inter alia

on forgiveness

2009-11-18T14:45:00.007Z

I remember that not too long ago i spoke with a girl during an Easter event in London on forgiveness. After the Easter play ended, she told me during our conversation that she did not want to be forgiven for anything. She was guilty, she said, of all that she had done. Why then should someone else pay the price for her, least of all, the Son of God? But what else could she do? Forgive herself? This girl was struggling for forgiveness but at the same time could not find it.

Similar scenes have played out in the months since. Forgiveness is a repetitive theme that makes appearances over coffee. People struggle. I struggle. I think that forgiveness is one of the most important issues facing the world today. One just has to look to Gaza to see an example of unforgiveness that has stretched for over 5,000 years. Closer to home and to my heart, i look around me and i see people crying out for forgiveness and wishing they could forgive. Hatred, envy, jealousy, malice, hurt, pain and evil all can sprout from this one thing called unforgiveness.

We know the problem. But i wonder if we know the solution. I always believe that the love of God is the answer for everything. No man-made philosophy or construct will do. I can do no better than paraphrase the words of Ravi Zacharias. He states that there are four absolutes in this world: evil, justice, love and forgiveness.

Evil because we all struggle for answers to the suffering and pain we see in this world. Justice because we want to see justice done and we instinctively revolt against injustice. Love because each of us desires to love and be loved in return. Forgiveness because we all know we have done wrongs in our lives and we hunger for forgiveness.

These four absolutes converge at only one place in human history: the Cross of Christ. Evil because the sin of the world was heaped upon Jesus. Justice because God saw it fit and just that his Son should bear the price of sin. Love expressed in the love of God the Father who sent his Son. Forgiveness bought by the blood of Christ.

No one else has done it. No one else can do it. Christ promises a demanding call to faith, a gift of salvation, complete forgiveness, and ultimately incomparable hope of eternity to come.

unity in diversity: university

2009-09-24T13:56:00.003+01:00

Okay. So many notes have been posted, tears shed and emotions stoked in the past few days after Law IV ended. I must confess that I never expected to feel sad after the curtain call on Sunday. But almost immediately after I said “have a great evening, and good night”, I somehow felt more than a tinge of emotion at that point of time.

The mood was euphoric, people were cheering on stage and the VIP was about to make his appearance backstage. But in the midst of all the cheering, I knew that this was the end of a long journey that the Law IV crew had undertaken. It was then that the realisation hit me that Law IV made all 4 years of Law School worthwhile. Never mind the lack of studying, never mind the loads of work piling up in front of me. Law School has been the best time of my educational life and Law IV is the crux of it.

As with all the other exchange folk, I was not able to get a stage role. But I was rather glad that I could take up the role of Sound i/c together with Ben Smith. I’ve been doing sound for quite some time for Church and I thought I’d really enjoy doing it for something different. The process itself was enjoyable: running to and fro Luthermusic hammering out our sound requirements, being told by Shawn Poon 1 day before I finalised the equipment that he needed two more microphones for the violin and flute and the list goes on. But that was just the beginning.

I’d began going for rehearsals just to watch though I had nothing to do. It was fun, just to do something different – to be with friends and just sit around using Law IV as an excuse not to do work. But the real awesome part began when we did the full dress rehearsals. The microphones made all the difference in the world. For the first time, I sat at the back with the sound crew and marvelled at the wonderful performance.

I still remember the first time I sat at the back with Luther, Hairul and Palin. Now I have known Luther for a great many years and I know his love for music and his experience in doing sound for theatre. Needless to say, I was a little afraid of what Luther would say. But as the performance began, I had little to fear. I observed the expressions of the sound crew which changed from stoicism to wide-eyed amazement to uproarious laughter.

I marvelled with Luther when he called the Les Escargot scene “World Class” because it “puts many ang moh choreographers to shame” and when he came up to me after hearing the interworld duet, saying: “Oh my God. That Shawn Poon is an animal. The chords he uses are beautiful.” More sound crew members came and went, people most of you perhaps would not know – Henry, Latiff, Shafiq and Linus. Henry and Latiff both told me that our musical was fantastic, amongst the most enjoyable they had seen. Questions that I had asked included: “who trained all of you?” and “did you have any outside help?” All these are testament to the beauty of what World’s Apart was.

This I’ve told to a few people who looked at me sceptically, but I stand by it: I paid $180 for a Class A ticket at the Esplanade to watch West Side Story. West Side Story was crap. World’s Apart is more deserving of $180. Nothing has changed.

