A response of in Christ, in Malaysiakini.
The recent Makkal Osai incident have spurs different reaction from different groups of people (including political party, religious bodies etc.). Some took this as an opportunity to raise their concerns, some took this as an opportunity to sabotage.
If you ask me, for I'm a Christian, what would my reaction be? My answer is rather simple - though it is rude for anyone to make fun of Christ Jesus, I don't find the need to react in punishing them. A simple caricature that portrays Jesus who smokes does not justify the degradation of my Christ Jesus image in my heart. In fact, I don't think anyone who have a sane mind would think Jesus Christ would smoke.
To be theological, the act of smoking does not mean sinful - it is the reaction of smoking that is sinful. Smoking brings harm to our body (everyone agrees on that), and my only disagreement of smoking is because God have asked us to take care of our body well. This means - over eating (gluttony) equally sinful just like smoking :)
On the contrary of how media and government have shown their dissatisfaction against Makkal Osai, hereby I represent a niche group of people to state our stand in acknowledging the insignificant level of importance in persecuting the news publisher. One day, one month, one year, it is not important.
Ironically, we can see from the decision of government as this issue is rather "inconsistent". If you think back, previously - we had the similar issue with the Mohammed caricature. My point here wasn't meant to say that I want a longer suspension* for this company (in fact earlier I already said it is not important). What I'm trying to say here is that, there's no consistency on the government side. I wonder why.
My point is, should a country's ministerial decision be inconsistent? I seriously doubt so...
Celebrating 50 years of nationhood. Let's do our part in making a greater future ahead :)
* edit: replaced the word ban with suspension.
Does Jesus smokes?
Saturday, August 25, 2007
12 Comments (Post a Comment)
The decision by the government to ban the news paper that published the act of mockery on Jesus Christ has been made. Whatever decision the government took,will definitely attract comments, opinions, criticism etc. That is the law of attraction! Even if the government kept quite about it, I believe the same thing will ensue from that.So,the morale or message of the decision was to forewarn us not to play with fire by being irreverence towards other religions.Normally when something had happened and became an issue, only then we will receive all sort of excuses, comments, opinions etc. In the first place, the editor/publisher should have known or aware of the potential consequences. Unless you have other motive or purpose, I don't see why this matter was not being edited.Insensitive,ignorant is not a good excuse or was it that you just want to test the water?.Better watch your thoughts for they become your words;Choose your words for the become your actions;Understand your actions for they become your habbits; Study your habbits for they become your Charecter and if you develope your charecter, that will be your Destiny! The irreverence act of making a mockery of Jesus Christ Our Lord thus angered and hurt the Christians more than Jesus Christ himself, because He is compassionate,full of Mercy Loving, Kind and Forgiving. But to enjoy those gifts you must do your parts and not to simply say anything you want and act anyhow.Of course they are several things that really hurts Jesus. And they are happening every now and then, from the mild to the mortal one.For He has said "Things that cause people to sin are bound to happen or come, but woe to to that person through whom they come".If you have the opportunity to access to the Ten Commandments please read and understand them.Even thousands years ago Jesus had encountered the phenomena called "The Hometown Prophet Syndrome"(being rejected by his own people in his hometown because they do not really know and understand about Jesus).Even among the Christians ourselve,we most of the time acted against the teaching of Jesus Christ.What more to say people who have no knowlege about the History of Christianity,let alone the religion itself. Therefore, we Christians should forgive them and pray for them because they do not know what the were doing.For unless you forgave others, your sins would not be forgiven.
10:45 PM
Thousand apologies... Futher to my comments about the "Does Jesus smoking or drinking beer".. Please ignore the word "..to ban.." instead replace it by the word "...to suspense.."
i imagine, in cabinet meeting:
pm: wht u all think abt the caricature issue?
minister1: we should ban the newspaper, my party hs make police report
minister2: but the affected ppl hv accept the apology
pm: so we should let them go?
minister3: then the opposition will say we not fair
pm: so we should punish them?
minister3: just suspend them for 1 month la
pm: ok set
it;s political
pm: wht u all think abt the caricature issue?
minister1: we should ban the newspaper, my party hs make police report
minister2: but the affected ppl hv accept the apology
pm: so we should let them go?
minister3: then the opposition will say we not fair
pm: so we should punish them?
minister3: just suspend them for 1 month la
pm: ok set
it;s political
if 'the reaction to smoking' is wrong because 'God have asked us to take care of our body well'... then i'll have to stop drinking coke, stop eating pringles, or bak-kut-teh intestines... in fact, i may even have to consider not driving since it pollutes the very air we inhale everyday... or listen to madonna (she has high carbon footprint that damages the environment we live in), play computer games (destroy our eye-sight)... etc etc
in fact, smoking has not been an issue for ppl like cs lewis, gk chesterton (if i'm not mistaken), and other christians throughout history. western ppl of the past smoke to keep themselves warm. some ppl in tribal communities smoke as a way to get rid of mosquitoes...
i'm saying all these NOT because i encourage smoking but to point out that the argument does not hold. smoking is never a moral issue.
in fact, smoking has not been an issue for ppl like cs lewis, gk chesterton (if i'm not mistaken), and other christians throughout history. western ppl of the past smoke to keep themselves warm. some ppl in tribal communities smoke as a way to get rid of mosquitoes...
