August 28, 2007
You are The Hierophant
Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.
All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.
The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
August 27, 2007
Tonight, we all have to come to terms with reality. We need to understand that all humans are biased. This is no stereotypical statement, neither is it a casual generalization. I'm speaking about fact - scientific fact.
Let's face it tonight. We are all stereotypical, judgmental, and bias creatures ever lived on planet earth. Humans size one another up, judge one another's actions and outward appearances, as well as criticize any particular object or subject they find salient or disagreeable. I have to thank you people for standing up for your beliefs and core values you hold deep within yourselves. Thank you for sharing your inner most principles and perceptions of the world around you. However, you see, we all live in a world full of variety, and we all come from different socio-historical backgrounds. Our social locations are determined by the social institutions we came from and vice versa. Therefore, our social perception of what seem to be true is different. We cannot make judgements based on religious truth alone because TRUTH itself is subjective. I'll tell you why.
There are many realities as there are social perspectives on the world, and that any theory of knowledge that posits the existence of a reality somewhere 'out there' in the 'real' world is untenable. If in this case, there is no truth to which objectivity can be faithful and, accordingly, what is actually going on can never be stated definitively (Rosenau cited in Richards 2005:19). From this, we can conclude that there are many different versions of truth as there are many different people with different interpretation of facts, realities, and theories (including theologies). All these interpretations are formed according to various individual's social locations.
Truth is not subjected to opinions? I doubt so. For every ideology, philosophy, beliefs, customs, culture, theology, facts, and more, are subjected to criticisms and rebuttals. If the religious can affirm the public that their religion is the ultimate truth, then there would be no discussions or friendly arguments over the subject of religion any longer - since it denies its subjectivity to other disagreements, counter-arguments, rebuttals, and disacknowledgments. And if skeptical science and flawed philosophies can be gracious enough to be opened to criticisms and disagreements, why not religion? Religion, after all, is theology or a belief system (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). Some are rituals, but many others, are philosophies as well (Buddhism, Taoism etc).
This doesn't not mean that their versions of truth can ONLY be acknowledged by the masses of mankind. Yes! Jesus is the Truth. Yes! Allah is the God of most high. Yes! My God is true and my scripture is the truth. Yes! Come to us, for we believe in the Saviour of the world and He is the way the truth and the life! Yes! God is greater than any other gods and thou shalt not have any other gods before me. Yes! Yes! Yes! I am right. My scripture is right! You are wrong! Your thinking is wrong! Your religion, philosophies and belief systems, as well as priorities are wrong! Mine is the TRUTH! Mine is the ultimate destination for every mankind!
After such a long paragraph of futile comparisons, do you spot any common error? The error is that these religious people have one thing in common. They have the "I" problem. Everything is "mine", "I", "my" and "Ours". The only thing that has a "you" in it is probably affirming one's unbelief, differing beliefs or perceptions as wicked, devilish, and deviant. I abhor this! This is a disgusting evangelical, deviant, and pseudo-spiritual attitude in this postmodern society!
The last thing you ever want to hear is someone telling you to be "wise" or to "wisen up". Well, again, wisdom is also dependent upon how one views it. Jesus is wise, so is Confucius. And if Confucius can be wise, so is Buddha. You see, we all have different perceptions of who is wise, who is the salient one, and who is the most outstanding performer, based upon how we feel, think, and what we believe in (the values we hold). So if Christians were to urge every believers not to judge one another without first examining ourselves (Matthew 7:1-5), this is also another commandment, which many fail to reach its standard. Once again, if you, a believer in Christ, were to approach an individual with a sole motive to convert him, then you are being a hypocrite. Why? Because in the process of such evangelism, there will be a tendency of you reaching out to that person as though he is a "lost sheep", a "gentile", an "unbeliever", a "deviant soul", a "wretched" or any other weird, not-so-nice names that many old and contemporary Christians can creatively come up with. Let's be creative in a positive manner, and not be so... conservative, stiff, and closed-minded. The only way that one could touch a person's heart, or to reach out to a person, is to show the various signs of love and acceptance (depending upon given situations).
Theologies and philosophies are subjected to attacks, disagreements, and long-term criticisms. This is because one is based on non-thinking and the other is based on empirical observations and persistent thinking and seeking. The only substance in life that cannot be criticized, hated, and measured, is LOVE. The Bible mentions that above all three things in this social environment that we live in - Faith, Hope, and Love - the greatest of these three, is Love. And this is a confirmation that love exists and is the most powerful form of action one can execute, but yet the most difficult to master. This verb, however, consists of various meanings but it cannot be hated. Just like a universal currency, it will be accepted universally, globally and internationally. You cannot resist the persistence of unconditional love.
Therefore, the one who has an opened mind, is flexible, thinkable, creative, sociable, relevant and healthy. Besides holding on to our absolute truths within the inside of us, we need to consider other possibilities that others possess in them as well. We are here in this world to learn from various individuals, so we have to keep an opened mind for what the Bible says is not enough. We need to learn from experiences.
I'm writing this in reply to those who disagree with my interpretation of the Relative Truth.
August 25, 2007
Hello bloggers! How am I? Very good indeed. I love to blog about a lot of stuffs and many of these are my private thoughts. They are not really private since they're posted online for others to view, however, what I meant was these thoughts were what I thought about during my private time alone.
To my secret readers, you know who you are, thank you for your time. And I will be blogging more as I go along. Once again, this is my blog, or rather, this is the Internet. I cannot fully say that everyone agrees with what I write, but there must be some room for discussions. It doesn't matter as long as the discussion is friendly and opened. However, it doesn't mean I would be taking in any forms of 'ideologies' from you if I happen to disagree with yours, so do be prepared for that.