At times I do wish that I was performing. I do enjoy music and the arts and theatre. But looking at the splendid performances that all of you put up, I am more than happy to stand aside because I could not have done a better job.

To the stage crew, accolades for you come first because I know the integral but underappreciated role that you guys play in any production. You were fantastic. From the first time I watched during which the set changes took super long, the set changes during the actual performances itself were flawless. It seems like the beer on the catwalk did the job.

To Joanna: I love your voice the most. Soothing, consistent, confident, it takes on a quality and life of its own. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I am glad Luther made you that offer. Do consider it carefully. Raffli and Hannah: You two played your parts beautifully. You fit your cast roles like a hand in glove. JQ: you were the jester of the cast, ever funny and engaging. The audience loved you. SEKSY was great as well. I remember singing along loudly and disturbing people around me during Treble Cliff.

Here are some of my accolades. As I was not really involved in the running of the musical, do pardon me for somewhat less substantial words than what others have written.

Christine: you are talented. The first time I shot photos for the tech run, I couldn’t concentrate during Les Escargots because I was torn between shooting photos and watching the stunning moves.

The Dancers: what a wonderful performance. I stand awed by your abilities. Not least because I think I have two left feet.

The Directors: I’m glad to have gotten to know you much better during Law IV, something that I perhaps would not otherwise have done. It is certainly my gain to know such a talented and dedicated bunch of people.

Jason, Gabriel and Melanie: May I just add that your vocal coaching paid off handsomely in the end. The performers’ diction was excellent. Sometimes I struggle to catch what performers are singing but I had no problems with this one.

Shawn Poon: I’ve always told you that if I were the Dean of Law School, I’d expel you and force you into Yong Siew Toh. That aspiration of mine has not changed one bit. You are talented as you are quirky. Your brilliance has set such a high mark for our juniors to emulate that though I hope they can do so, I remain doubtful that they can succeed.

The Band: thanks for putting up with my hollering and nagging at you during sound checks. But in the end, I thought your playing was excellent. The balance was there and the flute and violin especially added great dimension to the music.

Jon Kao: Wow. What can I say? You stayed up there all by yourself for countless days. It takes great character to be able to do that. Your execution of the lighting for the performance was admirable. Your dedication to fixing the lights by climbing up the ladder was very impressive.

Costumes and Make up team: I love how colourful our production was. It was a really good change from the rather two-dimensional costumes that previous Law IV productions had.

And finally, Melanie, thank you for being a great co-emcee. I had fun coming up with those last minute corny jokes backstage. I enjoyed making a fool of myself and i thank you for putting up with my nonsense.

I had a great time during the whole course of Law IV. I have never had so much fun before (with the exception of cleaning up after the drunkards on the last night :p). Throughout the course of the rehearsals, I remember telling quite a few people that the tech runs were brilliant and that I loved it. Again, I was met with sceptical looks then. But I said all those words with utmost sincerity. But brilliant as the tech runs were, the actual day performances were even better.

I thank God for this chance to be involved, even though it was in a small way. I thank God for the friendships we’ve made and the fun we’ve had.

Superlatives can be thrown about easily. But they fade and lose their meaning over time. But I hope that what friendships we’ve taken away from this we will cherish. The working world is going to be tough. But if ever there is a bright spark that brings smiles to our faces, Law IV is it.

Gwee Li Sui's notes: to praise or not to praise?

2009-05-02T23:16:00.005+01:00

Sure, i've seen the notes that Gwee Li Sui has written on the Aware saga. He made it to the Straits Times even with his note entitled "Christians against Aware Takeover." They are all over facebook pages of many people i know. More than 600 people 'like' the note and it has gathered an equal amount of responses to it.

In case you do not know what i'm referring to, click here for his first note and here for his follow up.

I've had a few days to ponder over it. More than a few people have also directed me to the note with enthusiasm. I wonder: was it wise for him to write the note the way he did.

Now i wish to make it clear that i question his notes not for the sake of attacking Gwee's person but because i believe no view should go unchallenged. Gwee's notes are no exception. Just like Gwee, i want to make it clear that i have been a Bible believing Christian for a good many years as well. I share the same faith as Gwee does and i am sure the same hope for a good resolution to this saga. At the same time, I wish to offer a counterperspective here, that perhaps people have been too quick to praise Gwee for the notes he has written.

I think i am at a stage where i have little hesitation in saying that Gwee should have written the notes in a more reconciliatory way. I found the message of the first note very polarising, all the more so when Gwee makes the charges that some Christians feel that "their faith has been hijacked and their views ignored."He further asserts that "an appropriate Christian response is to resist the actions of these Christians."

