The Herald has highlighted current events and related them to faith
The latest issue of the Herald (20 July), the Catholic weekly, carries a little note below its editorial, which I reproduce here:
NOTE
Warning letter from Home Ministry
The Ministry of Home Affairs has warned us to work within their designated term and category “agama”. Their warning letter fails to indicate what they mean by “agama”. Can HERALD stop ‘awakening the consciences’ as the Pope teaches us? Are they interfering in matters that pertain to our religion?
It would be interesting to learn what they mean by “agama“. Do they mean a religion with no connection or relevance to what is going on in the world at large and all its problems such as injustices, war, poverty, hunger and other social, political and economic problems? Do they mean a religion that sticks to form and ritual without exploring the connections between faith and justice, prayer and compassion for the poor, spirituality and the environment?
| Please help to support this blog if you can. Read the commenting guidlelines for this blog. |
The government prefer religion to be passive without any wisdom.They expect us to sit quietly and say our prayer,smile and praise our lord day in and day out.The best is do not complain under severe exploitation by anybody and be grateful to the authority for whatever nonsense thrown at us.
If that religion can make us stupid will be much better since we can be easily manipulated and controlled.
In real situation,even a Fu Lun Gong follower cannot be that stupid because he still has a brain to depend on !
Dear Rev. Thomas K Thomas,
Who says the word Allah is not in the Bible. You are not a linguist. But it is there.
“Eli, Eli lama Sabacthani”. Eli is a derivative and the Aramaic pronunciation of ‘Eleh’, ‘Allah’
I agree with lilian’s take on ‘Rev(?) Dr.(?) Thomas’s comments about the use of the word ‘Allah’.
Obviously, he has no idea what he is talking about since he is so concern about his own lingua fracas without any consideration to other ethnic groups that uses the word ‘allah’ in their language.
Another thing Doc, it is not the christians who are insisting on the use of the word ‘allah’ – they are already using it….it is some other people who are insisting that the christians should stop using it…..
I hope that clears some things up for you….
This …. must remember that the Catholic churches played a big role in the last elections in getting rid of Barisan in a few States.. Our Parishoners comprise many intellectuals and ‘real brains’, many other professionals of different races.. except ‘you know lah’ . who have contributed in many ways to the Rakyat and country.. Otak-Botak must always keep in mind – that the Church has many good lawyers, who, this time around are going to come out in full force and get rid of this so-called religious problems, once and for all… People are already fed-up with the Govt…… Read more »
Anil,
What is there for Home Ministry to talk about “agama” if they don’t even know the fundamental human being principal. Probably they are as good as barbarian where they are in real hungry for civilization and humanitarian teachings.
Anil, I hope you don’t mind me responding to : Rev. Dr. Thomas K. Thomas on July 23rd, 2008 at 12.50pm Reverend Doctor Thomas, May I point out to you that the English Bible did not use the word Allah. However, we are Malaysians and Bahasa Malaysia is our national language and we have Bible in Bahasa Malaysia, the Alkitab which is the Word of God I am using now. Indonesians too have their own Bible in Bahasa Indonesia. And the word Allah has been used since the 1700 onwards in High Malay Bible. If you wish to see a… Read more »
Ladies & Gentlemen
here One….
hence forth all NGO ie religious movements must refrain from politics. Which means all muslim ngos must only focus only prayer matters, only than can Home Ministry instruct others to follow suit.
If they cant then SHUT THE _ _ _ _ UP. GET LOST AND DONT BOTHER US, WHERE IS WONG CHUN WAI….. i dont see anything written on it, or the other bloggers……….. hmmmmmm, if it can happen to the Herald, it sure can happen to all others.
well, mr. “lost in space” is at it again…..i’ve posted something on what’s going on between those ears in my blog here:
http://mucked-in-a-jam.blogspot.com/2008/07/foot-in-mouth-disease-minister.html
sure looks like he’s desperate for that UMNO posts…
what if our “agama” calls us to be concerned with the issues around us? I need to obey God-lah! Is the home ministry indirectly or directly telling me to disobey what my religion teaches …? Hmmm …
Aha, this reminds me of ‘sin by omission’ in a homily delivered by Father Fabian before the GE. The tendency of keeping quiet, not seeing, not hearing, not saying anything. That’s exactly what our Gov. from us.
I dont understand why Christians are making such a fuss about “Allah”. No where in the Bible you will find the name Allah. The New Testament is the rule of faith and practice for all followers of Christ. Christ never taught us to pray to Allah. We are to address our prayers to Our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ or Yahveh Yahshua HaMeshiach is God’s final revelation name. It is to this name that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. It is in this name we are to pray, cast out… Read more »
I personally think that what yarning and ahseng said is true. We certainly cannot have justice, good governance and social institutions without faith.
Like Ahseng said, malaysia is truly a multi-racial country. One should not limit their ideas and perceptions of religion as praying, singing mass and reading bible. Religion comprises every single thing of your life does, and will reflect every aspect of your actions taken.
What ‘Herald’ is doing right now is ‘sticking to religion’
To freely live up to expectations with full life’s expressions
It has to let its light shine before all earthly legions
To lift all of earth’s peoples up from their depressions
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 230708
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Wed. 23rd July 2008.
Malaysia being a multi-racial country, Mr.Home Minister should be more sensitive about the issues that might bring religious uproar such as this one.
To limit religion as just as it per se is quite absurd as religion obviously does not stop only at praying, singing mass and reading bible.Religion comprises every single thing is one’s life.
Besides, like it or not, the Pope and the church are seen as a political figure worldwide.But this doesn’t mean that they are out to create havoc and distruction.
Oh, Syed Hamid Albar again. Is he running for UMNO VC post? I guess this is to raise his profile after his disastrous attempt in creating traffic jams. Until now, he has not come back with his ‘evidences”.
I think AAB has come out with Christian Hadhari … Oh hail, glorius leaders!
I am in BKK with Asian leaders and we agreed that the current political situation in Malaysia is a joke.
yes religion is not only pray pray, mass mass, bible bible. true religion will speak up on injustices, poverty and so on as you highlighted in the last paragraph.
i bet it is because herald highlights more on the opposition and come on as kind of anti establishment, that the home ministry issue such warning. if herald font page all the while praise the PM and UMNO to skyhigh (not ‘agama’ right?), the home ministry will not say anything!!
I am of the opinion that religion teaches us to be aware of the things that are happening around us. Definitely it doesn’t teach us to be ignorant?!
I’d be fair and not link everything unnecessarily to the PM. This warning is a potential can of worms. We cannot have justice, good governance and strong social institutions without faith. This secular world and the eternal world do not exist to mutual exclusion of one another. Don’t try to clamp down on what to believe now too, Mr Home Minister. The other world is out of your jurisdiction.
What the Home Ministry context on religion is UMNO AGAMA. Freedom of expression I believe covers religion as well, so what is the fuss?
Coming from BotakHM, what the hell do you expect? This is not new in Bolehland.