Arts Stirs the Human Soul

Its amazing to see how arts, even our dying art, Wayang Kulit can speak powerfully and emotively to the oppressed. The kids of Berembang are amazing.

Absolute Truth

"This is not an easy time to be doing evangelism. I was at a public lecture given by Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, in Singapore recently. He reminded us that since September 11, there are those who argue that religious communities should surrender any notion of absolute truth. (And if we no longer hold to absolute truth then why bother with the hard work of evangelism.) These voices argue that it is because the different religions believe in absolute truth, and believe different things to be true, that are a key cause of violence and conflict in the world.

Archbishop Williams did not deny that the different religious communities need to work harder at learning how to live together. But he said that to surrender a commitment to absolute truth would not remove intercommunal conflict. If we surrender a commitment to absolute truth, all we will be left with is raw power and the groups with more power will try to subjugate those with less. There will no longer be the ethical leavening of a commitment to any truth higher than us. Intercommunal conflict will continue and may indeed worsen.

Christians should be at the forefront of any attempt to build bridges of understanding between different communities. Among other things, we believe in the dignities of all peoples because we believe that all bear the image of God. But we will not surrender our commitment to absolute truth because the God of the universe has revealed Himself, first in His dealings with Israel, then through Christ, and then through the Bible that bears testimony to His revelation (Hebrews 1:1-4)." -- Soo Inn

All Is Fair In The Service

Since I am going to spend a significant portion if not a whole portion of my life serving in the Public Service, might as well I promote the JPA, my boss.

An article on Civil Service in the Star today interviewed a few people of the minority race on their experience in their career. Liow Tiong Lai mentioned that it is part of chinese culture and history for people to study hard and pass exams in orders to be scholars, and thus civil servants. Haha. This clearly reflects some of our fellow SPM-candidate's craze to score as much A1s as possible.

There are a few myths that surround the civil service I suppose,

1) Discrimination
2) Low pay
3) Lack of job prospects and unfair promotions
4) Cultural barriers with colleagues
5) Negative connotations in regards to the inefficiency of the civil service

Dr Chua Hong Teck says, "We always hear people complaining about how the public delivery system is lacking and how frustrated they feel whenever a task, which involves any government procedure, is so arduous.

Why then do they not become a part of the system and make a change? Do not always complain just because the front liners of any given government department give a bit of hassle...

Therefore, I urge parents to help change their mindset, and in so doing, their children’s. Do not base your assumptions of the public service on just what you hear.

Think of the type of country that you want, and take the effort to make it happen."

Goh Wei Liang says, "Don't criticise and criticise and criticise only. If the public service is that bad, why don't you join us and change the system?"

Datuk Dr. Victor Wee says, "We are a democratic country, and with a more balanced ethnic composition of government servants, the nation would see a more dynamic environment – one that would prove very beneficial to us all as Malaysians."

Kerepoklekor says, "Do not ask what the country can do for you, as yourself what can you do for your country? Complaint somemore lah, later when your straight A1 son become a bonded civil servant then you only know."

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

"The whole issue of searching for life is shrouded by *metaphysical* issues. By 'metaphysics' I mean literally mean 'beyond' - physics. Persuasion, conviction, optimism and pessimism about the existence of self-identifying life are an important context in which we do objective science. All that is being said here is that science is not done in a metaphysical vacuum. We do science, give priorities to projects in science and spend resources on the basis of such metaphysics. But metaphysics is a broad area which involves lots of human traits.

Our belief systems - religious or otherwise, our assumptions, our desires and hopes. Perhaps in the case of SETI, our cosmic significance too. We live increasingly in a world looking for spiritual understanding of ourselves. The rejection of traditional religion has opened a way to new spiritual searches. These may be a Paul Davies' 'Mind of God' or new age crystal power or, indeed, spirituality in a quest for aliens. As such there are going to be naysayers and enthusiasts for all sorts of reasons. And equally, for all sorts of reasons, such parties are going to be against or for SETI.

So, we need to understand the issues at two levels. Firstly on the science side we need to strive for excellence at doing the best possible science, and, secondly, inextricably tied to the first, on the metaphysical side, we need to open up debate on the big issues which confront us as human beings. If we should find self-identifying life and it can be proven objectively that such exists then indeed we have found something absolutely astounding! Yet equally, if after many years of work we do not find evidence for artificial signals then we may lose interest or perhaps conclude that, for all intents and purposes, we are alone. Such a conclusion also has far reaching implications."

Dr Frank Stootman, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Of L'Abri Australia and Krispy Kreme

Quoting from the website, "L'Abri is a French word that means shelter. The first L'Abri community was founded in Switzerland in 1955 by Dr. Francis Schaeffer and his wife, Edith. Dr. Schaeffer was a Christian theologian and philosopher who also authored a number of books on theology, philosophy, general culture and the arts.

The L'Abri communities are study centers in Europe, Asia and America where individuals have the opportunity to seek answers to honest questions about God and the significance of human life. L'Abri believes that Christianity speaks to all aspects of life."

Even as I I've been blessed with the hospitality of Dr. Frank and Heather Stootman in their home, L'Abri Australia, in Elderslie an suburb southwest of Sydney on my transit back to Malaysia. Frank is an associate professor in the University of Western Sydney, teaching computer programming while having majored in astrophysics, with quite a great CV as well, including serving as the chairman of SETI Australia (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence). How on earth can a serious Christian be seriously involved in searching for UFOs and aliens? You ask him! Heather at the other hand was a tutor in Chemistry, majoring in something that I am not definitely good in, the structure of some chemical molecule and its conformational shapes.

We had great conversations over meal, watching video and having coffee, particularly on the ideas of Francis Schaeffer, history, the Roman empire, faith, God, values, Jesus, Muhammad, society, democracy, totalitarian regimes, China, India, Islam, Buddhism, Western civilisation, the value of human life, humanism, secularism, family life, gardening and classical music.

It has been a very stimulating and refreshing experience to be with him and his wife, learning from their wisdom, imitating their simple and humble lifestyle, as well as knowing them as friends and followers of Jesus, parents of three kids whom do not follow their parents footsteps in the scientific academia.

Its sad that I would have to leave tomorrow for Malaysia. Would love to come back and stay with them longer. Probably one of the anecdotal lesson that I learnt from them is, "grace is a powerful thing. You would give something away and never expect anything in return, and people owe you. Having people owing you is the greatest virtue of all, like how all of us owe God his sacrifice through Jesus".

Besides, I've tried Krispy Kreme for the first time, since I miss that out last year. I would say that it is overrated.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound (Piopiotahi), South Island

Dan jiwaku pun memuji-Mu,
Sungguh besar Kau Tuhanku,

Hear the Scholars Speak

"Malaysians are told, time and again, in the most paternalistic and patronising manner that insults our intelligence, that we need to be guarded, policed and controlled for our own good. We are fed the standard hogwash and bile that demonstrating is a non-Malaysian trait, and that to demonstrate against the abuses by the powers-that-be is unpatriotic, un-Asian and un-Malaysian...

Yet in Malaysia this most fundamental freedom- to speak, to state our opinions, to disagree, to refuse and to resist is denied to us on the spurious notion of national security and integrity. We are denied our fundamental, essential right to be human beings with rational agency and choice and the ability to express that choice...

By whom? By the very same people who decide that they can - if they wish - demonstrate on issues close to their heart and when it suits them by giving them the political standing they need..." -- Farish Noor

"Khalifah Abu Bakar, pemerintah Islam selepas Nabi Muhammad wafat, pada permulaan pemerintahannya, berkata:

“Saya bukanlah yang paling baik di antara kamu. Jika saya betul, sokonglah saya. Jika saya salah, tegurlah saya"..."

Kita diperintah oleh agama kita supaya memerintah dengan adil. Jangan kerana marah kita gagal melakukan keadilan yang dituntut itu. Isu-isu lain tidak penting; yang penting sungutan mereka yang benar dan sah. Mungkin 75% peratus daripada tuntutan mereka tidak benar dan tidak sah, tetapi 25% yang benar dan sah mesti ditangani segera.