Alright, recently, I came across a shop selling Christian items. Pretty impressive indeed! They've got lots of interesting items on the shelves and honestly, they look pretty tempting to me. Then I happened to see a t-shirt with some wonderful designs and printed words on it. Those words are, "Truth is not relative. Truth is Truth.". I thought, maybe this person who wrote this has gotta be kidding. Because according to me, this person has already been blinded by religion. First off, I do not want to make Christianity seem like a religion that some Tom, Dick or Harry should believe in. Secondly, I have no intentions of making Christianity look like an evangelical machine that constantly
terrorizes the planet. And finally, I do not like Christianity to be looked upon as a religion; or a vital truth; or an absolute, flawless, unchallengeable and unquestionable belief system. It is pretty much secluded from dialectic investigations as much of its content still remains unquestionable by Christians. Well, I heard that if one is a Christian, he or she puts his or her belief in Jesus Christ, and trusts God in all areas of their lives. But this should not stop them from questioning about faith, reality, or truth.
Again, like I mentioned before, truth has some degree of relativity in it. It is
the agreement with fact or reality. There is, in reality, no single definition of truth about which the majority of philosophers agree. What seems to work for you may not work for another person. What makes sense to you may not make sense to another person. So truth is relative in many degrees. To Christians, God is Truth. That is because God is already the symbol of goodness and positivity, while Satan, on the contrary, is the symbol of evil and destruction. Truth is subjective to many people because many of us handle truth in many different ways. Some of us cannot handle the truth, while some of us are much stronger in dealing with what lies in our path. God is there in times of need and trouble (if you believe He is there), but different people react differently to God's (Truth) presence. Non-believers don't even know God's presence, due to their unbelief, so they are out of the picture. Christians or believers in God handle God's presence differently from one another. Same thing applies for truths, for facts, for realities and for belief systems. They are all subjected to categorization, classification, and biasness.
So who in the frog's well would say that "TRUTH IS NOT RELATIVE"? Impossible. As a believer, I could declare, in my heart, that Jesus is truth. But to others, Jesus may not be truth. It seems true to me, but it doesn't seem true to others as well. So is Jesus really TRUE? I dare not declare any further because others would counter-declare my statement that same way I declared mine. So truth is subjected to individual's opinions based upon their social locations and social institutions that influence them. TRUTH IS THEREFORE NOT ABSOLUTE!
Absolution is a term used to disguise the facts of reality. It is basically an excuse to boycott all forms of relative discussions, and it makes people's minds closed up against all odds. Absolution is the enemy of liberal thoughts, free choices, rightful beliefs and thus, the enemy of democracy.
The last sentence that follows this junk phrase was, "Truth is truth". But my answer to this is that truth is still subjected to various discourses. It really depends on how others view truth in different light. And truth is NO TRUTH until it is united under one clear definition. But other than universal truth, which is stated in the dictionary, there is no fixed definition to this terminology. Therefore, it is still subjected to debates, discourses, and ceaseless questions against its reliability and completeness.
On the whole, I think that it is a serious problem when Christians are taking their faith a little too far off the edge, by declaring Christianity an ultimate truth and simply ignoring the fact that others might not think the same way. I would not do that... although I myself know that God is good all the time, I do not usually tell people in the face that God is the ultimate solution and then, fullstop. This is just not me, really. I would say that God works best for those who believes in Him - not in His existence, not in His abilities or power, not in His might or miracles - but in ways which Jesus showed His love and compassion towards people.
Christianity's truth is available for debate, however, the love of the one who sacrificed his life for his friends is a clear sign that religion is a bad stereotype upon Christianity.
In closing, I want to clarify my stand of why I hate religion. Religion is a combination of many organized rituals. And rituals are fixed customs or traditions which is set up in a way that believers should follow. Although rituals have certain religious purposes, they are nothing more than doing for the sake of doing it. And this applies to other religions as well. What tragically makes Christianity into a religion is the falsehood of the Crusades, and the many silly rituals early "Christians" partake that brought a shameful generalization upon the believers of God. And mind you, the Templar Knights are worshippers of Baphomet, Satan, in short. So you see, it is only the ignorants that brought tragedy upon themselves.
I am firm with my belief that God is the symbol and centre of all morality, goodness and positivity. Believing in His existence, means believing that goodness exists. Believing in God involves believing in the devil, and that for sure, I do. Because if I do not believe in the devil, I am escaping reality saying evil do not exist, which is absurd. The existence of God and the devil is inevitable for there must be a balance, or else, discernments cannot occur. If discernments cannot take place, there would be no free choice. Without free choice, the world will be locked in a frame of absolution and strict prevalence of law without ethics. Besides, one would be mocking God for not giving man free will to choose or make decisions.
So in summary...
1) Truth has no definitions. Truth is relative.
2) Truth is subjected to various opinions, so are faith, reality, and facts.
3) Christianity is never a religion or a ritual. It is a system that guides a person's discernment and decision-priority-making in order to acquire the Higher Standard.
4)Universal truth looks like an absolute terminology, but it certainly has relative meanings. What seems absolute is not totally absolute, unless it is of personal or private matter.
(i.e. Principles and values are your absolutes because you possess them and no one else is able to correct them unless you change your thoughts or belief system. That's how fixed your personal values are, and to you, they ARE ULTIMATE truth, something which you consistently EMBRACE)5) Do not be fooled by Christian slogans. Not so profound meanings are usually the ones that would stumble any passer-by. Instead, I urge all Christians to apply critical thought in everything they do.
August 23, 2007
Though I really hate to blog about my busyness in my entries, it is a fact that I can't escape such a reality. I really have been busy. And I know it's very late in the night right now... well, just some couple of thoughts before I turn in.
