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Moderate Christians speak out against actions of AWARE new exco and COOS

April 30, 2009 by admin  
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By Eugene Yeo

Some of you must been wondering why there was a flurry of articles about the AWARE saga on our site lately when we had been pretty reticent on the matter in the past.

There were also leaks of emails purportedly circulated by COOS members to rally support for the new exco.

To tell you the truth, we have received numerous emails from Christians, some of whom are from COOS itself, imploring us to say something for them in order to protect the name of their religion.

They are equally as appalled and disturbed by the underhanded means in which the new exco seized control of AWARE supposedly to push for its own religious agenda in mainstream society under the guise of a secular cover.

In spite of their misgivings about the episode, they cannot expressed their real sentiments openly out of fear of being ostracized in their community.

We are grateful for the support moderate Christians have shown for our work. We expect a lot of brickbats thrown by us, but there were none save for some occasional criticisms posted on our site.

I urge all readers to regard this saga with some circumspection. This is the work of a small group of self-righteous moral vilgantes using the name of religion and morality to sugar-coat their own personal ambitions to impose their values and beliefs onto others.

A significant proportion of Christians do not share their views and neither will they heed their call to cast a vote for the new exco at the coming EGM.

If you are a Christian who disagrees with the actions of the AWARE new exco and wishes to share with us your views on this matter, please post your comment directly here or email us at wayangparty@hotmail.com

Let me share with you a few thoughtful comments left here by our Christian readers:

From Dawn:

I am a Christian (and incidentally married and a woman) and I think what the new Exco who took over AWARE did is appalling. Yes, it is ‘legal’ but is it right?

I am also a long time AWARE member, and volunteered there many years ago briefly. During this time, I saw volunteers running language classes for people who wanted to learn English, and women running the helpline for women in need.

This isn’t an issue of Christian versus Gays – this is an issue of fair play to me.

AWARE is an organisation whose aims the new Exco presumably views as being ones they cannot entirely agree with (though, incidentally, they’ve only ever focused on the homosexual issue, which to me was never the first thing that cropped up when I thought of AWARE).Of course, they are entitled to their own opinion, just as everyone else is. Then why not start their own organisation to promote their own aims?

Above all, I believe in tolerance. Some people seem to confuse tolerance with having their own lifestyles under attack. Just because someone believes that gays are people and should not be discriminated against, doesn’t mean that they are ‘anti-family’. In fact, it doesn’t even mean people who are gay are anti-family!

If anything at all, Jesus was tolerant and compassionate. He didn’t shun or discriminate against prostitutes, tax collectors, etc. He didn’t tell them that they were wrong but embraced them AS THEY WERE.

Please don’t think all Christians support them, or have stayed silent. I have been asking everyone I know to please go for the EOGM.

 

From S K Tan:

The minister has spoken. We should build a “rainbow coalition”. Building the rainbow coalition is for the interest of our nation.

I hope members of the new exco of AWARE understand, resign and leave. This is a sensible thing to do.

The AWARE saga shows the danger of religious brainwashing making highly educated people to lose their sensibility. It is good to be moderately religious but dangerous to be extremely religious. Extremists tend to lose their heads in heaven forgetting that their feet are still on the ground.

We need laws when we discard the values. According to the law, members of the new exco have won but according the ethics and values, they have lost. It is a sad thing that their lives are guided by laws and not by values. As Christians, it is a disgrace that their lives are not guided by values. God guides them through the values. Throw away the values and they will be guided by Satan in the name of God.

 

From innocent:

I’m a Christian but I support the old guard, simply because:

1) I can’t stand the way they used the church to orchestra a coup and still lied that the church is not invovled.

2)They had only one argument, there is it’s not alright to say homosexual is neutral. The keyword is neutral and that argument had been proven invalid by moe statement.

3) They put us Christians in a very bad light. They claimed they are upholding God’s principle yet all the same they disobeyed God’s Word by discriminating and judging other people.

4) The way they can sack people because of disobedience and yet at the same time their leader disobeyed DBS instruction. And after that still have the cheek to replace the manager with their own church member.

 

From JL:

I am a Christian, and it makes me very very sad to know that the new exco has garned supporters using the faith.

AWARE is a secular group, not a religious group.