Saya orang Melayu. Saya sayang kepada orang Melayu. Tetapi saya tidak boleh sokong orang Melayu yang bersikap fanatik dan perkauman, kerana kita semuanya anak-cucu Adam, makhluk Tuhan yang Tuhan muliakan, sama ada kita Melayu, Cina atau India atau suku-kaum lain. Sebagai makluk Tuhan, kita layak dihormati. Kita pula rakyat Malaysia yang sedang membangunkan negara kita supaya maju dan dihormati di seluruh dunia." -- Kassim Ahmad

"For democracy to have any sort of meaning, it must be part of our lives every day...

It is not just opposition people who engage with the Government. Ordinary people and civil society want to have a say, too... Furthermore, there are people who support or even like most of what the ruling party does but disagree with some of its decisions. Surely, they have the right to voice their concerns?

That right of dissent is a vital component in a democracy, as it helps to ensure that governments are aware that their responsibility and culpability to citizens is something that exists all the time...

The question is how that dissent should be expressed...A democracy needs dissent. It needs a free press; it needs people to express themselves...

Anything less is disrespecting our inalienable and fundamental freedoms." -- Azmi Sharom

Shall We Weep for the Slums of Kuala Lumpur

wwjd in kampung Berembang?

(picture courtesy of politikus)

Bahasa Malaysia, Jiwa Bangsa Berdaulat

I remembered posting up to Utusan Malaysia many moons ago complaining about our lack of appreciation towards Bahasa Malaysia. Many moons ago I was a bit radical and have the supremacist mentality by supporting legal enforcement on the usage of the national language. But today I feel that any amount of draconian or legal enforcement would not change the heart of many. The love of the Malay language comes from education and integration with the wider society, true to the Malay proverb, "tidak kenal maka tidak cinta".

The lack of integration with the wider Malay-speaking society could be possibly one of the reasons many Chinese and Indians do not see the worth of speaking it nor passing it on to their children. This reflects a deeper hidden polarisation within society which stems out from socio-political differences, which is very hard to overcome.

Besides, the dominance of English as the world's lingua franca, and the emerging Mandarin as a new international language would probably pose a challenge to Malaysians to defend their unique heritage. It calls for parents and students to cherish and celebrate, not only the ability to speak in multiple languages, but also to share in the passion of defending our cultural identity.

Probably if there is genuine reconciliation with the bumiputera and the kaum pendatang, and a promise of a true future together, maybe all of us would be more passionate about our national heritage.

Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa

Gone Fishin

Para pembaca mungkin berasa hairan dengan tiadanya post baru blog saya. Untuk pengetahuan saudara, saya kini bersama ibu dan rakan keluarga bercuti di Pulau Utara dan Selatan. Kami sudahpun melawat beberapa tempat dengan kereta sewa, ke Cape Reinga, Keri-keri, Auckland, Rotorua dan dalam masa beberapa minit lagi terbang ke Queenstown.

Besarlah hati saya jika para pembaca dapat mendoakan keselamatan dan keselesaan kami sepanjang percutian kami, dengan jalanraya yang berliku, bengkang-bengkok dan berbukit-bukau tidak seperti Lebuhraya Utara Selatan, projek kerajaan BN di negara sendiri.

Kami berasa seronok dan terpaku menikmati keindahan alam semulajadi, menarik memerhatikan budaya dan cara hidup di Aoteoroa, tetapi merindui keluarga, saudara-mara, masyarakat dan makanan di negara sendiri.

Di samping itu, saya sungguh kagum dengan kesungguhan kerajaan Aoteoroa untuk memelihara budaya Maori tempatan, di samping hak, kebajikan, keadilan ekonomi dan sosial kumpulan-kumpulan minoriti Asia, Kepulauan Pasifik, Timur Tengah dan sebagainya. Inilah demokrasi yang memelihara kesejahteraan dan suara rakyat yang tidak mampu untuk bersuara.

Dengan beberapa demonstrasi rakyat yang dileraikan baru-baru ini, saya risau akan ketidakupayaan rakyat yang lemah untuk bersuara. Saya doakan agar negeri saya menjadi lebih baik daripada Aoteoroa, satu hari nanti.

Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan.

Hujan emas di negeri orang,

Hujan batu di negeri sendiri,

Baik sungguh negeri orang,

Baik lagi negeri sendiri.

Auckland Institute of Technology

Its an UoA internal joke.

Yeah Right

Dinafikan oleh Menteri Penerangan apabila ditanya tentang tindakan polis meleraikan dengan keterlaluan, penyerahan memorandum kepada Yang Di-Pertuan Agong untuk meminta pilihanraya yang lebih telus. Apa yang rakyat mahukan mungkin cuma sekeping keyakinan.

Keluarga Bahagia

A tribute to Alan, Mel and Natty who became like a family for me this year, far away from my real family back home. Thanks for sharing your lives with me.

A million thanks also to my class groupmates and classmates, my fellow UMSA committee members, Tab cell group, TSCF brethrens, online Agoran friends and individual friends who have been part of my life this year.

I thank God for the time spent together, conversations made, projects done, prayers said, intellectual ramblings sparked, complaints heard, with support and affirmation. Truly your presence in my life has totally enriched my perspective in life.

Our human capacity for friendship and relationship, is a proof of our deepest longings for love, friendship and community. As sweet as this may be, let us be reminded that ultimate satisfaction do not come from these, but in God alone.

The grass whither and the flower fades, friends depart, wives die, children migrate. Youthful vigour decreases, intellect fails, bones break, flesh torn, memories lost, achievements insignificant. But God's faithfulness stands forever.

Mengapa kita terpisah daripada rahmatNya?
Mungkinkah kita seringkali melupakanNya?
-- Saujana

A Remembrance of My Schoolmates

A big portion of my schooling life and growing up in church is spent with some cool dudes. I must say that I am proud that I am small part of their life at least. Introducing two people, David Lin and Clement Foo who are 3 years younger than me.



Both of them are part our Firewalkers Youth Fellowship led by Aunty Guat Thoo, then His Generation by Ps. Koshy, besides the LCDS (English Club) in school. Clement was also part of the first two drama production that we've done together and won the State championship.

Now David Lin is doing his ADP programme to continue his studies in the United States, whereas I am not too sure what he's doing. But he's a really good musician and performer that he won the recent Digi Celebriteen Competition in Kuantan. David in his blog described Clement's song, "I'll be your friend" has been in the top chart of some competition by Fly FM for four consecutive nights, beating other pop stars. He is coming out with his own album soon too.


What I liked about both of them is their fun, easy-going, approachable character and also humility (I hope), besides their passion for God. I remembered them, upon a choice of attending prayer meeting for SPM students and Miss Ee's english tuition class, choose to forgo the latter to come and pray.

I with them all the best for their future undertakings and may God bring them to greater heights in His Kingdom. Who says that kampung terengganu folks can't shine?

Kebebasan dan naluri manusia

Akhirnya, bolehlah saya menghirup udara segar setelah habis peperiksaan semester kedua. Panjang sekali terasa semester ini berlalu seolah-olah gari yang mencengkam kebebasan. Kebebasan untuk tidur petang, kebebasan untuk bangun lewat, kebebasan untuk pergi membeli-belah di bandar, kebebasan untuk menghabiskan masa dengan sahabat handai, kebebasan untuk membaca buku dan menonton siaran yang digemari, dan sebagainya.

Manis sekali kebebasan ini. Bagi masyarakat-masyarakat yang ditindas seperti Myanmar, Korea Utara, Palestin, Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe dan negara-negara di mana penindasan dirahsiakan daripada pengetahuan dunia, kebebasan mempunyai makna yang istimewa dalam sanubari hidup dan masyarakat. Aspirasi kebebasan itu menghiburkan jiwa disebalik tahanan penjara, penderaan, pembuangan negeri, kekejaman junta tentera dan penjajah, termasuklah kerajaan yang tidak demokratik. Rakyat tidak dibenarkan bercanggah pendapat dengan pemerintah, jauh sekali daripada menyuarakannya. Semua orang dipaksa untuk menjadi rakyat robot yang hanya mengia-iakan propaganda pihak berkuasa.

Namun apa yang lebih sedih ialah apabila perkataan "bebas" dijadikan seolah-olah perkataan yang kotor. Bebas dituduh sebagai perkataan yang menggalakkan keruntuhan moral, yang menggalakkan ketidakstabilan politik, ekonomi dan sosial, yang boleh menhancurkan peradaban. Bebas itu seolah-olah seekor lipas yang perlu dibunuh agar tidak bertelur, membiak dan mengotorkan rumah.

