Does God get in the way of social cohesion?

The Straits Times, INSIGHT
Saturday, October 21 2006

Does God get in the way of social cohesion?


This is a good article. Finally. Humble people with brains are appearing.

Let me quote some parts of the article that voice out what I have been feeling for a long, long time.


"There is the prevailing conservative theology which calls for conversion of people of other faiths and the claim that they have the one true faith and the only way to salvation," says the Rev Yap, a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO).

"But no one religion has the monopoly on absolute truth. Each religion can claim to be the true faith, but we don't have the complete understanding, therefore we need to have a dialogue with one another in continuously seeking the full truth."


Rev Yap, for your info, is the former Methodist bishop of Singapore. There's another part I'd like to share, by Catholic leader Brother Michael, also of the IRO.


Says the deputy principal of St Joseph's Institution: "If you have really exclusive ideas about truth, it sometimes can lead to great misunderstanding, that because I belong now to a school of thought that is true, everyone else that doesn't belong to my denomination, church, temple, whatever, is false...that something is wrong with the rest of humanity, something is wrong with the rest of the citizens of Singapore who do not subscribe to my religious belief.

"It's very simplistic thinking, but the trouble is that you're dealing with a lot of young people who embrace enthusuastically with fervour everything they're taught."


Finally, Christians with insight. I'm sorry if I offend anyone by my comments. But honestly, this is what I feel, and have been feeling. Whenever I try to voice it out, people do not understand, or brush it off thinking that "oh she's thinking this way because she doesn't understand us, she's Buddhist, afterall."

Now, I can say that HEY. It's not because I'm a non-Christian that I think this way. There are other Christians out there that can see my point too. So don't label me as a non-Christian, and using that as a reason to explain why my comments do not go hand in hand with your beliefs.

I don't want to say that I'm right or You are wrong. All I want, is the consensus that no one knows the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Because either the various religions are on the wrong track, or truth is lost through the course of time. And on the topic on "wrong track", how wrong can each religion be, when what is truly important(i.e VALUES) are taught in all(at least the mainstream, ignore the obviously satanic ones thankyou) religions?

This is why my patience runs thin whenever I speak to certain people about religion. I'm trying to learn my lesson and shut up about it, but it happens more often than not that people approach me to join them. And that pisses the hell out of me.

Anyway, if you are offended by my entry, sorry. But your eyes are your own, and this little area on the practically infinite internet space is mine. You chose to read what I wrote, and i didn't coerce you to do so, so complains will not be appreciated. Thankyouverymuch.