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It's tough to be a Christian in America. This doesn't for a moment mean that my convictions are any less firm. But it does mean that many of those positions are refined, less coarse, and more sensitive to the genuine thoughts and concerns of many who don't share the same convictions.
The AWARE case in Singapore brought to mind a familiar strand of Christian thought: "Where there is sin, we must fight a battle to eradicate it." Of course, the question of what sin means is very open ended. Even if one is biblically accurate in what he/she understands as sin, the word 'battle' leads to very potentially dangerous consequences. Any form of battle in the public square is potentially divisive, and history tells us that much blood has been spilt in 'god's name' whether it be Christian crusades, witch burning in America, Hindu extremism leading to the assassination of Gandhi and oppression of Indian muslims, and of course, 9/11.
But its all too familiar. Many religious people pride themselves so much with a religious cause they fail to see beyond their own view. This view, they often claim is correct and the only truth. Worst still, this view, as they interpret, leads them to spare no efforts in establishing it as a kingdom, a rule, a revolution.
I do not for one think the bible is false or relativist. As a bible believing Christian I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. I believe that the church is His bride, whom he will come for when He comes again. But the question is if much thinking or critical scrutiny has gone into our beliefs.
Sure, few people have the luxury of searching all historical texts and scriptures and first hand accounts to prove every facet of the faith. But there are entry-level texts citing firm evidence for the person and resurrection of Christ. There are also good books explaining the inerrancy of Holy Scriptures. While these secondary sources do not dictate our faith, they strengthen and refine it, and makes our faith more credible and less assuming in the public square.
Questioning is important and crucial. For when we don't, we often accept what we are told at face value. I suppose most people would agree that the aim of questioning is not to deconstruct everything but to find a meaningful worldview. Yet, this crucial bit in forming a holistic worldview (religious or otherwise) is very much lacking in the minds of the most zealous followers of any religion.
Part of this questioning is also exposing ourselves to different people from different cultures and background. When one does a genuine immersion to the different views, perspectives and worldviews others have, then one becomes less assuming of his view as being authoritative, but more quietly confident of his own position.
Take the issue of homosexuality for instance. For far too long, the church in America has demonized homosexuality. I must take a bold stand and affirm my belief that the bible argues that homosexuality is not God's design at all and is sin. My belief is firmly rooted in my faith and trust in Christ as my Lord. But believing that something is wrong and then demonizing the people who practice the act is a wholly different thing. And I do not feel ashamed of holding this view just as a non-Christian should not feel ashamed believing that humans are a result of evolution. A marketplace of ideas allows each man to be entitled to his own beliefs. None should triumph in bigotry over the other.
I once had a friend confess to me he loved going to church but struggled with the double life. Why so? Because in his re-discovery of his Christian faith, he still could not put down drink and cigarettes. I sighed in lament. While we may generally agree that smoking and drinking are unhealthy and ill-discipline triats for one who believes God has given us this physical body to care for, why does insitutional Christianity make a meal out of it more than other sins/wrongs?
Is smoking worst than gossip? Is drinking worst than the rude comment we make to a janitor when no one is looking? Is homosexuality worst than cheating on one's parking ticket by 5 minutes? Is shoplifting worst than taking office stationery? If every Christian came to church pasting a post-it pad on his body for every sin/wrong committed we would probably all don the same amount of yellow.
But, institutionalized Christian likes to focus on visible sins. Because institutionalized Christians have been brought up in the institution and find the social forces and norms compelling enough to avoid these visible sins for fear of shame, we then demonize them as worst and more derogatory than other 'smaller' sins. But the bible makes no distinction. James says when you break the law at one point you break them all. Yes, some sins/wrongs have consequences bigger than others - legal or otherwise. Sleeping around may hurt your spouse and break your family up and cause you sexually transmitted diseases. Compared with gossip which may ruin a friendship it seems objectively larger. But God never quantifies our sin merely in the weight of the consequence. To the pharisees who looked perfect in form, he chided them for neglecting the finer acts such as mercy and justice. And maybe, to the man who loves justice but is sexually promiscuous, Christ may tell him to 'go and sin no more'. Thus, all sin is sin, and no sin is greater and worst off.
Yet, very often, the way Christians act in the public square betrays our small-mindedness and our ability to demonize the other and turn the sin-spotlight from ourselves. When we publicize the more visible sins, ours are hidden by contrast. Why don't we first take the plank out of our eyes before looking at the speck in our brother's eye. It is not to ignore both but to check our own faults first. And when we do, we often check our brother's failing in genuine love and humility because we have seen our own.
So with the AWARE case, thought I'm not entirely sure of the facts and the genuine intent of the new exco, the secrecy and subtlety of the takeover surely leads to a suspicion that there is mistrust, lack of good faith, and maybe the same religious zeal which wants to 'battle against sin'.
Its disappointing. If you really do believe that your faith is the truth which people needs to hear, it is this same truth which instructs you to live in love. Love would mean humbling oneself to esteem others as better. This may also mean being willing to question your own views and not accept them parochially in a bid to show that you love your neighbour.
Ironically, it is often those with the most zeal, though definitely not all, who push others away from the very faith they profess to be salvation for the soul.
