I have been reading some post by Raja Petra...
I must agree that he is smart and wise in the area of arguments and politics...
He is good in what he does - but he starts speaking beyond his expertise...
He talks about religion - organized religion, logic, reasoning - and faith - and the inconsistencies
and that mankind is their own saviour...
The upcoming post will be a rebuttal...although i doubt that anybody will really pay much attention to whatever is written here..but its okay - gotta start somewhere
enjoy a beautiful song with me
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Lord of Politics
In the sad state of politics in Malaysia today - If we run away, what about the others who are left behind?
Little updates of my life:
I just have this growing sense of God's destiny in my life - something greater than I can think or imagine.
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To my fellow peer Christians who are in Malaysia,Permission letters to build churches end up in Syariah courts.This is the response of our brothers,
The judiciary is corrupted.
Lina Joy is not vindicated.
Malay Bibles are restricted.
Words in Malay Bibles are banned.
Pastors are being charged for preaching.
Statistics show that the Christian population in Malaysia is about 10%++God - He is the Lord of Politics. He plants one ruler and uproots another. He is sovereign. Long before the Romans ruled, or the Great Persian Empire - God has revealed by Daniel the Prime Minister that Daniel will stand before Empires. God has shown him who shall rule after another. God holds the future, He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us a hope and a future.
Statistics show that of all the people who emigrate Australia, Christians comprise of about 50%
Please stay, Malaysia would not turn better when people flee.
God will bring deliverance, but let us not let God find us going to Tarshish when we ought to go to Nineveh. When God brings us on to fight all manner of injustice, oppression, and corruption in the country, let us not be those who stay at home. Let us be those who count our lives as nothing, but march forward for His honour.
He has bought us - and He has assured us a good end.
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance ... will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come ... for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
Let us not give up, but intercede for the country, and stand up when God calls. God is the Lord of Politics.
If we run away, what about the others?
With Top Leaders in the country declaring that Malaysia is no longer a "secular state", our religious freedom is oppressed - of course, today is not the first day that such things happen. For Jesus' sake, for the sake of the peace of Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs. For the sake of the peace of our children -
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
William Wilberforce
Politician and Slave Liberator
Politician and Slave Liberator
William Wilberforce (August 24, 1759–July 29, 1833) was a British politician and philanthropist. A native of Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 and became Member of Parliament for Yorkshire (1784–1812), and independent supporter of the Tory party. A close friend of Prime Minister William Pitt, in 1785 he underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Christian. In 1787 he came into contact with Thomas Clarkson and a group of anti-slave trade activists, including Granville Sharp, Beilby Porteus, Hannah More, and Lord Middleton.
At their suggestion, Wilberforce was persuaded to take on the cause. He became one of the leading English abolitionists, heading the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade, which he saw through to the eventual passage of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.
Wilberforce also championed many other causes and campaigns, including the Society for Suppression of Vice, Charity schools, the introduction of Christianity to India, the foundation of the Church Mission Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
In later years, he supported the campaign for complete abolition, which eventually led to the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833.[1] This Act paved the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire.[2][3][4] A tireless campaigner for the abolition of slavery, Wilberforce died just three days after hearing of the passage of the Act through Parliament. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to his friend William Pitt.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Minister and Champion of the African Americans
Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968), was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Dream
I was having quite a bad dream last night.
I was in school, and I got frustrated with a teacher. I have no idea how we got into the toilet - but I killed her there and flushed her down the toilet bowl. Now, nobody knew who killed her and an investigation went on. In my dream, I just know that they will never find out who the killer was unless I tell.
After killed her, I tried to continue on with my life. I heard a rumor from the investigation team about a sanitary pond which the toilets in the school were connected too. They were expecting to find her corpse there. Although I was actually on my way to a birthday party, I used a different route to go to check out the pond first - only after that, I went to the goodness; yet I walked in such a way so as to avoid letting other people know that I came from the sanitary pond.
And at another scene, I was involved in some football advertisement, and the Ronaldo guy was part of it too.
In my dream, I was prospering well in my social life, and everything seems to be blooming. Yet through all these, I knew quite well in my dream I was a Christian. I will have to surrender to the police one day. And the punishment for the murder was death, or in my dream it was a very long sentence, something like 30 over years.
Looking at all the current successes, I didn't know how long I wanted to delay it. In a weird way, I don't know why I never did consider not telling - perhaps it is something to do with convictions.
In my dream, I lived each day in hopelessness. I know that no matter how great I become, it will end up as nothing in a very short while. I could no longer enjoy anymore things. I always had to hide. Didn't try to hard, for in my dream, I was too smart for the police - yet I couldn't relax.
There wasn't an ending to the dream. I just continued feeling that grief until I woke up and
I was in school, and I got frustrated with a teacher. I have no idea how we got into the toilet - but I killed her there and flushed her down the toilet bowl. Now, nobody knew who killed her and an investigation went on. In my dream, I just know that they will never find out who the killer was unless I tell.
After killed her, I tried to continue on with my life. I heard a rumor from the investigation team about a sanitary pond which the toilets in the school were connected too. They were expecting to find her corpse there. Although I was actually on my way to a birthday party, I used a different route to go to check out the pond first - only after that, I went to the goodness; yet I walked in such a way so as to avoid letting other people know that I came from the sanitary pond.
And at another scene, I was involved in some football advertisement, and the Ronaldo guy was part of it too.
In my dream, I was prospering well in my social life, and everything seems to be blooming. Yet through all these, I knew quite well in my dream I was a Christian. I will have to surrender to the police one day. And the punishment for the murder was death, or in my dream it was a very long sentence, something like 30 over years.
Looking at all the current successes, I didn't know how long I wanted to delay it. In a weird way, I don't know why I never did consider not telling - perhaps it is something to do with convictions.
In my dream, I lived each day in hopelessness. I know that no matter how great I become, it will end up as nothing in a very short while. I could no longer enjoy anymore things. I always had to hide. Didn't try to hard, for in my dream, I was too smart for the police - yet I couldn't relax.
There wasn't an ending to the dream. I just continued feeling that grief until I woke up and
THANK GOD IT WAS A DREAM!
I can't imagine living life like that. Well, in some sense, yes I can - but its mad. I can't fully explain the despair that I went through - you gotta dream it to feel the sadness and the weight.
Then I thought to myself - perhaps this is a bad dream for a good reason. Isn't human life the same way?
