Air of gloom as Church orders villagers to vacate land
Anil Netto
Villagers in a dozen households next to the St Francis Xavier’s Church face uncertainty after receiving three letters over the last year from lawyers acting on behalf of the Catholic Church in Penang.
The residents had been ordered to vacate their premises by 31 May 2009 (which happens to be Pentecost Sunday, marking the coming of the Holy Spirit). In the latest letter of 19 May 2009, they have been granted a second extension until 31 May 2010 on “humanitarian grounds”, provided they agree in writing to compensation of RM10,000. If not, they have to vacate their homes by this Sunday.
The lawyer’s letter states the church can afford to provide only RM10,000 as it is a “non-profit religious institution”. Lay Catholics, however, are not in a position to judge whether the church can afford to pay more as its diocesan accounts are not made public to them as a matter of course.
Allow me to introduce you to some of the villagers the church wants to evict (see photo above, from left):
Augustin Martin, 82, raised at the nearby orphanage in the early 1930s. He was a church organist during World War II and worked as a driver for the Kee Huat company in his younger days. Occupant of house no. 52-E.
Arokiasamy Dass, 84, born here in 1925, former JKR tractor driver. His father arrived here around 1920 just before getting married. Occupant of house no. 52-H.
Olga Fernandez, 71, arrived here before the war. Her family originally settled in the area in the late 1920s. Occupant of house no. 52-G.
Bellimin Rajah, 70, worked as a Cold Storage clerk. He remembers crouching in his house when George Town was being bombed by the Japanese during World War II: “A big stone dropped on my sister’s back,” he recalls. Occupant of house no. 52-C.
Manimathu, 74, widow of the late Mr Selva. She has lived here since 1949. Occupant of house no. 52-F.
Jayamary is Bellimin’s wife. She arrived here in 1967, after getting married.
Anthony Muthu, 79, a former ludlow (headline layout) operator for the now defunct Straits Echo. He has lived here since 1937. Occupant of house no. 52-Q. His father, Sinnasamy Appasamy, arrived here after his marriage.
Theresa Savari, 60, is Anthony’s wife. She arrived here after their marriage.
Among those not in the photo above:
Santhanam Sinasamy, 82. Occupant of house no. 52-P.
Lourdesamy s/o Ponnudurai, 60. Occupant of house no. 52-I.
One of the villagers remembers a Japanese officer looking for a base in the area for his troops during World War II. “When he came over and saw us and the other children, he decided not to disturb or evict us. Instead, they used the Chinese school behind, next door. Imagine, even the Japanese occupying forces didn’t ask us to leave.”
“(French priest) Fr Louis Riboud really sayang Augustin (the organist) and he told our families we could live on the land,” recalls another villager.
The parish originally catered to Tamil Catholics in George Town, many of them poor and from the working class.
Now, the lawyers’ letter states that the church wants the villagers to vacate their land so that it can be used for “charitable and social purposes”. The Bishop maintains there are no plans to sell the land.
But it is not clear why the church wants the villagers to move out of this prime land now and what exactly it intends to do with the land.
The old buildings of St Joseph’s orphanage next door have already been demolished and the site presently is walled up and has been lying idle for years. The Lighthouse drop-in centre next door has no immediate expansion plans.
“Whatever happened to the parable of the Good Samaritan?” asks Anthony Muthu, one of the villagers. “Is it only meant to be preached during Sunday sermons? Why is no one putting it into practice and helping us? Where do we go, at this age, looking for low-cost housing with RM10,000 in compensation? Which bank will give us housing loans at our age?”
The church hierarchy points out that some of the residents have not paid their rents for a few years.
But the residents say they have spent a few thousand ringgit of their own money for roof repairs and collapsed walls. They thought that the church would overlook their rent over the last couple of years as the villagers had taken care of the repairs at their own expense.
“In any case, if the church felt that we had defaulted on rent, shouldn’t it first have issued lawyer’s letters demanding payment of rental like landlords usually do instead of keeping quiet and then all of a sudden, asking us to vacate the premises?” asked Anthony. “By their silence, we felt that church leaders understood our predicament and our need to carry out repairs.”
What hurts the villagers most is that all dealings are now through the church’s lawyers, without any avenue for face-to-face consultation with church leaders. That puts the villagers at a disadvantage as they cannot afford lawyers of thei own. “What happened to all the Catholic lawyers?” wonders one of them.
“They claim we are outsiders,” observes another. “But we have lived here much longer than those who accuse us of being outsiders. It is the bishop and his priests who are the newcomers here.”
I guess it’s a lot easier to evict faceless, nameless people, strangers whom we do not know - using a lawyer as the middle-man. But imagine if these people were our own family members, our parents or grandparents….
Andrew Aeria, a Catholic, has a suggestion: “If the church really needs land for social, cultural and religious use, it could use the spacious premises at No. 1 Bell Road for this purpose.” Recalling previous controversial land deals, Andrew suspects that the church hierarchy has a long-term plan to dispose of the St Francis Xavier’s Church land for commercial gain - even though the Bishop has dismissed such accusations as “absolute nonsense”.
Meanwhile, the despairing residents say they are praying that the Holy Spirit will guide and touch those who are trying to help them.
This is a report from the latest Herald, from the Penang Bishop’s perspective:
No plans to sell church land, Bishop Selva
PENANG: Bishop Antony Selvanayagam has refuted claims that the diocese is planning to sell a portion of its land to the Cititel Hotel for development.
“That is absolute nonsense,” said Bishop Selva.
“The land on the grounds of the St Francis Xavier Church off Jalan Penang has been earmarked for religious, charitable and cultural purposes.”
St Joseph’s Home, the Lighthouse, the learning centre and a century-old village are situated within the property.
The Church wants the villagers to vacate their rented houses for redevelopment according to religious, charitable and cultural purposes.
These villagers have not been paying their rent for the past 34 months.
Bishop Selva said that ample notice had been given to the residents to relocate.
The residents were initially asked to vacate the premises by Nov 30 last year. They were later given an extension until May 31 this year.
It is understood the residents are being offered ex-gratia payment of RM10,000 each, with rental arrears deducted from the amount.
Bishop Selva explained that “so far two persons have accepted the payment and have left while another 12 remain.”
Another issue, which cropped up during this standoff has been the contention that the village is situated in the Unesco heritage zone. But Bishop Selva clarified that the village is situated outside the heritage zone but within the buffer zone.
“This means that we cannot demolish the houses but we can redesign the interior to suit the different needs of the organisation or group which will be using the houses.”
40 Responses to “Air of gloom as Church orders villagers to vacate land”
1. nick chan on May 29th, 2009 at 3.58pm
lawyers? catholic? does anyone see wrong in that?
2. Andrew Aeria on May 29th, 2009 at 4.08pm
Ummmm, excuse me but is not allowing these old residents to stay on in the Penang Road SFX Village a ‘charitable and social purpose’? What will become of these poor residents of Penang Road SFX Village after Sunday? Does the Bishop of Penang even care? Oh I forgot. He sleeps soundly on his soft pillow and soft mattress in Bell Road and dreams only of divine beings.
I think the Penang Bishop and his Finance Commission are a bunch of heartless people led by very un-Gospel values. There are always more creative and humane ways to sort out this so-called predicament of residents on Church property. Why not give notice to all these families that once they pass away, the houses revert to the Church? And don’t allow new tenants or sub-tenants in the meantime? But these options were not explored. Why?
Because the fact is that the Penang Bishop and his Finance Commission are motivated by money, money, money. This fact has been established previously by the sale of Pulau Tikus Kampong Serani land and also College-General land. And truth be told, the Bishop and his Finance Commission have been mulling over what to do with the Penang Road property (doublespeak for, ‘How to make a profit?’) for years!
Ironically, the Penang Bishop - who preaches the Gospel a lot - lives a rather comfortable middle-class lifestyle in the really Tony neighbourhood of Bell Road. So, why does the Bishop not transform his swanky 1 Bell Road residence into a premise for ’social and charitable purposes’ instead of harassing poor old people in Penang Road? Is this not a mega contradiction of what he preaches and what he does?
So, let me make this proposal to the Penang Bishop. Since 1 Bell Road is Church property (i.e. only held in trust by the Bishop for the body of Catholics who are the Church) and up-kept by Church finances given weekly by church-goers, as a Catholic I am willing to give the Bishop of Penang RM10,000 cash by this Sunday (31 May 2009) if he agrees to vacate 1 Bell Road in one year’s time. Then, he has one year to go and find some tiny room to live amongst the poor just like all these poor old residents from the Penang Road SFX Village will likely do. And if the Bishop agrees, then in a year’s time, we Catholics convert 1 Bell Road into a Church venue having a genuine ‘charitable and social purpose’.
Failing which, if the Penang Bishop disagrees to my proposal, he has to vacate 1 Bell Road by this Sunday forthwith and the property can then be immediately be converted for ‘charitable and social purposes’.
There is a niggling suspicion in the back of my mind that the Penang Bishop and his Finance Commission - despite all their talk about converting the SFX Church land to ‘charitable and social purposes” - really are bent on selling the Penang Road property to some big-time developer for a mega-profit, if they have not already done so. I also suspect that they will do this via stealth and by then, it will be too late. The developer will have legal title once the sale is completed quietly and we would only know about this after the Bishop and his money-motivated Finance Commission have already banked in the million-ringgit cheque into the Church bank account.
And all our protests as Catholics who built the Church and who support our clergy and Bishop with our hard-earned weekly donations during mass would have come to naught.