To his credit, Gwee acknowledges in his second note that "healso received less appreciative messages" some of which "charged [him] with having sown discord and embarrassed Christianity in front of non-believers." He then rhetorically questions if he made "one too many assumptions."

Amongst other points in Gwee's notes that i take issue with, there are two issues in particular that jump out at me and cause me great discomfort. Both issues are in reference to his first note.

1) Christians have already been divided on this issue. Some are in support of Josie Lau's ex-co, and some vehemently against it. Indeed something must be done to address this polarising of views within the Christian community in Singapore, but the message in my opinion should be one of unity rather than division. It is to me unacceptable to argue that "an appropriate Christian response is to resist the actions of these Christians."

Should that really be the appropriate Christian response? I do not want to go into deep theological discourse here, but i think this very assertion itself should be worthy of a healthy dose of scepticism. Let us not forget that the Church is a body of Christ. When one part suffers, the whole body suffers along with it. We are told that when someone strays away from the truth, we are to bring him back. Christ tells a few parables also on how he refuses to forget about even one sheep that is lost. Throughout the Bible, the message is one of reconciliation, unity and love.

It therefore puzzles and saddens me to see Gwee write such a statement. To be fair, he does not qualify what it means to "resist the actions." He could very well mean a mere passive non-supporting of Josie Lau's ex-co (which at the time of writing has been dissolved). But that certainly is not clear in his note. Merriam-Webster defines resist as "to exert force in opposition." It seems to imply something more than a passive standing aside. I do not seek to speculate on what Gwee could have meant nor do i want to read different meanings into his writings. But my point is simple: by calling for resistance without qualification of what that resistance entails could cause confusion and indeed further division.

We could see Christians distancing themselves from Josie Lau et al. Or perhaps Christians will now start to see the Church of Our Saviour as being rather unorthodox in their beliefs. I see no overarching concept of unity being promoted here. I see rather, potential for causing division amongst Christians, especially since Gwee's notes have been read by so many.

2) Secondly, i think Gwee engages in language that is very sweeping and overtly rhetorical. He states in his list of implications that if we support Josie Lau et al, we effectively "condone its quasi-corporate act of infiltration, with related strategies of secrecy, disinformation, moral coercion, and fear-mongering."

Now surely whilst there is a grain of truth in this statement, it is rather over-the-top. Notably, the term "infiltration" according to merriam-webster connotes a gradual entering and not a quick takeover as was what happened. It also has the implication that the organisation being "infiltrated" did not know of the inflitration. However, it was quite clear that in the run up the the AGM, AWARE did have a record of those who joined - they just did not pay attention. Is this really infiltration? Further, i question what "moral coercion" and "fear-mongering" were committed. now these are really strong terms to use. There was persuasion, argument, but was there "coercion" in the sense that people were really compelled to act against their will? Regarding "fear-mongering", i question which act in particular Gwee is referring to.

Gwee is also keen to use the slippery slope argument. He asks rhetorically " What is to stop any religious or ideological group from doing the same to any social institution at every level? In the long run, who do you think loses?"

I think there is a simple answer to this: a properly drafted constitution of the organisation. Assuming Josie lau et al had not been defeated in the EGM, it would have been a good lesson for all out there to pay attention to how their constitutions are drafted. Where there are inadequacies, they should be fixed; where there are uncertainties, legal advice can and should be sought.

And finally, but certainly not least, his second last paragraph is startling: "Support the new ex-co, and, if they stay and behave as predicted, you will be directly responsible for undoing the trust that many Christians have taken years to build with their non-Christian friends. This is a trust built on mutual respect. You will have made the Gospel of Christ more difficult to hear for years to come because people will think that they know what it is about. You will have created a new generation of Christ-haters."

I think this statement is premised on too many assumptions, assumptions that are not necessarily true. The first assumption is that the "trust (which is built on mutual respect) that many Christians have taken years to build with their non-Christian friends" is a trust that is easily broken. I would like to think that friendships are a little hardier than that. I can support (but i do not) in principle what Josie Lau et al were doing, but certainly there is space for opposing views within friendships.

The second assumption is that Josie Lau et al's views equate to the Gospel of Christ or that people are likely to equate that with the Gospel. that again, whilst plausible, is questionable. I fail to see how people in "years to come" are likely to be so influenced by this one event.