There is a chinese saying – 贏了還慘過輸，meaning it’s worse off by winning.

If they really win, I believe that’s where the nightmare really begin

From Agape Xue:

I wish to signal a red alert to Members of the Old Guards…

Shawn Tay, TSM, Jose Lau & all their terracotta armies know that Aware is a non government organisation and non religious, non partisan group, formed to serve people who are left out in the official government aids programme. There are always pockets of area of poor, handicapped, minority groups, sexuality prejudiced people who do not form the mainstream group whose problems are given attention by the Government, so such NGOs like Aware will participate and volunteer to contribute and fill the gaps where helps are needed.

In the past messages of Aware’s previous president ( clarence Singham), the programmes are well outlined.

So, Aware has access to some charitable organisations like the famous middle road Buddhist temple and others. These are valuable sources of funds, and the resouces would be useful for another group of people ( like Shawn Tay, TSM, Jose Lau etc ) to seize control. Imagine how the church can tap on Aware as an intermediary organisation to tap the Buddhist funds. Gosh,, this is a strategy used in Shun Tze’s military strategy to fight in the enermy’s turf and consume on the enermy’s rations.. ..

Now the plot is exposed,,, so what is their next plot???

To kill Aware by legitimately depleting their finances legitimately. This can be done by Jose Lau and the new committee authorising the use of Aware’s funds for apparently most legitimate causes..

Engaging lawyers,, and pay hefty legal fees is the most efficient method to kill an organisation. In no time,, all the hundreds of thousands of dollars can be spent, and Aware will be so poor that no one will want to run the organisation any more. That is when the church organisation can then come in easily to operate Aware using Church funds.

I strongly urge that the old guards form a protem committee and look into obtaining a court injunction to stop Jose Lau and her terracotta armies from dipping their dirty fingers into Aware fund to fight legal battles.

Hold all the current committee members jointly and severally accountable for the loss of Aware funds.

If they want to fight the war, let them come out money out of their own pockets,,, but then again,,, their church bodies will surely extend such funds to them quietly.

The government needs also to ensure this is not the case. The influence of these organisations are too strong now. Every pastor wants to make a mega organisation where they can suck millions of dollars at the expense of the unsuspecting.

This has to be checked.

 

From Lyd:

I’m Christian too and I think that what the new Exco Committee did was wrong. Christianity is about loving people, not judging or condemning others. Our role is not to play God.

I’ve been an Aware member for years and I can testify that Aware has not had a homosexual agenda and neither are they promoting homosexual values. Aware does not believe in discriminating against women because of their sexuality.

Aware has always maintained that it is a secular organisation. This group of women’s views are not representational of the Christian community. Christians are not anti-homosexuals and neither should they be cruel in their treatment to homosexuals and the people around them.

Help save Aware:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAAEusdEKxY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewe%2Dare%2Daware%2Esg%2F&feature=player_embedded

Help save Aware.

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Comments

17 Comments on "Moderate Christians speak out against actions of AWARE new exco and COOS"

  1. Darth Vader on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 10:20 am 

    Personallt I think it’s time to ignore this infantile squabble between a group of narrow-minded backstabbers on the one hand and a group of whiny sore losers on the other and focus on issues of genuine concern to all Singaporeans. Let the two groups fight to the death: Aware will only emerge stronger for it due to Darwinism ;-) :-P

    In other words, it’s time to get back to focussing on such issues such as “HOW MUCH did Temasek Holdings and GLC lose, and who should be accountable for the losses?”, “Why did Lim Hong Eng get away scot-free with killing an innocent woman and injuring an innocent man with her dangerous driving?”, “What REALLY happened in the Geylang Serai food poisoning case?” and “Since the Kallang River was cleaned up and beautified with taxpayers’ money, WHY should it be turned into a playground for the rich instead of having it shared by all as the birthright of ALL Singaporeans?”

  2. Anonymous on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 11:47 am 

    Why would any members from COOS seek help from a secular group to “say something for them in order to protect the name of their religion”?

    If it is true, these members should voice their concerns to their church elders. I find this rather wierd, to ask outsiders to defend their religion.

  3. randomnessinmind on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 11:49 am 

    Darth give it up…this thing will go on till it ends…and probably take a long long time. You’ll be seeing drama videos sooner or later. Since you’ve probably already guessed it’ll end up something like squabbling, complains, yadda yadda and more dirt dragged out from each other.

