because it is an exhibit of consecration to the flag. In our religion, acts of
idolism such as singing to a non-living object is a violation of God’s command-
ment- “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of any-
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve
them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of
those who hate Me,”. Perhaps one of the most sensitive areas of my
interactions with my previous and present schools involves patriotic ob-
servances. I realize that deep feelings may be involved, and I appreciate
very much those teachers who handle the various situations with
sensitivity and understanding. An explanation of why Jehovah’s
Witnesses do not participate in patriotic observances may be
helpful.
Historical evidence indicates that the first Christians
did not involve themselves in political affairs. As Jesus
said of them:
“They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 17:16)
Rather, they shared a common allegiance to a heavenly government, God’s Kingdom. New York
educators Eugene A. Colligan and Maxwell F. Littwin said regarding them in the book From
the Old World to the New: “They preferred the Kingdom of God to any kingdom that they
might serve on earth.”
In this respect early Christians followed closely the example set by Jesus Christ, and Jehovah’s
Witnesses today try to live up to that standard. (John 6:15; 18:36) Note how textbooks comment on the
neutral position Christ’s early followers took toward political affairs:
“Early Christianity was little understood and was regarded with little favor by those who ruled the pagan
world. . . . Christians refused to share certain duties of Roman citizens. . . . They would not hold political
office.”—On the Road to Civilization, A World History (1937), by Albert K. Heckel and James G. Sigman,
pages 237, 238.

“The Roman government called the Christians enemies of the state. They would not serve in the
Roman army. They refused to salute the emperor’s statue, which meant the same to Roman society that
a nation’s flag does to citizens today. They were loyal only to their religion.”—Man—His World and Cultures
(1974), by Edith McCall, Evalyn Rapparlie and Jack Spatafora, pages 67, 68.
As you may appreciate, following a similar course of neutrality today affects my participation in a number of
school exercises and activities.
The Flag Salute and Even though we do not salute the flag of any na-
The Patriotic Oath tion, or take the patriotic oath, this certainly is not meant

Panatang Makabayan
to indicate disrespect. We do respect the flag of whatever
country we live in, and we show this respect by obedience
to the country’s laws. We never engage in antigovernment
activity of any kind. In fact, we believe that present human
governments constitute an “arrangement of God” that he
has temporarily permitted to exist. So we consider ourselves
under divine command to pay taxes, tribute and honor to
such “superior authorities.”—Romans 13:1-7.

‘But why, then,’ you may ask, ‘do you not honor the
flag by saluting it?’ It is because we view the flag salute
as an act of worship. Although we do not discourage others
from saluting the flag, we cannot conscientiously give what
we view as worship to anyone or anything except our God,
Jehovah. (Matthew 4:10) Of course, many people do not
consider the flag sacred or that saluting it is an act of wor-
ship. However, consider what secular authorities say about
this:
“The flag, like the cross, is sacred. . . . The rules
and regulations relative to human attitude toward national
standards use strong, expressive words, as, ‘Service to the
Flag,’ . . . ‘Reverence for the Flag,’ ‘Devotion to the Flag.’”—
The Encyclopedia Americana (1942), Volume 11, page 316.
 “Nationalism’s chief symbol of faith and central object of worship is the flag, and curious litur-
gical forms have been devised for ‘saluting’ the flag, for ‘dipping’ the flag, for ‘lowering’ the flag, and
for ‘hoisting’ the flag. Men bare their heads when the flag passes by; and in praise of the flag poets
write odes and children sing hymns.”—What Americans Believe and How They Worship (1952), by J.
Paul Williams, pages 359, 360.
You may feel that the above are extreme views. However, it is interesting that in the colonial
days of America the Puritans objected to the British flag because of its red cross of “Saint” George.
According to The Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911), they did this, “not from any disloyalty to the
mother country, but from a conscientious objection to what they deemed an idolatrous symbol.”