Finally, i object in the strongest possible terms to assert that "You will have created a new generation of Christ-haters." I cannot see how this can be substantiated in any way.

Concluding, I acknowledge one's right to freedom of speech and therefore am not saying that Gwee should not have published his note. He had every right to do so and i will not criticise its publication. But i think he should have preached a message of unity and not one of division that i saw his note to stand for. Whilst we do not agree with what Josie Lau et al did, we should in no way distance ourselves from them - we all belong to the same body.

One qualification: perhaps I have interpreted Gwee's message wrongly in which case i apologise unreservedly. Also, you will notice i engaged in some word interpretation here. I do this not for the mere purpose of engaging in semantics, but because i want to encourage the responsible use of speech. The wrong use of certain terms can indeed convey a wrong message and i would loathe to see Gwee being taken to task for alleged defamation.

CTLS End-of-Semester River Cruise and Dinner - Spring 2009

2009-04-24T23:55:00.004+01:00

And so today, CTLS came to an official close. What was different this time around as compared to last semester was that we had a great river cruise. I found it quite amusing - i had been to London two times previously and i'd never done a cruise on the Thames, something that is rather touristy.

It was a great ride, the weather was awesome and the company no less fantastic. Cruise pictures are here and the dinner photos will follow once i'm done editing them (they're harder because of white balance issues -.-)

#1 - We assembled at Festival Pier from which we were to board the cruise ship

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#2 - Bryan, Virginie and Duncan

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#3 - Niccolo, Bruno, Guido, Fabricio, Giancarlo (everyone's name ends with an 'O' !)

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#4 - Mohan, Fabricio, Alejandro, Qiyang

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#5 - Here, on the boat, Caterina and Virginie

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#6 - Iva, Guido, Niccolo, Rebecca

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#7 - Clarisse, Michelle, Ella, Michelle, Iva

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#8 - Ari, Isabel, Hannah

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#9 - Patrick, Alejandro, Bryan

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#10 - Clarisse, Myself, Ella

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#11

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#12 - Michelle and Iva

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#13

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#14 - photo with tower bridge behind!

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#15 - the loving couple. Michael and Iva (:

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#16 - with the noisy Singaporeans..

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#17

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#18

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#19 - David Cole, Scott Foster, Stephen Waddams, Gary Bell

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#20 - Alison Duxbury and.... (oops don't know his name)

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#21 - Caterina and Maria

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#22 - Group shot!

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#23

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#24

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#25

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#26

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#27

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#28

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#29

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#30 - Lisa, Scott and Valerie

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#31

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#32 - with Prof Waddams!

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#33 - and desiree...

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#34

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#35 - Ian and Desiree

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#36

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#37

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

#38

From CTLS End-of Semester River Cruise and Dinner - 24 April 2009

Letter criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article

2009-04-19T22:02:00.008+01:00

Kudos to Zheng Xi for agreeing to publish this letter of mine on TOC. It is admirable of him to take pains to give opposing views an outlet to be heard. Also, take a look at the comments page on the TOC website - just scroll down. I've realised that there is a present sentiment against what is perceived to be "homophobic" and "fundamentalist" Christianity. This is no less a call for Christians to wake up to the changing society around us to respond to such claims with truth and love. I've also come to an increasing realisation of how apology and theology should not be divorced. Both can stand alone. But it is only when both are coupled that a powerful apologetic can come forth.

Letter criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article

Sunday, 19 April 2009, 11:15 pm | 321 views

Dear Sir,

I refer to the report: “TOC Report: 150 call for vote of no confidence” by Choo Zheng Xi.

I write this letter in response to two objections I have about what the author of the article wrote. :

1) Christian Fundamentalism

Firstly, I object to the pigeonholing of AWARE ex-co members as “Christian Fundamentalists”, a term which the author employs in his article. After quoting a statement by Angela Thiang about her stance against homosexuals, Mr Choo then makes the logical leap (and a huge one that is) in the very next line to conclude that AWARE is now run by a group of “Christian Fundamentalists.”

I take issue with making this huge leap because (i) nowhere in the article is there suggestion or evidence that the ex-co is now Christian fundamentalist, (ii) an anti-homosexual stance does not equate to Christian fundamentalism.

True, Jenice Chua and Angela Thiang had both previously attracted attention for their anti-homosexual stance. But is that evidence of Christian fundamentalism? Is that a good ground for labelling them as such? How is the Author sure that they are Christians in the first place? And even if they are Christians, why must they be pigeonholed as being “fundamentalist” as opposed to “misguided” or “uninformed Christians” or “Christians who may not be totally familiar with Christ’s teachings as a whole.”