We all have committed crimes - some in the light, most of them in the dark. Some of them in our words and deeds, much more of them in evil intentions that could not materialize due to our lack of power.
While in prosperity, prosperity sometimes is like wine - making us forget of the judgment to come. In the midst of all the success, I too forgotten for a while. But for most of my dream, I was sober.
We all have a judgment to face in the end, and the idea to hear The Judge say "guilty" would be dreadful. There was no Jesus to trust in my dream, no Jesus to pay the price of my sins and to give me forgiveness, no Jesus to make me right before the police....
But in real life, on this side of the world, if only we would trust in Jesus that has died for our sins - we would not have to go through the misery that I went through in my dream... A hopeless end
I can't imagine living life like that. Well, in some sense, yes I can - but its mad. I can't fully explain the despair that I went through - you gotta dream it to feel the sadness and the weight.
Then I thought to myself - perhaps this is a bad dream for a good reason. Isn't human life the same way?
We all have committed crimes - some in the light, most of them in the dark. Some of them in our words and deeds, much more of them in evil intentions that could not materialize due to our lack of power.
While in prosperity, prosperity sometimes is like wine - making us forget of the judgment to come. In the midst of all the success, I too forgotten for a while. But for most of my dream, I was sober.
We all have a judgment to face in the end, and the idea to hear The Judge say "guilty" would be dreadful. There was no Jesus to trust in my dream, no Jesus to pay the price of my sins and to give me forgiveness, no Jesus to make me right before the police....
But in real life, on this side of the world, if only we would trust in Jesus that has died for our sins - we would not have to go through the misery that I went through in my dream... A hopeless end
Saturday, February 9, 2008
A Question which I have no Answer to
One Question popped up in my mind.
" Why does God love us? "
Just in case somebody answers because He chose to - we all get back to square one.
If somebody answers because He created us. Then Why did He create us?
If somebody answers He created us to have a relationship with Him. Then why so?
I have a very peaceful feeling that this is one question I would not exactly need to know the answer. I seldom have peace when I don't know something that I think I ought to know.
Anyway, it is a question. Makes me feel that I ask questions better than I answer them. More questions than answers. I think this is a good state. I hope that I can keep this learning position a habit throughout my life.
Talking about that, I think for a normal person who has more answers than questions is probably not learning to his full potential.
Sometimes people think of another as being a know-it-all:
Well, there are people who behave in a such a manner, the shameful thing is that they don't know it all, but behave so.
However, on the other hand, there are a lot of people who are too lazy to think for themselves - they always think of others as a show off.
I'm enjoying my train of thoughts...
Whee...
" Why does God love us? "
Just in case somebody answers because He chose to - we all get back to square one.
If somebody answers because He created us. Then Why did He create us?
If somebody answers He created us to have a relationship with Him. Then why so?
I have a very peaceful feeling that this is one question I would not exactly need to know the answer. I seldom have peace when I don't know something that I think I ought to know.
Anyway, it is a question. Makes me feel that I ask questions better than I answer them. More questions than answers. I think this is a good state. I hope that I can keep this learning position a habit throughout my life.
Talking about that, I think for a normal person who has more answers than questions is probably not learning to his full potential.
Sometimes people think of another as being a know-it-all:
Well, there are people who behave in a such a manner, the shameful thing is that they don't know it all, but behave so.
However, on the other hand, there are a lot of people who are too lazy to think for themselves - they always think of others as a show off.
I'm enjoying my train of thoughts...
Whee...
Friday, February 8, 2008
Absolute and Relative Truth
In a dark room where there is no light at all, is the shirt you are wearing - still its colour?
e.g. If the shirt you are wearing now is red, will it still be a red shirt in a dark room?
I think this is philosophy. Basics. I was thinking about this when I was "passing motion".
Note ONE: The bathroom is an idea factory.
Since mankind started having opinions, assumptions (having only part of the whole picture), questions have been raised - not so much because of a conflict between contradictory facts, but due to pride.
I was almost going to say "due to difference in perceived fact". Of course, besides pride - it is due to the fact that people do not put enough effort to differentiate between one thing and the other.
Let me illustrate this point.
Remember the story about the blind men and the elephant?
So who is right?
Are they all wrong? Not exactly. Are they right? Definitely not. The answer, to us who see, is definitely simple. I would say that they are partially right, and generally wrong.
The blind men weren't too smart in their generalizations, but suppose that we are wiser blind men - I am sure that we would touch a little more, move around, see what the other man is holding and even then, confine our answer to our knowledge - as far as our senses can bring us.
There is an element of pride here. Not so much because of NOT KNOWING what the other person sees, but NOT WANTING TO KNOW what the other person sees.
Does that sound simple?
The different shapes at different parts of the elephant - as a whole, is the absolute truth. What the blind men touched - their perceived facts is only truth relative to the part that they touched.
Knowing this, we ought to be much more understanding in our daily lives. When somebody wrongs us, perhaps we should not be too quick to throw our temper, or even show our discontent. That person has gone through a particular set of circumstances to arrive at a certain sets of conclusions - which leads the person to do something which we may like or dislike. As much as we ought to judge an action as right and wrong, all the more we ought to give the benefit of the doubt to the other person and treat that person well, to reason and persuade the other person - so that they may receive our set of views - which comes from our set of experience and circumstances - so they might get a more complete picture of everything.
Why is it harder to say than to do?
As much as I think that this is very logical - this is precisely the problem. People don't just act on their heads. They know it in the head, but do not know it in the heart. Most matters, even lies, when meditated in the heart long enough, will become LIKE truth to us. To a very large extent - the problem does not lie in the fact that it is not easy to meditate, it is the unwillingness to do so.
The reason is that we are not convinced that such an effort - is worth the price in order to attain it after all.
Note TWO: The worth of something is normally determined by two factors. In practical daily life, humans are only concerned of one factor. That is the relative worth. E.g. Supply and Demand. Currency has relative worth, even relationships. The other factor is absolute worth, people whose religion has God in the highest position will be more concerned about this aspect. As we learn in College Moral Classes - divine Command theory.
Let us do a recap of what we just read:
Firstly, we read a story to illustrate a principle. Then I gave a real life situation that we face once in a while. Now I am presenting the situation where people might know something to a very large extent - but reach a point where it is hard to do something even though we know it is right (or perhaps we may not know it in the heart).