Benarkah perumpamaan ini? Teruk sangatkah kebebasan ini? Jika kebebasan itu kotor, masakan beribu-ribu pejuang kemerdekaan sanggup menggadai nyawa, masakan beratus-ratus peguam dari Majlis peguam berdemonstrasi meminta kebebasan badan kehakiman, masakan Pak Sako dan penulis-penulis yang ikhlas sanggup menulis untuk memperjuangkan nasionalisme dan kemerdekaan, masakan penulis-penulis hari ini ingin menyuarakan pendapat mereka, masakan pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan Palestin?

Hipokritlah kita jika kita menyokong gerakan kebebasan pada zaman pra-merdeka 1957 dan perjuangan kebebasan di negara lain, jika kita sendiri menyokong ketidakbebasan pada hari ini. Mungkinkah keseronokan memiliki kuasa politik, keselesaan pengaruh wang ringgit, harta benda dan kemewahan yang dimiliki kita melalaikan kita? Kita seringkali berdiam diri dan bersikap acuh tidak acuh, kerana jika kita inginkan kebebasan, keselesaan dan keseronokan ini akan hilang?

Atau kebebasan itu kotor kerana junta tentera, kerajaan yang zalim, penjajah, pihak berkuasa itu mahu terus kekal berkuasa? Mungkin bukan sahaja berkuasa dari segi fizikal, juga berkuasa dari segi mencengkam pemikiran dan mentaliti orang ramai seperti menanam perasaan benci antara rakyat?

Jika orang ramai dibenarkan kebebasan, adakah mereka akan membuat pilihan yang teruk? Wajarkah kita mendakwa bahawa mereka akan membuat keputusan yang teruk? Jika orang ramai membuat pilihan yang buruk, adakah itu disebabkan kelemahan didikan kita, bukannya kelemahan gari cengkaman pemerintah? Siapakah kita untuk menentukan apa itu keputusan yang "baik" dan apa itu "buruk"?

Sama-samalah kita renungkan, fikirkan, perbualkan dan debatkan dalam sanubari diri kita.

Pantun Parodi Kritis dan Kreatif

Sorong papan tarik papan,
Buah keranji dalam perahu,
Suruh hafal saya hafal,
Suruh berfikir saya tak tahu,

Singgah sebentar ke pekan Meru,
Tertembung fakir minta sedekah,
Jawapan pun harapkan guru,
Inikan pula berakad nikah,

Redup sekali si pohon sena,
Semarak pohonan di negri Lingga,
Kalau dilarang sini dan sana,
Kritis kreatif laranglah juga,

Licik sekali si cicak mengkarung,
Dilastik getah hilang ekornya,
Adat bersilat wajarlah bertarung,
Adat berguru wajarlah bertanya,

Biji asam usah ditelan,
Andai ingkar tersedaklah kamu,
Malu bertanya sesatlah jalan
Malu berdebat sesatlah ilmu,

Ikan senohong ikan gelama,
Pukat sekali bawa ke darat,
Janganlah taklid perihal agama,
Nantikan rugi dunia dan akhirat,

Manis delima petik-petikkan,
Berhidang sekali buah berangan,
Model jawapan hafal-hafalkan,
Soalan bocor itulah gerangan,

-- diilhamkan pada 4.27 pagi, sambil belajar Sel Alveolar jenis I dan II

Barking Dog

Be a city on a hill, not a barking dog on a hill. -- Matthew 5:14 (paraphrase mine)

Happy Deepavali

Selamat Hari Deepavali diucapkan kepada semua sahabat handai yang berketurunan Tamil, Punjabi, Malayanam, Bengali dan sebagainya. Semoga pesta cahaya ini memberi peringatan untuk kita untuk menjadi cahaya kehidupan kepada mereka yang memerlukan, termasuklah mereka yang miskin, ketinggalan, dilupai dan ditindas.

Dengan pemusnahan kuil-kuil yang mempunyai sejarah hampir 50-60 tahun seperti di Kampung Rimba Jaya baru-baru ini seperti yang dilaporkan dalam media dan kenyataan umum MCCBCHST, saya lihat majoriti rakyat Malaysia masih tak tahu menahu dan tidak kisah tentang perkembangan ini. Ketidakupayaan masyarakat Hindu untuk mendapat tanah gazet dan kemiskinan untuk membeli tanah persendirian mahal setentunya menyukarkan masyarakat Hindu miskin di Lembah Kelang untuk beribadat.

Suara minoriti Hindu Malaysia makin kian kurang kedengaran, saya risau. Bersama dengan masalah kemiskinan, keciciran pelajaran, ketidakadilan ekonomi antara yang kaya, miskin dan antara-kaum menimbulkan tanda tanya: Apakah yang dibuat, dan apa yang boleh dibuat oleh kita, jiran-jiran membantu saudara kita ini?

Saya gembira dengan suara-suara baru yang memberikan harapan walau sekecil api lilin termasuklah Samy Vellu yang lebih berminat untuk berbalas pantun dengan Kayveas. Mujurlah beliau telah menyelesaikan masalah itu dengan MB Selangor, namun tiada jaminan bahawa kes ini tidak akan berlaku pada masa hadapan. Kata-kata Farish Noor sungguh bermakna sekali.

"Dalam kata pendek, apa yang kita saksikan hari ini adalah pemusnahan kuil-kuil Malaysia, dan sebab itulah kita rakyat Malaysia patut bimbang. Tidak kira apa agama yang kita anuti dan tidak kita anuti, ini adalah isu yang perlu dihadapi oleh kita sebagai masyarakat. Memperakui bahawa kuil-kuil ini adalah kuil-kuil Malaysia bermaksud menempatkannya di sini, di tanah air kita, sebagai jati diri bersama dan apa yang makna kepada identiti diri kita" (penterjemahan saya)

Entah-entah mungkin Candi Lembah Bujang dekat Perak pun dibina atas tanah haram. Kalaulah nanti Koridor Utara nak bina lebuh raya, bolehlah kita robohkan.

Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka

Click To Play

If you think that this is another video with pseudo-propaganda to instill patriotism, I am sorry you are terribly wrong. The untold story of the leftist "People's Movement" for independence and Hartal, by Fahmi Reza is certainly worth the watch.

When it says people it means the people; labourers, women and laypeople of all ethnicities, not Kings, pseudo-datuks, nor in-laws. Hidup Sang Saka original!

Adil itu lebih dekat kepada Taqwa

Thanks Azri for the link. May we find delight in truth and justice.

Bersikap adil terhadap kawan dan lawan amatlah sukar. Namun itulah tuntutan Islam yang agung ini. Hati manusia biasanya akan berpihak kepada orang yang disukai, sekalipun dia di pihak yang salah. Sukar pula untuk menyokong orang yang dibenci, sekalipun dia di pihak yang benar. Apabila perasaan tidak terkawal atau berdisiplin dengan ajaran Islam, maka insan biasanya akan mencari justifikasi untuk membela kesilapan orang disukainya. Dalam masa yang sama, dia mungkin akan mencari ruang untuk mempersalahkan musuh yang dibencinya. Sikap seperti ini menjadi barah kehidupan. Jika ia menguasai masyarakat, kebenaran akan terhapus dan kebatilan akan dibela...

Sikap ini hadir kadang kala disebabkan taksub yang berlebihan, atau kebencian yang berlebihan, atau sayang yang berlebihan, atau adanya kepentingan tertentu di sebalik kebencian yang dipamirkan atau sokongan yang diberikan. Hasilnya nanti, ketidakadilan hukuman atau penilaian akan berlaku. Ada pihak akan menjadi mangsa dendam dan perasaan. Kebenaran akan dinafikan hanya kerana kebencian. Kesalahan akan dinilai dengan kebaikan hanya kerana ketaksuban atau kecintaan atau kepentingan. Sebab itulah Islam memusuhi sikap yang seperti ini...

Kami tidak mahu menghadkan diri kami mengambil ilmu hanya dari seorang tokoh lalu mengharamkan kesarjanaan dan keilmuan tokoh-tokoh yang lain. Bagi kami, dalil dan hujah itu yang utama, bukan siapa tokohnya. Lihatlah dunia dengan mata yang terbuka dan minda yang bercahaya. Sesiapa yang ingin maju, dia mesti mengambil pengetahuan dari mana sahaja ia datang, bukan menjumudkan diri dengan hanya satu pandangan. Akhirnya, kita menjadi sempit dan memusuhi dunia yang kita tidak kenali hanya kerana kejumudan kita.

