Public morality & decency

‘Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.’ (I Corinthians 6:18)

When someone publicized his sexually explicit photos and video through the internet, can he still say that he is doing them at his personal time and as a private individual? Or is it merely a ‘victimless’ crime (since it involves only willing participants) as no one has been harmed or hurt through the process?

We live in an individualistic society to the point we think this is the way that all people should live. The root of individualism is selfishness and self-glorification. Abigail Van Buren once said, “There are two kinds of people, those who walk into a room and say, ‘There you are’, and those who say,’Here I am.’”

The new generation is growing up in a world of advanced technology. It brings both positive and negative influences. In area of values, they are often neutral; what feels good is good and wrong is relative. There is no clear definition of right and wrong.

Our society has to send a very clear signal of disapproval to such actions. History shows that a society that tolerates immorality would eventually lead to its downfall.

Love Language

It is said that the most basic need of any human being is feeling been loved. Love language can be expressed in different forms- physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time and gifts. I think of all, physical touch is the most powerful one and produces the greatest impact.

Studies had shown that those rats that had been licked and groomed by their mothers did better at finding their way through mazes. They were better able to control stress responses. The rats were also found to be more sociable and curious. In fact, they were able to live longer than the rest. When we translate these into human version, which means it makes sense for the mothers to hug, kiss and read to their babies. On the other hand, children from poor households often grow up under constant stress as the families struggle to survive most of the time. This makes them hard to thrive in school or succeed in the workforce.

My tutoring experience seems to support the above observations. Children from dysfunctional homes tend to be quiet, yet snap easily, impatient, lack of discipline, confidence and focus. How can we help these people to break the poverty cycle then? Many governments tend to take the easy ways out, such as giving grocery vouchers or put these people under welfare initiatives. The better ways seem to be providing early childhood education and parenting programs to this group of people.

In praise of Woman (just for laugh)

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed : `God, please give me the strength to cross the river.' God gave him big arms and strong legs, and he was able to swim across in about 2 hours, having almost drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed: `God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river.' God gave him a rowboat, strong arms and legs,  He was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.

Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed: `God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross the river.' Poof!! The man was turned into a woman! She checked the map, hiked 100 yards upstream and walked across the bridge!

(shared by FH)

Halloween

There shall not be found among you anyone...who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who ‘casts a spell, or a medium, or a spirit, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord’ (Deuteronomy 18: 10-13)

Halloween, which was once an almost an exclusively American secular holiday, is gaining popularity in our society. I was in fact surprised that even my constituency’s RC organized such event this year. The last thing I expected from my child last week was when she asked for permission and 70 dollars to join the Halloween party on Sentosa. I gave a firm no and before I could explain my stand, she commented that my response has to do with my faith as a Christian. I was indeed happy to hear that remark for at least my child knows the basis of my life principles.

To me, Halloween is one of those celebrations where pagan cultures and practices been ‘Christianized’. It has its origin in the religious practices of the Romans and the Druids about 600 years ago. The Roman Catholic Church at that time decided to make the changeover from pagan religion to Christianity easier for the new converts, hence, allowed them to maintain some of their pagan feasts by celebrating them as "Christian" festivals. So instead of praying to their heathen gods, they would now pray to, and remember the deaths of saints. For this reason, the church decided to call November 1 the "Day of All Saints". The evening prior to this day was named, "All Hallowed Evening" which subsequently was abbreviated as "Halloween." 

Christian parents ought to see themselves as stewards of their possessions and protectors of their families. Christian young people should stay away from secular Halloween parties since these are breeding grounds for trouble and bring about social problems. I just don’t see how one can derives ‘fun’ from activities like colouring pictures of witches, listening to ghost stories, or wearing costumes associated with fictional characters-demons, monsters, vampires, werewolves, mummies etc. I came from a family deeply exposed to spiritualism because of my mum’s closeness to her childhood friend who is a powerful medium. No one should treat spiritualism lightly. It is real. My past experience makes me very sensitive to it, and embracing Christian faith has liberated me from the fears of such. 

In the book by Peter Wagner, Warfare Prayer, he gives an account of the influence of spiritualism in this city of Resistencia in Argentina. In that city, people all knew the names of the spirits that were ruling over it. San La Muerte, the spirit of death, was the most powerful. A large number of people there were so devoted to this spirit that they had tiny bone images of the idol surgically implanted under their skin or under their nipples, believing that this will assure them of a ‘good death’. There is also the spirit of division who brought terror especially to children at night. Curapi, is a spirit of sexual perversion, and Freemasonry, is the spirit of occult power.