One of the reasons for such confusion is because we are not able to categorize properly what an absolute truth (to which we are willing to do no matter what - for the reason that it has a higher relative worth compared to anything), and we also find it hard where to place relative truth. The problems that we face has its roots in categorization, this results in our confusion between Convictions and Preferences.
What we ought to do, we know not - We end up majoring in the minor and majoring in the minor.
But now, let us look at some explanations to help us categorize the different truths.
Absolute truths only exist with the existence of purpose, or else - it would be absolute facts. And most definitely, all facts are absolute. Yet, absolute facts, most of the time serves no use.
Give you an example:
I might not have used the most proper terms - to some extent due to the fact that I am not exactly a trained writer, to some extent due to the fact that we grow up differently and we use different words for the same thing. However, I hope all of us have some sort of common understanding before I move on to something which would have utmost importance.
I won't be here promoting any particular teaching or religion, at least not this post - however, I hope that people in general can have more meaningful discussions about religion in the future - and not stupid endless arguments.
What is a stupid argument? We agree on a certain context and then not keep to it. It is like going to court and say that the colour of the shirt is a relative issue. We agree to white light(proper context), yet we misuse science to say that the shirt has a million colours(out of context).
Note:
Why?
An elephant has one shape. Not many shapes. True statement is different parts of an elephant has different shapes.
What would be a better way to understand another person's religion?
Let us look at one example:
Lets say that there is a God and we all appear before God one day to give an account of the things we have done in our lives.
Illustration:
Okay. Before somebody shouts blasphemy because God doesn't speak English, or that God would use more cryptic language or I invented conversations for God - THIS IS JUST AN ILLUSTRATION.
We see that there are many things in life that cannot be received as truth outside the realm of receiving it by authority. We believe - for example: One of our ministers admitted to committing adultery recently. The guy in the video tape looks like him(perceived truth), talks like him(perceived truth), has sex like him(well, I don't know) - good thing he admits that it is him(authoritative testimony) . I'm not sure if there are also witnesses -
This is the best knowledge we can have - therefore it ought to be taken as truth. It is illogical to say otherwise given this context. I know - every now and then we will have people who talk in a way that there is no way they can truly believe anything. They question with impractical reasoning.
So with all these reasoning principles:
Let us consider the first question. We will only use the 4 main religions for discussion purposes. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam. I arranged them in alphabetical order even. No prejudice.
Do all religions lead to the same God?
The Buddhist religion contradicts the notion of a God-Judge but advocates a system in place which will deliver consequences - but not judgment in many senses.Buddhism and Hinduism advocates reincarnation. Christianity and Islam goes for Heaven or Hell after death. Could these two facts gel together? It would be possible to say that there is a Muslim heaven and a Christian Heaven IF each religion did not rule out the other. Lets act ignorant and say all religions lead to the same God.
The question is biased, Buddhism has no gods, but Hinduism has millions. Tell a devout Muslim or a Christian that there are 5 million gods, the nicest of them will tell you that they cannot sincerely believe that 1 God = 5 million gods, Or that God would give birth to millions of small gods, or that God died last year - that is completely unacceptable to them.
Could this be a problem like the blind men? That some people touched the tail, but others got the body, yet another got the ears of this big elephant called religion?
It could not. Because the statements are put in such a way that one person says to the other that the elephant's tail is like a pillar, or the ears are a wall. I am not saying that any particular Scripture gives the Absolute Truth just yet, I am saying that they give contradicting facts.
The Christian says there is one white elephant,
the Buddhist says there is none,
the Muslims say that it is black,
the Hindu laughs and says that the highest point of enlightenment is to realize that everybody is part of the elephant.
Note THREE:(Substitute elephant with God and you will get a rough theology lesson on the differences of major religions)
Then either Jesus or Buddha, Muhammad(pbuh), or whoever taught Hinduism must be giving incorrect information - information so vital that incorrect is an understatement - it would be grossly misleading, and I will not be surprised if trickery, lies, or disillusionment is involved.
Note FOUR: I am not going to talk about authenticity of Scriptures of whichever religion here or sociological or archaelogical evidences, there will be some to argue that all the Scriptures has been twisted over the years. I have talked with many people who argued on that point yet most of them have never even read a copy of the Scripture - be it the TRUE or the TWISTED version. I am not qualified to do so and there is a lot of better evidences out there than my ramblings. If this is a problem for you that you think you want to find out - please do so and clarify your doubts, for the sake of religious understanding and also for the sake of truth.
Now don't get me wrong, they may all be wrong and nobody knows the absolute truth. We will then have a certain group of atheist that say that there is no such thing as spirit. We are all biological blobs and we all came from amoebas which came from proteins, which came from a BIG BANG! Which came from NOTHING! Beat that!
Now, I do not support that if everybody believes in something - it has to be true. However, even blind as we are, when we all claim to touch something - simply dismissing it that there is no object there - is absurd.
Instead, if we are ever interested in talking about life and living with another person meaningfully, I propose that we ought to adopt a learning and discerning attitude of different faiths - not only of that but also some basic psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
Note FIVEI know this is not everyone's cup of tea. But hey, you are going to live an average of 70 years, facing different people, different faiths, there is so much to learn and know. This is worth the effort.
We ought to only disagree on points that we both agree that we understand. The religions claim to hold Absolute Truth. That is one of the reasons why people can fight.If they claim to hold relative truth, then we can say "Believe what you will, it doesn't matter and it is right!".
Note SIX: Now, I do not oppose that people fight for absolute truth. For that is good, take examples of Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Teresa. Of course there is also Hitler, and Stalin. The real problem is not that they fight for truth, for True GOOD MEN fight for truth - but that WHAT IS THE REAL TRUTH? which is the TRUTH in disguise?
Lets see how to tackle different difficulties as we learn about different philosophies.
Every so called "Absolute Truth" that is really truth in disguise - will crumble within its own logic.
For example in the case of evolution:
Note SEVEN: There are many aspects of evolution which are true and reliable. We can see how people adapt to different situations. But when you take a theory back a million or a billion years, circumstances and conditions are very different - which puts evolution into the category of theory. All other religious explanation of the beginning of the world falls into this category called theory. The reason that it cannot be theory is that scientist cannot do an experiment to make amoebas turn into humans over and over to prove that theory. Neither can a religious person ask God to create a few earths for us to see. Verification of such theories will have to come from sources OUTSIDE of experimentation - which evolution cannot bring out, simply because it cannot be experimented. However, for this post, I will only concentrate on the logic of arguments, and philosophical evidences, and not other types. Please refer to note FOUR.
