VERIFY BEFORE BELIEVE: BROAD-BRUSHING AND MISINFORMATION IN THE RELIGIOUS CIRCLE

Have you ever heard this kind of preaching from their religious leaders that seems to start a conflict between religions by criticizing the doctrines and traditions of others, but instead leads to false generalizations against everyone outside their circle.

"Broad-brushing" is a logical fallacy and cognitive distortion in which an entire group is generalized based solely on the actions or statements of a few members. Ultimately, this leads to "collective guilt"—the false imposition of blame on the whole simply because of the mistakes of a few.

How does this happen in the use of religion? In addition to widespread misinformation—such as the violent accusation of others as "false teachers" or the repeated accusation of "idol worship"—the discourse becomes even more heated when it is based on unofficial teachings, or even personal opinions that are not actually recognized by the organization they are criticizing.

The Truth Behind the Allegations and Clear Laws

While theological and religious biases are inherently inherent because of their belief in the "fullness of truth" or their own interpretation of sacred scripture, some use dirty tactics to prevent their members from listening to others. For example, the often-heard accusation that other religions are established only to cheat or extort money from members.

Some also criticize the giving of tithes (with a fixed 10 percent in some Born Again churches), arguing that this was only for the ancient Israelites. However, when viewed in general, there are Christian groups that do not have a set percentage of giving. Nor do all use the "prosperity gospel" or the Sacred Scriptures to turn faith into a business. The same can be seen in the matter of registration: some criticize that government registration proves that a church is a "human creation," even though it is not an official doctrine of the faith.

Under our secular Philippine law, registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)—whether it is a Catholic archdiocese or diocese (as a corporation sole) or other religious organizations (as a non-stock corporation or religious society)—is required to ensure security, legality, and transparency in the organization's finances and assets.

The Domino Effect of False Doctrinal Defense

Sometimes, when an individual defends his faith, everyone is implicated in a false generalization. To make it easier to understand, let's think of five groups: A, B, C, D, and E. If Group B attacks Group A, instead of Group A defending itself against Group B, it will also implicate Groups C, D, and E who have nothing to do with the problem. This is no different from the way religious cycles run. For example, if an Evangelical church teaches about worshiping "in spirit and truth" without criticizing the use of images or icons, there should be no problem. But if there is an open attack from a few members, that is where Catholic apologists should respond in defense.

On the other hand, some Catholic apologists may also criticize the belief that good works are no longer necessary or the doctrine of "Once Saved, Always Saved" (OSAS). They may be targeting those who believe in the radical "sola fide" (faith alone). But unbeknownst to them, many Born Again and Evangelical Christians also teach the importance of good works based on the Book of James—which emphasizes that faith without works is dead. For them, good works are not a means to salvation, but proof of a true and living faith.

Contrary to the Spirit of Vatican II

Also, the statement by some Catholic apologists that one should only submit to the Church founded by Christ and not to "human institutions" sometimes contradicts the spirit of Vatican II. According to official teaching, although the Catholic Church believes that the full means of salvation are within its own reach, Catholics are still called to show respect and humility to other Christians outside its institution.

The harsh labeling of all non-Catholics or apostates as "Anti-Christ" or "false teachers" is clearly contrary to the official teaching of the Catholic Church. The "Unitatis Redintegratio" (Decree on Ecumenism) of the Second Vatican Council clearly states that baptized believers in Christ but separated from the full Catholic communion are still recognized as brothers and sisters in Christ. This document urges all to promote respect and ecumenism (unity of Christians) instead of hatred.

Conclusion

Ultimately, avoiding broad-brushing is like giving up fact-checking. We must first examine and understand the official position of each side before we believe or judge. Let us analyze and weigh each utterance so that we do not fall into the trap of blind and destructive generalizations.