    I suppose we need to relax a little anyways, let this stupidity go on.

  4. Alwin Loi on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 12:05 pm 

    bravo to all moderate christians who dare to speak up against those extremists!

  5. Nicholas Lum on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 12:10 pm 

    Many of us ‘fundalmentalist Christians’ today are totally misguided – what are the abominations against God ?

    1. A lying tongue
    2. A haughty look
    3. Feet that run to do evil… Read More
    :
    :

    In our attempt to try to push our interpretation of the Bible, we have chosen a path that is even more abominable to God – through our lies about our intents, through our lack of integrity, etc, In doing so, what do others now view the Christian faith ? Some light on hill we are !

    Sometimes I blame it on Americanism – where the Christians there (as in their other approaches to everything else) think the way to do it is to stuff it down others’ throats. And Singapore Christians swallow every single shaky doctrine (eg creationism) that sprouts from fundalmentalist churches in America.

    Let me challenge fundalmentalist Christians today – go re-read your Bibles without any pre-conceived ideas, doctrines and theology (even about salvation!) that your pastors have fed you – and see what God really says there ! That’s being fundalmentalist right – sticking close to what the Bible says. You’ll be surprised how much of what these misguided shepherds of God’s flock say that are totally out of sync with the Bible.

  6. Anonimous on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 1:16 pm 

    Well, actually these religion extremists have already hijacked and taken over these religious organizations. Now, there are just doing the same thing to a secular organization.

    If we don’t put a STOP to these religion extremists soon, they are going to take over the rest of society.

  7. I'm a Christian too - Fundamentalism What is it? on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 2:19 pm 

    Dawn and Nicholas hit that “Nail” direct on it’s head! Age XUE and a few others made sane salients arguments too.

    First, indeed as Dawn shared and Nicholas asked, Josie Lau and their COOS etc bias and skewed views of God’s true words should look first into the “Genealogy” of Christ Jesus. They shouldn’t need bible reference from anyone if they do know God’s word.

    Next, I feel that some quote from tThe Holy Bile will not be out of place and context at this venue and juncture. For, if God IS LOVE and would forgive the most vile offender who seeks his forgiveness and also teaches us:

    1. Love thy enemy as thyself.

    2. Judge not less I judged you – by the same measure that you judge.For how perfect are you.

    3. Why do you see the sawdust in your brother’s eyes when you have a plank in yours?

    4. If you do not forgive, Father in Heaven will not forgive.

    5. Look to the things of Heaven and all His goodness will be added unto you.

    Why then do “Fundamentalist” Christians CRIMINALISING homosexuals? If God’s tenets of proper behaviour and divine soveriegn is believe and respected, why is even enlightening the uninformed about it made a criminal thing by some Christians?

    Didn’t God teach us to love and behold? To pray, to seek His wisdom and healing? Where art thy faith oh faithful one? Do you have harden-herts? Didn’t Jesus say, “Faith without deeds is dead”? What kind of deeds did Jesus mean? Remembering the preceding points referred to.

    I am a guy and just feel I must come out in defense to help mitigate any extreme and distort views and action that’ll hurt Christianity. Like some of those in the Islamic faith.

    God is about love. Let’s have the humility, magnamity and heart the to “Love Beyond Compare”.

    Sncerely, Ron

  8. Darth Vader on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 3:05 pm 

    Randomnessinmind, I think you misunderstood what I said. I said that we should just ignore this petty feuding between two groups of XXXX and let them fight to the death. Instead, we should go back to focussing on issues that affect everyone. In other words, there’s nothing for me to give up because as what you noted, there’ll be no end to this, just as what I stated.

    According to news reports, there’s no provision for an EGM to impeach a newly elected exco in Aware, but it’s being done, anyway. So if the old guard were to win, what’s stopping the young turks from calling for another EGM to impeach them back since a precedent has been set? Anyway, what’s the worst that will happen? Aware will break up, and 2 rival NGOs will be set up in its place, one a group of rightwing XXXX fundamentalist crackpots and the other a group of leftwing liberal loonies. And the moderates in the middle will be left to lick their wounds and pick up the pieces while the 2 rival groups continue their war. How bad can that be, since the moderates can now get down to the business of rebuilding Aware and going back to its original focus of women’s issues instead of bringing in leftwing liberal “ideas” that brought about the overthrow of the original exco in the first place?

