Agora

Yesterday, I watched the film "Agora" and, in spite of the poor review a ST Life reviewer gave it, I enjoyed it greatly. The main reason for this would the film's daring and candid portrayal of the dangers that religious extremism and intolerance can result in; and in light of the recent incident involving Pastor Rony Tan, this film is perhaps most apt as a reminder or cautionary tale.

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We Are The World 25 for Haiti

纵贯线 -- 《亡命之徒》

听我说　我原来有个梦　跟你高飞远走　跟你一起走到白头

但是我　拥有化为乌有　忘记我们承诺　忘记曾经爱你爱的那么浓

我不能带你走　我犯了大错　必须一个人走　必须扛下所有罪过

必须离开熟悉的街口　请你不要忘记我　这夜里有小雨飘在空中

当我扣板机的瞬间灵魂早已卖给魔鬼

可笑的是　我好想求主帮我赎回　赎回我那一丁点的尊严

想起妈妈的脸　对不起这几年　是否有机会再见你一面

妈妈我犯了错　你会原谅我吗?　我已经踏上了末路

别人眼中的亡命之徒　哪里还有我的藏身处?

我的兄弟　离我远去我还傻呼呼的相信道义

所谓的人性莫非要用血和泪来换取教训　不想再混下去

想说干完这一票就不再撩下去 想着想着我的眼泪就流不停

出发啦 不要问那路在哪? 迎风向前 是唯一的方法

出发啦 不想问那路在哪? 运命哎呀 什么关卡?

当车声隆隆 梦开始阵痛　它卷起了风 重新雕塑每个面孔

夜雾那么浓 开阔也汹涌　有一种预感 路的终点是迷宫

喂　小子 我想我大概明白你的意思　那些发生在你身上的

曾经以不同的面貌　也在我生命里出现过好几次

对此　我并无更高明的解释 只是觉得今天说不定是个合适的日子

我们就各自用舒服的姿势 用擅长的方式 给人生我们的

不管是一种告解还是一份答辩词　人再有本事也难抵抗命运的不仁慈

这道理再简单不过 接不接受是另外一回事　真爱并非不来

它只是被无预警的恶意的延迟

不要让某个女人做的蠢事变成你自己与自己的争执

为什么　该有的都有还是觉得不够　天呀 该不会是贪心的念头

为什么　拼了命地工作 拼了命地追梦 到头来原地没有动过

为什么　万里晴空下的面孔 庸庸碌碌不开心地锁着眉头 要向谁哭诉

为什么　想去看场电影 该死的台风偏偏选在每一个的周末

为什么　这个世界上 就是有人穷得发疯 有人富有 把钞票当作了枕头

为什么　新闻里鼻酸故事 只为了偷面包给妈妈 充饥的小偷

为什么　一百个为什么 变成一千个 一万个 十万个 为什么

为什么　我想破头写不出个鸟　念念念　我为了什么

我们都不必在意未来的样子

像是精神病患写的诗? 或是烟花绽放的节日?

随它去吧 我们都只活一次　呼吸呼吸呼吸　呼 一切曳然而止

真理在荒谬被证实以前　都只是暗室里的装饰

只有当眼前亮起来了以后　才有机会彰显它的价值　不是谁能决定的

该漫游还是冲刺　我们都在海里　我觉得我们像沙子

你说的亡命之徒　是不是大概就是这个意思?

出发啦 不要问那路在哪?　迎风向前 是唯一的方法

(亡命之徒 可会全力以赴 是不是穷途末路 有没有藏身之处)

出发啦 不想问那路在哪?　运命哎啊 什么关卡?

(亡命之徒 逃亡要全力以赴 喘息在穷途末路 给我个藏身之处)

当车声隆隆 梦开始阵痛　它卷起了风 重新雕塑每个面孔

(亡命之徒 可会全力以赴 是不是穷途末路 有没有藏身之处)

夜雾那么浓 开阔也汹涌　有一种预感 路的终点是迷宫

(亡命之徒 逃亡要全力以赴 喘息在穷途末路 给我个藏身之处)

Now that he has apologised...

I suppose most of you all will, especially since it is front page news for today's Straits Times, by now be aware that Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism (Church) has been warned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (specifically, the Internal Security Department or ISD) with regards to the disparaging remarks he made about Buddhist teachings in a series of videos (see here for more information). Pastor Tan has released a statement of apology on his website.

However, while I am glad that the authorities have stepped in and that Pastor Tan has apologised, I cannot help but to ask: now that he has been warned and apologised, what do we do?

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"Do to others as you would have them do to you" [Updated]

"Do to others as you would have them do to you" -- Luke 6:31, NIV

Last year, in reaction to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's 2009 National Day Rally Speech, I wrote a blog post in which I expressed my concern that the PM's appeal for continued religious harmony and tolerance in Singapore may fall on deaf ears of a significant minority of religious believers.

Yesterday, as I watched a series of videos on Youtube, it would appear that this concern of mine is not unfounded. Specifically, I was watching a series of three videos in which the founding pastor of a local church "interviewed" two individuals, who are supposedly ex-Buddhist clergy and have converted to Christianity, and in the process of doing so, questioned some of the teachings of Buddhism and made disparaging remarks about these teachings. In fact, in one of the videos, the pastor implied that Buddhism is a "false religion".

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