They can only go so far as to explain a big bang, and perhaps what caused it. Evolution contains a purposeful direction for creatures to be stronger or cease to exist. There is a cause, there is an effect. Results happen due to different things. However, where their logic breaks is the part where they imply that "SOMETHING came from NOTHING". In such situations, it is not necessary that we do not have scientific formulas to show - mainly because the flaw in the evolution theory is a flaw of commonly accepted logic. If they deny the existence of that logic (Cause and effect), then their theory will break down on other parts. The theory can only be presented in one light at a certain time and it is TRUE, but when you put it together, you will get things like:
Statement 1: Chicken comes out from egg.
Statement 2: Egg comes out from chicken.
Statement 3: Both appeared out of nowhere.
Conclusion: All the statements are non contradictory.
I highly encourage all of us to scrutinize the traditions, cultures, or even religion handed down to us - many times, without question.
The first and second questions are answered. Now the third.
How to promote a healthy interfaith discussion? (Yes, evolution is faith)
1. As the discussion goes along, clarify the logic system.
For example:
2. Agree on a common goal.
3. Avoid heated arguments.
4. Talk about the logic of the system
Thats the end!
e.g. If the shirt you are wearing now is red, will it still be a red shirt in a dark room?
I think this is philosophy. Basics. I was thinking about this when I was "passing motion".
Note ONE: The bathroom is an idea factory.
Since mankind started having opinions, assumptions (having only part of the whole picture), questions have been raised - not so much because of a conflict between contradictory facts, but due to pride.
I was almost going to say "due to difference in perceived fact". Of course, besides pride - it is due to the fact that people do not put enough effort to differentiate between one thing and the other.
Let me illustrate this point.
Remember the story about the blind men and the elephant?
One day, four blind men bumped into an elephant.
The first blind man touched the ears of the elephant. So he exclaimed, "An elephant is like a fan!"
The second man touched the legs, so he rebutted the first one, "No! It is like a giant pillar!"
The third blind man touched the body, so he said, "No! It is like a giant wall!"
The fourth blind man who touched the tail said, "You are all wrong, an elephant is like a string!"
So who is right?
Are they all wrong? Not exactly. Are they right? Definitely not. The answer, to us who see, is definitely simple. I would say that they are partially right, and generally wrong.
The blind men weren't too smart in their generalizations, but suppose that we are wiser blind men - I am sure that we would touch a little more, move around, see what the other man is holding and even then, confine our answer to our knowledge - as far as our senses can bring us.
There is an element of pride here. Not so much because of NOT KNOWING what the other person sees, but NOT WANTING TO KNOW what the other person sees.
Does that sound simple?
The different shapes at different parts of the elephant - as a whole, is the absolute truth. What the blind men touched - their perceived facts is only truth relative to the part that they touched.
Knowing this, we ought to be much more understanding in our daily lives. When somebody wrongs us, perhaps we should not be too quick to throw our temper, or even show our discontent. That person has gone through a particular set of circumstances to arrive at a certain sets of conclusions - which leads the person to do something which we may like or dislike. As much as we ought to judge an action as right and wrong, all the more we ought to give the benefit of the doubt to the other person and treat that person well, to reason and persuade the other person - so that they may receive our set of views - which comes from our set of experience and circumstances - so they might get a more complete picture of everything.
Why is it harder to say than to do?
As much as I think that this is very logical - this is precisely the problem. People don't just act on their heads. They know it in the head, but do not know it in the heart. Most matters, even lies, when meditated in the heart long enough, will become LIKE truth to us. To a very large extent - the problem does not lie in the fact that it is not easy to meditate, it is the unwillingness to do so.
The reason is that we are not convinced that such an effort - is worth the price in order to attain it after all.
Note TWO: The worth of something is normally determined by two factors. In practical daily life, humans are only concerned of one factor. That is the relative worth. E.g. Supply and Demand. Currency has relative worth, even relationships. The other factor is absolute worth, people whose religion has God in the highest position will be more concerned about this aspect. As we learn in College Moral Classes - divine Command theory.
Let us do a recap of what we just read:
Firstly, we read a story to illustrate a principle. Then I gave a real life situation that we face once in a while. Now I am presenting the situation where people might know something to a very large extent - but reach a point where it is hard to do something even though we know it is right (or perhaps we may not know it in the heart).
One of the reasons for such confusion is because we are not able to categorize properly what an absolute truth (to which we are willing to do no matter what - for the reason that it has a higher relative worth compared to anything), and we also find it hard where to place relative truth. The problems that we face has its roots in categorization, this results in our confusion between Convictions and Preferences.
What we ought to do, we know not - We end up majoring in the minor and majoring in the minor.
But now, let us look at some explanations to help us categorize the different truths.
Absolute truths only exist with the existence of purpose, or else - it would be absolute facts. And most definitely, all facts are absolute. Yet, absolute facts, most of the time serves no use.
Give you an example:
In a dark room where there is no light at all, is the shirt you are wearing - still its colour?
e.g. If the shirt you are wearing now is red, will it still be a red shirt in a dark room?
Science students would know that the shirt is red because it reflects that colour. Take away the white light, it no longer appears red.
I suppose that in court, should we give testimony to the colour of the shirt, we ought to say red - since there is an understood purpose behind what we say - that is to verify the colour of the shirt.
Recap: Absolute truth versus relative truth. The relativity occurs only in different views and context of understanding, not that the shirt has changed its material one bit.
I might not have used the most proper terms - to some extent due to the fact that I am not exactly a trained writer, to some extent due to the fact that we grow up differently and we use different words for the same thing. However, I hope all of us have some sort of common understanding before I move on to something which would have utmost importance.
Inter-faith discussions
I won't be here promoting any particular teaching or religion, at least not this post - however, I hope that people in general can have more meaningful discussions about religion in the future - and not stupid endless arguments.
What is a stupid argument? We agree on a certain context and then not keep to it. It is like going to court and say that the colour of the shirt is a relative issue. We agree to white light(proper context), yet we misuse science to say that the shirt has a million colours(out of context).
Note:
The shirt has many colours depending on what light it is under. TRUE STATEMENT
The shirt has many colours. FALSE STATEMENT if this is the end of the sentence.
Why?
An elephant has one shape. Not many shapes. True statement is different parts of an elephant has different shapes.