NamesIs my name really that rare? No. I don't mean my first name, but rather, my middle name - Frederick. Today I went to Bishan Junction 8 for some coffee at Coffee Bean. At the same time, I intended to give my shot at the assignments that are to be due on Friday. As I was ordering my drink, as usual, I was told to give my name.
Then, this crew went like, "Wah, I really wonder where you guyz get such names... very unique."
HAHAHA... woh.. I mean, thanks manz! My name's named after the King of Prussia, Frederick William the Great. And believe me, it's a common name in Europe or even in America. Asia? I'm sure it is... just that some people do not notice much.
Frederick is a nice name. It is of German origin and it means "Peaceful Ruler". So, for those who think you have the calibre to be a "Frederick" just like me, then by all means, call yourself one! HAHAHA...
AssignmentsI'm done with my assignments, thank GOD! All of them at last! And those work are reasons why I've been very busy this week. But anyhow, I feel so much confident now that I've got a great start to my new semester, better lecturers, better equipments, friendlier people around me, and most importantly, GOD! Hey, surprised eh? Please don't be. God is good. Without God, there's no morality, no values, no absolutes, and no freewill. So if God exists, all those mentioned also exist. That's why they're good. If they're bad, then evil, carnage, and slaughters are good. I feel really free right now, and I'm so eager to reward myself with good food this Friday when I meet Sean for some Coffee. YOOHOO!!
My DarlingAnd you are definitely the last thing on my mind before I go to bed, dear. The next day, you'll be the first thing on my mind. And this cycle goes on for as long as I'm alive. I've been thinking a lot about you these days when you are so busy revising for your coming exam. I know it's been pretty stressful for you these few months, but I pray you'll have the strength and determination to hang on and to do your best in this crucial year of your academic life. I believe in you darling. And I believe in us. I pray that God will take us through every hardships that not just we are going through, but we individually would overcome. No matter what happens, I just want to let you know that if God sees the potential in you, so do I. And if God believes that you will succeed in time, so do I. Also, if God loves you this much, so do I.
It wasn't my belief in evidence that brought me back to Jesus. It was your love and my love for you that made me realise how important Jesus is in the midst of our relationship. Once again, God is love. It is a symbol of love. And there's no necessity to prove the evidence of that, because love is what it is. For once, I know, I've been truly blessed and deeply loved. Thank you darling... for everything.
Yawnz... now, for the bed... good night, I mean, morning!
August 21, 2007
Well well well... although I was too busy to watch the National Day Rally in the weekends, I managed to read the news online. I was kind of upset that the CPF minimum sum cannot be drawn till a citizen reaches the age of 65. 65!!! Wow... That's a long way to go for me. But, even though I don't plan to retire, at least, please spare some fucking thought about those who are sick in their bodies. What if they die early? I know ministers can live longer because of their extravagant and lavish lifestyle. But have they realised that not everyone in the population has the privilege to live till 65? What if disaster strikes? What if there're health problems in certain individuals? I do have medical history and I don't know if I can live that long. It would be great if I can live to see my CPF in those days when I get that far.
Then again, the government really made it sound so convincing over the media - the TV especially. And even though the policies are so fucked up, many Singaporeans are conformed to their fate. I'm not. I'm never convinced with any of their policies. And though I've voted for them in the last election, I strongly admit now that I've made a wrong decision. I'm not ashame to say that I've made a big mistake in voting for them. It's a disaster that I've caused due to my past conformity to their rule.
In fact, as a citizen, I resent this. And I feel that I do have every right to vote them off their throne. Anyway, some people even caught them sleeping during the rally. True enough, it was dead boring. Nothing but lousy policies and incentives. Well, I don't live just for incentives, but for goodness sake, have some sensible policies instead.
I know that Singapore has a large pool of aging population, it's because the younger people like us are constantly working our ass off in our offices and advancing our career because seriously, the pay and wages are just NOT enough for us to use in this island where every prices goes up and never down. It seems like the prices in Singapore are good at deceiving mother nature of gravity! It's very hard for those in the private working sector (majority of the population) to make ends meet, not just the elderly mind you! It's very hard for those in the private working sector to balance work life and family life altogether. With the constant increase in taxes, who would dare form a family with kids to feed? There will be one-child or no-child policy in many households for that matter. Lack of talent? Look at what Singapore have done? We are trapped with the survival mentality, trying to struggle to put food on the bloody table for our own self... to feed our intestines.
Talking about having a good life? I don't think just finding a job is enough to survive in Singapore. It's also not enough to get into a certain position. It is rather, a constant struggle to get as much money as possible to feed not just ourselves, but our family members. If it is such a struggle for many in the working sector, there bound to be some fighting mentality over positions and status in order to get the sum of wages they are eying for. With such struggles in this conforming society, what makes one think that the elites or the better, more capable group of individuals would go all out to help those who are in need and who are left behind?
I can give some examples. Young elites like Wee Shu-min, an RJC student, daughter of Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Wee Siew Kim, made nasty comments in
her blog reply to a blogger Mr Derek Wee, who was frustrated of not being able to have his views aired on the Straits Times Forum Page. Mr Derek Wee was concerned that the increasing population of migrants and foreign talents in Singapore would cause many locals to find it hard to get a proper job. I'm not saying that either views are correct, but the Straits times has made it very clear in its effort to self-censor Derek's concerns and views over the public press. It's obviously a deed made to silence the commenter (Mr Derek Wee), while continuing its propagandas convincing the population of the government's "cool" policies. And what's more, the last thing which Wee Shu-min said to Derek was, "GET OUT OF MY ELITE UNCARING FACE!". It is firstly, not a battle of opinions. It is rather a battle of who's better than who! Is this a case of elites helping those left behind? Or is this an example of superiority complex?