Saya amat berbahagia dengan sokongan kepada idea-idea pembaharuan yang dicetuskan. Sokongan itu datang dari rakyat Malaysia yang berada di segala pelusuk negara dan dunia (kembang hidunglah kita).

“Bersikap adillah, sesungguhnya adil itu lebih dekat kepada taqwa”. (Be just, since justice is closer to devotion)

-- Dr. Asri Zainal Abidin, Mufti of Perlis

am i a reasonable person?

i am a reasonable person. persuade me the truth and I will follow it wherever it leads me to. if it leads me to eat kerepoklekor for the rest of my life, so be it. until i find a better one, i'll stick to that.

My thoughts on the bible

1. The New Testament has over 118 Greek papyri, 318 uncials and 2811 minuscules found with the earliest NT manuscripts around 150-200AD. Despite being known to disintegrate easily, they remained in good quality compared to other literature during that time.

2. Christianity was a persecuted religion in the Roman Empire in the first 300 years. The ability of the bible to be preserved despite being confiscated and burnt by the Emperors, speaks a lot of how much effort is put in preserving it.

3. The Greek NT was translated many other languages like Latin, Syriac, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptic and Armenian. If there is any conspiracy to corrupt the NT during the earlier centuries, it would be a huge feat to overcome, probably as hard as eradicating HIV/AIDS today.

4. Thousands of followers of Jesus, including his 12 disciples and Paul died in defending their faith from the Roman Empire. If whatever they believed in is just a mere conspiracy and forgery, then they wouldn’t waste their time, energy, money and life to defend a cult that they create.

Thus the perseverance of the followers of Jesus in defending their scriptures, would leave no reason to "corrupt" them.

Some parts of this post are removed until I further articulate my arguments.

Carl Jung

"I don't believe — I know."

--Carl Jung, 1959 in BBC interview if he believed in the existence of God

I am an Engineer?

How dare they label me as engineer! INTP. I've changed much from last year. HEhehe, now I am placed at the same category with people like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Blaise Pascal, Carl Jung, Charles Darwin (lol), Descartes and Socrates.

"INTPs are relatively easy-going and amenable to most anything until their principles are violated, about which they may become outspoken and inflexible. They prefer to return, however, to a reserved albeit benign ambiance, not wishing to make spectacles of themselves."

"INTPs live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations.

They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions."

"likes solitude, not revealing, unemotional, rule breaker, avoidant, familiar with the darkside, skeptical, acts without consulting others"

Lest We Forget Operasi Lalang

Alex referred OT Rabbi on the 20th anniversary remembrance of Operasi Lalang in 1987. That's when I was still breastfeeding!

May we continue to remember those who are unjustly detained and tortured for wrong reasons, and may we forgive those who do wrong against us as Christ has forgiven us.

May we pray for justice, liberty, righteousness, tolerance, love and rule of law be upon our beloved tanah air in the years to come. Mockery of these values is mockery to both Islam and the christian faith.

Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju
Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita selamat bertakhta

Keluhuran perlembagaan
Kedaulatan undang-undang

Origin and Development of the Quran

Please read/respond intelligently and respectfully.

Many claimed that the christian bible is so-called 'corrupted' and changed from its original version, and the manuscript that we have today is a counterfeit. The emergence of many English and non-English translations, with various early manuscripts and extra-biblical Gnostic writings have been the point of criticism by skeptics.

But how about the Quran which is claimed to be divinely revealed? Is it uncorrupted, unchanged from its original copy from Muhammad? What is the history, origin and development of the Quran we have today? A read through some sources (Wikipedia and scholarly debate) gives me 4 major points of the Quranic development.

a) The written record by Muhammad and his companions
b) Abu Bakar's decision to compile a single copy of the Quran
c) Standardization of the Quran by Uthman Ibn Affan
d) List of archeological scripts manuscripts today, and the 150 years gap. Which is the official “original” script and what happened in between?

Origin and Development of the Quran (Part 3)

c) Standardization of the Quran by Uthman Ibn Affan

By the time of the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, there was need for the standardization of the Qur'an. First, large numbers of Muslims who had memorized the Qur'an were dying. Secondly, the expansion of Islam brought into its fold many new converts. These converts spoke a variety of languages, and the original Arabic (in which the Qur'an was written) began to corrupt.

Uthman is said to have commissioned a committee (including Zayd and several prominent members of Quraysh) to produce a standard copy of the text. Some accounts say that this compilation was based on the text kept by Hafsa. Other stories say that Uthman made his compilation independently, Hafsa's text was brought forward, and the two texts were found to coincide perfectly.

Until this time there was only one written text of the Qur'an. According to Islamic accounts, this text was faithful to its original version while there are some scholars who think that there are some slight variations which are made. This became known as al-mushaf al-Uthmani or the "Uthmanic codex". He ordered the destruction of all alternative copies.

When the compilation was finished, sometime between 650 and 656 CE, Uthman sent copies of it to the different centres of the expanding Islamic empire. From then on, thousands of Muslim scribes began copying the Qur'an.

It is an increasing claim made by some Muslim and non-Muslim scholars that early Uthmanic texts of the Quran differed in terms of punctuation from the version traditionally read today. It is believed that early versions of the text did not contain diacritics, markers for short vowels, and dots that are used to distinguish similarly written Arabic letters such as r[ر] & z[ز] or t[ت] & ṭ[ث] or f[ف] & q[ق]. One claim is that dots were introduced into the writing system sometime about half a century after the standardization of the Uthmanic text around 700 A.D.

Uthmanic Manuscript

As for the copies that were destroyed, Islamic traditions say that Abdallah Ibn Masud, Ubay Ibn Ka'b, and Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, had preserved versions that differed in some ways from the Uthmanic text. Muslim scholars record certain of the differences between the versions; those recorded consist almost entirely of orthographical and lexical variants, or different verse counts. All three (Ibn Masud, Ubay Ibn Ka'b, and Ali) are recorded as having accepted the Uthmanic text as authoritative.

Uthman's version was written in an older Arabic script that left out most vowel markings; thus the script could be interpreted and read in various ways. This basic Uthmanic script is called the rasm; it is the basis of several traditions of oral recitation, differing in minor points. The Quran is always written in the Uthmanic Rasm (Rasm al Uthman). In order to fix these oral recitations and prevent any mistakes, scribes and scholars began annotating the Uthmanic rasm with various diacritical marks indicating how the word was to be pronounced.

It is believed that this process of annotation began around 700 CE, soon after Uthman's compilation, and finished by approximately 900 CE. The Quran text most widely used today is based on the Rasm Uthmani (Uthmanic way of writing the Quran) and in the Hafs tradition of recitation, as approved by Al-Azhar University in Cairo in 1922.

Origin and Development of the Quran (Part 4)

List of archeological scripts manuscripts today. Which is the official “original” script?

A) Samarkand Manuscript

Kept by Ali ibn Abu Talib in Samarkand, captured by the Russians and now in Tashken, Uzbekistan. Being said to have stains of Caliph Uthman's blood. It is written in the Kufic script.

However, it is not at all a complete document. In fact, out of the 114 suras found in today's Qur'ans, only parts of suras 2 to 43 are included. Of these suras much of the text is missing. The actual inscription of the text in the Samarkand codex presents a real problem, as it is very irregular. Some pages are neatly and uniformly copied out while others are quite untidy and imbalanced.

b) Topkapi Manuscript

The manuscript in Kufic script is in Topkapi Museum, Istanbul. It was also written on parchment, and devoid of vocalization. Like the Samarkand MSS it is supplemented with ornamental medallions indicating a later age. Muslims claim that this too must be one of the original copies, if not the original one compiled by Zaid ibn Thabit. Yet comparison with the Samarkand codex to realize that they most certainly CANNOT BOTH be Uthmanic originals.

For instance, the Istanbul's Topkapi codex has 18 lines to the page whereas the Samarkand codex in Tashkent has only half that many, between 8 and 12 lines to the page; the Istanbul codex is inscribed throughout in a very formal manner, the words and lines quite uniformly written out, while the text of the Samarkand codex is often haphazard and considerably distorted. One cannot believe that both these manuscripts were copied out by the same scribes.

c) al-Khatt al-Kufi Script

Found in Kufa, Iraq dating back to 790s. Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi said that it is unlikely to be the original script, since Arabic was not the predominant language and writing in Iraq during that time.