    Interesting point to ponder: why is the government commenting on what is after all an internal matter of a NGO when there are far more pressing issues to resolve, like “WHAT THE HELL HAD THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF GEYLANG SERAI TEMPORARY MARKET BEEN DOING THAT 122 RATS WERE CAPTURED OR KILLED IN JUST 2 DAYS?!” Or are they happy that this minor issue has so captivated the country that it’s diverting people’s attentions from their bungling?

  9. Boon Seng on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 3:37 pm 

    We need to be concern with this issue because, this is far beyond two group of woman fighting.

    The values of a civil society is at stake. Fair play, Transparency, Accountability are all disregard in this episode, that is why we care about it.

    The infiltration of a group of christian militancy is also something that concerns us. They might not affect your life in anyway, but i fear for my religious or even physical freedom after such an episode. If this action is condone, other NGOs are at risk.

    If you cannot find any reason to care about it, just stop reading these articles. I think our news media (online or msm) are big enough to cater to the intellectual needs of different people.

  10. Anonymous on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 4:17 pm 

    COOS has issued a statement today, read it at asiaone

  11. Agape Xue on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 6:19 pm 

    To the Editor,
    I take very serious objection and view the following as most offensive remarks, with the use of the word “bitches”…

    Darth Vader on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 3:05 pm

    ,……. I said that we should just ignore this petty feuding between two groups of equally obnoxious bitches ……..

    He should be banned from all postings….

  12. 看破紅塵 on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 6:20 pm 

    DON’T BELIEVE IN WHATEVER THE COOS AND NEW EXCO OF AWARE SAY.

  13. Kaine on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 6:26 pm 

    Darth Vader…
    You are another most obnoxious egoistic male chauvinistic pig i have seen in all the threads here….

    If you have nothing descent to say, please keep your big mouth shut…

    By calling the writers “XXXX” are you not aware that your own mother, your own sisters, your own wife ( unless you are not married ), and your own daughters are also included??

    Shame on you,,, please dont waste your time writing, no one will read you.

  14. admin on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 7:01 pm 

    Hi Agape,

    Sorry we miss out on that one. We have moderated his comment.

    Darth: pls apologize to the ladies here.

    Please guys, this is not a male forum only, we have many female readers here, please be mindful of your language. Do not post any vulgarities or invectives which may offend the ladies.

  15. sit on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 9:19 pm 

    after what has happened in the aware exco , it shows how dishonorable people claiming to do God’s will can be when they know that they will probably not win an argumnet in A fair and logical public debate.

    What the new exco has done by sneakily planning a takeover is so dishonorable and sneaky and totally despicable.

    It shows how their mind function in order to achieve the ends, the end justifies the means.

    It reminds me of how Christians try to ’spread’ their beliefs to non believers, the word they use is ’share’.

    They should just let other people lead their own lives according to their believes.I feel that they way they prosletyse is also quite underhand. don’t they know they themselves have their own Christian agenda too.

    When it comes to civil partnerships they say that we want to change the definition of one man one woman.
    Yeah no gay is saying you can’t marry your female partner.
    whay can’t they do their own thing and just leave other people who not necessarily believe in Jesus to just live life at their own decisions.

    Firstly, even the fact that Jesus is the son of God is not something that is widely accepted in Singapore,
    so what if I don’t believe in the Christian version of the world.

    Am i not allowed to live my own life.

    Please be reasonable Christians, the world at large is a secular place and we believe there is room for plurality of views.

    stop being so self important.

  16. sit on Thu, 30th Apr 2009 9:24 pm 

    the world is a secular place, there is room for a plurality of views, christian fundamentalist should respect other people ’s views that the world may not agree with the christian views of the world. So fundamentalist should be respectful;

    Even the fact that Jesus is the son of God is not something that is universally accepted so go figure

  17. fenix on Sat, 2nd May 2009 10:37 pm 

    Too bad there was a winner tonight. I was really looking forward to the 2 sides stripping down to their thongs and mud wrestling at the Padang to settle this. And NO, I am not joking, leh.