Replying to a comment :)

Replying to a comment :)


Blogger junwei said on February 19, 2010 10:32 PM...
" hi there, if you don't mind, would you support a call for a ban on the prohibition of proselytising in public spaces in singapore and a call for an open dialogue/forum from pastor rony tan? and your reasons why and why not? thanks "
pros·e·ly·tize (prs-l-tz)
v. pros·e·ly·tized, pros·e·ly·tiz·ing, pros·e·ly·tiz·es
v.intr.
1. To induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith.
2. To induce someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine.
v.tr.
To convert (a person) from one belief, doctrine, cause, or faith to another.

To put the discussion right, I would like to say my personal stand does not represent any church nor christianity as a whole but all of it are my thoughts and opinions.

Pardon me for my poor standard of english here but by the first sentence I got 2 different intrepretations of what you are asking:
1) a ban on the prohibition of proselytising in public spaces in singapore:
a ban on the prohibition of proselytising means to make the prevent proselytising from being prohibited?
2) call for just prohibiting proselytising in public places (I think this is what you are trying to say?)

I would like to think that banning people from proselytising means to prevent people from trying to convert people from other religions to our own. However I feel there is no need for such a law in Singapore. Firstly, Singapore is a multi-cultural, multi-racial society. We ought to encourage the freedom of choice to practice one's own religion and at the same time be respectful and polite to people of other religions and practices. Putting a ban not just mean Christians cannot do it, but also people of other religions like Islam and Buddhists. As a Singaporean, I feel it is a loss for all of us, the values we stood for that formed the fabric of our society it is today: a tolerant and harmonious society.

Secondly, I don't feel there is a need to ban because as a christian, I do go around sharing about my faith, but NOT FORCING IT down their throats. As a christian, I share because I'm sharing about how there is a loving God that has touched my own life. And I share it because I believe that It is good. It is just like telling people about this X stall of chicken rice that's very nice. Sharing however does not equate to Forcing. I believe some christians can get aggressive, but it is my opinion that purely sharing life experiences is normal for people and we should be encouraged to share about our religion too. It does not mean when I share to a person, He/she has to become a christian. That is not sharing but forcing. I have met equally nice Buddhists, muslims and we can hit off pretty well sharing about our own experiences with regard to religion and understand why we act the way we do, and I value such friendships very much.

Lastly, there have been religious awareness weeks in NTU about various religious groups coming to setup booths about their own religion. Instead of having a ban, we should do the direct opposite: to create more awareness about other faiths and religions and cultivate that acceptance and tolerance for other religions.

"a call for an open dialogue/forum from pastor rony tan?"

If this is aimed at putting Pastor Rony Tan down, or attacking Christianity, there's no point in this at all. I personally feel that since He has already issued a public apology, we should let it rest, bearing in mind that we all make mistakes, we should live and let live.

Personally, I feel that He has made a mistake of the statements in those videos and my heart goes with those buddhists who felt they were being misrepresented. The same for us christians, it is an inaccurate representation of Christianity as a whole. As a Christian, I'm sorry for all those comments a fellow christian has made. I firmly believe that we should exercise control and tactfulness in our speech, giving due respect to other religions.

I'm sure by now though that people should have realised that the targeted audience is not non-christians for the videos. However a question I have in mind is that as a Pastor, he should have been preaching the bible and God's words. Such testimonial based sharings can be lob-sided and if there is a need for such sessions, the sharing must be objective and not made in any way to put down any other religion.

However, I feel that there is no need to create another row of problems by stirring up the dust that has just started to settle. As a Singaporean, I would like to see our society facing up to the issue together and not divided. As a christian, I will like to see we ourselves practising what we preach by acting out our faith in truth and love.

In conclusion, we must realise: has the Rony Tan issue really been the long-standing issue? Or is it exposing something much deeper?
Focus on God alone

Focus on God alone

With all my heart,
with all my soul,
with all my might,
Focus on God alone

Clear my heart,
clear my thoughts,
clear my sins,
To focus to God alone
Fireproof the movie

Fireproof the movie

Today watched a movie that has been around for sometime.