The Kufic script reached its perfection during the late eighth century (up to 150 years after Muhammad's death) and thereafter it became widely used throughout the Muslim world.

This makes sense, since after 750 A.D. the Abbasids controlled Islam, and due to their Persian background were headquartered in the Kufa and Baghdad areas. They would thus have wanted their script to dominate.

Having been themselves dominated by the Umayyads (who were based in Damascus) for around 100 years, it would now be quite understandable that an Arabic script which originated in their area of influence, such as the Kufic script, would evolve into that which we find in these two documents mentioned here.

d) Ma'il and Mashq Scripts:

Ma'il script was developed in the Hijaz, particularly in Mecca and Medina. The Mashq Script was also developed in Medina.

Ma’il script is found in the British Library in London. Dated back to the end of 8th century, by Marin Lings, a practicing Muslim former curator. The al-Ma'il Script came into use in the seventh century and is easily identified, as it was written at a slight angle.

This script survived for about two centuries before falling into disuse. The Mashq Script also began in the seventh century, but continued to be used for many centuries.

It could be the oldest manuscript if Sana'a manuscripts were not found.

e) Sana’a Manuscripts

Fragments from a large number of Qur'an codexes were recently discovered in the Yemen in 1972 and can be considered the earliest source available. They are now lodged in the House of Manuscript in Sana'a. Carbon-14 tests applied to one of the most complete manuscripts date it to 645-690 CE. In all at least forty manuscripts or fragments at Sana'a are believed to date from the 1st century AH.

The leader of the research Gerd R. Puin (commissioned by the Yemen government) examined and revealed unconventional verse orderings, textual variations, and rare styles of orthography which diverges from the authorised later version, refuting the assertion that the Qu'ran is the pure unadulterated word of God. The scriptures were written in the early Hijazi Arabic script, matching the pieces of the earliest Qur'ans known to exist. There were also versions very clearly written over even earlier, faded versions. What the manuscript indicated was an evolving text rather than a text fixed.

More than 15,000 sheets of the Yemeni Qur'ans have painstakingly been cleaned, treated, sorted, and photographed and 35,000 microfilmed photos have been made of the manuscripts. Some of Puin's initial remarks on his findings are found in his essay titled the "Observations on Early Qur'an Manuscripts in San'a" which has been republished in the book What the Koran Really Says by Ibn Warraq.

Conclusion

Virtually all the earliest Qur'anic manuscript fragments which we do possess cannot be dated earlier than 100 years after the time of Muhammad (610 AD), around the 8th century (750AD).
From above mentioned manuscripts, it would seem improbable that portions of the Qur'an supposedly copied out at Uthman's direction have survived, since there is two different claimants (Samarkand and Topkapi). Besides, the Sa'na manuscript written script seem be be written in the Kufic scripts instead of Hijazi script.

What we are left with is the intervening 150 years (from the 610AD to 750AD) for which we cannot account and the slow evolvement of the manuscripts. Its up to the readers to judge whether it is coherent throughout history.

Islam and Confucianism : A Civilisational Dialogue

Koperasi Buku Malaysia is a local grassroot cooperative initiative to "organise and deliver services and facilities for its members and the public that are interested in quality books that are serious in nature including services to obtain book supply at a lower price than the open market".

(Tujuan utama KBMB ialah untuk mengadakan dan memberi pelbagai perkhidmatan dan kemudahan kepada anggota-anggotanya dan orang awam yang menaruh minat terhadap buku-buku yang bersifat serius dan berkualiti termasuk kemudahan memperoleh bekalan buku dengan harga yang lebih murah daripada harga di pasaran terbuka.)

There are some great books on sale, one of them is Islam and Confucianism and Riwayat Hidup Konfucius, which I think interesting to be highlighted here. Hopefully more Malaysians can get involved in engaging dialogues with each other and interacting worldviews and ideas, and through that find Wisdom, and ultimately Wisdom that is found in fearing God.

"The content of this book comprises selection of papers that were presented at the International Seminar on Civilizational Dialogue between Islam and Confucianism, held at Kuala Lumpur on 13-15 March 1995. Written by distinguished scholars of Islam and Confucianism, social activists, and ideologues of inter-civilizational dialogue.

Covers wide range of topics related to the central theme of the past and present encounters and interactions between Islam and Confucianism. Contributors include Anwar Ibrahim, Chandra Muzaffar, Tu Weiming, William Chittick, Wang Gungwu, Sachiko Murata, etc "

Oleh Prof. Dr. M. M. Al-Azami dan Qu Chunli.

Diterbit dan diterjemahkan oleh IKD dengan kerjasama Konrad Adenauer Foundation. 817 ms.

ISBN 983-884-075-0. Harga: RM36.00

Aku adalah Kehidupan, Kekasihku?

Apa yang dapat aku lakukan, wahai ummat Muslim?
Aku tidak mengetahui diriku sendiri.
Aku bukan Kristen, bukan Yahudi,
bukan Majusi, bukan Islam.
Bukan dari Timur, maupun Barat.
Bukan dari darat, maupun laut.
Bukan dari Sumber Alam,
bukan dari surga yang berputar,
Bukan dari bumi, air, udara, maupun api;
Bukan dari singgasana, penjara, eksistensi, maupun makhluk;
Bukan dari India, Cina, Bulgaria, Saqseen;
Bukan dari kerajaan Iraq, maupun Khurasan;
Bukan dari dunia kini atau akan datang:
surga atau neraka;
Bukan dari Adam, Hawa,
taman Surgawi atau Firdaus;
Tempatku tidak bertempat,
jejakku tidak berjejak.
Baik raga maupun jiwaku: semuanya
adalah kehidupan Kekasihku …

~Jalaluddin Rumi

Found few puisi blogs Penyair Terbilang and Laman Sajak just now. Its great that more people are compiling and publishing great literary works from Nusantaran and overseas, like Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Usman Awang, Kahlil Gibran and Jalaluddin Rumi.

Hope to dwell myself with Tang Dynasty Poems and Tao Te Ching (translated version) in the future.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Chinese are not voyagers from abroad landed on our shores. They have been here since our ancestors. They are actually peoples of Indonesia, who live and die in Indonesia also, but because of a certain political veiling, suddenly become strangers who are not foreign.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 1960

"Hoa Kiau di Indonesia"

I can't wait

Kuala Terengganu Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku

Cantek amoi di Kka'pung Cine,
Beli akok kat Pasor Payang,
Singgah sebetor kat Kedai Maidin

Jengoh s'betor gerai Ayoh Pin,
Goreng pisang kopi O cap dakyah Teko,
Dok berahi ciskek Secret Recipe tu,

Hidup mewoh tapi dok bahagia,
Jauh merantau tapi hati dok sedap rasa,
Ikang kembung cicoh budu, itulah penenang jiwa,

Hujang emah di negri orghang,
Hujang batu di negri dghi'ri,
Doksoh kabo, baek lagi negri dghi'ri,

Found a blog by a fellow-KTian Kampung Boy which kinda rings back the good ol'chinatown (Jalan Kampung Cina, now named with horrendous named Jalan Bandar) where I lived and grow up all my life, where there is a nearby chinese hawker centre, chinese food morning market and plenty of glorious and cheap restaurants around.

Local Chinese ganu-kite specialities include roti paung, pulut panggang, kepok chuey (chinese version of steamed kerepok lekor), saitou kepok keping (sliced kerepok made of Parang fish), liulian kuey (durian cake), sekaya pulut, chim kuey (crab cake), calong ikan (pure fish balls, no flour involved)
The map (courtesy of Kampung Boy) shows where my life was revolved upon 21 years of my life, my mother's life, my grandmother's life and my great grandmother's life and my ancestor's life. It holds a lot of history and significance for our family that it is impossible for us to be uprooted. The picture below is my ancestral home that is currently been taken care by a distant relative. It could be the oldest house in the whole of Jalan Bandar.