i'm saying all these NOT because i encourage smoking but to point out that the argument does not hold. smoking is never a moral issue.
dude, anticipating tommy's arrival? ;)
anyway, I believe one thing we need to admit is that it is true coke brings harm. But the keyword is obviously "excessive intake". So, it wasn't on the basis of morality for me to think it is not good to smoke :)
anyway, I believe one thing we need to admit is that it is true coke brings harm. But the keyword is obviously "excessive intake". So, it wasn't on the basis of morality for me to think it is not good to smoke :)
if it ain't on the basis of morality, then smoking per se should not be "wrong"... it's a matter of preference and choice...
one can even argue further to say that smoking 5 ciggies a day is not "excessive" just as drinking one can of coke per week is not. this is because the understanding of "excessive-ness" varies and subject to individuals.
in fact, if the keyword here is 'excessive intake' - it applies to almost everything and the issue of smoking just pales in comparison.
***sorry for diverting fr the original point of ur blog post... anyway, there's no news fr tommy... and when r u coming over to visit?***
one can even argue further to say that smoking 5 ciggies a day is not "excessive" just as drinking one can of coke per week is not. this is because the understanding of "excessive-ness" varies and subject to individuals.
in fact, if the keyword here is 'excessive intake' - it applies to almost everything and the issue of smoking just pales in comparison.
***sorry for diverting fr the original point of ur blog post... anyway, there's no news fr tommy... and when r u coming over to visit?***
regarding smoking:
-why school ban smoking but allow to drink coke?
-why children below 18 can't smoke but can drink coke?
-why gov impose heavy duty on ciggarete?
-smoking cause lung cancer
-smoking will cause other people to have lung cancer
-smoking will cause addiction
-ciggarete is expensive, a packet cost rm6
-r we using it to warm ourselve or chase mosquito nowadays?
-y ppl smoke?
-why school ban smoking but allow to drink coke?
-why children below 18 can't smoke but can drink coke?
-why gov impose heavy duty on ciggarete?
-smoking cause lung cancer
-smoking will cause other people to have lung cancer
-smoking will cause addiction
-ciggarete is expensive, a packet cost rm6
-r we using it to warm ourselve or chase mosquito nowadays?
-y ppl smoke?
the whole list you've listed still does not make smoking morally wrong... the fact you realized dat we dun chase mosquitoes away by smoking today shows dat it was once valid; therefore, a cultural practice - not a timeless truth...
the fact is:
Tobacco related illnesses kill 440,000 USA citizens per year,[9] about 1,205 per day, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The World Health Organization has stated that tobacco is set to kill a billion people this century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco_smoking
Tobacco currently kills 5 million people annually worldwide, half in middle age — the very workforce needed for economic development. The global epidemic is predicted to double in the first half of the 21st century, to over 10 million deaths per year.
http://www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/Lv3resources_global_epidemic.htm
Tobacco related illnesses kill 440,000 USA citizens per year,[9] about 1,205 per day, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The World Health Organization has stated that tobacco is set to kill a billion people this century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco_smoking
Tobacco currently kills 5 million people annually worldwide, half in middle age — the very workforce needed for economic development. The global epidemic is predicted to double in the first half of the 21st century, to over 10 million deaths per year.
http://www.ashaust.org.au/lv3/Lv3resources_global_epidemic.htm
the truth is:
Tobacco is a killer, on a monumental scale. Globally, around 4.9 million people die every year from diseases caused by smoking. That's one death every 7 seconds. In the UK tobacco kills around 106,000 people a year. Half of all regular smokers will die from a smoking related disease. Many will die in middle age losing up to 25 years of life. Each day 1,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals due to diseases caused by smoking.
Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended.
Smoking causes:
-At least 80% of all lung cancer deaths
-17% of all heart disease deaths
-Over 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema
However smoking also causes and exacerbates many other medical conditions including:
Strokes
Blindness
Gum Disease
Skin Ageing
Peptic (Stomach) Ulcers
Impotence
Infertility
Asthma
http://www.smokefreeoxfordshire.nhs.uk/SmokingIllnessandDeath.htm
Tobacco is a killer, on a monumental scale. Globally, around 4.9 million people die every year from diseases caused by smoking. That's one death every 7 seconds. In the UK tobacco kills around 106,000 people a year. Half of all regular smokers will die from a smoking related disease. Many will die in middle age losing up to 25 years of life. Each day 1,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals due to diseases caused by smoking.
Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended.
Smoking causes:
-At least 80% of all lung cancer deaths
-17% of all heart disease deaths
-Over 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema
However smoking also causes and exacerbates many other medical conditions including:
Strokes
Blindness
Gum Disease
Skin Ageing
Peptic (Stomach) Ulcers
Impotence
Infertility
Asthma
http://www.smokefreeoxfordshire.nhs.uk/SmokingIllnessandDeath.htm
definitely unhealthy...
but u missed the point, it's still not morally wrong...
but u missed the point, it's still not morally wrong...
5:06 PM
Is it true that by simply brushing twice a day will eliminate the need for treating periodontal gum disease problems?
10:36 PM