3. Miriam on May 29th, 2009 at 4.34pm
Its for reasons of the kind of hypocrisy the church practices that I am often ashamed of even being identified as a Catholic. As Andrew Aeria states so cogently, the land is held in trust by the Bishop on behalf of the body Catholic to do the best with on the peoples behalf. Evicting elderly Catholics from their homes is a manifestation of heartlessness and sheer, unadulterated greed. Not the love that ought to reside in the very being of Christianity. I will not be at all surprised that ‘others’ play up this issue for further Catholic bashing. Its not too late to save the day.
4. Sunny on May 29th, 2009 at 4.46pm
On second thought, they have had close to free accomodation for many years.
5. Observer on May 29th, 2009 at 5.07pm
On one hand, I do pity their predicament at their age. On the other hand, they have had nearly free accommodation for many years. Maybe they could work for the church in some capacity?
6. Andrew Aeria on May 29th, 2009 at 5.16pm
In response to Sunny: The Bishop of Penang and his clergy have also had ‘free accommodation for many years’. Should we evict them from their middle-class residences as well and throw them onto the streets, just abandon them to ‘God’s mercy’?
7. petestop on May 29th, 2009 at 5.40pm
Indeed, as a Christian organisation, the Church should find a comprehensive and mutually beneficial solution to these old folks welfare first, instead of sending in the Advocate from Hell.
Especially these old folks does not have much options to start
over again.
It is a shameful episode indeed, all Christians and fair-minded Malaysian should protest such heartless action.
8. ikeda on May 29th, 2009 at 5.46pm
Majority of so called religious or charity organisations exist in the name of charity but operate in a manner worst than big time money making MNC. This is the ugly world we are living in. Welcome to reality!
9. James Gomez on May 29th, 2009 at 5.49pm
Aiyah, what’s wrong with the Bishop? Since these poor folks already living for free in the land for so long already, go the final mile by giving the land to them lah. Tear down the church and give more land to others as well.
10. casper on May 29th, 2009 at 6.28pm
I was thinking aloud, what would be a ‘reasonable’ solution and have to go with what Andrew Aeria’s proposed - full marks dear sir.
The pending eviction is based on commerce and your hunch about future million is spot on. This ’sale’ is no different than when St.John Institution, KL sold land to YTL for the development of KL Tower. And as time passes, the RM$10,000 is pittance, what with land prices on Penang Island on the rise and increasingly pricey. Even with RM$20,000 or double that to 40k, these senior citizens are in for a difficult future with all signs pointing to them sleeping rough.
Regards Anil and all.
11. Tommy on May 29th, 2009 at 7.00pm
Sorry, I am not a christian. But I will have to say it’s all because of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in someone’s pocket!!!!
12. moss on May 29th, 2009 at 7.57pm
This is nothing more than heartless, unChristian greed. It’s all about the money! The Bishop should contemplate what Jesus said, about it being easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to see Heaven.
The sanctimonious preach from the pulpit, but are divorced from the essential verities of Jesus’s central message. How can the Bishop reconcile this unholy deed that he is proposing, from what Christ was all about? Sheer hypocrite masquerading as God’s representative.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we do these things for you? And the Lord shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.”
It would serve the Bishop to realise that, in evicting these old, poor folks, he would be evicting the God he so claims to love and represent.
13. Joe Jambo on May 29th, 2009 at 8.18pm
Why cant each of those who complaint about the church’s action..donate rm10 per month to the cause of these elderly. That would be enough to pay for the costs of their free accommodation all these years (utilities/quit rent/assessment) and in my point of view substantial enough seek the church to reconsider their decision.
I dun understand why u ppl are sooooo anxious in criticising the bishop? he is a trustee..u know!!! its not like he did not let them stay for the many years? he is spending ppl’s money accommodating these ppl!! If you guys are kind enough, each of you readers should collectively collect donate rm10 a month each for the sake of these ppl. Is is too much to ask? How many of u will volunteer for these? Then Anil can represent our interest as trustee on humanitarian grounds to ensure the elder’s cost is paid for.
The church might have the money to pay for but as trustee, it would mean be in breach of trust if it were to give a selected few the benefit of the trust moneys.
They are plenty of ppl in Penang that needs money, u know. Humanitarian consideration was and is given and thats good enough. So, Anil.. u starting a trust fund specific for this purpose? If so, im sure the Bishop will reconsider. He is currently “using trust money for the benefit of a third party.”
I can always question why didnt the Bishop maintain other chatolics within a 3 mile radius on humanitarian grounds as well. Things would be easier if the church can just pass an ordinary resolution authorisng the Bishop to help, but then again its a church and not a company. Hence, he will be in breach of trust utilising trust moneys of the church for the selected few.
14. Tommy on May 29th, 2009 at 8.19pm
Which of the 2 is greater - GOD or GREED?
Ting!!Ting!! GREED wins. GREED have 5 letters whereas GOD have only 3.
15. yugong on May 29th, 2009 at 8.35pm
Since when the Catholic Church has turned money-faced? Sad.
16. Seow on May 29th, 2009 at 8.45pm
And regarding the fact that they have had close to free accomodation, thats not true. the fact that they have conducted repairs on the premises can be used to invoke the set off remedy, which enables them to withhold rent in lieu of repairs to premises.
17. Samuel on May 29th, 2009 at 8.59pm
hey Andrew Aeria the living …., who the …. u think u r to talk like dat bout the Bishop and the Priests? If u want, why dont u ask all the villagers to find refuge in ur damn … bloody sweet home? If u dare, go talk straight to the priests or the bishop, why u ….. so much in here? u know wat, u r the type of morons with this stupid fellar, so called Anill Netto, who only talks big with this so callled passion for the poor, on the net. But, no action for ur big mouths… Or perhaps, u must have hated any priests or the bishop for some past incident, and show ur …. stupid anger when the chance arrived….I know about u…
18. Antares on May 29th, 2009 at 9.13pm
Kudos to Anil & Andrew for articulating on behalf of kindness, generosity & forbearance - on behalf of real human beings! I hope with this post you will alert enough church members to put serious pressure on the bishop & his financial advisors to back down & allow these old-timers lifetime access to their homes.
19. Samuel on May 29th, 2009 at 9.30pm
Hi guys, i know this fellar who talks alot…. damn problematic one…The real story is, those villagers about 12 of them, most of them have their childrens grown up and doing well. The children must be responsible to take care of them at this old age. They are not the so called poor people, as they have been working well in their younger days and given penchant. Again, they r not POOR PEOPLE!!!!!!!get to know the real picture here. Trying to enjoy for free by taking advantage of the church generosity…why never try to have a hse since beginning? Cant afford those days?
Then, how about other millions of people who can afford???? The late MEP Father Louise did give them permission to live there, and he did give warning that in future, people will ask them to leave, no matter who will be that… So, dont the villagers should get the hint and try to sustain themselves by trying to be independant, get their own hse as possible and dont depend on that village for ever???? If u ask me why the church never do it long time ago, to ask them to leave, I will say, Death will come like a thieve at the night, it is we who must be alert and prepare ourselves……
And, all these people who trying to condemn the Catholic Church and the Bishop and his priests with unlawful speeches, better be prepared as the death will come like a thieve at night. U r like DOGS who barke at anything steamy……
20. Samuel on May 29th, 2009 at 9.41pm
“I guess it’s a lot easier to evict faceless, nameless people, strangers whom we do not know. But imagine if these people were our own family members, our parents or grandparents….”
What are their childrens doing? Where r they? Have u found out that?
21. Samuel on May 29th, 2009 at 9.57pm
I dont understand why some people like to think this way, as in this case….. When elderly people are asked to evict the church land, they throw the thoughts, that church is cruel, heartless, greedy, money minded and so forth…Then they started to talk passionately about poor and helping the poor….Then, they will come out with an idea to save this poor people…Then, this is the best one from James Gomez, he wanna tear down the church and give that land to the poor… u INGAT GEREJA BAPA U PUNYA KA?? why dont u tear down ur hse and give it to the poor??? Then,this people will start to talk about GOD and his poverty, his compassion and mercy…and so forth…..They are non then some bunch of hypocrits….and those old folks are not POOR either, don get confused…
U said the church hierrarchy is money minded and greedy… Do u know how much a diocese have to spend for a seminarian to finish his 8 years priesthood training, local and abroad, so that he can serve Christ and u for the rest of his life? Who gonna provide that money? R u willing to give?
22. Andrew I on May 29th, 2009 at 11.01pm
Spoken like a true capitalist, Joe. God must absolutely love you.
To what purpose does donating to the church serve then? Let’s see, we can all stop donating and D.I.Y. since everyone has a different perception of poverty. We’ll have to see the utilities bills and share it out equally. Maybe we could have monthly general meetings and cut out all unnecessary expenditure.
This is, after all, God’s money and we can’t have selected mere mortals managing it.
23. Eng on May 29th, 2009 at 11.14pm
‘GREED’= ‘God Reap Every Elderly’s Dwelling’.
24. Tee on May 29th, 2009 at 11.28pm
Dear Bishop,
Who do you think deserve your charitable hands more? A group of well dressed church goers or a dozen of poor, old, homeless people?
Why create the problem at the first place??
25. ong on May 29th, 2009 at 11.34pm
Thanks Anil for a good report. Some of these folks had complained to SOS before in early 2000. Their worries seems to come true now. Community relation lose to class relation(between tenant and landlord class) if these folks are evicted along thousands of tenants who had been evicted from George Town since 2000.
These old folks deserve yours and everyone else’s support-Catholic or not.