Probably one of the greatest things that I appreciate from Terengganu is the close proximity with the Malay community and culture, although we still retain many part of our 'chinese-ness'. Our daily interaction with the community in business, daily shopping, work, schooling, eating! forces us to seek to understand each other better. We befriend each other quite easily, and my mom's muslim colleagues have no qualms eating together at our home, and we have no qualms visiting their homes in neat fishing villages in the nice suburbs of Kuala Terengganu. We speak superior malay language than most non-malays and malays from outside terengganu (ahaha, from my narrow point of view of course), have greater appeciation towards Islam, Malay arts, culture, politics and social structure. I must say that I still have fetish over kebaya and sarong, which I think is quite sexy.

I enjoy the slow and steady pace of life in the semi-urbanised town, with mild-pollution rate and almost-traffic congestion free (which is gonna end soon thanks to Badawi's East Coast Economic Corridor and Monsoon Cup with random people like Michelle Yeoh and John Todt being given Datukship by the Terengganu Sultan), with great natural setting of tranquil fishing villages, great island resorts and rainforests all around.

I like the society with well-mannered Malays with their great sense of budi bahasa, simple genuine friendship, and moderate-religiosity (which is slowly changing due to urbanisation, materialism and fundamentalism). I also like the Chinese with their lack of racial prejudice or ignorance towards other ethnicities unlike their counterparts elsewhere, and the Indians who are too small in number and thus largely being able to integrate with both malay and non-malay society. Many of us are from the middle lower classes of society, which made us identify with majority rural poor, yet having strong chinese values of hardwork, entrepreneurship and education (it is changing too).

Probably I also greatly enjoy the close-knitted small christian community of about 1000 comprising of ten churches (which is largely overlooked), yet slowly impacting the local community. The fellowship is genuine, the passion is great, the ecumenical outlook is encouraging, yet they are largely discouraged by the lack of trained ministers who would be willing to teach-shepherd-lead the congregations. Many full-time workers were sent out of this community to despite its small number. Local outreach are growing with few social services like two church-operated kindergarden, three-four major youth ministries, one old folks home and university group. Urbanisation took a huge toll on the churches as youths leave the town to bigger cities like KL and never came back. There are some sense of elitism since the english speaking community is very small, largely comprised of professionals and semi-professionals.

Probably what would be the ideal is that the english speaking churches could tap on their gifts to impact society by greater engagement with the community (which is largely chinese or malay-speaking) or providing providing specialised social services to the community like special education, english-classes, vocational training, life-long education, youth intervention programme and community development. They can also be a forefront on fostering greater interethnic relations, Christian-Islam interfaith dialogue, sociopolitical awareness amongst youths and speaking against religious extremism and fundamentalism in such strategic context.

On a sarcastic note, since MCA's research had allegedly claimed that they are part of the vocal G2 group, together with the Rotarians and Lions, probably all should collaborate in delivering community services. However, they are pretty much comprised of elitist cliques, dubbed by my mom as the "bijok people" (vocal, smart and opinionated rich professionals living in rich suburbs).

By the way I found another authentic Terengganu blogger, Awang Goneng at Kecek-kecek who recently published a book

By the way, I wish to apologise to my non-east coast friends and readers if by anyway I've being sarcastic in my narrow anti-elitist, anti-rich and famous and anti-"pantai barat" descriptions. As part of your cultural knowledge, it is not a criticism towards anyone in particular, but just the way that some of us in the East Coast stereotype people who are not like us :D. It is similar like how Kiwis stereotype Aussies, Malaysian stereotyping Singaporeans and Indonesians.

Be assured that my current university education will lead me to the upper rungs of society. Besides, the lack of eligible girls from Terengganu might lead me to marry someone outside my hometown and thus migrate to the west coast. It is highly possible that my Western education will lead me to be vocal and opinionated too (after all it is Pemikiran Kritis dan Kreatif by the Higher Education Minister isn't it?). The fact that I own a computer, afford the luxury of broadband, and the mastery of the English language might possibly made me the top 10% of the Terengganu-an population.

What a hypocrite!

Probably in a few years from now (God-forbid), I will end up being part of the vocal, smart, opinionated, rich professional who lives in rich suburbs, and hence be the subject of my own cynicism and criticism. (I hope that I don't end up living at Kuala Ibai Golf Resort, oblivious to my poor neighbours of Kampung Cendering).

Minority Role in Nation Building

“No one can deny it. From the time of our ancestors till today, the community has contributed in various areas including economic, cultural and education. This is our country! We have worked hand-in-hand with the Malays, Indians and other communities for several generations to turn the nation into what it is today. The country’s achievement is the joint efforts of all races. We shall continue to stay united and work together for a better future,” -- Ong Ka Ting

I wonder what would be the christian version of that speech?

"No one can deny it. From the time of the first christian church was set until today, the community has contributed enormously in education and social services. Many good schools and hospitals were started by christians, educating and improving the standard of living among thousands of Malaysians of all ethnicity and religions post-merdeka.

Although we may not be seen working hand-in-hand directly with other communities, our presence can be felt in urban places in the Klang Valley and East Malaysia, turning the nation into what it is today. Many christians today are involved in various aspects of Malaysian life in politics, civil service, business and education.

The country's peace and harmony is the joint effort of different communities. We shall continue to live peacefully with each other, understanding each other and contribute together for a better future. We are working with other communities to dream for a better Malaysia, a country that is founded upon freedom, love and justice."

Tricked By Irvin

Irvin sent me a text today saying there's OCF. I happily changed my plan to study in uni and went to the chapel for 15minutes. Then I realised I was tricked. wth

A friend far far away.

Today I found out that one of my old friend in NLRC, who got married with a Malaysian student in Germany, and then followed her husband over to Stuttgart, finally had a blog! Oh, how I miss her friendship and company, and the good times in Shah Alam. She looks happy with her hubby and friends over there!

I am busy

I am busy
(by Geoff Saroea)

My son said, come and play with me
I said, I am busy

My daughter said, take me to my rehearsal
I said, I am busy

My spouse said, today is Sunday, let's go to church
I said, I am busy

My family said, it's bedtime, let's pray
I said, I am busy

My neighbour said, I need your help
I said, I am busy

My spouse said, guests are coming today
I said, I am busy

My family said, you need to take a break
I said, I am busy

My pastor said, Jesus is coming soon, are you ready?
I said, I am busy

My doctor said, you are going to die
I said, I am busy

Secular Sacred Divide

In 1939, Bonhoeffer a German pastor and theologian during WWII joined a secret group of high-ranking military officers based in the Abwehr, or Military intelligence Office, who wanted to overthrow the National Socialist regime by killing Hitler.

He was arrested in April 1943 after money used to help Jews escape to Switzerland was traced to him. He was charged with conspiracy and imprisoned in Berlin for a year and a half. After the unsuccessful July 20 Plot in 1944, Bonhoeffer's connections with the conspirators were discovered.

He was moved to a series of prisons and concentration camps ending at Flossenbürg. Here, he was executed by hanging at dawn on 9 April 1945, just three weeks before the liberation of the city

This is the fate of the one who knows not the barrier between the the secular and the sacred and makes no reason to stop bringing God's ethics into his world. For killing Hitler was a lesser evil than silent ignorance.

Gaeng Som - Sour Fish Curry

Finally I've found something that I really really really really miss back home, Gaeng Som or Siampeng Assam Hu (literally Thai Assam Fish in Hokkien-Malay). It is my family's favourite dish since my granny is half-thai chinese from Sungai Kolok and we use to have that almost every meal when we go visit her.




Real Thai blog captured the art of making authentic Gaeng Som with red snapper. The blogger made a rather interesting statement about the extent of its spiciness.



Kaeng som (which I will continue to call it here) actually translates as “sour curry”, but the predominate taste is usually that of spicy. Very spicy. I consider this to be probably the spiciest curry in the country (which says a lot in a country of spicy curries!).



Despite facing the prospect of diarrhoea each time I have assam hu, I thought that every drop of the soup is worth the hell. I usually take it with heaps of rice and liberal amount of cold water to soothe down the stinging hot aftertaste.

The ingredients include the gaeng som paste made of blended small chillies, dried chilles, fresh tumeric, garlic and shrimp paste (belacan in Malay, stir-fried and boiled with dried tamarind, lime juice, fish sauce (nam plaa), pineapples and fish (preferably red snapper or mackerel, even though any fish would do).

Miniature Earth

http://www.miniature-earth.com/me_english.htm

Covenant Theology vs New Covenant Theology?

