On religion

Alright so since this is the holiday's I've decided to blog more often. But you won't see boring meaningless accounts of the events in my life, instead I thought I'd just jot down some of the ideas I've had the past few months, as coherently as possible.

How do you talk about religion without getting bullets in your head? Be pious and bible quoting, people may say you are bigoted and brainwashed. Be very frank about some issues and take a secular approach, and some brother and sister out there will say that you have turned to the devil. I've opted to be holistic. True faith is not just a compartment of life, it will affect the whole being, but it should not be exclusive and incomprehensible.

I've been thinking that it is a bad time to be a Christian in Singapore, though the irony is that Christians did dig themselves into a hole in the first place. The Christian gospel, which convicts man of sin and whose moral standards could sometimes be counter-culture, is not easily acceptable by itself. However, I think the roots of our troubles started with decades of fervent evangelism efforts, perceived as insensitive, and also some ill-will between the new converts and their families. For instance, the born again do not worship ancestors or participate in funeral rites, although Asian cultures champion filial piety.

In recent years, rotten fruit did grow out of the tree. Maybe Father Kang's imprisonment was a warning siren that no one heard. Yet in my opinion, the past twelve months have been nothing short of threatening to the church's survival, yet not unwarranted. It all started with the AWARE saga whereby we saw an ugly case of power play, even though the Bible forbids factionism. Eyebrows were raised when the megachurches built mega-complexes in the midst of the financial crisis when people struggled to find jobs. Fists were shaken when Singaporeans saw videos of Pastor Rony Tan criticising Buddhism.

Today as I write, there is a new development- Pastor Kong Hee of City Harvest has been in the spotlight for allegations of misappropriation.

What to make of this? To be frank, I think it takes inner insecurity to cry out that the devil is at work and that church has been persecuted. In my opinion, persecution means being eaten by lions and burnt alive, which was what happened in the first few centuries of the church. Fast forward to modern Singapore, I have to say that the government has been really nice to Christians. For instance, they kindly let City Harvest complete their Asia Conference 2010 before inviting their chief pastor to tea. Pastor Rony Tan, to date, does not sit in a jail cell even though the notoriously...strict ISD approached him. As of now, most Christians still worship in large airconditioned halls or sanctuaries.

In all frankness I'd like to point out that the mouths that cry "persecution" did not have the eyes to see how some Christians did indeed hurt others through word and action. Actually, in the first place, a gospel that labels man as sinners will indeed hurt! Following Jesus, placing Him above all other treasured possessions and people in life, will definitely hurt very badly! But in that previous sentence, when I said hurt, I meant it in the context of being overly judgemental and critical, without seeking first to understand. Sometimes, it is a matter of tact. What happened to being wise as serpents but harmless as doves?

But enough about these social issues for now. Having raised the finger of accusation, I myself must give an account of faith in my life. But I warn you it will be clumsy, for I don't think I have found the way.

The true measure of faith is in how a person is changed from it. I can say that I have changed- Whereas in the past, it was all about myself and my dreams, now I realise that I am but a steward. I realised the need to be more responsible with my possessions, in my relationships, but most importantly with my life because existence and consciousness are gifts from God. Nevertheless, it's true that I lapse.

As I read about the gospel that highlights man's weakness, I learn about MY own weakness and am humbled. Some philosophies trumpet the greatness of man and how he has journeyed from the sea and trees and the caves to the great skyscrapers of today. The gospel brings us back down to earth when it reminds its readers that mankind is innately sinful. Living in a first world country, it is easy to harp about how man has crafted great buildings, wide roads and fine art. Yet, when we read about the vile actions of man, we remember the Original Sin. We remember the Original Sin when we read about the sweatshops of Vietnam, about Abu Ghraib, about how priests have sexually abused children and covered up for each other. Yes, we are capable of that. I have chosen to adopt the gospel's viewpoint.

What of my own weaknesses? I have seen anger and lust. Ignoring the gospel, I can say they give me a certain kind of strength and power. But sometimes, maybe through faith, I've tried to resist them. Nevertheless, it is not easy to resist the thrill of exacting vengeance on somebody who pissed you off, or the thought of warm flesh between your arms. Why force yourself to reverse your viewpoint of things which you think are natural, even good?

Ok I don't know if I've said too much but I never wanted this blog to put me on a pedestal. You know, the kind where you talk about the wonderful things you did every day and how successful you are. And make people swoon about you. Authenticity to me is very important. And, I just had the idea that if I were to be more open about my struggles, they would be better solved not least because some kind souls out there will pray for me.

More importantly, I don't want to hide the fact that faith does play a very important role in my life, although amidst my vulgarities and my gossiping, friends may not see it. A critical part in the journey of faith, I believe, is struggle, and there is no point deceiving people with rosy depictions, random bible quotations or cryptic religious words that the unbeliever cannot differentiate from the Morse code.

And so that's about it. Been a long time since I wrote anything meaningful about faith. On an end note, maybe you can enjoy this video. Members of VCF, be happy that I did not say things like that as your treasurer, although I think it would be hilarious fun.

And enjoy this link, written amid Kong Hee's admission into custody. http://www.konghee.com/www/2010/06/rebuke-the-devourer/

Have a good night all.