26. George Seow on May 30th, 2009 at 12.49am
No matter how altruistic the reasons given by the Bishop for the development of the said property, they pale in comparison to the real and immediate need of the poor and elderly residents.I urge the Church to work out a compassionate solution to the plight of residents . True Christian charity can also come in non glamorous work like helping the poor and helpless. The religious, cultural and social Center can only be proudly built on a foundation of compassion. Anything less than this would have diminished the moral principles that are core to any of the Church’s projects.
27. lucia on May 30th, 2009 at 1.08am
i agree with joe jambo. why are people so anxious to criticise the bishop/church? and also not forgetting taking on the moral high ground. esp. andrew who is so harsh. andrew you sound so bitter… did the church wronged you or something terrible happened between you and the church? (btw are you related to alban aeria?)
as joe suggested, yes, why don’t these people who complained so much donated RM10 per month to these elderly villagers? or do something else. don’t be an armchair critic only. it’s easy to say the bishop should do this, the bishop should do that when you no. 1, don’t know the actual situation, no. 2, can’t put yourself in the bishop’s place.
i’m sure people like andrew live in nice terrace house or a condo, yes middle class property… much better than the villagers anyhow - well if you talk about the bishop giving up his bungalow, you too can give up your terrace house (or whatever which is much better than the villagers’) and let 4 or 5 of these villagers stay. i know this sounds childish… likewise your suggestion of offering the bishop RM10,000 to evict from his bungalow!
you guys hear so much on one side - the side of the villagers and only so little on the bishop’s side but you guys already jumped to conclusion to side with the villagers! well, no surprise as i said before, usually big name/corporation will be look as the ‘big bully’ while the poor/ordinary folks as the good guys.
quote “In response to Sunny: The Bishop of Penang and his clergy have also had ‘free accommodation for many years’. Should we evict them from their middle-class residences as well and throw them onto the streets, just abandon them to ‘God’s mercy’?”
bad and unfair comparision.
28. Adrian Pereira on May 30th, 2009 at 3.13am
There is two ways about moving forward in this troubled times where every entity struggles for survival,political and financial. There has to be more TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY for this huge super structure of a “government” we call the Catholic Church. Being a full time pastoral worker and after seeing the amazing alternative possibilities in stickier situations, there has to be a better solution.Keep up the good work Anil and Andrew. There is indeed a lot of work to be done. I reflect back to the the Radical option Christ made which is the preferential option for the poor and marginalized.
29. Apex on May 30th, 2009 at 3.24am
“What hurts the villagers most is that all dealings are now through the church’s lawyers, without any avenue for face-to-face consultation with church leaders…”
I’m ASTONISHED that a person with the religious stature of a bishop would deal with these elderly villagers with such apparent aloofness and coldness. The community has been here for almost a century, and the church’s way to tell them to get out is through letters from a lawyer!!
Sure, our bishop may be legally entitled to do that, but just flexing your legal muscle against such folks is hardly befitting someone who is supposed to stand out as a spiritual father-figure.
Obviously, from what we’ve seen, these people have become a deep part of our Church’s history in Penang… At the very least, they deserve to be dealt with compassion… and certainly a lot more dignity…
Shame on you, Bishop.
30. Joe Jambo on May 30th, 2009 at 4.04am
Dear Andrew
To agree with u on one point, I would be furious if I were to find out that the Church is not or has not been helping anyone seeking its help on humanitarian grounds. In this case, I believe the church did help.
However, I would be equally as furious knowing that the church is applying all the moneys donated, to help every single ppl in Penang on humanitarian grounds as well. This is not the Church’s responsibility. The church ought to only help to a certain extent.
When i was a kid, I was told that churches ‘do not make a profit out of a donation’ and when I asked my mum why should I donate to the church every sunday (being a kid, I donated rm0.50 as a token), I was told that it’s to HELP THE CHURCH so that the church can operate and cover its operational expenses. Then, i enquired whether this would mean that the church will be very rich. Well, i was told that we will not know that. In any event, I was further told that catholic churches always seem poorer than other churches (i dun know why and the priest doesnt look rich so i dun think he squanders the donation).
The bottom line is, if I were to donate money to the church, i dun expect the money to be utilised to permanently help the same poor family for anything more than 2 years. The church should help but not on a permanent basis forever, or not, every tom dick and harry will live off the church forever. Why not go to a temple instead? You see..? It is wrong. No doubt as these institutions should assist but not to take over the government’s obligation to permanently assist and to house a person (It should be the society’s obligation as a whole, not just the church).
If any housing assistance should be given on a permanent basis, there should be a proper fund for that purpose. That’s why I am asking for all you complaining readers to donate to them. U cant just obliged others to help these poor (same people) for years and years. What about others who need the church’s help? Are the moneys enough to support everyone?
Definitelty No. Then, can the bishop choose to prefer to assist one particular group of family on humanitarian grounds for as long as the public thinks he should? Definitely No as well. That would be an abuse of our donation for him to help a special group of people only. He merely needs to assist.. but not to be put to a duty or assume the responsibility to take care of your housing needs.
Hence Andrew, are u willing to help out monthly through a fund? U havent indicate anything yet. If u wana help, u help. But u never demand or obliged others to help. They help on their conscience, and in this case, the church did assist and we should agree that there is limitations to that assistance.
31. Mercy on May 30th, 2009 at 4.45am
How many of you remember the proposal to sell the land next to the St Joseph’s orphanage? It is the sacred burial ground of our Catholic ancestors.
After much protest from the descendants of the people buried there, that sacred burial ground is still with us (but for how long?)
Looks like history is repeating itself.
I sincerely hope that an amicable solution can be reached.
Both sides must have time to sit down and discuss this.
Are these poor folks being victimised?
Is the Catholic church being heartless and unfair?
May the Holy Spirit enlighten all parties concerned.
32. wira on May 30th, 2009 at 5.43am
Those are God’s children and the church has a responsibility towards the weak and the infirm.
We’ve seen congregations in other churches raising million
s to pay up for their church buildings. Bishop Selva should not disappoint God.
33.
Gary on May 30th, 2009 at 6.00am
Somehow, I do agree with Lucia and Joe Jambo. Did we really understand or find out exactly what transpired between the Church and the villagers ???
34. rosalind lee on May 30th, 2009 at 6.31am
Hi Anil
I don’t know how to reach u. I received this mail last week & I waited to see whether you would blog about it since you’re talking about SFX issue. Is city people more entitled than urban folks huh? Please check out issue. Is it true? No media news!
Quote
“Fr Jean Claude have been called in by the police for an ‘interview’ at the Triang police station tomorrow, Friday (22/5/2009)… Allegedly the instructions come from the Inspector General of Police (IGP)..
Last Sunday at 4pm, there was a special mass (prayer service) at the St John’s Chapel in Triang, i.e. that 83 year old chapel, that the Pahang Government is threatening to demolish.
Lots of yellow coloured St John’s Chapel parishioners were there, and there were many more persons that came from other churches around the country to show solidarity.
After mass, there was food and drinks served, and a little talk by me on Freedom of Religion.
Now, the police has called in the Parish Priest, Fr Jean Claude Lourdes, for questioning tomorrow.
What are the police doing? Trying to put some psychological pressure to stop this desparate attempt by this community to save their 83-year old chapel? I wonder..
Fr Jean Claude said that he will be going in to the Triang police station at 2-30pm tomorrow (22/5/2009).
Why is this old chapel being targetted for destruction suddenly…something is amiss.
Is there some corruption involved? Maybe the anti-corruption body need to just investigate to be sure…
Or, is it just some form of ‘punishment’ being meted out to the Catholic community in Triang? Why? Because of the problems that the Catholic Church been causing - i.e. that Allah case, the conversion and religious rights issues..
Maybe, it is because the church sits in that odd seat that has repeatedly elected a DAP ADUN - but then the MP, is BN Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob…
Najib is from the Pekan Constituency, adjacent to the Bera Constituency, and I believe our new PM should step in and ensure the continued existence of this little chapel which has served the Triang community as shelter during bad times…”
Unquote
Thanks Rosalind. Charles Hector has been covering this issue in depth in his blog. Take a look. I don’t have access to enough information from here to write much about it. - cheers Anil
35. logical on May 30th, 2009 at 7.48am
“The love of money is the root of all evil.”
It seems the followers of the master who
preached unconditional love have forgotten
the above.
36. Observer on May 30th, 2009 at 8.40am
I would urge commenters here to open their homes to the elderly folks mentioned in this posting. Someone who attends the Penang Catholic Church, please organize a committee to rehouse these old folks with the support of your parishioners.
Where are these old folks’ kids? Are their kids so useless? Someone please chase after them and lecture them on filial piety.
37. Observer on May 30th, 2009 at 8.42am
I see there are Astro satellite receivers on these old folks’ home. If they can afford Astro, surely they can afford some decent accommodations?
38. Seow on May 30th, 2009 at 8.45am
I think its pretty easy to come to the conclusion that the church/bishop cant take the high ground here. Id think that their values and beliefs as religious men would teach them and everyone else to champion the poor and downtrodden, which they clearly are not doing here.
We arrive at this conclusion because as pointed out by others, there is ample space in other properties owned by the church to use for whatever it is the bishop wants to use the land for. It is perplexing that he doesnt just use 1 Bell property, instead choosing to evict these people.
Furthermore, what is so difficult with letting them live there? No one is asking the bishop to realistically give up his property for the poor, but to ask the same of old men and women who have been in service of the church to move out is heartless. Already for me as a 21 year old its so hard to find accomodation, what with unscrupulous landlords. Imagine the difficulty of the old people.