"Covenant Theology
Covenant theology believes that God has structured his relationship with humanity by covenants rather than dispensations. For example, in Scripture we explicitly read of various covenants functioning as the major stages in redemptive history, such as the covenant with Abraham, the giving of the law, the covenant with David, and the new covenant. These post-fall covenants are not new tests of man's faithfulness to each new stage of revelation (as are the dispensations in dispensationalism), but are rather differing administrations of the single, overarching covenant of grace.

The covenant of grace is one of two fundamental covenants in covenant theology. It structures God's post-fall relationship to mankind; pre-fall, God structured His relationship by the covenant of works. The covenant of grace is best understood in relation to the covenant of works.

The covenant of works, instituted in the Garden of Eden, was the promise that perfect obedience would be rewarded with eternal life. Adam was created sinless but with the capability of falling into sin. Had he remained faithful in the time of temptation in the Garden (the "probationary period"), he would have been made incapable of sinning and secured in an eternal and unbreakable right standing with God.

But Adam sinned and broke the covenant, and thereby subjected himself and all his descendants to the penalty for covenant-breaking, condemnation. God in His mercy therefore instituted the "covenant of grace," which is the promise of redemption and eternal life to those who would believe in the (coming) redeemer. The requirement of perfect obedience for eternal life is not annulled by the covenant of grace, but is rather fulfilled by Christ on behalf of His people, since now that all are sinners no one can meet the condition of perfect obedience by his own performance. The covenant of grace, then, does not set aside the covenant of works but rather fulfills it.

As mentioned above, covenant theology emphasizes that there is only one covenant of grace, and that all of the various redemptive covenants that we read of in the Scripture are simply differing administrations of this one covenant. In support, it is pointed out that a covenant is in essence simply a sovereignly given promise (usually with stipulations), and since there is only one promise of salvation (namely, by grace through faith), it follows that there is therefore only one covenant of grace. All of the specific redemptive covenants we read of (the Abrahamic, Mosaic, etc.) are various and culminating expressions of the covenant of grace.

New Covenant Theology
New covenant theology typically does not hold to a covenant of works or one overarching covenant of grace (although they would still argue for only one way of salvation). The essential difference between New Covenant Theology (hereafter NCT) and Covenant Theology (CT), however, concerns the Mosaic Law. CT holds that the Mosaic Law can be divided into three groups of laws--those regulating the government of Israel (civil laws), ceremonial laws, and moral laws. The ceremonial law and civil law are no longer in force because the former was fulfilled in Christ and the latter only applied to Israel's theocracy, which is now defunct. But the moral law continues.

NCT argues that one cannot divide the law up in that way, as though part of the Mosaic Law can be abrogated while the rest remains in force. The Mosaic Law is a unity, they say, and so if part of it is canceled, all of it must be canceled. On top of this, they say that the New Testament clearly teaches that the Mosaic Law as a whole is superseded in Christ. It is, in other words, no longer our direct and immediate source of guidance. The Mosaic Law, as a law, is no longer binding on the believer.

Does this mean that believers are not bound by any divine law? No, because the Mosaic Law has been replaced by the law of Christ. NCT makes a distinction between the eternal moral law of God and the code in which God expresses that law to us. The Mosaic Law is an expression of God's eternal moral law as a particular code which also contains positive regulations pertinent to the code's particular temporal purpose, and therefore the cancellation of the Mosaic Law does not mean that the eternal moral law is itself canceled. Rather, upon canceling the Mosaic Law, God gave us a different expression of his eternal moral law--namely, the Law of Christ, consisting in the moral instructions of Christ's teaching and the New Testament. The key issue that NCT seeks to raise is: Where do we look to see the expression of God's eternal moral law today--do we look to Moses, or to Christ? NCT says we look to Christ.

There are many similarities between the Law of Christ and Mosaic Law, but that does not change the fact that the Mosaic Law has been canceled and that, therefore, we are not to look to it for direct guidance but rather to the New Testament. For example, England and the US have many similar laws (for example, murder is illegal in both countries). Nonetheless, the English are not under the laws of America, but of England. If an English citizen murders in England, he is held accountable for breaking England's law against murder, not America's law against murder.

The benefit of NCT, its advocates argue, is that it solves the difficulty of trying to figure out which of the Mosaic laws apply to us today. On their understanding, since the Mosaic Law is no longer a direct and immediate source of guidance, we look to the Law of Christ for our direct guidance. Although the Mosaic Law is no longer a binding law code in the NT era, it still has the authority, not of law, but of prophetic witness. As such, it fills out and explains certain concepts in both the old and new covenant law. " -- sourced from Desiring God

Burma : Ethics is not confined to books and temples

Farish Noor said,

"It is sometimes said that in the post-Enlightenment age we live in there is little concern for religion and that religion has no place in society. Worst still, the political instrumentalisation of religion for clearly divisive and sectarian ends has further added scepticism for many who believe that religion is best kept out of politics and the public domain, where it has often been abused. (A view that many would concur with).

Unfortunately today any talk of religious ethics is often met with images of Bible-thumping evangelists talking of holy wars and moral crusades, angry bearded fanatics burning books and nosey neighbours spying on what the people next door are doing. Are religion and ethics destined to remain forever trapped in the nonsensical and pointless debate over who is holier and who wears his or her religion on the sleeves? Has religion nothing to say on pressing issues of the day such as fundamental political rights and liberties, democracy and rule of law?

The problem faced by many progressive theologians today is having to translate ethics and morality into modern public life without falling into the numerous pitfalls that lie before it: More often than not when morality makes an appearance in the public political domain it is at the behest of right-wing conservatives who merely wish to use ethics and morality as yet another means of domesticating society and controlling the masses. Then there are the political elites who have turned religious ethics into a mere ideology, fit only for vote-winning and the demonisation of other communities deemed ‘deviant’, ‘infidels’ and ‘Others’. What is needed now is a new vocabulary of religious ethics that takes ethics into the public domain of the present, addressing issues of today and speaking the language of ordinary people living in the 21st century.

Religion, if it is to be real and relevant, cannot be trapped in the myth of some pristine golden age of the past. The morality of religion is not to be found in temples, mosques or churches; or in books and tomes that have been left to rot in libraries of monasteries. One does not find God’s ethics in outdated rituals and empty religious praxis, any more than in the length of beards, the size of turbans and the cut of one’s holy robes...

...What is happening in Burma right now is not just important for the country, but it is also important for Buddhism, and all other religions by extension. It proves that religion can have a meaningful impact when its ethics are translated into a real-life context and ethics is something acted out in the public domain, rather than discussed in an abstract manner."

‘Produce inquisitive students’

I was amused reading a statement by Rafiah Salim UM VC about producing inquisitive students here. She was saying that "most students in the country were passive and tended to absorb in total what was imparted by teachers without question."

She also calls for a reform in the national curriculum and urging educators to promote greater interaction with the students beyond rote learning.

It took 50 years to learn that? wow.

John Calvin Menggalakkan Riba?

Contoh Soalan SPM Kertas Sejarah pra-2004

Ajaran John Calvin membuka peluang perniagaan kepada penganut agama
Kristian kerana

A Amalan sistem ekonomi bebas digalakkan
B Amalan sistem mata wang boleh digunakan
C Amalan jimat cermat digalakkan
D Amalan riba yang berpatutan dibenarkan

...................................................

Saya masih mengingati topik Reformasi Eropah dalam kertas Sejarah SPM yang berkisar tentang Martin Luther dan John Calvin. Pada masa itu, rata-rata daripada kita tidaklah memahami dengan banyak tentang era Reformation, tetapi menurut buku teks, John Calvin yang mengetuai Reformation di Geneva, telah dikatakan sebagai seorang yang menggalakkan perkembangan ekonomi, seperti membenarkan riba.

Besar kemungkinan bahawa penggubal kurikulum sejarah mengambil idea tersebut daripada teori Kapitalisme Protestan oleh Max Weber dalam bukunya "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism", yang memberi tesis bahawa Kapitalisme berasal daripada golongan Kalvinis yang telah menggalakkan pengikutnya untuk bergiat dalam dunia sekular, dunia perniagaan dan perdagangan, dan pengumpulan harta kekayaan untuk pelaburan.