Another recent example,
Lee Hong Yi, better known as PM Lee's son, had fired off an e-mail within the military network lambasting the "quality of leadership" in the SAF to the top brass, including the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force (SEE my previous blog entry July 12 2007). It's all about being a responsible leader. And to be responsible, one has to start from his youth. How can one be so abusive in his own authority or status when it comes to certain circumstances? And no way am I going to erase these post entries because all these, in my opinion, are memories of what our "future leaders" showed to the working population. Is this the kind of role model we ought to follow? If this island is only about survival of the fittest, then where is the Singapore spirit or love where we should help one another and provide help to those who are in need? If we are constantly living in fear of losing our incomes, finances and job stability, would we ever think of helping others when we ourselves are struggling to make ends meet? Those ministers and their children don't have to worry much. Because they have the whole island to themselves.
The government can try to erase or censor every opinions on the street against them. In addition, they can erase every form of freedom of expression here in this island. Though they may think that all is forgotten in the currents of time and history, the citizens have not. And nobody have ever forgotten the damages those elites have done to the people who are perceived "lesser" than them. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN. And with this, I will never forget!
Singaporeans can continue to conform to the media, which is strongly criticized for their obeisant mouthpiece of the establishment, but don't ever forget what those elites have done. They ought to be the role model, but the local policies and changes have certainly made them abusive in their power.
And believe me, with such policies and tight control over the media, forbidding the absolute freedom of speech or expression (just because multi-ethnicity is present), there will be an imminent danger that this society would produce conformity (which it has already did), stagnation, and worse, abuse of power (which has already happened). And this paragraph has been extracted from a book entitled, "The Singapore Press: Freedom, Responsibility and Credibility" by Tan Teng Lang (1990, p.19).
In closing, I've also discovered online in
STOMP that not only the people are bored out during the rally, the ministers too are sleeping during the session. If not, a "wayang" (singaporean term for "acting" or "pretense") would do some favor to boost the atmosphere. Take a look at the evidence below.
Then again, no offense manz... although I'm an active advocate for relativism, I too believe that if there is an evidence of truth, then IT IS AFTER ALL TRUTH! If the journalists of Singapore emphasize any sense of moral ethics in their career, it would be an oxymoron when truth are censored by the press, which is the monopoly of this society. It would be a lousy form of 'code of practice' if morality and ethics, or even journalists are controlled by the law. In the end, there will be no more ethics, only obedience to the eye of the law. No wonder many Singaporeans have poorly developed ethics.
That said, I wish to highlight the evident truth between the widening of income gap in Singapore. Well, not by words, but certainly, there's such a phrase that "a picture paints a thousand words".
Staying Together, Moving Ahead?The Proletariats
The Bourgeoisie
Alright, enough for ranting... now straight to do my assignments! ~whee!!!
August 20, 2007
**Sigh**
Finally, I've handed in my Journalism essay this evening, which freed me from loads of pressure. It's not that the assignment was hard, but I just have lots to do this week and so little time. The next sociology assignment is due this Wednesday and another Journalism news script to be due on Friday. ARGH!!! And since half of my load has vanished after the first 'last minute' essay, I can happily sit here and blog my night away. And oh, my time with my darling yesterday was really wonderful. Before I start, just wanna say to my darling...... I love you dear!
Anyway, my previous entry has discussed about morality and of where it originates. Some say it came from man. Well, if it is rooted within us since birth and conception, then goodness is man's nature. According to
philosophers and psychologists, the tabula rasa is a term used in reference to humans being born with no innate or built-in mental content, and that their entire resource of knowledge is built up gradually from their experiences and sensory perceptions of the outside world. In another words, man are born as 'blank slate'. But this theory ignores the fact that babies do cry when they are thirsty for milk, and
crawling infants do avoid the edge in order not to fall off the bed. They have the in-built capability of depth perception and the desire to survive. Babies aren't ignorant after all. They are naturally aware of their environment revolving around themselves, but have not fully develop the skills of intelligent perception.
As I've mentioned previously, nobody likes to die; everyone desires to live and survive. And they have their own way of survival. Yet, everyone desires to do good because of their nature, which is planted with the seed of goodness. This seed of goodness, however, is vulnerable to corruption and perversion if the mind of that person is just as corrupt. Man's (Adam) sin is the propelling factor to corrupt thinking and moral philosophies. Philosophy, in general, is a subjective term describing the inner thoughts of man. Thus, moral philosophies can be 'moral' in different views of different thinking personalities.
Nihilism, or existentialism, is a philosophy of nothingness, meaninglessness, and non-purpose. It is a philosophy of constant deconstruction of meanings in this world, including the purpose of true living. It argues that life has no truth, and no action can be preferable to any other. It is a miserable belief system that any lonely person would adopt. If life has no purpose, it is as good as dying. We live for a reason, and that reason is to live it gloriously. Soldiers fought and died honorably in battle, not because they have nothing better to do. Rather, they are fighting for their nation, their families and love ones. After all, to live, is to live one's life honorably and fruitfully. To die, is to die gloriously, and with a legacy. In all things, there must be a true meaning of existence, that is, to
survive, excel and succeed.
Philosophies are descended from thoughts of man. Some of them, biased; some, corrupted; while others are meant for good. And good is subjected to various personalities based upon social institutions and locations. But the ultimate goal in life is what everyone constantly desire. That is, to succeed. But it is a gateway which remains closed to those who miss the point of getting there. "God", the symbol of moral excellence and all good values, should not remain dead, as what Nihilism protests, but should be embraced and practiced. Previously, I discussed about the components of what
God is made up of. The Standard of God is character excellence. It is a meter in which we constantly measure ourselves with to see if we have arrived. The Bible mentions that God's thought is higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways (Amplified Bible, Isaiah 55:9). It is a clear sign that we have a lot to learn, and develop in terms of our character and the way we think and perceive circumstances. Only the proud would resist such verse from the Bible. Hence, the Standard of God is higher than we expect but nevertheless, it is no harm at all trying to reach that Standard.