Attaching the “fundamentalist” label on them just results in tarring public perception of their reputation because “fundamentalist” as a term carries with it a negative connotation. A glance through some of the comments on TOC using the search function to look for the term “fundamentalist” would perhaps make this point of mine much clearer.

Mr Choo needs to be more aware of the implications of using certain terms before using them loosely as he has done.

2) Christianity and Regressiveness

The second grouse I have is Mr Choo’s quoting of the Glass Castle Magazine’s editor, Jolene, whose view is that Christian fundamentalism leads to effects that are “regressive to women’s rights.”

Firstly, I think that there must be more justification on Mr Choo’s part first to show why Christian fundamentalism leads to a regression in terms of women’s rights. Simply putting a quote there will not do. Again, we see here a large logical leap that it unjustified. It seems as though the Author has made the erroneous assumption that Christianity is against women having rights or worse, that Christianity leads to a diminution of women’s rights – both of these are untrue.

Many questions follow from his quoting of Jolene’s views:

- What is the Christian stance on women’s rights?

- Does it in the first place negatively affect women’s rights or does it promote women’s rights?

- Is Mr Choo even aware of how Christianity views the issue of women’s rights? If he does not, is he therefore justified in making such an equation between Christianity and regression of women’s rights?

One perspective that I hope Mr Choo will consider is that Christianity holds women in high regard. The Bible affirms that women are equally valued, equally treated and share the same divine image of men. Husbands are to love and honour their wives just as they love themselves. Let it also not be forgotten that the Biblical accounts of Christ’s resurrection sees women as the first ones at the empty tomb.

From this and from other articles on the TOC website, it seems to me that TOC is trying to side with the old committee of AWARE. Based on what Mr Choo wrote and based on the lack of evidence, it seems very contrived for him to try and link the new committee to anti-homosexual and “Christian fundamentalist” stances, both of which are deeply dividing terminologies.

Concluding, I wish to urge against the use of such divisive labels such as “fundamentalist” as it is unhelpful in promoting civil discourse. Even if one believes bona fide that someone is a “fundamentalist,” perhaps there are other less offensive terms that can and should be used.

Yours Sincerely,

Tang Shang Jun

—–

Editor’s note:

TOC apologizes for any offence caused by the terminology employed in the article in question and highlights that it was not our intention to criticize the Christian community as a whole.

Susan Boyle: Nothing less than a middle finger in the face of convention

2009-04-19T15:04:00.002+01:00

You must have been living under a rock if you do not by now know who Susan Boyle is. And if you do not, please enlighten yourself by clicking here.

So Boyle has been watched by more than 26m viewers worldwide since her storm of a performance on Britain's Got Talent. Let's weigh up the facts about Boyle: she is 47 years old, a Church volunteer, never been kissed, far from being slim and svelte, has hair that probably has never been professionally done, and dressed well, like a 47 year old would be when she appeared on TV.

When she was asked who she would like to be as famous as, her reply was "Elaine Page." Simon Cowell, cynic as he was smirked cynically. He couldn't believe this old woman could dare to give such an audacious answer. The crowd too burst out in laughter when they heard her reply. no one would believe that such a lady would ever be famous. After all, she did not fit in the stereotype of what a star would be did she?

"I Dreamed a Dream" was her song choice. What a choice! Of all the easier songs out there, she had to choose a song from the longest running musical in the world that requires much skill to pull off. But when she started singing, no one was laughing anymore. Sure, her voice was not as smooth or as professional sounding as any Les Miserable stage performer. She sounded far from being Patti LuPone or what you get on the Les Miserable soundtrack. But what one cannot take away from her is that she stole the heart of the audience. By the end of the performance, the audience was on its feet, two judges were up and applauding as well.

Her performance was nothing short of a middle finger in the face of convention of stereotypes. That this 47 year old lady could pull off such a feat was no small achievement. It was nothing less than a testament to the power of human dreams, the fairytale of an unknown to a superstar story, a testament to her late mother and a slap in the face to remind us that success should not be predestined by the exterior appearances of one.

Susan Boyle, i hope you win this competition

Don't be unAWARE

2009-04-17T16:08:00.002+01:00

Zheng Xi has written a piece for The Online Citizen in which he highlights the fact that 150 people have called for an Extraordinary General Meeting in AWARE. The problem: a group of relative unknowns has somehow taken over the reins at AWARE. That's not my bone with this article of his. My main objections are that Zheng Xi is wrong about two specific issues:

1) Christian Fundamentalism

First off, i object to the pigeonholing that Zheng Xi employs in his article. After quoting a statement by Angela Thiang about her stance against homosexuals, Zheng Xi then makes the logical leap (and a huge one that is) in the very next line to concluding that AWARE is now run by a group of "Christian Fundamentalists."