What would be a better way to understand another person's religion?
- Do all religions lead to the same God?
- Can all religions co exist?
- What can promote a healthy interfaith discussion?
Let us look at one example:
Lets say that there is a God and we all appear before God one day to give an account of the things we have done in our lives.
Illustration:
God: So well, Mr. Joel, you have committed much crime. Besides adultery, murder, and rape - there is also lies, stealing, and explicit use of hurtful language. So you shall bear your own crimes. I will send you to hell now. Please exit through that door on your right after this.
Joel: Wait a second. Why should I listen to You? Maybe you are just an illusion. Maybe you are a psychologist who drugged me. Or maybe...
God: Well, you will know who I am when you see that I have to power to send you to hell in a minute...
Joel: But how would I know that rape is wrong?
God: Rape is wrong and you know it in your heart. Of course, there are Scriptures to tell you that, but I KNOW that YOU KNOW IT anyway - just in case you are thinking that you can tell me you don't read, I know that you cared too little to find out -
Okay. Before somebody shouts blasphemy because God doesn't speak English, or that God would use more cryptic language or I invented conversations for God - THIS IS JUST AN ILLUSTRATION.
We see that there are many things in life that cannot be received as truth outside the realm of receiving it by authority. We believe - for example: One of our ministers admitted to committing adultery recently. The guy in the video tape looks like him(perceived truth), talks like him(perceived truth), has sex like him(well, I don't know) - good thing he admits that it is him(authoritative testimony) . I'm not sure if there are also witnesses -
This is the best knowledge we can have - therefore it ought to be taken as truth. It is illogical to say otherwise given this context. I know - every now and then we will have people who talk in a way that there is no way they can truly believe anything. They question with impractical reasoning.
So with all these reasoning principles:
Let us consider the first question. We will only use the 4 main religions for discussion purposes. Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam. I arranged them in alphabetical order even. No prejudice.
Do all religions lead to the same God?
The Buddhist religion contradicts the notion of a God-Judge but advocates a system in place which will deliver consequences - but not judgment in many senses.Buddhism and Hinduism advocates reincarnation. Christianity and Islam goes for Heaven or Hell after death. Could these two facts gel together? It would be possible to say that there is a Muslim heaven and a Christian Heaven IF each religion did not rule out the other. Lets act ignorant and say all religions lead to the same God.
The question is biased, Buddhism has no gods, but Hinduism has millions. Tell a devout Muslim or a Christian that there are 5 million gods, the nicest of them will tell you that they cannot sincerely believe that 1 God = 5 million gods, Or that God would give birth to millions of small gods, or that God died last year - that is completely unacceptable to them.
Could this be a problem like the blind men? That some people touched the tail, but others got the body, yet another got the ears of this big elephant called religion?
It could not. Because the statements are put in such a way that one person says to the other that the elephant's tail is like a pillar, or the ears are a wall. I am not saying that any particular Scripture gives the Absolute Truth just yet, I am saying that they give contradicting facts.
The Christian says there is one white elephant,
the Buddhist says there is none,
the Muslims say that it is black,
the Hindu laughs and says that the highest point of enlightenment is to realize that everybody is part of the elephant.
Note THREE:(Substitute elephant with God and you will get a rough theology lesson on the differences of major religions)
Then either Jesus or Buddha, Muhammad(pbuh), or whoever taught Hinduism must be giving incorrect information - information so vital that incorrect is an understatement - it would be grossly misleading, and I will not be surprised if trickery, lies, or disillusionment is involved.
Note FOUR: I am not going to talk about authenticity of Scriptures of whichever religion here or sociological or archaelogical evidences, there will be some to argue that all the Scriptures has been twisted over the years. I have talked with many people who argued on that point yet most of them have never even read a copy of the Scripture - be it the TRUE or the TWISTED version. I am not qualified to do so and there is a lot of better evidences out there than my ramblings. If this is a problem for you that you think you want to find out - please do so and clarify your doubts, for the sake of religious understanding and also for the sake of truth.
Now don't get me wrong, they may all be wrong and nobody knows the absolute truth. We will then have a certain group of atheist that say that there is no such thing as spirit. We are all biological blobs and we all came from amoebas which came from proteins, which came from a BIG BANG! Which came from NOTHING! Beat that!
Now, I do not support that if everybody believes in something - it has to be true. However, even blind as we are, when we all claim to touch something - simply dismissing it that there is no object there - is absurd.
Instead, if we are ever interested in talking about life and living with another person meaningfully, I propose that we ought to adopt a learning and discerning attitude of different faiths - not only of that but also some basic psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
Note FIVEI know this is not everyone's cup of tea. But hey, you are going to live an average of 70 years, facing different people, different faiths, there is so much to learn and know. This is worth the effort.
We ought to only disagree on points that we both agree that we understand. The religions claim to hold Absolute Truth. That is one of the reasons why people can fight.If they claim to hold relative truth, then we can say "Believe what you will, it doesn't matter and it is right!".
Note SIX: Now, I do not oppose that people fight for absolute truth. For that is good, take examples of Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Teresa. Of course there is also Hitler, and Stalin. The real problem is not that they fight for truth, for True GOOD MEN fight for truth - but that WHAT IS THE REAL TRUTH? which is the TRUTH in disguise?
Lets see how to tackle different difficulties as we learn about different philosophies.
Every so called "Absolute Truth" that is really truth in disguise - will crumble within its own logic.
For example in the case of evolution:
Note SEVEN: There are many aspects of evolution which are true and reliable. We can see how people adapt to different situations. But when you take a theory back a million or a billion years, circumstances and conditions are very different - which puts evolution into the category of theory. All other religious explanation of the beginning of the world falls into this category called theory. The reason that it cannot be theory is that scientist cannot do an experiment to make amoebas turn into humans over and over to prove that theory. Neither can a religious person ask God to create a few earths for us to see. Verification of such theories will have to come from sources OUTSIDE of experimentation - which evolution cannot bring out, simply because it cannot be experimented. However, for this post, I will only concentrate on the logic of arguments, and philosophical evidences, and not other types. Please refer to note FOUR.