Here's what we can do:
1. Live life to the fullest.
For Christians: Blindly insisting to non-believers that God is the one and true God is NOT an option. Evangelizing by preaching non-stop is NOT an option. I will get bored after a while. And trust me, when I was a non-believer some time ago, it was extremely irritating experiencing the constant mocking and ridicule from Christians and moderates who simply know they're right in every sentence they preached or bragged about. As a believer now, I am not completely bounded by what the Bible literally says and certainly, the Bible is limited in content unless interpreted correctly by Bible scholars. Other than that, the moral teachings of Christ, though filled with confusing parables, are masterpieces of Higher Thought constructed to mold one's character. When interpreted correctly, these Standards are worth excelling towards. It is NOT about evangelizing, it is about living a fruitful and successful life. Thus,
moral and character excellence is the Standard.
2. Survive first, then excel.
To Preachers: Many charismatic preachers I know have a habit of preaching about success, on how to have a mindset focusing upon success. It is a positive way of thinking, but nevertheless, an ignorant way. Now I'm not going to talk about the
process of evolution. But what evolution is about, cannot be left out in this picture. Evolution itself is a fact. That fact is about the survival of the fit. Many Christians thought that being Christians should only adopt the Creationist way of thinking and beliefs, which is very narrow-minded I would say. To live a fruitful life, you have to be realistic. And being realistic, is to accept that this world runs on a constant survival mentality. But these preachers try to divert their sheep's attention away from this fact. It is no more than running away from the fact of life's cruelty, ignoring what comes before success.
Success is not a destination; it is a process, but only if we first learn to survive. How do we survive? Adapt. Adaptation is the answer to survival. Survival precedes any possibility of excellence and thereafter, success. How would you succeed in your own workplace without first learning to adapt to your working environment and the people around you? Social responsibility and people management should be practised without a doubt to gain the trust of colleagues and clients. Again, why do we work in the first place? To put food on the table is the answer. Without food on the table, one can forget about excelling or succeeding in time to come. The survival mentality is essential in order to move to the next level - excellence. To succeed is to become excellent in all your visions and dreams. How you set your standard is based upon how you see yourself. In conclusion, if you see yourself as
children of God (likeness to higher morality), you will set your standard to meet His Standard. In the end, you are also responsible for the way you lead your life.
3. Learn to love.
To all: I know it is hard and painful to share our seed of goodness with others, especially to those who are less deserving of our kindness. Nevertheless, we are still learning to love each step at a time. There is however, no rush to it, because we are never too old to pick up something new or to gain enlightenment to any doubts. I find it really hard to love my enemies. That's the reason why I could never be perfect. But God of the Bible says that we have to love our enemies (Amplified Bible, Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:35). Not just show them mercy but to show them respect and grace as well. WOW!!! That IS the STANDARD of God. How do we reach it? Well, we have to grow to it. We need to learn to achieve that Standard perfected for us. And it is, in my opinion, all worthwhile to work towards that Standard.
In closing, there is no standard Standard for us to follow. But it is rather how we perceive ourselves, thereby subconsciously setting our level of excellence or expectations on how we should live our lives. The
God Standard is the Standard we should look up to. It is, however, optional to learn to work towards it.
August 17, 2007
Slightly more than two years ago, I watched a movie with a friend. It's title - "Kingdom of Heaven", staring Orlando Bloom and Eva Green. It's a story with war and historical settings. Perhaps you might be familiar with these terms - Jerusalem; Crusades; Muslims... These clues are obvious if you read your history textbooks well.
It was such a long time ago since I had watched that movie. The only quote from that show, which stayed with me was this: "...what God desires, is here [points to the forehead] and here [points to the heart]." The reason why this quote had a very huge impression on me was because of its profound meaning, which I would be explaining later, based on my perception and opinion.
God desires the mind and the heart. To God, your mind matters. What you are thinking or constantly rehearsing in your mind is important to God. To Him, your heart matters also. Recently, I've discovered the truth - My truth, the way I see it. And the way I see it, has set me free - body, mind and conscience. Here's my answer: God is the center of all morality, principles, and human values. God is not a man.
God is a spirit. And spirits are unnatural beings that could only exist when a person places one's belief in them. To the one who believes, the spirit takes its form. To those who doesn't, nothing happens, yet, anything can still happen. Whether God exists or not, it doesn't matter, for if a person has God in his or her heart, God definitely exists. In short, what works for one man, will not work for another.
God is a symbol of all good, morality, illumination, love, and positivity. Without using the explanation of theology, I just have one answer for this: Christianity consists of two absolute powers - God and Satan. In another words, there are both good and evil in this world. God represents "good" while the devil, "evil". The bible is made up of symbolic meanings and representations which probably not many people are able to decipher them all.
But here's the big picture: God is goodness. And when man existed after Him, man possessed the goodness after the likeness of God Himself. I don't believe in the story of Adam and Eve. But I believe that "Adam", as mentioned in the Bible, is the symbolic meaning that represents ALL human race on earth. "Eve" is the helper, the role model and symbol of every woman. Although the process of creation is still unknown, it is very clear that it was the
breath of life that gave existence to every organism on earth. What is it? I would really like to know more.