Ultimately it boils down to morals. Men have done much more for their fellow man. Look at Guan Eng, how he had to go through 2 years in prison just because he tried to help a girl who was raped in Malacca. If people like Guan Eng were to be self-centered and care-free (dare I say like Mr.Bishop), itd be a grave day for Malaysia indeed. I never thought Id see the day politicians take the moral high ground over men of religion.
39. caravanserai on May 30th, 2009 at 9.11am
The Catholic Church Penang
Showing the flock the way to good living
Let them take shelter under the lights
Of the Lord of Heavens
It is the flocks of the innocents
The invalids and the homeless
The flocks of needy souls
O Church of Catholic faith
Why must people suffer?
When you don’t use the land
Show the way you preach
Not the way to acquire
Of things never needed in heavens
Have you forgotten it?
The Catholics in Penang
Show the Church the door
For the Bishop has forgotten
It is the people who make the Church
40. Lucius on May 30th, 2009 at 9.59am
More option should be provided on humanitarian ground. Having provided a 1 year extension of their stay on the land, the church could go have done more, for example, to engage welfare organization to provide help for these old folks. But again, it’s not compulsory for the church, as perceived, to extend all means of help.
Anil has done a great job by emphasizing the news in this blog. From here, I think the society should take over, especially the welfare organization, either those belong to the government or private.
41. chris anthony on May 30th, 2009 at 1.07pm
Congrats Anil.A good report .I think you should send this to Herald.You will be surprised…
The ’scandal’ has been reported in the mainstream media.The bishop cannot remain quiet anymore.The credibility of the Church is at stake.He must explain the real situation to reveal the truth,which will finally prevail.What have we got to fear when God will always be on the side of truth?
It is very unfortunate that secular state government (non-Christian) has to preach morality and charity to the church.I take that as an embarrassment to us all.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Does God Answer Our Prayers?
We are His 'mtracle workers'among men
To overcome the numerous problems and challenges in life, all of us resort to prayer. Very often despite our earnest prayers our problems only seem to get worse by the day with no hopes for solution. Often we ponder whether God really answers our prayers. The following is a simple parable that is derived from the Jewish Mishmash which may help to answer this question that bothers all of us at one time or another.
A small village in Rural Russia was beset by drought one year and all the crops failed. The village rabbi prayed to the heavens, "Why don't you do something about this dreadful drought?" But the heavens remained silent. So the rabbi organized a charity food drive with the neighboring villages to feed his people.
When the rains came, they came in heavy and the local river flooded, killing all the livestock. The rabbi again prayed, "Heavenly Father, my people are suffering so much, save us from this flood!" But, again, no help from God seemed forthcoming. So the rabbi lobbied the government authorities to provide financial assistance to replenish the herds lost in the deluge.
Finally, in the wake of the flood, infection and disease ran through the inhabitants of the village. The rabbi prayed once more, "Now surely God you will help us!" But the diseases ran their course. So the rabbi marshaled and organized the able bodied in the village to care for the sick.
Months later reflecting on the tragedies of the past year, the rabbi turned to God and accused Him, "Why did you not answer the prayers of my poor villagers? Why did you not send help to them when we were beset by drought, floods and pestilence?"
After many hours of anguished entreaty, a quiet voice answered the rabbi in the depths of his heart, "Of course I sent help; I sent you!"
Yes, God definitely answers our prayers and sends help with or without our knowledge. We need not even ask him to grant what we want. He knows what is best for us under the circumstances we are in. Being Christians and believers in God we must have fundamental faith in Him.
Very often God does not give us what we ask for and this may even lead us to despair and even loss of faith. But be assured many years later we will realize what he did was indeed right and for our good.This is a lesson I learnt through my experiences over 50 years of my life.
God does not perform miracles and magic to solve our problems. If we are waiting for such acts, we will be sadly mistaken and disappointed. Like the rabbi in the above story, we are his “miracle workers” among men. He has given us our intelligence, talents and skills to perform his “miracles” to help others. The pertinent question here is whether we are prepared and willing to be His “miracle workers” and catalysts to disseminate his love among our fellow men. As followers of Christ we have no option but to say ‘YES’.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lent, the beginning of a new commitment to love and forgiveness
A time to forgive our enemies
Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this and other such funds in aid of the poor. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday when we impose ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortal nature. Then we go through the passion of Jesus during holy Week recalling His sufferings being unjustly condemned to death on the crucifix. Very often we go through these historical events without pausing to think what it means to us today in this world dominated by greed, selfishness, hate and violence.
To us Malaysians this Lent is of special significance as it marks the first anniversary of the political tsunami that swept across our nation on March 8 last year. The unprecedented win for the opposition represented a victory of the rakyat over arrogance, power abuse, corruption and racism.
Since then there has been political turmoil because the ruling Umno-BN refuses to comply with the verdict of the people for greater democratic change. Of late it has become too aggressive in efforts to undermine the rights of fellow citizens who do not see eye to eye with them. In this political game, gaining power is all that matters whereas ethics and the rule of law become irrelevant. Their ‘ends-justifying-the-means’ style of governance is beginning to cause a lot of anxiety among all sections of the people.
The police, anti-corruption agency, judiciary and all other institutions, which are supposed to be apolitical, are being blatantly used to advance the course of the ruling party. We are denied our freedom of expression and rights for peaceful assembly. We are unfairly detained under the ISA, medical treatment denied and some are even tortured to death with little remorse from the police and top leaders. We are threatened by mob rule into submitting to unjustly implemented laws. We are even denied our right to address God in the name we want.
Christ in his time went through such injustices that were meted out on him for speaking the truth, which hurt many in positions of power and comfort. Despite all the pain and agony inflicted on him unjustly, Jesus accepted all of them willingly without anger or hate. Instead he demonstrated his extreme and unselfish love to those who hurt him by forgiving them. His civility may be seen as weakness and defeat but it was this love that allowed truth to finally prevail.
In this time of Lent when we are subjected to so much injustice, let us recall the Passion of Christ and like Jesus accept these challenges willingly without anger and hatred for those who inflict the pain and suffering on us. Let us show love and forgiveness to those who hurt us because it is this love for our enemies that will help the truth to finally prevail. It is this love for our adversaries that will bring us the ‘resurrection’ when the good finally triumphs over evil.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this and other such funds in aid of the poor. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday when we impose ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortal nature. Then we go through the passion of Jesus during holy Week recalling His sufferings being unjustly condemned to death on the crucifix. Very often we go through these historical events without pausing to think what it means to us today in this world dominated by greed, selfishness, hate and violence.
To us Malaysians this Lent is of special significance as it marks the first anniversary of the political tsunami that swept across our nation on March 8 last year. The unprecedented win for the opposition represented a victory of the rakyat over arrogance, power abuse, corruption and racism.
Since then there has been political turmoil because the ruling Umno-BN refuses to comply with the verdict of the people for greater democratic change. Of late it has become too aggressive in efforts to undermine the rights of fellow citizens who do not see eye to eye with them. In this political game, gaining power is all that matters whereas ethics and the rule of law become irrelevant. Their ‘ends-justifying-the-means’ style of governance is beginning to cause a lot of anxiety among all sections of the people.
The police, anti-corruption agency, judiciary and all other institutions, which are supposed to be apolitical, are being blatantly used to advance the course of the ruling party. We are denied our freedom of expression and rights for peaceful assembly. We are unfairly detained under the ISA, medical treatment denied and some are even tortured to death with little remorse from the police and top leaders. We are threatened by mob rule into submitting to unjustly implemented laws. We are even denied our right to address God in the name we want.
Christ in his time went through such injustices that were meted out on him for speaking the truth, which hurt many in positions of power and comfort. Despite all the pain and agony inflicted on him unjustly, Jesus accepted all of them willingly without anger or hate. Instead he demonstrated his extreme and unselfish love to those who hurt him by forgiving them. His civility may be seen as weakness and defeat but it was this love that allowed truth to finally prevail.
In this time of Lent when we are subjected to so much injustice, let us recall the Passion of Christ and like Jesus accept these challenges willingly without anger and hatred for those who inflict the pain and suffering on us. Let us show love and forgiveness to those who hurt us because it is this love for our enemies that will help the truth to finally prevail. It is this love for our adversaries that will bring us the ‘resurrection’ when the good finally triumphs over evil.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Monday, February 16, 2009
Relections for Lent 2009
Lent, the beginning of a new commitment to serve our neighbor
Once again we are in the season of Lent. Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this fund. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
Who are the poor? Traditionally the poor refers to those financially deprived without food, clothing and shelter but in our country although there are still such hard core poor in our midst who need such aid but more often we encounter other forms of “poverty” particularly in urban areas.
To certain extent everyone around us is “poor” in some way or other as the majority are silently suffering from some form of ailment either physical,social or mental; serious illness,loneliness,loss of loved ones, financial problems, failures in career, failures in love,persecution,denial of basic rights and freedom, and the list is in fact endless.
All it takes for us is to open our eyes and ears to realize that almost all around us are “poor” in some way.They all need our hands of friendship that could help to alleviate their suffering to some extent. We may not be in a position to totally eradicate their “poverty”, only God can do that, but I am sure we can do the little within our means to reduce their pain and agony.
This Lent let us recall the words of Jesus “I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mathew 25:40). It should be a reminder to us that Jesus dwells in those around us, especially the needy, downtrodden and the despised. We will only be cheating ourselves if we say we love Jesus while refusing to lend a hand to those around us.
We can sacrifice some precious possessions of ours - our time, energy and wealth for the betterment of fellow mankind. At the same we can give up something which we all possess in abundance - pride, selfishness, ego, anger and greed which impede our endeavors to serve others.