They can only go so far as to explain a big bang, and perhaps what caused it. Evolution contains a purposeful direction for creatures to be stronger or cease to exist. There is a cause, there is an effect. Results happen due to different things. However, where their logic breaks is the part where they imply that "SOMETHING came from NOTHING". In such situations, it is not necessary that we do not have scientific formulas to show - mainly because the flaw in the evolution theory is a flaw of commonly accepted logic. If they deny the existence of that logic (Cause and effect), then their theory will break down on other parts. The theory can only be presented in one light at a certain time and it is TRUE, but when you put it together, you will get things like:
Statement 1: Chicken comes out from egg.
Statement 2: Egg comes out from chicken.
Statement 3: Both appeared out of nowhere.
Conclusion: All the statements are non contradictory.
I highly encourage all of us to scrutinize the traditions, cultures, or even religion handed down to us - many times, without question.
The first and second questions are answered. Now the third.
How to promote a healthy interfaith discussion? (Yes, evolution is faith)
1. As the discussion goes along, clarify the logic system.
For example:
Are we agreed that many things are true, even though we do not know the explanation of it?
Some people insist that they can only believe in something that they can explain.
Most of the time, the sad thing is that this people aren't exactly very knowledgeable either.
2. Agree on a common goal.
It is important to agree that the main goal of the discussion is to find out the truth, or to simply know what the other person believes, etc. Some people are interested in the entertainment value it brings. Nothing wrong with that, however, if you are finding answers - be ready to waste your time, be tickled, and understand nothing new.
3. Avoid heated arguments.
When people feel offended and angry, they normally become illogical. Not always, but most of the time. Or at least they no longer agree on whatever they promised or agreed earlier. Drop the subject. Talk about it another day if you must.
4. Talk about the logic of the system
Going into details will bring more confusion than ever. Archaeological, or Geological evidences definitely have their uses - but you will normally not bring out evidences along with you. If you do, you make the person feel that they are in a disadvantaged position, it will be much more difficult for them to belief that it is a fair discussion - while in the back of his mind, chances are that he would THINK he ALSO has evidences - Whether he really have them, is another issue.
Even little kids can be involved when we are merely discussing logic. It would be absurd to fight against common sense and simple logical arguments.
Thats the end!
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Place Where Rejects Go
If some of you know about my past, you would know about the period I was rejected in Form 4. Like a dozen times. That was the time I went to God. I couldn't fit in.
I was not cool, didn't play basketball or football, wasn't scoring too well in my grades, life was boring and laziness was the most reasonable response I can give to anyone.
Well, there were parts I didn't like about myself. But there were also many parts I didn't like about others. Why can't they accept me, I asked myself. But through the years, I suppose that not everybody behaves (or want to) behave like God.
Nowadays, I get rejected once in a while.
Sometimes, there is a sense of vengeance in me. Reject me once, reject me twice - if I happen to be nice, reject me the third time. Thats it. Well - I so wanted to just say I reject you too then. But well, a rejection from a person who is rejected 3 times would probably not mean much.
Well, I'll just go back to God then.
Sometimes, I keep that rejection in my mind and let it brood anger and hatred. It feels so satisfying to stab the person in my mind, make the person a slave - all in my imagination.
Then out of nowhere, often something sparks in my mind.
God accepted me unconditionally. I ought to do the same for others. Other people are like me. Sometimes I am likable, sometimes not so likable. God is patient with me. God is patient with them. Or we would all be dead. Hating other people is un-Christian. Forgive just as I have been forgiven.
Sometimes it feels like crap and I say in my mind...
"Lucky for you, you little idiot, God saved your skin - I'm letting you off just because I trust in God"
Then within a split second, I know what I just said is also true for myself.
But nonetheless, I still hate rejection. And I don't think an average person in the world ever likes it. Its hard not to take it personally. I read of advice all over the place "Don't take it personally". Sometimes, I feel that not taking things personally reduces my ability to communicate with others on a more personal level. Truly, I can't just choose to hear things that I like, and remain deaf to criticisms, even baseless ones.
Whats my philosophy in dealing with rejection? Well, nothing psychologically advanced. I think the best way is to know that Jesus too, has been rejected before - and many in the world continues it. The more important part is that He knows what I feel, and He accepts me.
I have heard Him say "He who lives by the sword, will die by the sword"
Whether there is some profound theology in that, I do not know, but this I know
"He who lives based on the acceptance of others, will be disappointed in the same manner"
I think it is okay for little children to get hurt. Provided that they have a Parent to be there for them. Or else, it probably won't matter too much whether the little child is hurt or not.
I'm glad that God was always there for me. Sometimes I feel that He came a little late. But I know He will always be there for me. Thank you, God.
I would be most happy to hear some stories from the few little readers that I have. Please encourage me, it probably sounds silly - but I think I would be greatly encouraged to hear similar stories.
This little song reminds me many things, I hope it does the same for you too.
I was not cool, didn't play basketball or football, wasn't scoring too well in my grades, life was boring and laziness was the most reasonable response I can give to anyone.
Well, there were parts I didn't like about myself. But there were also many parts I didn't like about others. Why can't they accept me, I asked myself. But through the years, I suppose that not everybody behaves (or want to) behave like God.
Nowadays, I get rejected once in a while.
Sometimes, there is a sense of vengeance in me. Reject me once, reject me twice - if I happen to be nice, reject me the third time. Thats it. Well - I so wanted to just say I reject you too then. But well, a rejection from a person who is rejected 3 times would probably not mean much.
Well, I'll just go back to God then.
Sometimes, I keep that rejection in my mind and let it brood anger and hatred. It feels so satisfying to stab the person in my mind, make the person a slave - all in my imagination.
Then out of nowhere, often something sparks in my mind.
God accepted me unconditionally. I ought to do the same for others. Other people are like me. Sometimes I am likable, sometimes not so likable. God is patient with me. God is patient with them. Or we would all be dead. Hating other people is un-Christian. Forgive just as I have been forgiven.
Sometimes it feels like crap and I say in my mind...
"Lucky for you, you little idiot, God saved your skin - I'm letting you off just because I trust in God"
Then within a split second, I know what I just said is also true for myself.
But nonetheless, I still hate rejection. And I don't think an average person in the world ever likes it. Its hard not to take it personally. I read of advice all over the place "Don't take it personally". Sometimes, I feel that not taking things personally reduces my ability to communicate with others on a more personal level. Truly, I can't just choose to hear things that I like, and remain deaf to criticisms, even baseless ones.
Whats my philosophy in dealing with rejection? Well, nothing psychologically advanced. I think the best way is to know that Jesus too, has been rejected before - and many in the world continues it. The more important part is that He knows what I feel, and He accepts me.