When man existed, God is his guidance. Here's my discovery: If man existed after God, and if God is the symbol of morality and goodness, then surely, goodness precedes man. That means, immaterial substances actually existed way before man or matter. What do I mean by immaterial? They are things which are not matter. In another words, they are substances not seen and not measured. What are these? Love, hope, and goodness. Also, not forgetting hate, despair, and evil. Everyone wants to do good and everyone hates evil. No one likes to die and everybody certainly longs to live. This is the result of human goodness. It is a seed already planted in everyone of us way before the beginning of matter. It is through our decisions and reckless exposure over time that has perverted our minds and perceptions upon things of the good and evil. Thus, such perversion has since diluted the absolutes within the human world, causing much ambiguity.
When
Adam disobeyed
God, he faced a terrible consequence of being separated from the goodness and guidance of
God. Here, it means that when man betrayed his own morality or conscience, he will be guilty, shameful and perverted. For example, if you kill somebody with your own hands, when your conscience knows that taking a life of another person is morally wrong, then you have betrayed yourself. Though it may seem easy to get over the murderous event at first, what will settle beneath your conscience over time, is shame and guilt (exactly what "Adam" felt when he "ate" the forbidden fruit). As a result, these suppressed consciousness of your sin would take a grip on you. You fall deeper and deeper into sin. Such is the process of being drifted away from the
Garden of Eden (the symbol of righteousness and purity). In time, your perceptions of life and of the world would be blinded by shame and guilt, causing flawed discernments. Even though man still have the power to take dominion over the world, his ways are now corrupted. Now, being undiscerning between right and wrong, man formed various belief systems that gave birth to philosophy. This was what happened and is happening to man ("Adam", that is).
A very important lesson I've learned from Christianity is not about being the best disciple of Christ. It is not about being an active believer in church, or anywhere in the marketplace. It is definitely not being pseudo-religious, pharisee-like or super cynical. It is certainly NOT a religion. It is a relationship with a Spirit that will only exist in the lives those who embrace it in their hearts. It is a relationship with a Symbol that represents morality and goodness. It is a relationship with a Standard that goes ways beyond the sands of time. This standard of morality precedes our existence and is the implanted goodness that is now a part of our human nature. To master it, one has to abide by it.
God is therefore a Standard. That standard is not just based solely on the Holy Bible, it also includes moral law and ethics.
The Holy Bible is never a complete source for answers. Revelations are not from the minds of the religious, but are discovered by works, constant seeking and persistence. Possibilities are found everywhere, not just in the Holy Bible (God works in many ways).
So, in conclusion, man embrace good and detest evil. But when man sin against the Standard, good seems evil and evil seems good. The birth of relativity begins when man discovered shades of gray between different circumstances. The fact that there is light, doesn't make the entire room bright, but rather, the room could be dim for all we know. The fact that one has the life, doesn't make him alive, but rather, he could be dead in the inside. Perhaps, he could have lost his character.
Being redeemed in the mind and the heart is very important. In the Bible, it is said that this is what God always wanted - for us to be restored in our mindset and behaviour according to the original Standard. Indeed, moral law and ethics have set themselves before us. It is hence our decision to abide by it, based on our conscience (the conscience is the soul).
In sum:
1. God is Spirit - He will be true to those who embraces him within their minds and hearts.
2. God is a Symbol - He represents morality and human goodness.
3. Adam is a Symbol of all human race. He represents us.
4. God is a Standard - If God is the center of moral values and human goodness, then morality and character excellence is the Standard we all must have.
5. To be a sinner or a law breaker, is to betray your own conscience. Conscience is the human soul, which cannot live up to its standard without the assurance of God's (moral) existence.
6. To fall short of the Standard, is to become ambiguous in all thoughts, discernments and perceptions, leading to the birth of philosophies.
7. It is through the birth of philosophies and school of thoughts that gave rise to a way of life, known as relativism. Shades of gray have since become very prominent in the way we perceive life and circumstances.
8. If God is dead, so is morality, goodness, way of life, and hope. God is the overall body that forms the seed of human goodness.
9. The Bible is not everything. It is what we seek for ourselves. Answers to our doubts are just out there for us to ponder, question, receive, and acknowledge.
10. What makes us human? Our freedom to choose, our naturally implanted seed of goodness, and the way we feel.
******* God's existence isn't as important as how we live our lives according to higher moral standards, that is,
God's standard *******
I will talk more about that kind of standard in my next entry. Do stay tune.
August 15, 2007
I've just re-composed a Christian song, which was originally composed and sang by City Harvest Church during the "Making Marriage Work" seminar (2006). The song is entitled "First", and was also featured as the main track in the album 'First' sang by the Children's Church.
The first verse of my modified piece is the original lyric of the song. The second verse is written in a way such that lovers can dedicate this part of the song to each other. It is a wonderful love song in my opinion. A love song dedicated to the world's Saviour, Jesus Christ, as well as a love song dedicated to whomever your spouse may be.
Here's my lyric to this wonderful song: -
(1st verse)I love because you first loved me
I live because of what you gave
You died, showed me how to live
Your mercy taught me to forgive
You came and poured yourself so free
Your blood washed away my shame
And now I can live again
I'm more of you and less of me
My first love forever you will be
My first breath you're the life in me
My first joy the world can never take from me
My covenant with you, Jesus
(2nd verse)I love because you first loved me
Your kiss wiped away my tears
And you showed me how to live
Your love for me has set me free
You came and poured yourself so free
Your smile brighten all my days
And now I can live again
I'm more of you and less of me
My first love forever you will be
My first breath you're the life in me
My first joy the world can never take from me
This covenant I have with you...
[SPOKEN CHORUS: WHISPER THE NAME OF THE PERSON]
This song is also written and dedicated to my darling.