"You never leave your partner, especially in a fire." quote from the movie by Caleb.

FireProof (the movie is in quite a lot of parts this is just the 1st part)


I'm not really an advocate of downloads, but I guess since Youtube has it and the makers of the film don't mind, they mean to share it with people =)

Not wanting to spoil the show, just watch it yourself =)

Some thoughts on the movie:
I guess it reminded me of the way God taught me in His own way about His love, which is reflected in the movie. I once posted about God's love being unconditional. God loves us for who we are. God does not look at things of the exterior, the way we see, not rich, not poor, not pretty, not handsome.

I let someone down before. That was before the point God showed me I couldn't love someone based on some things, because that wasn't true love. True love is not based on something. Loving someone does not mean the love will be returned. Love does not depend on the "qualities" of a person. Love is unconditional.

The same applies to family and friends, not just BGRs. Do you phantom the fact your parents and family care and love for you only because its not based on how you look, who you are, and what you do?

To the person I let down before, sorry. Hope you find happiness, wish you all the best. =)
Recent Updates!

Recent Updates!

Haha... my blog posts have been too bible stuff according to some sources.. so here's a light post!

This is the 5th week since school has restarted. I'm studying Chemistry year 2 Semester 2 now. It is really been a hectic time. Sometimes I just sleep in my lessons. (OH NO!) or i fail to come on time for morning lessons. I guess its really hard to keep up especially as I have been too kind to myself.

Still things are looking bright as there are plans drawn up to salvage the situation.. "To fail to plan is to plan to fail..." So I hope the plans I drawn up I can stick to it, making it a convenant to God too, to honour Him with studies.

The desire to know God has never been so strong till now in life. Maybe it's as strong as the point I came to know about God. Its really exciting to see how God works, so ever faithfully, so ever wonderfully, and out of understanding.

I wonder if I can keep that heart of thanksgiving going towards God. Certainly hope I can..

ok gonna sleep!! (if not be late for lessons)
The Sinful woman and the Pharisee

The Sinful woman and the Pharisee

This account in the bible is from Luke 7:37-49.

When Simon, a Pharisee saw how a woman deemed as sinful in man's eyes poured perfume at Jesus' feet, wept and wiped them with her hair, what the Pharisee saw was someone who was unfit, unworthy of God. Back in the times of the bible, to be associated with "sinners" was deemed as unclean. It was not something a normal Israelite would do. Similarly, Simon the Pharisee in this passage thought the same Luke 7:39.

What Jesus saw was totally different. Here He saw a sinner who was repentant of her sins in front of the Lord. This speaks volume about our God who is merciful. In fact, all man is sinful, and for Simon the Pharisee to think that he is in a better position to judge the sinful woman was not what Jesus had in mind.

Yet, Jesus was patient and kind to point out the fault in Simon's mentality. In doing so, He let Simon judge for himself in the case given in Luke 7:41-42. And rightfully so, only until we see ourselves as sinful, we will not grow to love God more. Because of the fact the woman recognised she was a "greater sinner" in a sense, she knew that she needed forgiveness more.

Whereas for Simon, who would possibly have the self-righteous mindset probably would not see himself as sinful as the woman. Yet God does not look in terms of how man looks. He looks for so much deeper... a heart that seeks His own.

Perhaps here it is shown that even the Pharisees are in disbelief about what Jesus said in Luke 7:48, that your sins are forgiven. Because the Pharisees have always thought God is the only who who has the power to forgive peoples sins. Here they do not realise that Jesus is God Himself in flesh.

As I reflected upon the passage I felt sometimes we might be like Simon the Pharisee of this passage, that we look and compare our "sins" thinking we are better then others, but the truth is, just as much as other people are sinful and need God, we too are sinful as well and need God in our lives.