As we set foot into this season of Lent let us reflect on our own lives as Christians. Do we see Jesus in the people whom we meet daily – our spouse, our children, our parents, our boss and fellow colleagues in the office, the migrant workers,the poor and hungry, the sick and the dying, the handicapped, the sinner, the orphans, our priests and clergy and even our enemies?
Are we willing to forgive and offer our hand of friendship to our enemies and those who sin against us? Are we sensitive to the needs of others around us, or do we close our eyes and ears to their cries of plea? Are we willing to go down to the level of the poor and downtrodden to empathize with their misfortunes? Do we have the patience to listen to those in distress? Are we willing and brave enough to speak out against injustice wherever it occurs?
The real meaning of Lent is sacrifice, not for our well-being but that of others. Fasting, abstinence and prayer are just a means to achieve that goal not the goals themselves. We are asked to become holy but our holiness in God, like Mother Teresa, must benefit others more than ourselves.
Let make this season of Lent the beginning of being more aware of the needs of those around us, especially those who are suffering in loneliness. Let’s lend a hand to someone who is lonely and at the brink of death. Let’s start with those lonely in our own families especially our elderly parents. Let’s be generous and gracious not just with our money but also with our precious time that money cannot buy.
We may be having a tough time ourselves coping with all the stresses in life to make ends meet. We may have terrible problems of our own to handle, with our spouse, our children, our work, our financial difficulties, and our illness and so on, but amidst all these we must find some time for those who are gripped with the fear of loneliness, those in the twilight of their lives.
We can be assured that if we can do that to one of these least brothers of His, we will be doing it to Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Once again we are in the season of Lent. Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this fund. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
Who are the poor? Traditionally the poor refers to those financially deprived without food, clothing and shelter but in our country although there are still such hard core poor in our midst who need such aid but more often we encounter other forms of “poverty” particularly in urban areas.
To certain extent everyone around us is “poor” in some way or other as the majority are silently suffering from some form of ailment either physical,social or mental; serious illness,loneliness,loss of loved ones, financial problems, failures in career, failures in love,persecution,denial of basic rights and freedom, and the list is in fact endless.
All it takes for us is to open our eyes and ears to realize that almost all around us are “poor” in some way.They all need our hands of friendship that could help to alleviate their suffering to some extent. We may not be in a position to totally eradicate their “poverty”, only God can do that, but I am sure we can do the little within our means to reduce their pain and agony.
This Lent let us recall the words of Jesus “I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mathew 25:40). It should be a reminder to us that Jesus dwells in those around us, especially the needy, downtrodden and the despised. We will only be cheating ourselves if we say we love Jesus while refusing to lend a hand to those around us.
We can sacrifice some precious possessions of ours - our time, energy and wealth for the betterment of fellow mankind. At the same we can give up something which we all possess in abundance - pride, selfishness, ego, anger and greed which impede our endeavors to serve others.
As we set foot into this season of Lent let us reflect on our own lives as Christians. Do we see Jesus in the people whom we meet daily – our spouse, our children, our parents, our boss and fellow colleagues in the office, the migrant workers,the poor and hungry, the sick and the dying, the handicapped, the sinner, the orphans, our priests and clergy and even our enemies?
Are we willing to forgive and offer our hand of friendship to our enemies and those who sin against us? Are we sensitive to the needs of others around us, or do we close our eyes and ears to their cries of plea? Are we willing to go down to the level of the poor and downtrodden to empathize with their misfortunes? Do we have the patience to listen to those in distress? Are we willing and brave enough to speak out against injustice wherever it occurs?
The real meaning of Lent is sacrifice, not for our well-being but that of others. Fasting, abstinence and prayer are just a means to achieve that goal not the goals themselves. We are asked to become holy but our holiness in God, like Mother Teresa, must benefit others more than ourselves.
Let make this season of Lent the beginning of being more aware of the needs of those around us, especially those who are suffering in loneliness. Let’s lend a hand to someone who is lonely and at the brink of death. Let’s start with those lonely in our own families especially our elderly parents. Let’s be generous and gracious not just with our money but also with our precious time that money cannot buy.
We may be having a tough time ourselves coping with all the stresses in life to make ends meet. We may have terrible problems of our own to handle, with our spouse, our children, our work, our financial difficulties, and our illness and so on, but amidst all these we must find some time for those who are gripped with the fear of loneliness, those in the twilight of their lives.
We can be assured that if we can do that to one of these least brothers of His, we will be doing it to Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Defying "Allah" ban regretable
Herald must rethink its decision
It is regrettable and deeply disappointing to realize that the Catholic weekly “Herald” has decided to defy the government order to refrain from using the word “Allah” in its publication while awaiting the court’s decision on the matter. Although we may not agree with the ban but it is only right that we continue to approach the issue with much civility and tolerance and with great regard for the general peace and stability in the country with a multiracial and multi-religious population.
It is one of the rare occasions we agree with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar that this issue must be sorted out in an environment which is not confrontational but in an environment of goodwill and understanding. We tend to agree with him that if any one religion decides to show its strength it can be dangerous and can lead to chaos. All religions should be treated as equal as they all teach good values to its followers and should be respected by followers of other faiths.
Disputes between different faiths are inevitable but it is paramount that these should be settled in a peaceful manner with love, tolerance and moderation as the guiding principles not egocentrism and confrontation.
The attitude of the Herald reflects the thinking of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Does the Church want its congregation to adopt a confrontational attitude in solving its misunderstandings with their non-Christian brethren? Isn’t subjecting oneself to authority a sign of humility, and putting the wishes of others above our own preference a sign of love? Aren’t these the great virtues that were demonstrated by Jesus himself?
So much emphasis is made on owning and reading the Bible but not on practicing what it teaches.We must recall that Jesus himself submitted freely to authority, even to the authority that he very well knew would unjustly sentence him to death. What was the message Jesus was trying to convey to us by such an extreme act of humility?
We are entering into the season of such a great virtue of humility - Lent. We are not unjustly asked to give up our lives like Jesus but just to comply with an order to refrain from using the word “Allah” to address God, which we perceive, is unjust. If we cannot emulate Jesus to be humble in very small ways, how can we be worthy to call ourselves his followers?
The Catholic Church has been given a good opportunity to show all Malaysians the true values of Christianity. The Church and the Herald in particular must abandon its decision to go ahead with defying the ban on the use of “Allah” in its publication as a gesture of goodwill and for the overall peace in the country.
This particularly comes at a time when there are positive political developments towards greater racial and religious tolerance and a multiracial approach in governance. These changes may be slow but with God’s grace, have definitely begun. The Church which claims to promote inter-racial goodwill should not stubbornly stand in the way of what the people of all races want or she would have to take the blame for the perpetration of racism and religious fanaticism that has plagued Malaysians for over 50 years.
Dr.Chris Anthony
It is regrettable and deeply disappointing to realize that the Catholic weekly “Herald” has decided to defy the government order to refrain from using the word “Allah” in its publication while awaiting the court’s decision on the matter. Although we may not agree with the ban but it is only right that we continue to approach the issue with much civility and tolerance and with great regard for the general peace and stability in the country with a multiracial and multi-religious population.
It is one of the rare occasions we agree with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar that this issue must be sorted out in an environment which is not confrontational but in an environment of goodwill and understanding. We tend to agree with him that if any one religion decides to show its strength it can be dangerous and can lead to chaos. All religions should be treated as equal as they all teach good values to its followers and should be respected by followers of other faiths.
Disputes between different faiths are inevitable but it is paramount that these should be settled in a peaceful manner with love, tolerance and moderation as the guiding principles not egocentrism and confrontation.
The attitude of the Herald reflects the thinking of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Does the Church want its congregation to adopt a confrontational attitude in solving its misunderstandings with their non-Christian brethren? Isn’t subjecting oneself to authority a sign of humility, and putting the wishes of others above our own preference a sign of love? Aren’t these the great virtues that were demonstrated by Jesus himself?
So much emphasis is made on owning and reading the Bible but not on practicing what it teaches.We must recall that Jesus himself submitted freely to authority, even to the authority that he very well knew would unjustly sentence him to death. What was the message Jesus was trying to convey to us by such an extreme act of humility?
We are entering into the season of such a great virtue of humility - Lent. We are not unjustly asked to give up our lives like Jesus but just to comply with an order to refrain from using the word “Allah” to address God, which we perceive, is unjust. If we cannot emulate Jesus to be humble in very small ways, how can we be worthy to call ourselves his followers?
The Catholic Church has been given a good opportunity to show all Malaysians the true values of Christianity. The Church and the Herald in particular must abandon its decision to go ahead with defying the ban on the use of “Allah” in its publication as a gesture of goodwill and for the overall peace in the country.
This particularly comes at a time when there are positive political developments towards greater racial and religious tolerance and a multiracial approach in governance. These changes may be slow but with God’s grace, have definitely begun. The Church which claims to promote inter-racial goodwill should not stubbornly stand in the way of what the people of all races want or she would have to take the blame for the perpetration of racism and religious fanaticism that has plagued Malaysians for over 50 years.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas reflections 2008
Jesus is born but have we found Him yet?
Three important encounters during this Christmas made be reflect on the the significance of the birth of of Christ to me and us Christians.There were two neglected elderly parents,two couples at the verge of divorce and a close relative who left the faith due to marriage.Then there were 2 case of serious illness in the family.What were the significance of all these at time of celebrations and joy?
Christmas is a commemoration of God’s coming into the world as a man to live among men just like every one of us. He came for all of us – believers and non-believers,good and the bad alike.
His birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the sadness from our lives. But after years of celebrating Christmas after Christmas many of us are yet to see that triumph in our lives and our hopes may be giving way to despair. Has the Messiah really come? If He has where is He? Why doesn't He bring the triumph to dispel the sadness of man?
The real problem today is that we are waiting for God to literally come to us. We celebrate His birth just like that of any one of us – offering prayers, eating, drinking and making merry. We celebrate his coming into the world but we do not welcome Him into our hearts and lives.
Yes, He has come into the world and is very much in our midst but unfortunately we refuse to recognize Him therefore fail to welcome Him into our lives. The way he chose to be born into the world has great significance for us as a great lesson in the wonderful virtue of humility.
By being born to poor parents, in an environment of extreme poverty, Jesus is telling us where He dwells - not in places of majesty and glamour but among the poor and the down-trodden, the sick and dying, the hungry, the oppressed and in those we love and even in those we hate. In short He is in every one we encounter in our daily lives, our spouse, children parents, friends and more importantly our enemies, those who hurt us.
Amidst all our celebrations, did we pause a while to look around us to recognize that Jesus who is among us, in every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in our lives? As step into the New Year, let us make a resolution to look around to recognize Jesus in those who do not have joy and peace in their lives.
Let us resolve to do the little within our means to alleviate the pain and misery in their lives. Let us do whatever we can to give them the hope that triumph will one day wipe out the sadness in the hearts.
We too, like Jesus, must have the humility to come down from our positions of comfort and power to meet Him in the people around us. If we isolate ourselves from the masses by building a fortress around us with all our wealth and power together with greed, selfishness and pride, then we can keep waiting for Jesus all our lives but it will only be in vain.
Jesus is born into the world but have we found him yet? Has he been born into our lives yet? If we haven’t then his birth, that is Christmas, will be just another day to celebrate, eat, drink and make merry. It will never become the day when we bring hope of triumph that dispels the sadness in our lives and in those around us.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Three important encounters during this Christmas made be reflect on the the significance of the birth of of Christ to me and us Christians.There were two neglected elderly parents,two couples at the verge of divorce and a close relative who left the faith due to marriage.Then there were 2 case of serious illness in the family.What were the significance of all these at time of celebrations and joy?
Christmas is a commemoration of God’s coming into the world as a man to live among men just like every one of us. He came for all of us – believers and non-believers,good and the bad alike.
His birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the sadness from our lives. But after years of celebrating Christmas after Christmas many of us are yet to see that triumph in our lives and our hopes may be giving way to despair. Has the Messiah really come? If He has where is He? Why doesn't He bring the triumph to dispel the sadness of man?
The real problem today is that we are waiting for God to literally come to us. We celebrate His birth just like that of any one of us – offering prayers, eating, drinking and making merry. We celebrate his coming into the world but we do not welcome Him into our hearts and lives.
Yes, He has come into the world and is very much in our midst but unfortunately we refuse to recognize Him therefore fail to welcome Him into our lives. The way he chose to be born into the world has great significance for us as a great lesson in the wonderful virtue of humility.
By being born to poor parents, in an environment of extreme poverty, Jesus is telling us where He dwells - not in places of majesty and glamour but among the poor and the down-trodden, the sick and dying, the hungry, the oppressed and in those we love and even in those we hate. In short He is in every one we encounter in our daily lives, our spouse, children parents, friends and more importantly our enemies, those who hurt us.
Amidst all our celebrations, did we pause a while to look around us to recognize that Jesus who is among us, in every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in our lives? As step into the New Year, let us make a resolution to look around to recognize Jesus in those who do not have joy and peace in their lives.
Let us resolve to do the little within our means to alleviate the pain and misery in their lives. Let us do whatever we can to give them the hope that triumph will one day wipe out the sadness in the hearts.
We too, like Jesus, must have the humility to come down from our positions of comfort and power to meet Him in the people around us. If we isolate ourselves from the masses by building a fortress around us with all our wealth and power together with greed, selfishness and pride, then we can keep waiting for Jesus all our lives but it will only be in vain.
Jesus is born into the world but have we found him yet? Has he been born into our lives yet? If we haven’t then his birth, that is Christmas, will be just another day to celebrate, eat, drink and make merry. It will never become the day when we bring hope of triumph that dispels the sadness in our lives and in those around us.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Friday, December 12, 2008
Allah issue an opportunity to exhibit Christ's love
What is in a name after all
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set a new trial date on Feb 27 on the suit filed by our Catholic weekly Herald on the use of the word 'Allah’. It is sad that we have to resort to human judgment to determine the name we use to address the one and the same God for all mankind.
Since the case was filed a number of other interested parties have joined in as co-respondents. These include eight Islamic agencies, the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Gurdwara Association representing the Sikh community. It appears that when the case may be paving the way for a showdown between the Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular, Christians.
"Allah" is the same name used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came. The non-Muslims in Malaysia, like Christians and Sikhs, have been using the word 'Allah' without any problem all these years. It would be wrong for the government now to create an issue out of something which has been a non-issue all these while. What is their motive in forbidding others from using that word?
At a time when racial and religious differences are causing so much tension and anxiety among the people, will a public debate on the 'Allah' issue help to restore the much needed inter-religious harmony? Wouldn’t it aggravate the already existing tense situation.
There is no doubt that we are frustrated at being denied our fundamental rights of worship and are tempted to react with anger and hate. However Jesus has taught us to love all men regardless of the race, religion, social status and political ideology. By his Passion and crucifixion, Jesus has taught us to love and forgive even those who hurt us, to offer the other cheek when struck on one. In short Jesus has asked us to even love our enemies as ourselves which seems to be ridiculous in today’s world. If our neighbour is hurt by what we do or say, wouldn't the right thing for us to do is to refrain from continuing with those offending acts?
This dispute over the right to use "Allah" has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the true meaning of love, goodwill and tolerance as demonstrated by Jesus himself. These virtues may appear to make us the losers in a material world governed by wealth,power and egomania but in the eyes of God, truth will definitely prevail as the ultimate victor in our struggles for justice.
Our judicial system may be a civil way that allows one to seek revenge and hitting back at those who have hurt us in some way. As the true followers of Christ what are we to do? Should we fight back to just to regain our rights to call God Allah? Can’t we call him by some other name? After all what is in a name as God is still God by whatever name we call him.
Instead of spending our time, energy and resources to fight over the use of “Allah” it would be more fruitful for us to be more worried about the rapidly declining influence of the Church in the lives of peoples in the world. Christianity is losing its identity as the promoter of peace, love, humility, forgiveness, morality and a champion of the masses. Let's spend more of our time and energy to address these problems that plague our Church in particular and humanity in general.
Let's implore the Holy Spirit to guide the minds of all so that we can one day, regardless of our different religious believes, come together as His children, to worship the one true God, addressing Him by any name we like.
Dr.Chris Anthony
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set a new trial date on Feb 27 on the suit filed by our Catholic weekly Herald on the use of the word 'Allah’. It is sad that we have to resort to human judgment to determine the name we use to address the one and the same God for all mankind.
Since the case was filed a number of other interested parties have joined in as co-respondents. These include eight Islamic agencies, the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Gurdwara Association representing the Sikh community. It appears that when the case may be paving the way for a showdown between the Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular, Christians.
"Allah" is the same name used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came. The non-Muslims in Malaysia, like Christians and Sikhs, have been using the word 'Allah' without any problem all these years. It would be wrong for the government now to create an issue out of something which has been a non-issue all these while. What is their motive in forbidding others from using that word?
At a time when racial and religious differences are causing so much tension and anxiety among the people, will a public debate on the 'Allah' issue help to restore the much needed inter-religious harmony? Wouldn’t it aggravate the already existing tense situation.
There is no doubt that we are frustrated at being denied our fundamental rights of worship and are tempted to react with anger and hate. However Jesus has taught us to love all men regardless of the race, religion, social status and political ideology. By his Passion and crucifixion, Jesus has taught us to love and forgive even those who hurt us, to offer the other cheek when struck on one. In short Jesus has asked us to even love our enemies as ourselves which seems to be ridiculous in today’s world. If our neighbour is hurt by what we do or say, wouldn't the right thing for us to do is to refrain from continuing with those offending acts?
This dispute over the right to use "Allah" has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the true meaning of love, goodwill and tolerance as demonstrated by Jesus himself. These virtues may appear to make us the losers in a material world governed by wealth,power and egomania but in the eyes of God, truth will definitely prevail as the ultimate victor in our struggles for justice.
Our judicial system may be a civil way that allows one to seek revenge and hitting back at those who have hurt us in some way. As the true followers of Christ what are we to do? Should we fight back to just to regain our rights to call God Allah? Can’t we call him by some other name? After all what is in a name as God is still God by whatever name we call him.
Instead of spending our time, energy and resources to fight over the use of “Allah” it would be more fruitful for us to be more worried about the rapidly declining influence of the Church in the lives of peoples in the world. Christianity is losing its identity as the promoter of peace, love, humility, forgiveness, morality and a champion of the masses. Let's spend more of our time and energy to address these problems that plague our Church in particular and humanity in general.
Let's implore the Holy Spirit to guide the minds of all so that we can one day, regardless of our different religious believes, come together as His children, to worship the one true God, addressing Him by any name we like.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Lessons in life : Paul
The gentleman who holds steadfast to his father’s advice
Introduction
I had the privilege of meeting an elderly gentleman named Paul, on a number of occasions recently. Uncle Paul, as we call him, has been journeying through life for the past 86 years and will be turning 87 come next March. His vast experiences in his life add further to the many lessons I have learnt in my own. I always believe that every human is a marvelous creation of God, who is a chest of knowledge and experience waiting to be tapped. Uncle Paul is undeniably such a marvelous creation of His.