August 09, 2007
It is national day today. But I'm not celebrating it at all. For it has nothing to do with me. So what if the nation (the imagined community of the "people") is now independent? So what if there is a parade going on with psychological defense inputed into those ignorant or rather, passive audiences? I'm spending my day going out on a Double Date, with Sean and his girlfriend together with my girlfriend and I. We had a great time together... at least, it's better than viewing the parade. My guess was that it would be a boring one.
Ah well... here are the pictures taken during the outing.
Guess that's about all.
Hope you guyz have enjoyed your National Day celebrations... for we were just there for the fireworks. Even during the time when the National Anthem was being played, people were all trying to squeeze out of the crowd while the policemen had no choice but to handle the crowd right away and couldn't afford to stand still for the Anthem.
Frankly, no one even bothered about standing still for the Anthem or singing to it. We're just there for the fireworks. HAHAHA... pathetic right? This is being Singaporean. Purposeful, objective and competitive, all at the expense of patriotism. Yes. I'll be the first to run when my country is at war. LOLX Ask any typical Singaporean and they'll tell you this. Nobody dies for the country already... Even if we are fighting in a war against our enemies, we are dying to protect our families and love ones instead. NOT THE BLOODY FARKING COUNTRY!!! WE DON'T DIE FOR ANY FARKING POLITICIAN OR NATION ALLEGIANCE. As long as our familes are safe that's about it.
Nationhood, patriotism... all are such a waste of time and resource.
August 04, 2007
I've uploaded a story, which I believe, Christians circulate around the cyber world to convince, educate and inform others that their belief system is correct, logical and yet precise.
I can see the effort these fundamentalists put in to make a great story such as this to show how Atheists are dumb by portraying them to be bombarding stupid yet logical questions. Whereas for the Christian being portrayed in this story, black and white is all they know. And is forever in their mentality.
Heard of the story of "
The Professor and the Christian"? I bet many of you guyz have heard it before and are psychologically convinced that this story, regardless of its religious essence, makes complete sense. Well, whatever that makes you happy! However, if one were to analyse deeper or read in between the lines, one should be able to find loop holes like what I have yet to highlight.
The Atheist Professor is, honestly and in my opinion, an idiot. No one could ever imagine or agree with me more that educated people are always intelligent. I beg to differ. In fact, his arguments in the story were solely based on what he can see, but not what he can analyse out of the whole picture. The whole picture of this story, is not just about how good Jesus is, or how is Christianity able to outshine others, or how God is so mighty to save. The core argument in this story is based on what the professor has mentioned in relation to what he sees, experienced or conceived in his mind.
Here are the loopholes.
First, the professor has personally attacked the weak Christian causing the uproar of another. But all which the stronger Christian did was to use logic to win the professor's straightforward argument. And this is where those loopholes start to fill in.
Secondly, Atheists in this story are portrayed as offensive and rather rude. However in reality, Atheists are generally people who don't really give a damn about religious beliefs unless they are challenged, mocked, tactlessly evangelised or scrutinised by Christians or any other fundamentalists. These people do not believe in any form of gods and have no intention of screwing religious people alive. Believe me... they've got other better things to do.
Thirdly, it is generally the Christians or Catholics who are very fond of evangelism. And during this process, many have fallen short, not because of what they believe, but rather, due to the lack of tact in their approaches. Atheists usually get offended when people of certain strong belief assert themselves upon non-believers as if their doctrine is the one and only solution. At the same time, these fundamentalists (or sometimes, moderates), assert the fact that what they say is right and others are wrong (i.e. darkness is the absence of light). Such behaviour or approach, to Atheists seems rather arrogant, close-minded and ego-centric.
Fourthly, if darkness is the absence of light and evil is the absence of good, then I would like to understand the level of goodness and the brightness of light. How good is good? How bright is the light? If the light is dim, we cannot say that there is absolute light.
One similar example would be this (something to ponder over):
In Europe, a woman was near death from cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. A druggist in the same town had discovered it, but he was charging ten times what the drug costs him to make. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together half of what it cost. The druggist refused to sell the drug for less or let Heinz pay later. So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife. Should Heinz have done that? Why and why not? (paraphrased from Colby et al., 1983, p.77)Now, don't give me the answer that Heinz should pray for his dying woman without even taking specific action. Even if he did pray for his wife, ran down to the store panting and discovered that the druggist won't sell that drug, does it mean that he has no right to feel desperate and do foolish things out of desperation? According to the law, it is not right. But according to ethics, saving one's wife is morally correct and it is the right thing to do. Here's the clash. Does it means that saving a person's life, however foolish it may be, by risking his own makes him a foolish sinner? Does it means that he is condemned forever? Does it means that he is wrong? What he did was ethical, and deserved to be praised for his courage. However, according to the law, he needs to face its grave consequence. Ethic isn't grace. It is morality. Also, morality or immorality itself do not exist without the presence of amorality. Some things are beyond the black and white. It is the gray area that remains cast away from the eyes of religion.
What religion do not accept is amorality and things of the Gray. Goodness is subjective and so is evil. Heinz wasn't a completely evil man just because he stole the drug, but all these happened because of other factors involved in stirring up the desperation in him. Brightness is subjective and so is darkness. Dimness is the area which we all experience everyday but consistently remain ignorant of that fact. So if Heinz were to steal the drug dashed across the road and got knocked down by a truck, does it means that he's going to hell. O! So much of helping to save his wife from death!
According to Lawrence Kohlberg's (1987) identification of the
cognitive stages in moral development, the first stage of the preconventional level revolves around the absolute right or wrong answer to a specific situation. Such pro-stealing or anti-stealing mentality, according to this psychological theory, exists mainly among very young
children. And basically, all answers from young children are often insisted as either right or wrong and in the absence of reason. Moreover, this stage also applies to adults as well, according to Kohlberg. And I am worried that religion, which emphasizes so much on right and wrong; good and evil; moral and immoral, without considering other confounding or extraneous factors involved, might just have a potentially negative effect that would immunize humanity to the many possibilities of this world.