I have heard Him say "He who lives by the sword, will die by the sword"
Whether there is some profound theology in that, I do not know, but this I know
"He who lives based on the acceptance of others, will be disappointed in the same manner"
I think it is okay for little children to get hurt. Provided that they have a Parent to be there for them. Or else, it probably won't matter too much whether the little child is hurt or not.
I'm glad that God was always there for me. Sometimes I feel that He came a little late. But I know He will always be there for me. Thank you, God.
I would be most happy to hear some stories from the few little readers that I have. Please encourage me, it probably sounds silly - but I think I would be greatly encouraged to hear similar stories.
This little song reminds me many things, I hope it does the same for you too.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Books for loan
Since I won't be carrying too many books when I leave, I was thinking of putting them to better use. Below is a list of the books that I read - and find them helpful and informative. I will include the book title, author, and a brief description.
1. Title : Prayer and Faith
Author : R.A. Torrey
Description : 5 books in 1: Your Life in God, How to bring them to Christ, The power of Prayer, God, The Bible, and You, The Bible Answer Book. Simple language helpful to understand various concepts. Informative in nature.
2. Title : Prayer
Author : E.M. Bounds
Description : 7 books in 1: Purpose in Prayer, The Necessity of Prayer, The Possibilities of Prayer, Essentials of Prayer, Obtaining Answers to Prayer, Power through Prayer, The Weapon of Prayer. Very in depth, takes commitment to read it through.
3. Title : Becoming a Coaching Leader
Author : Daniel Harkavy
Description : Haven't even read a page. Reputable publisher
4. Title : Deliver Us From Evil - Restoring the Soul in a Disintegrating Culture
Author : Ravi Zacharias
Description : Highly intellectual. Goes in depth into the philosophy and nature of the evil and plague that plagues humanity. Challenging.
5. Title : A Biography of John Sung
Author : Leslie T. Lyall
Description : 20th century evangelist. Highly reputable in the Christian circle. A man of great service and sacrifice. "The greatest evangelist China has ever known".
6. Title : The Jesus I never knew
Author : Philip Yancey
Description : Very good read. Goes into various aspects of Jesus life, historical roots, meanings and motives of different events and action. Very interesting.
7. Title : My Utmost for His Highest
Author : Oswald Chambers
Description : Hailed as one of the best devotionals. One year devotional, very compact and challenging.
8. Title : Biblical Christianity
Author : John Calvin
Description : 16th century intellectual giant introduces basic Christianity in simple language. Very concise. Good read. Answers quite a few challenging questions on Theology.
9. Title : Out of the Saltshaker and into the world
Author : Rebecca Manley Pippert
Description : Contemporary evangelism. Highly instructive, filled with great stories to help you witness more effectively.
10. Title : Grace and Power
Author : Charles Spurgeon
Description : 5 books in 1: Grace, God's Unmerited Favor, Power in the Blood, Being God's Friend, Joy in Christ's presence, Holy Spirit Power, The Second Coming of Christ. One of the finest preachers of 19th Century England. Emphasis on the Grace of God. Very refreshing. Very good read for the weary soul.
11. Title : the 360 Leader
Author : John Maxwell
Description : Leadership top-down, peer to peer, and down-up.
12. Title : Winning With People
Author : John Maxwell
Description : Modern day Dale Carnagie book. Relational and Communication skills to enrich everybody's lives.
13. Title : Mere Christianity
Author : C.S. Lewis
Description : 20th Century intellectual giant. Introduction-Apologetics of Christianity. Good read for skeptics, new, and also seasoned believers.
There are probably a few more books in my room lying around here and there. If anybody wants these books, just leave a note and I'll see how to get it to you.
A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read
- Mark Twain
1. Title : Prayer and Faith
Author : R.A. Torrey
Description : 5 books in 1: Your Life in God, How to bring them to Christ, The power of Prayer, God, The Bible, and You, The Bible Answer Book. Simple language helpful to understand various concepts. Informative in nature.
2. Title : Prayer
Author : E.M. Bounds
Description : 7 books in 1: Purpose in Prayer, The Necessity of Prayer, The Possibilities of Prayer, Essentials of Prayer, Obtaining Answers to Prayer, Power through Prayer, The Weapon of Prayer. Very in depth, takes commitment to read it through.
3. Title : Becoming a Coaching Leader
Author : Daniel Harkavy
Description : Haven't even read a page. Reputable publisher
4. Title : Deliver Us From Evil - Restoring the Soul in a Disintegrating Culture
Author : Ravi Zacharias
Description : Highly intellectual. Goes in depth into the philosophy and nature of the evil and plague that plagues humanity. Challenging.
5. Title : A Biography of John Sung
Author : Leslie T. Lyall
Description : 20th century evangelist. Highly reputable in the Christian circle. A man of great service and sacrifice. "The greatest evangelist China has ever known".
6. Title : The Jesus I never knew
Author : Philip Yancey
Description : Very good read. Goes into various aspects of Jesus life, historical roots, meanings and motives of different events and action. Very interesting.
7. Title : My Utmost for His Highest
Author : Oswald Chambers
Description : Hailed as one of the best devotionals. One year devotional, very compact and challenging.
8. Title : Biblical Christianity
Author : John Calvin
Description : 16th century intellectual giant introduces basic Christianity in simple language. Very concise. Good read. Answers quite a few challenging questions on Theology.
9. Title : Out of the Saltshaker and into the world
Author : Rebecca Manley Pippert
Description : Contemporary evangelism. Highly instructive, filled with great stories to help you witness more effectively.
10. Title : Grace and Power
Author : Charles Spurgeon
Description : 5 books in 1: Grace, God's Unmerited Favor, Power in the Blood, Being God's Friend, Joy in Christ's presence, Holy Spirit Power, The Second Coming of Christ. One of the finest preachers of 19th Century England. Emphasis on the Grace of God. Very refreshing. Very good read for the weary soul.
11. Title : the 360 Leader
Author : John Maxwell
Description : Leadership top-down, peer to peer, and down-up.
12. Title : Winning With People
Author : John Maxwell
Description : Modern day Dale Carnagie book. Relational and Communication skills to enrich everybody's lives.
13. Title : Mere Christianity
Author : C.S. Lewis
Description : 20th Century intellectual giant. Introduction-Apologetics of Christianity. Good read for skeptics, new, and also seasoned believers.