I take issue with making this huge leap because (i) nowhere in the article is there suggestion or evidence that the ex-co is now Christian fundamentalist, (ii) an anti-homosexual stance does not equate to Christian fundamentalism.

True, Jenice Chua and Angela Thiang had both previously attracted attention for their anti-homosexual stance. But is that evidence of Christian fundamentalism? Is that a good ground for labelling them as such? How is Zheng Xi sure that they are Christians in the first place. And even if they are Christians, why must they be pigeonholed as being "fundamentalist" as opposed to "misguided" or "uninformed Christians" or "Christians who may not be totally familiar with Christ's teachings as a whole."

Attaching the "fundamentalist" label on them just results in tarring public perception on their images because "fundamentalist" as a term carries with it a negative connotation.

Zheng Xi needs to be more aware of the implications of using certain terms before using them loosely as he has done.

2) Christianity and Regressiveness

The second grouse i have is Zheng Xi's quoting of the Glass Castle Magazine's editor, Jolene's view that Christian fundamentalism leads to effects that are "regressive to women’s rights."

Firstly, i think that there must be more justification on Zheng Xi's part first to show why Christian fundamentalism leads to a regression in terms of women's rights. simply putting a quote there will not do. It seems as though Zheng Xi has made the errorneous assumption that Christianity is against women having rights or worse, that Christianity leads to a diminution of women's rights.

Many questions follow from his quoting of Jolene's views:
- What is the Christian stance on women's rights?
- Does it in the first place negatively affect women's rights or does it promote women's rights?
- Is Zheng Xi even aware of how Christianity views the issue of women's rights? If he does not, is he therefore justified in making such an equation between Christianity and regression of women's rights?

3) What is the TOC up to?

I must conclude.

What is the TOC up to? From this article, it seems to me that TOC is trying very hard to side with the old committee of AWARE. It seems very contrived and forced for Zheng Xi to constantly try and link the new committee to anti-homosexual and "christian fundamentalist" stances, both of which cause deeply dividing and polarising views.

It is arguable that the TOC was never meant to be objective in the first place,. However, it is questionable whether the antithesis of objectivity is biasness, as i perceive the TOC to be now, as compared to merely providing a source of alternative news.

Happy Easter, but first....

2009-04-06T20:56:00.003+01:00

Easter dawns. And a flurry of activity begins again as people prepare to buy gifts, make Easter eggs and bunnies, and for most, to enjoy a long weekend and a good rest. “Happy Easter!” You wish each other as you go around. Or “here’s an Easter gift for you. God bless!”

Recently an email went around my schoolmates. It was started by a friend of mine asking if we should contribute money to buy Easter gifts for our program directors. One of the replies to the email was particularly poignant. It read: “Cool, I'm up for it. 50 pounds should be plenty enough. Not sure how Easter is supposed to work though, so I'll be happy to follow anyone's lead.”

I was amused, and yet saddened that people who buy gifts for each other do not know “how Easter is supposed to work.” What is Easter supposed to do in the first place? Is it supposed to do anything at all?

Easter is about the death and resurrection of Christ. More specifically, Good Friday is about the death of Christ and Easter Sunday about Christ’s resurrection. From my conversations with friends who are either agnostic, atheist, or belong to another religion, I have realised that many of them do not know the basic tenets of Christianity but yet have no qualms about denying it. I wonder, how does one deny what he does not know?

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. God shaped the world like clay in a potter’s hand, lovingly creating every nook and cranny of the universe. Man and Woman were created. Our destiny, Man’s destiny was and is perfection. Man walked openly in the garden of Eden with God.

But the serpent tempted Eve and she ate the fruit from the tree that she was not supposed to eat from. She gave some to Adam as well. At this point, sin entered the world. Man wanted to live life his own way, and not by God’s way. We ignore God and tell him to stay in His corner of the world. We rebel against Him. This rebellion is what the Bible calls “sin.”

God is a perfect God and cannot stand sin. Because we have gone our own way, God essentially allows us to do so. We are therefore separated from God unless something or someone else comes along the way. God stands against us in his wrath and judgment.