Menurut Ensiklopedia Wikipedia, "Dalam ketiadaan institusi keagamaan seperti Gereja Katolik Roma yang mengesahkan kesejahteraan akhirat, Weber berhujah bahawa orang Protestan mencari tanda-tanda lain untuk mengesahkan keselamatan mereka. Oleh kerana Calvin mengajar doktrin predestinasi ganda dua, seseorang tidak dapat mencapai keselamatan melalui usaha sendiri, seseorang perlulah percaya bahawa dia sememangnya telah dipilih untuk diselamatkan, tanpa ragu-ragu: ketidakyakinan kepada diri sendiri adalah tanda lemahnya iman. Oleh itu, keyakinan kepada diri sendiri menjadi tanda jaminan rahmat Tuhan.

Kejayaan duniawi menjadi kayu pengukur keyakinan diri tersebut... "

Weber berpendapat bahawa golongan Calvinis digalakkan untuk bekerja keras dan bersemangat dalam kerjaya sekular mereka. Oleh yang demikian, mereka lebih banyak mengumpulkan kekayaan. Mereka juga melarang pengikut mereka daripada membazirkan wang dan menyatakan bahawa pembelian barangan mewah adalah dosa. Derma kepada gereja berkurang kerana jumlah gereja Protestan yang sedikit, sama juga dengan derma kepada orang miskin dan kebajikan dikatakan tidak wajar kerana akan menggalakkan orang untuk mengemis dan menjadi pemalas yang membebankan. Orang malas dilihat bekerja dilihat sebagai gagal untuk memuliakan Tuhan.

Weber menyatakan bahawa idea agama ini telah mempengaruhi perkembangan orde ekonomi Eropah dan Amerika Syarikat, seperti rationalisme dalam bidang sains, penggabungan pemerhatian dengan matematik, sains ilmiah dan perundangan, pembentukan sistem pentadbiran kerajaan dan pentadbiran perniagaan yang sistematik.

Tetapi persoalannya, adakah wajar penggubal kurikulum sejarah mendakwa bahawa Calvin membenarkan riba (usury dalam BI)? Saya berpendapat bahawa deskripsi sedemikian tidak wajar kerana beberapa faktor.

a) Teori Max Weber tidak seharusnya digunakan untuk menerangkan fenomena Reformation oleh John Calvin.

Teori beliau masih menjadi sumber perdebatan dan pengkajian ilmiah. Teori perkembangan kegiatan perdagangan dan perniagaan Eropah yang dikatakan oleh golongan Calvinis, walaupun adalah penerangan yang munasabah, saya berpendapat tidak patut dijadikan konsep utama dalam kurikulum. Sebaliknya, sumbangan John Calvin dalam reformasi institusi dan ajaran agama Kristian, dan perpecahan dengan institusi Katolik Roma perlulah diutamakan, kerana begitulah intipati Reformasi Eropah.

b) Riba tidak menjadi isu besar dalam sejarah Kristian, dan mungkin tidak menjadi isu kepada John Calvin pada zaman Reformation

Riba dilarang oleh agama Islam seperti dalam Surah Al-Baqarah 275 - 280, tetapi tidak ditekankan dalam Alkitab. Dalam Perjanjian Lama, riba tidak menjadi amalan. Tetapi dalam Perjanjian Baru, Yesus memberikan contoh pemberian bunga oleh bank (Lukas 19:23).

Alkitab lebih menekankan pemberian persepuluh daripada pendapatan bani Israel kepada Tuhan, dan keadilan ekonomi and sosial, seperti tidak menindas orang-orang miskin. Mungkin dalam sejarah gereja, St. Thomas Aquinaslah lebih lantang berhujah menentang caj bunga.

Kalvin dalam menggalakkan kegiatan ekonomi mungkin membenarkan caj bunga yang berpatutan, tetapi saya tidak yakin bahawa beliau menjadikan caj bunga sebagai faktor terbesar dalam perjuangan Reformation beliau. Menyatakan caj bunga dalam topik Reformation yang sememangnya telahpun pendek, tidaklah wajar kerana banyak lagi aspek Reformation yang lebih relevan.

c) Penghayatan sejarah haruslah dihayati daripada perspektif yang berbeza-beza untuk meluaskan pemahaman

Saya mengesyaki bahawa penggubalan kurikulum sejarah mempunyai bias terhadap pentafsiran sejarah dari kacamata penggubal sendiri, yang saya rasa datang daripada perspektif sejarawan Islam, sebagaimana yang kita tahu, mengharamkan riba. Tetapi saya rasa, isu riba tidak patut dijadikan kayu pengukur kepada fenomena Reformation, kerana kedua-duanya kurang berkait.

Justeru, untuk memberi penerangan yang wajar fakta-fakta dan pentafsiran sejarah, saya mencadangkan agar kurikulum sejarah digubal secara lebih inklusif dengan memasukkan perspektif daripada ahli-sejarah daripada perspektif yang berlainan, untuk memperluas dan memperkaya lagi penghayatan sejarah kita.

Birthdays

One of my friend told me one day that she wasn't invited for someone's birthday even though all of us are in a same social network. I was quite surprised when I realised that. It certainly gives us a sense of exclusion, and worse still a sense of unbelonging.

Is it natural for us to exclude those that we do not know very well?
Is it natural for us to belong to those who we have close affinity with?
What about those that we do not have close affinity with, do we still belong?
What makes us belong to each other?
How can we make people feel belong to each other?
With multiplicity and the complexity of relationships and community, how can we create true belonging to each other?

My proposition is "friendships and relationships do not determine our mortality survival rate, but they give value to our survival. They can fail and may not meet expectations. They require time and hardwork to build and maintain.

Christian community should be a model of how genuine and true relationships are formed, even though they may not be perfect. In christian communities, our reason to belong to each other must not be based on national, cultural, gender, interests, languages, age-groups, denominations nor persuasions, but on Christ alone.

It is Christ that unites and builds the 'church', and it is Christ that brings everything into harmony in his Kingdom. If we look for common ground to unite people, more than our unity in Christ, we are risking ourselves into idolatry in our attempts to create community.

It is through unity in Christ where Jews and Gentiles are reconciled, the rich and the poor are brought together, the popular and the social outcast eat together, the Pakeha and the Maori become mates, the old and the young laugh together, the male and the female stand together, the medical student and the law students watch revues together, the DOTA players and DOTA haters sing together, the musically inclined and the non-musically inclined performed in concerts together, the socially-inclined and the socially-inept are invited to birthday parties together"

How beautiful is the Kingdom!

Search for the Divine

"The search for truth is not over in our present times of postmodern thought. It never was.... The search for Truth is vital, because ultimately it is a search for God. And He has been revealed in Jesus." – Dr. Cees Dekker, professor, Delft Institute of Technology, preface to the Dutch edition of Finding God Beyond Harvard

I wonder whether the search for immortality through the medical sciences and technology through the physical sciences is the search for the divine?

How Retard?

Loneliness & Solitude

"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."
-- Mother Teresa

I encountered many lonely people in my life daily, and many people struggle with that seen and unseen, realised and unrealisingly. Even then, loneliness can't be defined or there is no set parameter to measure the extent, duration and severity of loneliness.

We either choose to recognise the loneliness, deny it or do something with it. Either way we do not escape from loneliness. However, there is another middle way, solitude.

According to Richard J. Foster, solitude is an inner fulfillment, while loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is a voluntary retreat from the company of other people and loneliness seems beyond our control.

And Paul Tillich writes, "Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone".

Solitude is the ability to enjoy inward quietness. Times of solitude are frequently enriching and refreshing if we use them wisely. When we choose times of limited seclusion we often experience new perspectives that help us know more fully the things that really matter. Solitude is the prerequisite for creativity and the place in which we can discover the treasure chest of tranquility and serenity and all their benefits.

Loneliness is not simply a matter of being alone, but rather the feeling that no one really cares what happens to you. It is the painful awareness that we lack close and meaningful contact with others, which produces feelings of being cut off from them.

If you are lonely examine your fears and your attitudes. Have you built walls of defense instead of bridges? Are you afraid of closeness with others, getting hurt, failing, or perhaps the pain of losing someone you love?

Are you filling your life by being busy, seeking out and spending time with people you may not particularly like? Or are you filling up the spaces of your life with lots of noise from the radio, TV, DVD's or surfing the net endlessly?

How can we turn our loneliness into solitude, fulfilling our inner self with outflowing love, that we may love other lonely people around us?