I do not completely agree that this world and what we are constantly experiencing is totally black and white. There is no absolute in this living world, unless you're dead (and I don't like the idea of the term used "being dead to sin"). How sinful is sin? I know that sin is sin itself. But yet, sin comes many forms and evil deeds (stealing) like Heinz's deserve to be reprimanded by God. But this evil deed has a good intention behind it. Well, like what I've mentioned, O! So much of saving a person's life and risking his own... like what Jesus once did.
Fifth, like what we all see in many Atheist jokes, the inability to see the brain is the conclusion that the brain do not exist. The professor is portrayed as an idiot for coming up with such argument that has driven him to his own grave. The Christian, on the other hand, missed out the fact that the inability to disprove the brain does not equate to the absolute conclusion that the brain does or does not exist. Again, if you can barely spot a Chinese teapot orbiting around the sun, it would be rather absurd to conclude that the Chinese teapot exists because one cannot disprove of its existence (read Bertrand Russell).
Conclusively, whether one is right or wrong, it is not in our full right to assert our conclusive judgements upon those matters. Yet again, there are no absolute right or wrong answers, only opened possibilities such that one may continue to ponder, to discover, to discuss and to question their wonderful existence or non-existence in our everyday lives.
I am not an absolutist. Neither am I a moderate Christian. My belief in Jesus is largely based on the fact that it brings people together (social interdependence and network) and it provides heaven on earth.
Hell is literal. And so is Heaven. Whether Heaven or Hell exists, what truly matters to me now, is that I would rather live a complete and purposeful life (Heaven on earth), instead of a reckless and aimless life (Hell on earth), here on this planet. I won't say that Faith is the answer, for it is also, rather subjective and can be measured (faith the size of a mustard seed, Matt 17:20). I believe in Love, more than Faith, the love of Someone who sacrificed His life, split history into AD and BC, and could indirectly, influenced people of modern society to bring
positive impact and
making a difference by touching and transforming the lives of many. Whether one chooses to embrace Jesus or not, it is a matter of one's free-will. But the transformation and touching of lives through sowing one's time on somebody he or she cares about without ulterior evangelical motives, is the best testimony there is. This is the kind of Christianity I am for. Thus in this circumstance, "religion" is a rather misused word for this type of Christianity.
Last but not least, I believe in love, because love cannot be measured (I'm refering to unconditional love).
In sum, the story of "The Professor and the Christian" is crap. It is another religious and fundamentalist propagandistic approach to indirectly insists to the whole world that Christianity is right and non-believers and Science is wrong. Perhaps Absolutists should examine other possibilities instead.
August 03, 2007
Did some mini personality tests from blogthings.com just now...
And most of them are pretty accurate. This is really surprising for me as I expect the result to be less reliable than it should. But well, I agree to the results as I know myself better than many people whom I happen to know.
| You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy) |
You're a great thinker and a true philosopher.
You'd make a talented professor or writer. |
| Your Inner Blood Type is Type A |
You seem cool and collected, though a bit shy.
You are highly driven and a perfectionist, but that's a side you keep to yourself.
Creative and artistic, you are a very unique person who doesn't quite fit in.
People accept you more than you realize, seeing you as trustworthy and loyal.
You are most compatible with: A and AB
Famous Type A's: Britney Spears and Hitler |
| Your Power Level is: 70% |
You're a very powerful person, and you know that all of your power comes from within.
Keep on doing what you're doing, and you'll reach your goals. |
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Interpersonal Intelligence |
You shine in your ability to realate to and understand others.
Good at seeing others' points of view, you get how people think and feel.
You have an uncanny ability to sense true feelings, intentions, and motivations.
A natural born leader, you are great at teaching and mediating conflict.
You would make a good counselor, salesperson, politician, or business person. |
Try those tests and have fun! =p
August 02, 2007
I'm back from lesson, and had some brief supper with my friends at Starbucks. Great time. I just checked my email and someone actually mailed me my results for the memory test I took last Friday.
Basically I volunteered to participate in a Psychology experiment designed by some Honour-year (4th year) students. It was my very first time participating in experiments and it was certainly a very fruitful experience for me. I know that there are many of you people out there who have never participated in any Psychology surveys or experiments. Many Singaporeans from various backgrounds would think that it doesn't benefit them if they reveal their particulars or selves when participating in ethical surveys or time-consuming experiments. I can only say that the experience is truly fruitful and enriching. It gives you added knowledge of that subject based on what you have experienced after the whole procedure.
This test is a memory test with several independent variables based upon the contexts themselves. I cannot reveal the whole procedure of the experiment I took part over here for it will affect the results of the entire study. Instead, I shall reveal my results (not the original results), but in lay-man's term (based on total scores and all).
So, conclusively, I scored 103 out of 120 word-pairs, which gives me about 85 to 86 percent of the total score. Actually, according to the researcher, I did pretty well for the memory test. Woot~! What a compliment!
Well, at least right now, I know where to study, how to study and under what circumstances and contexts should I memorise my notes. HAHAHA..
August 01, 2007
This is the day I surprised my darling with something we both wanted to own for quite some time. It's the 'male-female' type of couple key chains, which we both had our eyes on some months ago and she finally saw it. Here's the picture of me with the key chains.
Apologies for taking such a long time (2 days) to post an entry. HAHA... was busy like shit.Anyway, semester has started for me. For those who are looking forward to hanging out with me, Mondays and Tuesdays are great timings. They are my so-called "weekend" this semester. I've got afternoon and evening classes on the rest of the days except for Saturdays, which I had reserved for some church services.
Alright, I'll blog again, definitely.