There are probably a few more books in my room lying around here and there. If anybody wants these books, just leave a note and I'll see how to get it to you.
A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read
- Mark Twain
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Patients
No, it is not patience. Though I think I have little of it anyway.
With the recent increase in the death of people I know and some sick friends...
I have been considering a few things that patients have to face.
1. Fear of Death
The sicknesses these days seem to kill more and more people. A fever is no longer just a fever. It could be dengue fever, it could be this or that. The people that I know are sick recently - 2 died, another 3 would die without intensive treatment and some form of operation. I recently found a new friend - she has some sort of blood cancer. She would faint, she feels weak all over. Just today she went to the toilet 8 times, diarrhea. Headache so bad that she cannot sleep well, fever in the middle of the night. Perhaps these are not as bad as the thought of dying. Though all men die, men who fear death are few.
"Saya selalu fikir - ntah apa jadi kalau orang mati. Negatif kan? Ntah la, susah nak tidur. Pikir aja..."
Andriany Efendi
2. Fear of Loneliness
One friend who just died recently, always had at least 5 people in her ward every time I see her. Andriany had an average of 1 person every time. I have known people who averaged less than 1. There are many more in government hospitals who can forget about hoping to see their relatives. They are more or less stranded in the hospital. I remember the last time i was sick for around 2 or 3 days. On one of the days, I was totally alone. Although I still had great friends, and that I was only lonely in a "physical" way, I felt as if I had no friends. I can't exactly imagine what it is like to be left alone for a few days, let alone weeks and months. I think, loneliness can be much scarier that death - most of the time. Its hard to think that somebody wants or love you or see you through when you are sick, weak, no longer as physically appealing as you are, and giving much trouble.
3. Fear of change
So many things could be different. Change for a student could mean not catching up with studies. To some this means little, to some this means much. But for those who are paying the medical bills - there could be a lot of change. While planning for my University application, I knew my dad was planning change in his savings and investments. A little friend I know, Kah Kit, 6 years old had leukemia. Excluding the operation, simply taking care of him and maintaining his health before operation in SJMC cost his family RM60,000 within 2 weeks. There are other things such as "what if nobody wants to employ me after I am well? since I might no longer be that reliable anymore". This is probably not that common, but I do have some HIV friends who has such fears and disappointments - they get tired easily due to their sickness.
These fears comes in all forms - every fear in a few forms at one time, sometimes...
What if nobody donates platelets for me? No matching bone marrow? Finances? Friends? What if the doctor is lying to make me feel better before I die? etc.
This is the reason why all you strong men out there ought to go donate blood and visit patients in hospitals! Here is the "trick".
1. Go to a hospital
2. ask for a person who needs blood the most
3. Donate it to that specific person
4. Ask for room number
5. Visit at least once a week, more frequent if possible
Something for males:
1. Only males can donate platelets. Or at least this is what the nurse told me in SJMC, males have a certain blood pressure which women do not have.
2. Do some one else a favour when you can't get anything out of it. I get a weird idea that females derive a lot of ideas about you when you do something like that.
3. Go on a hospital date through blood donation! Practice some communication skills and "comforting people" skills.
4. Not being chauvinistic or anything - but you are always more fit, and you don't exactly have period. So donate. Your blood is free. Be a man, do the right thing!
5. From point number 4 - males by birth, men by choice!
With the recent increase in the death of people I know and some sick friends...
I have been considering a few things that patients have to face.
1. Fear of Death
The sicknesses these days seem to kill more and more people. A fever is no longer just a fever. It could be dengue fever, it could be this or that. The people that I know are sick recently - 2 died, another 3 would die without intensive treatment and some form of operation. I recently found a new friend - she has some sort of blood cancer. She would faint, she feels weak all over. Just today she went to the toilet 8 times, diarrhea. Headache so bad that she cannot sleep well, fever in the middle of the night. Perhaps these are not as bad as the thought of dying. Though all men die, men who fear death are few.
"Saya selalu fikir - ntah apa jadi kalau orang mati. Negatif kan? Ntah la, susah nak tidur. Pikir aja..."
Andriany Efendi
2. Fear of Loneliness
One friend who just died recently, always had at least 5 people in her ward every time I see her. Andriany had an average of 1 person every time. I have known people who averaged less than 1. There are many more in government hospitals who can forget about hoping to see their relatives. They are more or less stranded in the hospital. I remember the last time i was sick for around 2 or 3 days. On one of the days, I was totally alone. Although I still had great friends, and that I was only lonely in a "physical" way, I felt as if I had no friends. I can't exactly imagine what it is like to be left alone for a few days, let alone weeks and months. I think, loneliness can be much scarier that death - most of the time. Its hard to think that somebody wants or love you or see you through when you are sick, weak, no longer as physically appealing as you are, and giving much trouble.
3. Fear of change
So many things could be different. Change for a student could mean not catching up with studies. To some this means little, to some this means much. But for those who are paying the medical bills - there could be a lot of change. While planning for my University application, I knew my dad was planning change in his savings and investments. A little friend I know, Kah Kit, 6 years old had leukemia. Excluding the operation, simply taking care of him and maintaining his health before operation in SJMC cost his family RM60,000 within 2 weeks. There are other things such as "what if nobody wants to employ me after I am well? since I might no longer be that reliable anymore". This is probably not that common, but I do have some HIV friends who has such fears and disappointments - they get tired easily due to their sickness.
These fears comes in all forms - every fear in a few forms at one time, sometimes...
What if nobody donates platelets for me? No matching bone marrow? Finances? Friends? What if the doctor is lying to make me feel better before I die? etc.
This is the reason why all you strong men out there ought to go donate blood and visit patients in hospitals! Here is the "trick".
1. Go to a hospital
2. ask for a person who needs blood the most
3. Donate it to that specific person
4. Ask for room number
5. Visit at least once a week, more frequent if possible
Something for males:
1. Only males can donate platelets. Or at least this is what the nurse told me in SJMC, males have a certain blood pressure which women do not have.
2. Do some one else a favour when you can't get anything out of it. I get a weird idea that females derive a lot of ideas about you when you do something like that.
3. Go on a hospital date through blood donation! Practice some communication skills and "comforting people" skills.
4. Not being chauvinistic or anything - but you are always more fit, and you don't exactly have period. So donate. Your blood is free. Be a man, do the right thing!
5. From point number 4 - males by birth, men by choice!
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