Please stop demonizing people. God loves them and made them in His image. They weren't made for you to use them as means for your religious ends. Kant himself would disagree with this blinded and parochial form of Christianity.
The AWARE case in Singapore brought to mind a familiar strand of Christian thought: "Where there is sin, we must fight a battle to eradicate it." Of course, the question of what sin means is very open ended. Even if one is biblically accurate in what he/she understands as sin, the word 'battle' leads to very potentially dangerous consequences. Any form of battle in the public square is potentially divisive, and history tells us that much blood has been spilt in 'god's name' whether it be Christian crusades, witch burning in America, Hindu extremism leading to the assassination of Gandhi and oppression of Indian muslims, and of course, 9/11.
But its all too familiar. Many religious people pride themselves so much with a religious cause they fail to see beyond their own view. This view, they often claim is correct and the only truth. Worst still, this view, as they interpret, leads them to spare no efforts in establishing it as a kingdom, a rule, a revolution.
I do not for one think the bible is false or relativist. As a bible believing Christian I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. I believe that the church is His bride, whom he will come for when He comes again. But the question is if much thinking or critical scrutiny has gone into our beliefs.
Sure, few people have the luxury of searching all historical texts and scriptures and first hand accounts to prove every facet of the faith. But there are entry-level texts citing firm evidence for the person and resurrection of Christ. There are also good books explaining the inerrancy of Holy Scriptures. While these secondary sources do not dictate our faith, they strengthen and refine it, and makes our faith more credible and less assuming in the public square.
Questioning is important and crucial. For when we don't, we often accept what we are told at face value. I suppose most people would agree that the aim of questioning is not to deconstruct everything but to find a meaningful worldview. Yet, this crucial bit in forming a holistic worldview (religious or otherwise) is very much lacking in the minds of the most zealous followers of any religion.
Part of this questioning is also exposing ourselves to different people from different cultures and background. When one does a genuine immersion to the different views, perspectives and worldviews others have, then one becomes less assuming of his view as being authoritative, but more quietly confident of his own position.
Take the issue of homosexuality for instance. For far too long, the church in America has demonized homosexuality. I must take a bold stand and affirm my belief that the bible argues that homosexuality is not God's design at all and is sin. My belief is firmly rooted in my faith and trust in Christ as my Lord. But believing that something is wrong and then demonizing the people who practice the act is a wholly different thing. And I do not feel ashamed of holding this view just as a non-Christian should not feel ashamed believing that humans are a result of evolution. A marketplace of ideas allows each man to be entitled to his own beliefs. None should triumph in bigotry over the other.
I once had a friend confess to me he loved going to church but struggled with the double life. Why so? Because in his re-discovery of his Christian faith, he still could not put down drink and cigarettes. I sighed in lament. While we may generally agree that smoking and drinking are unhealthy and ill-discipline triats for one who believes God has given us this physical body to care for, why does insitutional Christianity make a meal out of it more than other sins/wrongs?
Is smoking worst than gossip? Is drinking worst than the rude comment we make to a janitor when no one is looking? Is homosexuality worst than cheating on one's parking ticket by 5 minutes? Is shoplifting worst than taking office stationery? If every Christian came to church pasting a post-it pad on his body for every sin/wrong committed we would probably all don the same amount of yellow.
But, institutionalized Christian likes to focus on visible sins. Because institutionalized Christians have been brought up in the institution and find the social forces and norms compelling enough to avoid these visible sins for fear of shame, we then demonize them as worst and more derogatory than other 'smaller' sins. But the bible makes no distinction. James says when you break the law at one point you break them all. Yes, some sins/wrongs have consequences bigger than others - legal or otherwise. Sleeping around may hurt your spouse and break your family up and cause you sexually transmitted diseases. Compared with gossip which may ruin a friendship it seems objectively larger. But God never quantifies our sin merely in the weight of the consequence. To the pharisees who looked perfect in form, he chided them for neglecting the finer acts such as mercy and justice. And maybe, to the man who loves justice but is sexually promiscuous, Christ may tell him to 'go and sin no more'. Thus, all sin is sin, and no sin is greater and worst off.
Yet, very often, the way Christians act in the public square betrays our small-mindedness and our ability to demonize the other and turn the sin-spotlight from ourselves. When we publicize the more visible sins, ours are hidden by contrast. Why don't we first take the plank out of our eyes before looking at the speck in our brother's eye. It is not to ignore both but to check our own faults first. And when we do, we often check our brother's failing in genuine love and humility because we have seen our own.
So with the AWARE case, thought I'm not entirely sure of the facts and the genuine intent of the new exco, the secrecy and subtlety of the takeover surely leads to a suspicion that there is mistrust, lack of good faith, and maybe the same religious zeal which wants to 'battle against sin'.
Its disappointing. If you really do believe that your faith is the truth which people needs to hear, it is this same truth which instructs you to live in love. Love would mean humbling oneself to esteem others as better. This may also mean being willing to question your own views and not accept them parochially in a bid to show that you love your neighbour.
Ironically, it is often those with the most zeal, though definitely not all, who push others away from the very faith they profess to be salvation for the soul.
Please stop demonizing people. God loves them and made them in His image. They weren't made for you to use them as means for your religious ends. Kant himself would disagree with this blinded and parochial form of Christianity.