But because of His love, God did not leave us to wallow and die. He had a plan to save us. It is poignant that whilst the fall of man was recorded in Genesis 2, the prophecy for a Saviour King was made just a few lines later in Genesis 3, where it was foretold that Christ would come to save us. From the time of the Israelites, the priests had to constantly sacrifice lambs for the sins of the people. But lambs would never be enough as they are essentially different from humans. How can a lamb ever pay for the sins of humans? It can – if the lamb was the perfect sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ Himself. Christ had to come as a man because it was then that He could experience everything that we experience, every temptation we face, every desire we had. And yet, though He was tempted, He had no sin and was crucified for us.

God accepted Christ’s death as full payment for our sins. We can make a fresh start no matter where in life we are or how horrible we are before. For Christians are not Christians because they are perfect, but because they recognise that they are wicked and evil and are in need of a Saviour.

Where does this leave us? It leaves us with a choice of two ways to live. Option 1 is to continue living as we are in denial of God. In doing so we condemn ourselves to eternal separation from God without love and without life. The second option is to accept Christ as our Saviour. God will completely accept us as we are made right before God.

I can do no more than quote from the brilliant words of C.S Lewis, himself an ardent atheist turned Christian:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Jesus Christ came not to make bad people good: He came to make dead people live. My prayer for you this Easter is that you will be just like Lewis. You may have struggled and militated against Christianity all your life, denied God and cursed Him, but at the end of it all you still find yourself pondering what your life is lived for. Lewis struggled for a good many years like this. But in the end, he gave in and admitted that God was God. I pray you will too.

Easter is not about eggs, or gifts or toys or even a good reason for a weekend trip away! It’s about the death and resurrection of Jesus. For this reason, I gave no reply to the email. Let us remember the true meaning of Easter this year and for years to come. May you consider Christ in your heart. Happy Easter.

100 frames of Spain and Portugal - 6 to 16 March 2009

2009-03-25T22:07:00.003Z

Sorry for the late posting of pictures. I've been rather busy lately with my papers. Anyway, we had a great time in Portugal and Spain. Porto and Lisbon were really pretty, both of which had UNESCO World Heritage Sites in its territory.

Porto

#1 - The World's Oldest Bookstore

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#4 - walking around to some gardens

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#6 - and of course, we went to visit Port producers by the river

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#8 - we had Port tasting after the tour. Port is so sweet that i couldn't imagine drinking more than one glass

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#10 - Jolin, who has a low alcohol tolerance, got kinda drunk

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#11 - at breakfast the next morning. we stayed at a hostel that was ranked #3 in the world in 2008!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#12 - along the streets of Porto

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#13

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#14

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#15 - Qiyang and Kim eating Portugese Egg Tarts. Most of the egg tarts we tried were not very nice. mostly cold and hard

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#16 - this is the Francesinha, kind of like a signature portugese dish that is topped with a salt-laden sauce.

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#17 - taken by the cathedral

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#18

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#19 - view of the River, the UNESCO World Heritage River Bank

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#20

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#21 - this is perhaps my favourite shot this trip

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#22 - we found this on the sand

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#23 - at night, we went to have typical portugese food: Grilled anything. Grilled Squid, Fish, Chicken etc. But in this case, we had grilled seafood which was salty, but excellent otherwise. probably the best meal on our trip

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#24 - here you see the typical Portugese rooftops. They are all built in such a way that you can walk across the city on the rooftops of houses!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#25 - this was at the castle that we visited

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#26 - along the castle walls

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

Lisbon

#27 - at Lisbon, we went to Belem, another World Heritage site

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#28 - who's that guy on the floor?

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#29

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#30 - this is a famous monument supposed to commemorate the founder...who is....i can't remember. oh well

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#31 - and again, the blue-shirt makes an appearance

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#32 - Random lighthouse

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#33 - A Cafe! right in the middle of nowhere!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#34 - We then proceeded from Belem to Cascais, which is another World Heritage Site. This is just a view from a bridge over which we crossed

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#35 - that will be my house...when i make partner :p

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#36 - This is the world heritage site called Hell's Mouth. Here we see people fishing

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#37 - and it was really really hot...

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#38

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#39 - blue shirt again! in the most dangerous places.