One of the Ten Commandments forbids making an object to worship with “a form like anything that is
in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath.” (Exodus 20:4, 5) As Christians, we also feel bound
by the Bible’s command to ‘guard ourselves from idols.’—1 John 5:21.

We appreciate it when teachers are understanding regarding our beliefs and help us students to abide
by them. Others have expressed an understanding of the position we have taken that the flag salute is
related to worship, as the following comments show:

“Christians refused to . . . sacrifice to the [Roman] emperor’s genius—roughly equivalent today to re-
fusing to salute the flag or repeat the oath of allegiance.”—Those About to Die (1958), by Daniel P. Mannix,
page 135.

“The key assumption is that saluting a flag consti-

tutes an act of religious devotion. . . . This view, while odd, is
not entirely without biblical support. . . . If saluting is a re- OUT!
ligious act, then it is forbidden by God’s law however worthy WATCH YOUR
SE R V E
Y
the object of respect. In other words, refusal to salute need COUNTRHAPS
E
BUT P NOT R
imply no disrespect for flag or country.”—Render Unto Caesar, DO HE
The Flag-Salute Controversy (1962), David R. Manwaring, SING TMS.
A N T H E
assistant professor of political science, Hobart and William
Smith Colleges, page 32.

We would like to emphasize that we intend no disrespect for any

government or its rulers by our refusal to salute the flag. It is just
that we will not, in an act of worship, bow down to or salute an image
representing the State, like the one Nebuchadnezzar raised up in the
plain of Dura, or like the modern flags of the nations. (Daniel 3:1-30)
Significantly, the Supreme Court of the United States, in a historic re-
versal of a previous decision, stated:

“We think the action of the local authorities in compelling the flag salute and pledge transcends
constitutional limitations on their power and invades the sphere of intellect and spirit which it is the
purpose of the First Amendment to our Constitution to reserve from all official control.”—West Vir-
ginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943).

So then, while others salute and pledge allegiance, I just stand quietly during the flag
salute ceremony. But if, for some reason, the flag ceremony is conducted in such a way that
simply standing gives evidence of one’s participation in the ceremony, I remain seated. In
addition, I do not march in patriotic parades, which would show their support of the
thing honored by the parade. We remain neutral.
National Anthem and the SLU Hymn
A national anthem often is, in effect, a hymn or a prayer set to music. The
Encyclopedia Americana (1956) says: “Love of fatherland and pride in one’s country
are the keynotes of most national anthems, and in many, religious feeling is blended
with patriotic sentiment.” Actually, patriotic songs express the same fundamental
ideas that are embodied in the pledge of allegiance to the flag. And since there is no
Scriptural basis for the nationalistic pride that has so divided our world, we do not
join in singing songs that extol any earthly nation. —Acts 17:26; John 17:15, 16.

When national anthems are played, usually all that a person has to do to show
that he shares the sentiments of the song is to stand up. In such cases, Jehovah’s
Witness youths remain seated. However, if I am already standing when the national
anthem is played, I would not have to take the special action of sitting down; it is not as
though I had specifically stood up for the anthem. On the other hand, if a group are expect-
ed to stand and sing, then I may rise and stand out of respect. But I would show that I do
not share the sentiments of the song by refraining from singing.

Do school songs such as our SLU Hymn come into the same category as national anthems? Yes, they
are viewed the same way by those in the school as national anthems are by the nations. They are often
sung with religious fervor and with cheers. We do not share the sentiments of such songs.

I hope my belief won’t pose challenges on my performance on this subject. In fact, may devotion
to my belief should amplify my actions for my NSTP-CWTS subject. I simply following the ways of Christ.
His principles and advocacies. I am a missionary and I am still promoting the advocacies of CEAP which
believes that Justice and Peace, Ecological Integrity, Engaged Citizenship, Poverty Reduction, Gender
Equality and Youth Empowerment (JEEPGY) are the pillars of Transformative Education. I will also be-
come a volunteer for the realization of the common good. And that’s how all Louisans should act.
 My Journal
Date: October 19, 2020
Name: Adrian Clark delos Santos
Course: BSAc - 1 - Block 10
Topic Discussed:
Formation of Louisan Missionaries:
Reflection In the context of JEEPGY-HKM and CICM JPIC-IPA
By Joselito C. Gutierrez,LPT,PhD

I just found the perfect inner mentor. This is the teachings of our NSTP-CWTS course.