In a world that is so materialistic, competitive, so advanced in technology that life has become more robotic and devoid of empathy, when we are so busy toiling to make ends meet we have very little time for old people like Paul who we consider have nothing valuable to contribute to our advancements. We fail to realise that every human who has walked upon this earth, regardless of race and religion, young or old, rich or poor is a chest of treasure and knowledge for us in life to be utilised for our own benefit and the benefit of those around us.
In fact many of us today do not have the time even for our own aged parents, who have made us what we are now. We find so many excuses to send them away somewhere hoping they would be happier there. We pass the responsibility to others hoping that they can provide better care and comfort than us in our own homes. One such place is the old folk’s homes that are mushrooming all over the country due to the tremendous increase in demand. We may have no choice but these oldies will never opt for such a place if only they had a choice to be taken care in their own homes.
Uncle Paul stays in one such home and he appears to be happy to be with the company of fellow inmates. His basic needs are taken care of reasonably well and he is regularly visited by his children, relatives and friends. Like all parents, he does not blame his children for sending him there, but we know that he misses their continuous company. He misses his home, not just the building but the company of his loved ones.
He lost his wife 20 years ago after a short illness and till today he missed her so dearly. At the twilight of life, his physical and mental faculties are beginning to fail him one by one; he has no permanent companion to cling on for support and reassurance. This is the time he wished so badly that his wife was around to share the pains of old age. His eyes swell with tears each time we talk about the darling in his life. He says “if only my wife was around, I will not be here.”
I learnt a lot about the past from my meetings with him, about life at the time of the British and the Japanese occupation, his family and all his experiences, good and bad, over the past 86 years. As I myself grow older, and my children leaving home one by one, I seem to appreciate his experiences much more as they are becoming increasingly more relevant in my own life. I look around and see that many more are leading such solitude lives without a shoulder to lean on for solace. Am I heading for such a lonely life in the years to come? It is frightening to think I may be so.
Punctuality
Among some of the things that struck me first on meeting Uncle Paul was his neatly groomed appearance and his punctuality. Every time I make an appointment to meet him he is ready waiting for me, neatly dressed in slacks, long sleeved shirt and polished shoes. According to his caretaker he gets ready hours before and sits in the porch eagerly waiting for my arrival. He never forgets to greet me as soon as he sees me. There is so much warmth in his voice and the grip of his handshake.Depite his failing memory he remembers the details of my children and never fails to enquire about them each time we meet.
His punctuality puts many of us to shame who have very little regards for time and people. Punctuality is an indication of our eagerness to meet someone and it reflects the place we accord him in our hearts. I understand if we value somebody’s company then we would never be late to meet him as our minds will always be preoccupied with thoughts of that person. These days very few people value the true company of others and that may be the reasons why we are always late for appointments. We tend to value a person by his material possession not by the contents of his heart.
Living steadfast to his father’s advice
Another interesting thing I learnt from Uncle Paul is his attitude towards his late parents that was reflected in his advice to the youngsters of today. He still remembers and cherishes what his father had advised him when he was working in the government service as a young man.
According to him his father had advised him against taking bribes for whatever reason. He recalls what his late father had told him, “If you need money badly, you may borrow or even beg for it but never accept bribes however desperate you are”.
He adhered to his father’s advised so strictly that he could not afford to own his own house and lived in government quarters all his life. Now all alone at the age of 86, although physically fit, he does not have a place to call home and has to settle for an old folk’s home as his abode. It was the price he had to pay for being steadfast in submitting to his father’s stand against corruption.
It is inspiring to realise that at the age of 86, like a little boy, he still holds steadfastly to the advice of his late father whom he described as a strict and disciplined man.
How often do we listen and submit to the demands of our own parents? When we are older and attained much success wealth and fame, do we still have the humility to listen and respect the wishes of our parents, who may be old and senile? Sometimes we know what they are saying may be not appropriate but do we still listen to them with respect or just brush them aside as irrelevant? These are some of the questions that we should pose to ourselves. As what we do to them today may be repeated by our own children tomorrow.
Honour your father and mother
When asked for his advice to the youngsters of today, who have little respect for the elderly, he says, “They should Honour their father and mother and everything else will be fine”. Reflecting on what he said and recalling my own experiences with many, I realised how right he was. He may be old and senile but he pushed forward a point precisely about a very important issue in our life, which I agree determines whether we attain the happiness we all strive for. If we miss this important lesson then all our efforts to seek that happiness will all be in vain.
To honour our parents is to show great respect for them especially for their pride and honesty. Do the actions in our own lives reflect this honour that is due to them? We must always do things that uphold their pride and honour; otherwise we would be failing them. We make many major decisions in our lives, like choosing our life partners; change of career, travelling all over the world, caring for our children, major illnesses and so on. Do we consult them, at least as a mark of respect, regarding these major changes in our lives? They may not be a position to give us the physical or monetary help but I am sure they can give us something that all the money in the world cannot buy - advice based on love and personal experience. Unfortunately these invaluable commodities are the least we value these days.
Happiness in our lives
Throughout the ages man had strived for happiness in mind and body and till today the foremost target in our lives is this happiness. This is what we work, slog and strive in life. Despite all the successes we achieve very few can be said to be really happy. According to Uncle Paul there is no way we can achieve happiness if we do not make our parents happy. This I have realised is very true. I whatever we do if we consider the feelings of our parents so as not to hurt them; happiness will automatically come to us. Happiness is within our reach, it is we who are not able to reach it by our own selfishness.
Giving what they like, not what we think they like
Often we give our elderly parents what we think they like, not realising that they may not prefer what we give them. As children we believe that we are giving them the best by sending them to the old folk’s home where they have the company and are well catered for their needs. It is pertinent to ask ourselves whether they are really happy to be there. Do they need the company of others who are strangers and physically infirm? Is this what they need most at that advanced age?
They may say that they are happy there because they do not want to burden us further which is the typical sense of magnanimity of all elderly parents towards their children; however negligent or even cruel the children may be to them the parents will always have a soft spot for them in their hearts. They gave us whatever we needed without asking, why should we not at least grant them what they ask?
Loneliness, the greatest fear
His greatest fear, like all elderly people, is loneliness. This was particularly profound after the demise of his wife 20 years ago. He has the feeling that he is all alone in this cruel world. It is pathetic to realise that at the age of 86, staying in a home for the aged and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Uncle Paul has very little to hope for except waiting to be united with his wife by the Lord.
Uncle Paul and many others like him have given us the opportunity to provide them some hope and cheer in their lives especially this approaching season of Christmas. It is not money, gifts or food that they need most. All they asks for is the love of fellow humans like you and I, in particular their children and grandchildren to share a little bit of our time to be with them during some of the special days in their lives.
Dr.Chris Anthony
November 21, 2008
Introduction
I had the privilege of meeting an elderly gentleman named Paul, on a number of occasions recently. Uncle Paul, as we call him, has been journeying through life for the past 86 years and will be turning 87 come next March. His vast experiences in his life add further to the many lessons I have learnt in my own. I always believe that every human is a marvelous creation of God, who is a chest of knowledge and experience waiting to be tapped. Uncle Paul is undeniably such a marvelous creation of His.
In a world that is so materialistic, competitive, so advanced in technology that life has become more robotic and devoid of empathy, when we are so busy toiling to make ends meet we have very little time for old people like Paul who we consider have nothing valuable to contribute to our advancements. We fail to realise that every human who has walked upon this earth, regardless of race and religion, young or old, rich or poor is a chest of treasure and knowledge for us in life to be utilised for our own benefit and the benefit of those around us.
In fact many of us today do not have the time even for our own aged parents, who have made us what we are now. We find so many excuses to send them away somewhere hoping they would be happier there. We pass the responsibility to others hoping that they can provide better care and comfort than us in our own homes. One such place is the old folk’s homes that are mushrooming all over the country due to the tremendous increase in demand. We may have no choice but these oldies will never opt for such a place if only they had a choice to be taken care in their own homes.
Uncle Paul stays in one such home and he appears to be happy to be with the company of fellow inmates. His basic needs are taken care of reasonably well and he is regularly visited by his children, relatives and friends. Like all parents, he does not blame his children for sending him there, but we know that he misses their continuous company. He misses his home, not just the building but the company of his loved ones.
He lost his wife 20 years ago after a short illness and till today he missed her so dearly. At the twilight of life, his physical and mental faculties are beginning to fail him one by one; he has no permanent companion to cling on for support and reassurance. This is the time he wished so badly that his wife was around to share the pains of old age. His eyes swell with tears each time we talk about the darling in his life. He says “if only my wife was around, I will not be here.”
I learnt a lot about the past from my meetings with him, about life at the time of the British and the Japanese occupation, his family and all his experiences, good and bad, over the past 86 years. As I myself grow older, and my children leaving home one by one, I seem to appreciate his experiences much more as they are becoming increasingly more relevant in my own life. I look around and see that many more are leading such solitude lives without a shoulder to lean on for solace. Am I heading for such a lonely life in the years to come? It is frightening to think I may be so.
Punctuality
Among some of the things that struck me first on meeting Uncle Paul was his neatly groomed appearance and his punctuality. Every time I make an appointment to meet him he is ready waiting for me, neatly dressed in slacks, long sleeved shirt and polished shoes. According to his caretaker he gets ready hours before and sits in the porch eagerly waiting for my arrival. He never forgets to greet me as soon as he sees me. There is so much warmth in his voice and the grip of his handshake.Depite his failing memory he remembers the details of my children and never fails to enquire about them each time we meet.