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#40

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#41 - it's another day and this time, we go to Sintra, another World Heritage Site. This is at the gardens, the name of which has eluded me. that's kim dying of heat exhaustion

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#42

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#43

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#44

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#45 - this is the Palacio de la Pena

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#46

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#47

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#48 - just a random shot i thought would be fun to do

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#49 - waiting for the bus and kim is...playing with my camera

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#50

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

Madrid

#51 - we only had one day in Madrid, perhaps just as well because Madrid isn't the most exciting of cities. We first went to the Park. Another one of my favourites

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#52 - and then we found a mini lake in which we went to rent a row boat!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#53 - Mo, Kim and myself were on one boat

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#54 - Kim up to her antics again

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#55

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#56 - and again...

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#57

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#58

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#59

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#60

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#61

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#62

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#63

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#64

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#65 - Mo, basking in the sun

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#66

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

San Sebastian

#67

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#68 - there was nothing much to do in San Seb other than...climb up some hill...and the beaches of course

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#69 - Kevin was sick during the San Seb leg. how can we tell? just look at his hair

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#70

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#71 - what happens when Kim steals your camera

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#72

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#73 - enjoying a beautiful sunset

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#74

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#75 - the next day, we decided to head for the sand!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#76

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#77 - and soon the shoes came off

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#78

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#79

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#80 - and people started wanting jump shots

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#81

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#82 - Kevin...refused to join in

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#83

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#84 - shipwrecked...

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#85

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#86

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#87

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#88 - liveview came in useful to snipe a shot of an old man fishing

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#89 - whilst on the beach, a guy suddenly came around with a ferret!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#90

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#91 - pretending she has a slingshot

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

Bilbao

#92 - And finally, we ended off in Bilbao, sleepy city with little to do.

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#93 - guess what. that river transport thingy is a world heritage monument!

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#94

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#95

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#96 - Kim, writing a postcard home

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#97 - to the Kwekies. did i mention she lives one street away from me? and hence the Faber heights address

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#98

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#99 - And we saw a magnificent sand sculpture on the way back to our hostel

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

#100

From Trip to Portugal and Spain - 6 to 16 March 2009

Mallorca in pictures: 20-23 feb 2009

2009-02-24T21:40:00.003Z

The trip to Mallorca was a most unexpected one. We initially intended to go to Malta. But we took too long deciding and there were no more cheap Ryanair flights. Then we wanted to go to the Canary Islands but again we took too long and Ryanair had no more seats left. And so we decided on Mallorca, a most unexpected place given that few of us had ever heard of it before.

It turned out to be a great decision. Well, it wasn't the most exciting of places with the most things to do. But we weren't looking for that kind of holiday. We just wanted a cool and chill break, with nothing much to do except enjoy the sun and the sand. And the sun and the sand we got! The weather was cold but we were blessed with great sunshine.

The photos that follow represent one of the most enjoyable photographic holidays i've had. Part of the reason is the great weather and great sunshine. And another part is that we weren't rushing anywhere all the time which gave me more pause for thought when it came to shooting.

And did i mention how wonderful the sigma 30/1.4 is? I left my tamron 17-50mm at home this time, quite an unusual thing as i consider that to be my main lens. But the sigma was brilliant.

Day 1

#1 - Our great hostel room. the beds were comfy altho we could feel the springs through the mattress. But the toilets and whole place was clean. The only complaint: smoking is not banned indoors in Spain and so the corridors reeked of smoke

inter alia

on forgiveness

unity in diversity: university

Gwee Li Sui's notes: to praise or not to praise?

CTLS End-of-Semester River Cruise and Dinner - Spring 2009

Letter criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article

Letter criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article

Susan Boyle: Nothing less than a middle finger in the face of convention

Don't be unAWARE

Happy Easter, but first....

100 frames of Spain and Portugal - 6 to 16 March 2009

Mallorca in pictures: 20-23 feb 2009

25 things for 25 years

OCF Valentine's Day Event - 13 Feb 2009

Thinking aloud: Why do more people come for evangelistic events when they are overseas?

Brazil v. Italy at the Emirates Stadium - Feb 10 2009

Book Review: The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

Francis Collins' sing a long

London's worst snowstorm in 18 years

Snowstorm in London - 1 Feb 2009

Kaka tells Brazil on National TV: I Belong to Jesus

KAKA may be the man to fire Manchester City to glory but it will be nothing compared to the impact he has already had on millions of people.

For black is the colour of london: More CNY Dinners

CNY Dinner with cousins - 24 Jan 2009

Terminator 4: Salvation

OCF Lifehouse Skit

london beckons

CD Review - Here is Love by Chris Tomlin

OCF Christmas Outreach - Preview Video

OCF Cell Group Thanksgiving Gathering, 3 Dec 2008 - Liling's Place

OCF Retreat - 21-23 November 2008