By Lambe Lamis 
The Straits Moments – “Singapore’s Internal Protection phone calls up Christian pastor for insensitive reviews” on 9 February 2010
In this year, The Straits Periods informed a story about a Senior Pastor Rony Tan, from Lighthouse Evangelism, who was named up for an investigation by the Inner Security Office (ISD) just after obtaining complaints about on the web video clips that showed him generating insensitive remarks about Buddhism when he was interviewing his two church users. When the members, a previous Buddhist monk and nun, ended up sharing their knowledge as Buddhists, Pastor Tan mocked about Buddhism’s beliefs and techniques on reincarnation, karma, nirvana, chanting and meditation. He was creating statements like currently being underneath the influence of demons, “the blind main the blind”, and untrue religion. ISD responded, “Pastor Tan’s reviews have been very inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict involving the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities.”
Just after noticing his errors, Pastor Tan requested his church to instantly stopped circulation and removed this certain sermon. He also manufactured a general public apology for his remarks on his web-site, and wrote this, “… I sincerely apologise for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly guarantee that it will by no means happen yet again… to tell my customers not only to keep on to love souls, but also to regard other beliefs and not to ridicule them in any way, shape or trend. Let’s put our target to establish a harmonious Singapore a best priority.” In addition, he compensated a stop by to the leaders of the Buddhist and Taoist communities to give his sincerely apology. Venerable Kwang Sheng, from Phor Kar See Kong Meng San Temple experienced accepted his apology: “It is very good that the authorities have looked at this make any difference, but this is a matter of nationwide worry. We want to attraction to the general public and the authorities to make certain there is no second time… Singapore is a multi-spiritual, multiracial modern society. There is no issue arguing around who is correct and who is erroneous” Singapore Buddhist Lodge chairman Lee Bock Guan further more emphasised, “Buddhism teaches us to forgive everybody will make issues.”
There are a pair of classes for us from this incident:
- The Influence of On-line Media
With the wide use of internet and several well-known social media such as YouTube and weblogs, everything that is posted on line can be go through or watched by thousands or millions of people today. This on line media is a double-edged sword as the message or information is so accessible by any person and it can conveniently arouse pressure or disagreements if the information is insensible or inappropriate. The authority can also observe again to the resource without any problems. For that reason, prior to putting up nearly anything, we will need to consider regardless of whether the info really should be built obtainable to the general public.
- Getting a Responsible Communicator
No man is an island. Every single day we interact with people today and our words will influence some others in either a beneficial or destructive way. If you are a teacher, pastor, company chief or politician who speaks in entrance of a huge audience, then it is even more significant to be aware and aware of what you are expressing. The general rule is not to examine about spiritual, politics and sexual intercourse. On the other hand, when you pick to go into these subject matter, be ready to facial area the outcomes (from the opposing sights).
- Information of Diverse Cultures/ Spiritual
This incident clearly indicated that the pastor did not genuinely do his homework and fully grasp about different religious and their background. As distinct religious have unique beliefs and methods, a particular spiritual practitioner’s functions or behaviours may not be plainly understood by other religious’ believers. Consequently it is effortless for any person to make a judgment without discovering out the story or meaning driving a perception/ act and just mock at their religious. By investing time in finding out of other cultures or religious, it can broaden our horizons and educate us to be additional appreciative to the spiritual variety. Our schooling method can pay out a portion in offering the awareness to the individuals esp. when they are younger and receptive.
The Straits Times – “Twin threats of race and faith” on 17 August 2009
In 2009 Nationwide Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong highlighted a tussle in between a Malay marriage ceremony and a Chinese funeral with regards to to the use of void deck premise. There was an aged who died in 2008 and her family went to established up alter at the void deck of a HDB block ahead of trying to find the approval of the Town Council devoid of recognizing that the premise had been reserved for a Muslim wedding ceremony. The two parties did not want to transform their arrangement and this designed a pressure. So the City Council and the grassroots leaders had to stage in to remedy the concern and presented to wave charges and support to place up posters to immediate their visitors to the suitable area. The good thing is, the Malay family members was willing to shift to one more close by void deck even while they experienced booked the premise 1st.
In accordance to the figures collected, such incidents will take place in every single 300 funerals. The Town Councils have to manage these situations carefully and possibly the Malay wedding day or the Chinese funeral has to budge. If these types of scenarios are not offer with correctly, they can become a opportunity critical racial or religious conflict. Just one these kinds of scenario can jeopardise the peace and harmony in Singapore. PM Lee reminded us not to consider our harmony and cohesion for granted and master to be smart and tolerate for religious variances as very well as a willingness to give and get. There is no conclusion to prospective results in of racial or spiritual friction in our neighbourhood these kinds of as sound from the auction in 7th moon, major traffic or parking complications from the Friday prayer or church support and smoke or stray ashes everywhere due to burning of joss sticks.
PM Lee has also outlined 4 fundamental rules for religious harmony in yet another report:
- All groups have to exercise tolerance and restraint.
- Continue to keep religion separate from politics.
- Government will have to stay secular.
- Keep the frequent area that all Singaporeans share.
I have learnt that there are continue to many small clashes that are happening everywhere you go in Singapore and it is popular and normal for us to have conflicts in our life as they permit us understand far more about other people’s cultures, spiritual and beliefs. From each individual conflict we face, we will know ourselves and some others improved and master to prevent identical conflicts to arise yet again. Singapore took a long time to build the harmony and steadiness that we are experiencing now. As what PM Lee had claimed, we need to not choose things for granted and require to carry on to tolerate and compromise. I have also participated in a new initiative with Singapore United on the Neighborhood Engagement Programme exactly where youth leaders who are from different spiritual teams appear jointly for an open up religion discussion and likely for educational field journeys to sites like SCDF and Mosque. It is really significant and informative.