Ang Dating Daan: 36 Years of Keeping Millennia-Old Conversations of Faith Alive

Subali’t kapag nalagot
hiningang lubhang marupok

ng katawan mong mairog,
ang araw mo’y matatapos
ang iiral ay ang sa Diyos

(But when the very fragile breath

of your beloved body is no more,
your days will end, and God’s will begin.)

At one time or another, we need to talk about God.

Thankfully, it has been one of the echoing themes, advocacies of the program Ang Dating Daan or The Old Path.

For 36 years now, it has served in the most basic, and yet, beamingly, most effective and satisfying way, it can: Answering any question about God—raw, live and founded.

Once asked, expect its hosts Bro. Eli Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon to respond with verses of the Bible and display them on TV, Youtube and Facebook screens for everyone’s reference and checking. Hence, the show’s tagline: “The Bible Will Answer. Ask Bro. Eli.”

In that same spirit, they give out free copies of the Bible—a practice they have exercised since the early days of MCGI’s Bible Expositions in the 90s—of which, 8,000 were handed out in the recent anniversary celebration at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Bro. Eli, the show’s main host, answers as transparently as anyone can. Though by reality and experience, the rest comparably don’t.

In fact, it is this hallmark trait and character of his that sometimes get him in variance with people who are unaccustomed to hearing plain truth.

Not that Bro. Eli is blunt or insensitive. Often, when a question begs him to present documented facts about religion, he would preface it by hoping that the inquirer would not get offended. Because he will lay down what needs to be laid down.

Truth is not something he is known to sacrifice a comma of, even if someone did feel strongly against it.

Enter the Ang Dating Daan Debates.

Mirroring the no holds-barred exchange of reasoning from the time of the early Greeks to that of Stephen against the Jews, Bro. Soriano has a long list of debates with pastors of various denominations.

A more awakening form of exposition, ADD's Debates let people see whether a belief or practice will stand under Gospel truth or break down. And even, how religious teachers lack knowledge of their own group’s dogmas and teachings, and sadly, much less of God's words.

Reality is, the very reason why anyone alive today knows and believes in Jesus is because information about Him while He was on this earth, about His Apostles, and their works and words was written more than 2,000 years ago. The Old Path is merely keeping the conversation alive; albeit, with the help and mercy of God.

For 36 years and more, that is something truly worth thanking Him for.

Comments

A Certain Thing I'm Thankful For

It’s hard writing how much Bro. Eli Soriano means to me. It will be his 50th birthday in the spirit come April 7 this year. And fathoming feelings of love and gratitude for a person as special as he is is never easy. Most certainly, such depths of emotion do not stem from fanaticism as some may easily and soullessly accuse me of. For if some take a great deal of joy hearing their religious leader greet them in their own tongue once in a while, how much more others whose preacher untiringly answers their scriptural queries and solves their spiritual problems, for free might I add? Nevertheless, this humble piece of writing is not one of contention, but of celebration. And as mentioned, of love and gratitude to a Filipino, a preacher, a leader like Bro. Eli Soriano. Where It All Began Thirteen years ago, my uncle brought me to this “magical” place called “Convention Center” in Apalit, Pampanga. In my head, it was the only term I could find to describe a plac...

Vandolph Thanks MCGI for Aid to Late Comedy King

Months after his father, Dolphy Quizon, passed away at age 83 due to multiple organ failure, Vandolph still remembers all the people who helped the Philippines’ late Comedy King. So on September 30, the third and last day of the Members Church of God International’s quarterly Thanksgiving, Vandolph dropped by the ADD Convention Center in Pampanga to give thanks to God and the Church. “First of all, thank God, of course,” remarked Vandolph after greeting “Hello and a good evening to all, to the whole world!” Especially in International Thanksgivings when the whole Church offers thanks to God, MCGI uses Internet and satellite facilities to connect remote points across the Philippines and the globe. From left: Jenny Quizon with Vandolph and Dinky Doo talking to Bro. Eli Soriano via live video streaming on September 30, 2012 at the ADD Convention Center, Pampanga. (Photo courtesy of Photoville International) “To all those who prayed and helped, on behalf of my siblings and fami...

A Timely Run Against Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

What do 7,107 islands stand against possibly 'the strongest storm to form on the planet this year' ? A timely run in the right direction. UNTV , the Philippines Public Service Channel will be offering Community Prayer schedules everyday where people can pray right from their homes or offices. People can join the prayers through their television sets or mobile phones via www.untvweb.com or by downloading the UNTV mobile app. Times for the Community Prayer will be as follows: 04:00 am (in Filipino), 12:00 nn (in Filipino), 08:10 pm (in Filipino), 10:00 pm (in English), 12:00 mn (in English). The media network's primary proponent of social good, Bro. Eli Soriano , initiated the service in cooperation with UNTV CEO Daniel Razon . The idea is attuned with the 33rd Anniversary Theme of Ang Dating Daan or The Old Path: Building a Prayerful Nation Through Broadcast Evangelization. Bro. Eli Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon are also the leaders of the Mem...

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