We all have the idea of our future-, wiser-, superior-self somewhere in our psyche. I wanted to be-
come a successful CPA Lawyer. What kind of person am I? How do I feel? How do I act? How do I work?
How do I communicate? What are my habits? What do I do on a daily basis? I don’t want to focus too
much on where in life my future-self is like where I work or how much I earn but rather on who am I as
a professional? How I think, create, show up in the world, how I approach life.

The short answer is because of NSTP-CWTS, I am a professional who lives the way Jesus lived
here on Earth.
All the great achievements will be a byproduct of the habits
and mindset of my future self. And now that I learned about the
formation of Louisan Missionaries in the context of JEEPGY-HKM
and CICM JPIC-IPA, I am equipped with knowledge that serves
as my map and guidelines in life. That way, I can better predict and
visualize how I act in the future.

This subject, like what sir Gutierrez said, is Transforma-

tive. It transforms me from my passive character into a personal-
ity that fosters education for justice and peace, cares for creation,
engaged citizenship, gender sensitivity, and responsible use of all
forms of media, among others. I myself is not just a witness, but
I also experience this transformation, so as a result, I seek to
strive and transform my society too. For example, as a CPA Lawyer,
I will see to it that I impose Justice and Peace. I will protect and
promote the rights and dignity of my clients and the people around
me. I will serve the common good and not merely the interests of
a privileged few. The principles of JEEPGY are self-explanatory.
They mean what they say. I will develop a lifestyle that always
shows concern, awareness and behavior that is inclined to justice,
peace, ecological integrity, engaged citizenship, poverty alleviation,
gender equality, youth empowerment, media education and lastly,
‘huwag kang magnakaw’. These are the teachings that help me to
determine what to prioritize when I face a point where I have to
make a decision. Even if I don’t imagine as a professional working
on my respective field of specialization, I can still apply this
valuable knowledge.
 Mastery of this knowledge, combined with expertise and skills that are used in the account-
ing profession –is absolutely essential for professionalism. As a good professional, I can do the job,
and I can do it well. Let’s face it, technical expertise is not enough. Qualities like honesty, punctual-
ity, a spirit of service, the ability to meet deadlines and many others are being taught to us by the
NSTP subject are also essential. Without them, I, as a professional, no matter how talented, will
find it challenging to work with others, and in the end, my technical skills will be largely wasted.

As a missionary and a good citizen of my society, I will display these quali-

ties in all aspects of my life, not just in professional activities. I am not trying to
transform myself into the image of Christ—I want to let God do it in me. The
Bible describes this as the Holy Spirit living in us, God living in us, or Jesus Christ
living in us. The power to change my behavior comes from him, not from within
myself. It is his work, not anything I can take credit for. I will always put into
good use my God-given talents in the evangelization of the youth. I am always
willing to devote and sacrifice what I have to improve my society. Because I love
God, and to exhibit the JEEPGY-HKM and CICM JPIC-IPA traits.

These traits of character shape my life at its most basic level and de-
termine to a vast extent how that I will succeed or fail in most areas of my
life: marriage, family, profession, etc. These traits of characters are virtues
and vices; they are relatively fixed habits and dispositions that, with
God’s grace, are developed over the course of my life. To be the CPA
Lawyer that I wanted to become, then I need to acquire both the
technical expertise required by my field as well as the excellent
number of virtues presented to me by the Louisian Education,
NSTP-CWTS, permitted by the help of God. And lastly, as a CPA
Lawyer, I’m willing to give up my profession. Because the only
way I can be a missionary for God is to be in a relationship with
Him. I am eager to obey and make the sacrifice and let go of
what I have to be able to follow God’s calling.