His punctuality puts many of us to shame who have very little regards for time and people. Punctuality is an indication of our eagerness to meet someone and it reflects the place we accord him in our hearts. I understand if we value somebody’s company then we would never be late to meet him as our minds will always be preoccupied with thoughts of that person. These days very few people value the true company of others and that may be the reasons why we are always late for appointments. We tend to value a person by his material possession not by the contents of his heart.
Living steadfast to his father’s advice
Another interesting thing I learnt from Uncle Paul is his attitude towards his late parents that was reflected in his advice to the youngsters of today. He still remembers and cherishes what his father had advised him when he was working in the government service as a young man.
According to him his father had advised him against taking bribes for whatever reason. He recalls what his late father had told him, “If you need money badly, you may borrow or even beg for it but never accept bribes however desperate you are”.
He adhered to his father’s advised so strictly that he could not afford to own his own house and lived in government quarters all his life. Now all alone at the age of 86, although physically fit, he does not have a place to call home and has to settle for an old folk’s home as his abode. It was the price he had to pay for being steadfast in submitting to his father’s stand against corruption.
It is inspiring to realise that at the age of 86, like a little boy, he still holds steadfastly to the advice of his late father whom he described as a strict and disciplined man.
How often do we listen and submit to the demands of our own parents? When we are older and attained much success wealth and fame, do we still have the humility to listen and respect the wishes of our parents, who may be old and senile? Sometimes we know what they are saying may be not appropriate but do we still listen to them with respect or just brush them aside as irrelevant? These are some of the questions that we should pose to ourselves. As what we do to them today may be repeated by our own children tomorrow.
Honour your father and mother
When asked for his advice to the youngsters of today, who have little respect for the elderly, he says, “They should Honour their father and mother and everything else will be fine”. Reflecting on what he said and recalling my own experiences with many, I realised how right he was. He may be old and senile but he pushed forward a point precisely about a very important issue in our life, which I agree determines whether we attain the happiness we all strive for. If we miss this important lesson then all our efforts to seek that happiness will all be in vain.
To honour our parents is to show great respect for them especially for their pride and honesty. Do the actions in our own lives reflect this honour that is due to them? We must always do things that uphold their pride and honour; otherwise we would be failing them. We make many major decisions in our lives, like choosing our life partners; change of career, travelling all over the world, caring for our children, major illnesses and so on. Do we consult them, at least as a mark of respect, regarding these major changes in our lives? They may not be a position to give us the physical or monetary help but I am sure they can give us something that all the money in the world cannot buy - advice based on love and personal experience. Unfortunately these invaluable commodities are the least we value these days.
Happiness in our lives
Throughout the ages man had strived for happiness in mind and body and till today the foremost target in our lives is this happiness. This is what we work, slog and strive in life. Despite all the successes we achieve very few can be said to be really happy. According to Uncle Paul there is no way we can achieve happiness if we do not make our parents happy. This I have realised is very true. I whatever we do if we consider the feelings of our parents so as not to hurt them; happiness will automatically come to us. Happiness is within our reach, it is we who are not able to reach it by our own selfishness.
Giving what they like, not what we think they like
Often we give our elderly parents what we think they like, not realising that they may not prefer what we give them. As children we believe that we are giving them the best by sending them to the old folk’s home where they have the company and are well catered for their needs. It is pertinent to ask ourselves whether they are really happy to be there. Do they need the company of others who are strangers and physically infirm? Is this what they need most at that advanced age?
They may say that they are happy there because they do not want to burden us further which is the typical sense of magnanimity of all elderly parents towards their children; however negligent or even cruel the children may be to them the parents will always have a soft spot for them in their hearts. They gave us whatever we needed without asking, why should we not at least grant them what they ask?
Loneliness, the greatest fear
His greatest fear, like all elderly people, is loneliness. This was particularly profound after the demise of his wife 20 years ago. He has the feeling that he is all alone in this cruel world. It is pathetic to realise that at the age of 86, staying in a home for the aged and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Uncle Paul has very little to hope for except waiting to be united with his wife by the Lord.
Uncle Paul and many others like him have given us the opportunity to provide them some hope and cheer in their lives especially this approaching season of Christmas. It is not money, gifts or food that they need most. All they asks for is the love of fellow humans like you and I, in particular their children and grandchildren to share a little bit of our time to be with them during some of the special days in their lives.
Dr.Chris Anthony
November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Politics and religion
Worship or service
Of late I have been following closely the debate over politics and religion among the readers of Herald in its letters column. There was widespread criticism of the writer who expressed that the Church should restrict itself to purely worship and not get involved in politics. The vast majority of the readers rightly were of the view that politics and religion go hand in hand and cannot be divorced from our lives as Christians.
Politics is defined as “the activities of the government, members of law-making organizations or people who try to influence the way a country is governed” and religion is “the belief in and worship of God or any such system of belief and worship”.
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the son of God and whatever he taught was the absolute truth. As he was God himself there were no flaws whatsoever in his teachings which remains relevant throughout the ages. As man he led an exemplary life for all of us to see, indicating what we should and should not do during our life on earth.
Jesus taught us many things through his preaching, parables and most importantly by his examples. His teachings were very simple to be comprehended by all but we had made them so complex to become beyond the comprehension of many even highly educated people. Today we have to spend many precious years to try to understand what Jesus really taught us.
All his teachings can be simplified into his 2 great commandments: Firstly, love God with all your heart and mind and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.
There is an emerging trend today, among followers of all faiths including Christians, to indulge themselves in prayer, fasting, pilgrimages and all forms of rituals to please God but failing to recognize the plight of those around us. They seem to be just interested in worship but not service. It is people like these who would say that the Church must be exclusively involved in worship not service.
As the followers of Christ we should not only love God but love our neighbor as well. Jesus had made it absolutely clear that we cannot love God if we do not love our fellow men. How can we say we love our neighbor when we do nothing when they are persecuted and ignore their cries for help? Wouldn’t we want others to sympathesize and come to our aid when we are in such a situation?
If we truly love fellow men then it is equally important to ensure that our system of governance is also tailored to impart that love to the people. It is our duty as lovers of God to ensure that the government we help to form exhibit that love for fellow men, by catering for their basic needs, alleviating their impoverished states and granting them justice and freedom.
Discrimination in the any form, racial, religious, social or political is unjust, so is denial of basic human rights and freedom, and these must be resisted peacefully at all costs. The abuse of the Internal Security Act (ISA) is just one of those injustices in our country. If we really love God then we are duty-bound to defend not just ours but the rights of our fellow men as well. But as Christians this resistance and protest must be absolutely peaceful and with the expression of love, not hatred, for the “enemy” that perpetrates the injustice.
Politics and religion are inter-twined and cannot be divorced from each other. If we do so we would be separating worship from service that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. The good moral values propagated by religion should be used as the basis for good governance that includes accountability, morality, compassion and love in serving the people.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Of late I have been following closely the debate over politics and religion among the readers of Herald in its letters column. There was widespread criticism of the writer who expressed that the Church should restrict itself to purely worship and not get involved in politics. The vast majority of the readers rightly were of the view that politics and religion go hand in hand and cannot be divorced from our lives as Christians.
Politics is defined as “the activities of the government, members of law-making organizations or people who try to influence the way a country is governed” and religion is “the belief in and worship of God or any such system of belief and worship”.
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the son of God and whatever he taught was the absolute truth. As he was God himself there were no flaws whatsoever in his teachings which remains relevant throughout the ages. As man he led an exemplary life for all of us to see, indicating what we should and should not do during our life on earth.
Jesus taught us many things through his preaching, parables and most importantly by his examples. His teachings were very simple to be comprehended by all but we had made them so complex to become beyond the comprehension of many even highly educated people. Today we have to spend many precious years to try to understand what Jesus really taught us.
All his teachings can be simplified into his 2 great commandments: Firstly, love God with all your heart and mind and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.
There is an emerging trend today, among followers of all faiths including Christians, to indulge themselves in prayer, fasting, pilgrimages and all forms of rituals to please God but failing to recognize the plight of those around us. They seem to be just interested in worship but not service. It is people like these who would say that the Church must be exclusively involved in worship not service.
As the followers of Christ we should not only love God but love our neighbor as well. Jesus had made it absolutely clear that we cannot love God if we do not love our fellow men. How can we say we love our neighbor when we do nothing when they are persecuted and ignore their cries for help? Wouldn’t we want others to sympathesize and come to our aid when we are in such a situation?
If we truly love fellow men then it is equally important to ensure that our system of governance is also tailored to impart that love to the people. It is our duty as lovers of God to ensure that the government we help to form exhibit that love for fellow men, by catering for their basic needs, alleviating their impoverished states and granting them justice and freedom.
Discrimination in the any form, racial, religious, social or political is unjust, so is denial of basic human rights and freedom, and these must be resisted peacefully at all costs. The abuse of the Internal Security Act (ISA) is just one of those injustices in our country. If we really love God then we are duty-bound to defend not just ours but the rights of our fellow men as well. But as Christians this resistance and protest must be absolutely peaceful and with the expression of love, not hatred, for the “enemy” that perpetrates the injustice.
Politics and religion are inter-twined and cannot be divorced from each other. If we do so we would be separating worship from service that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. The good moral values propagated by religion should be used as the basis for good governance that includes accountability, morality, compassion and love in serving the people.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Friday, October 03, 2008
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