Thursday, October 3, 2013

A Morality Tale

Pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) Lawrence Khong likes to claim that he is a man of principles, "I cannot allow a ruling that is passed that I feel is unjust to the church, that restricts the way we run a religious organisation." As an example of his principled rules, he maintains smoking is not acceptable for his employees - at the risk of termination - and it's not just that they can't smoke in the office, they can't smoke even outside or at home.

That could be one reason he has decided to take on Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, by asking the court to "give guidance" on the sanction to compensate an employee who was terminated without insufficient cause. Being an ex-military man, Tan is not accustomed to having his orders questioned, much less having to tangle with someone of such rigid convictions.

Engineers know that a rigid bar of metal can still be bent, stiffness is just the mechanical property of a solid body to resist deformation. Many years ago, Khong's daughter bore a child out of wedlock. Apparently the amorous young couple had the proverbial tumble in the haystack, strict parental upbringing notwithstanding, and a church sanctified marriage was not in the plan. Here's how Khong explained his non-malleable principles in that particular case of an unwanted (as in non-church approved) pregnancy:
"I understand it's not easy to be a single mother. However, I want to make the point that my daughter's case was different. My daughter was a single girl who made a mistake and was pregnant. In this case, she was a married woman who was in an adulterous relationship. I think the context is different. However, even for my daughter, I expect her to come to a place of repentance. We assigned leaders of the church to hold her accountable, to check on her. I took her off from any leadership role in the church until many years later. I hold the same standard for my own daughter."

If Khong could forgive his daughter and made her a pastor of his God fearing congregation, why is he not kinder to BG Tan? Some member of parliament once said Lui Tuck Yew would be uncomfortable meeting with CEOs if he was paid less than a million dollars. Hence, even after the token hair-cut, Lui is still one of Singapore's millionaires. Now, if Tan had been promoted to full minister, he could have been be spared the ignominy of having to show up in court like a common criminal. Is this just a case of "see me no up"?

21 comments:

  1. Making exceptions for oneself and one's family is a human failing. You can see examples everywhere in this little red dot. How about "you get one egg and I get two"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you meant to say "familee"?

      Delete
  2. Meritocracy at work? We have a nation of self-proclaimed little emperors. Within certain religious confines, ego and the the huge (some say obscene) wealth they dispose of can make one feel more equal than even the original meritocrats. Lawsuits are of course lee's legacy, his tool par excellence to fix his nemesis, and mind you, certain religious groups do have powerful backers who have infiltrated all rungs of the public services. These folks naturally feel more adequate than a sub-millionaire B-grader ranked below his "hand-raising" peer, not befitting of a full ministerial rank despite a good show against the best the PRCs have to offer. With strong network, lots of cash from the congregation, backed by the belief in the power of the judicial, these folks naturally entitled to do "God's Work". What do church-going teo's think?

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is dangerous to allow religious bigots( from whatever religions), imposing their narrow interpretations of their religious views onto the secular world.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I thought this MP by the name of Lim Wee Kiak, a Doctor, no less, is referring to Mr Yakult who helms MICA, and whose son don't still with duo citizenship got serve his NS or not I don't know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I think is Lim Wee Kiat who said his dignity will suffer if our political leaders don't draw as high a salary when come face to face with CEO.

      And it is Grace Fu who said his family's quality of life will suffer if her salary is going to be cut any further. Which translate to how shitty a quality of life a $600 wage earner will be.

      Delete
  5. I don't like religious bigots.
    I don't like PAP Millionaire Ministers (Acting or Pretending).
    So when the two fight.
    I hope they both suffer mortal wounds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. No one is outside the Ambit of the Laws.
    But no one is forced to embrace Faith and or
    to believe another fellow being represents god
    and or is god.
    Whence one believes in anothers' claim to represent or is god, the Believer must submit faithfully.
    One has the Freedom to DISBELIEVE in religion or not to embrace any.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LK is playing with fire by challenging LKY's son's Govt. He should know that there is no need to ask the court for any judicial review of the issue in question because the issue here has nothing to do with his religion or any religion for that matter.

    Maybe he has a different agenda of his own especially like the last time how he tried to corner GCT into a stalemate to say something against the gays.

    It's almost like a pre-warning to the Govt u want to play play with us Christians at your own risk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I could read it correctly, this guy wants the state not to interfere in his ways of running the administration of his church.Above labour laws?Whats next? Above Sedition Act? This guy cannot win.

      Delete
    2. I puke whenever this bigot speaks. First he took on the LGBT to impose his values even on non believers and now the Govt and the statute.
      Hello, last I know we are still a secular state
      Yes, he cannot win but perhaps his objective is to have his day of prominence
      Where is the meekness that Jesus preach about?

      Delete
  8. Hmmm...so all men is equal, but some are more equal than others applies to sin. Not all sins are equal, some are worse than others?

    Do you think the ever calculating God has a weighing machine for every man/woman on earth, and tallying up a scoring chart with a context scale to say a single pregnant woman is more forgivable than a married adulterous woman?

    What if the married adulterous woman has an abusive husband who consistently ill treat her? But met the most wonderful men that will change her life? Versus a single pregnant young lady who has a so-called loving father who is a paster of the big flock of congregation that preached daily about leading a virtuous life? Do you think God takes into account such a context and will award who a big #fail?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hope the govt should act tough on these type of religious bigot.kill chick warn monkey

    ReplyDelete
  10. one has to wonder about the ''christianity'' of a pastor whose religious message, thinking and lifestyle seems to have little place for forgiveness. This was one of the main messages of Jesus, who tried to drive home his point by hanging out with adulteresses and other ''sinners''.

    one also has to wonder who appointed this man judge and jury on others' moral behaviour. does he believe he's God?

    no doubt it would be worthy to bear in mind what Jesus said when he was nailed to the cross by Caesar's soldiers, viz: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Our gahmen will be more than happy to have an additonal baby added to our population. Why bring it up again and its going to hurt their innocent family members again! And also his own daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Under the law, the Minister can order an employer to pay maternity benefits; those who refuse can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed up to a year.
    Lawrence Khong boasted that he asked the Minister to send him to jail. But then he paid up to avoid being sent to jail. Says a lot about this man of God, right?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I find Bible-thumping Christians to be the most hypocritical people on earth. All of them want to go to heaven, none of them want to die.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ORGANIZED religions should be banned - they are the bane of this earth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The human race is the bane of this planet...that has been raped and plundered since the existence of humans.
      I recall Ted Turner previous owner of CNN mentioned that he wish the world population can become 1/3, where as I wish it can become 1/10.

      Delete
    2. By your reasoning, it should be 0/10. Let the cockroaches and crocodiles roam free as they have for billions of years.

      Delete