Different religion
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MMM:
A friend from North Germany, she is a Christian but what type, I cannot remember. She came to Singapore for sight seeing, went into temple, hold joss sticks too to pray. To her, its just another kind of praying, for the blessing of her family. I was surprised because I have friends, who are Christians, won't hold joss sticks in parent's funeral. So I asked this Germany friend about holding joss sticks and going into temple. She told me, all religions are good, as long as they don't do harm to others. And its a wrong teaching that Christians should not hold joss sticks, should not enter temple. The basic respect to others should be there, regardless what religion.Oh yes... have a auntie whose kids have all converted to christianity.
She converted recently. Her rationale to her sibling was christian are richer :roll: Then at the same time, she is in a confusion whether to still continue to pray to my grandma in the temple.
She is probably worried about what happens after she dies???? None of her 4 kids will hold the joss stick?
I am just quoting what she told me. I don't know much about bible or Christians. Maybe Christians here can enlighten us, for the sake of sharing.
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I would like to share this.
In my company’s China operations, the ex-GM is very superstitious type. So every year during CNY, on certain date, everyone must go back to the office for the pian bao ceremony and also pray to god of prosperity. This went on for many years and everything is good for the China operations.
Then last year, they had a new GM. She is a christian. During the annual ceremony (note the ex-GM has been promoted and is now more senior), the current GM didn’t want to hold the joss stick as it was against the religion. During last year, the China ops was plagued by alot of issues. So everyone is like… must be the GM never pray.
So this year, they were wondering if she would do so. I haven’t hear the latest news. Will ask my boss.
My boss shared this with us during a dinner. There were catholics at the table and they were like. They will probably hold the joss stick. It’s out of respect for the practise/ religion rather than their belief. They feel that there is no harm doing so. -
religion was an important criteria when i looked for a bf. i would not consider someone whose religious. at the end of the day, i dun want to convert for the sake of him. 10 yrs down the road, we are still a paif of happy free tinkers.
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daisyt:
Christians in Singapore are more of the American evangelicals. They tend to be more fundamentalistic, meaning they read the bible literally, they like to influence politics on issues like teaching evolution in schools, abortion, homosexuality rights, stem cell research etc... Even our Anglican belong to the lower house while those in England is the upper house and are more liberal.A friend from North Germany, she is a Christian but what type, I cannot remember. She came to Singapore for sight seeing, went into temple, hold joss sticks too to pray. To her, its just another kind of praying, for the blessing of her family. I was surprised because I have friends, who are Christians, won't hold joss sticks in parent's funeral. So I asked this Germany friend about holding joss sticks and going into temple. She told me, all religions are good, as long as they don't do harm to others. And its a wrong teaching that Christians should not hold joss sticks, should not enter temple. The basic respect to others should be there, regardless what religion.
I am just quoting what she told me. I don't know much about bible or Christians. Maybe Christians here can enlighten us, for the sake of sharing. -
daisyt:
daisyt,
A friend from North Germany, she is a Christian but what type, I cannot remember. She came to Singapore for sight seeing, went into temple, hold joss sticks too to pray. To her, its just another kind of praying, for the blessing of her family. I was surprised because I have friends, who are Christians, won't hold joss sticks in parent's funeral. So I asked this Germany friend about holding joss sticks and going into temple. She told me, all religions are good, as long as they don't do harm to others. And its a wrong teaching that Christians should not hold joss sticks, should not enter temple. The basic respect to others should be there, regardless what religion.
I am just quoting what she told me. I don't know much about bible or Christians. Maybe Christians here can enlighten us, for the sake of sharing.
I applaud your friend! I think Singaporeans need to learn from your friend. She is truely open-minded and respects other religions to the fullest! Remember our Singapore pledge? Regardless of religion... -
MLR:
MLR,Hiya pinky
Me Buddhist, DH Anglican.
Interestingly, DH didn't went church for like 15 yrs(since college). When we got married and he was out of job the same month, he hit the lowest point of his life. He was very fustrated, cos couldn't find a suitable job. At that time, I told him that sometimes you need more than love ones to support you, I think you need spiritual guidance and encouraged him to go back to church.
He told me that he hasn't been to church for the past 15 yrs and wondered if the church would collasped when he step in. Told him that his God would forgive him if he sincerely pray to him and asked for guidance. He did started going to church and after a few months things got better, found a job, we settled into marriage life.
2 yrs ago, we decide to baptise DS, guess what? The church didn't agree to our choice of godparents, cos they and me are not members of the church, The priest asked DH to ask for forgiveness and repent cos he married a non-believer. Well, what I said was that if the church couldn't accept me, so be it. I was pretty crossed, cos I was the one who got DH going back to his faith and yet the church is against me. I then started DS to go for church service with DH. And after 2 yrs later, just b4 DS 2nd birthday, he was baptised. He started going for Sunday classes and Sunday is my offday.
To me its about acceptance. You hv to accept him and his religion, when you married him, you marry his everything.
So I don't 'DEAL\" with it, I accept it. Furthermore, when you first went \"steady\" with him, isn't religion an important factor of consideration when you accept his proposal/marriage?
Just my personal experience and views.....
How come DS did not follow you to become a Buddhist?
Kudos to you for being open-minded as well! i probably would have advised him to go to the temple with me when he was down since he has not gone back to the church for so long...
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Viewing some of the youtube posts on Pastor Rony’s sermons, I now understand why my MIL is behaving the way she is behaving now.
About 3yrs ago, FIL felt tightness in his chest and was breathless. His doctor referred him to a cardiologist and found that his arteries are blocked and it was recommended that he go for the ballooning procedure. MIL insisted no need to go for surgery and wanted FIL to go to church for her pastor to pray over him. She firmly believed that FIL will be healed that way. And she got her sisters to add pressure on FIL and DH by supposedly calling and counselling them. Well FIL went for the surgery and all went well. And MIL did not visit him at the hospital until DH blasted her and ask her if her so called GOD told her to forsake her husband.
Then about 6mths after that, we found out my dad had to go for a triple bypass. And again she called my mum and told my mum dun let my dad go for surgery. She wanted to bring her Pastor and her gaggle of church going fellas to my parents’ house to pray over my Dad. Saying that that will heal him. I told DH to stop MIL from doing such things cos my Dad will definitely chase them away.
I myself though not baptised have been greatly influenced by the Catholic faith. I believe in God. But I think what some representatives of some churches are doing is damaging and for people like my MIL, bordering on dangerous, even. She has stopped taking her high blood pressure meds saying prayers will help heal her. And the even scarier thing is, she is not alone, her sisters who are all converts and attending the same church share the same thinking in varying degrees. -
Funz:
the first thing that comes to my mind after reading your account... Your MIL and her sisters and some of her church mates:Viewing some of the youtube posts on Pastor Rony's sermons, I now understand why my MIL is behaving the way she is behaving now.
About 3yrs ago, FIL felt tightness in his chest and was breathless. His doctor referred him to a cardiologist and found that his arteries are blocked and it was recommended that he go for the ballooning procedure. MIL insisted no need to go for surgery and wanted FIL to go to church for her pastor to pray over him. She firmly believed that FIL will be healed that way. And she got her sisters to add pressure on FIL and DH by supposedly calling and counselling them. Well FIL went for the surgery and all went well. And MIL did not visit him at the hospital until DH blasted her and ask her if her so called GOD told her to forsake her husband.
Then about 6mths after that, we found out my dad had to go for a triple bypass. And again she called my mum and told my mum dun let my dad go for surgery. She wanted to bring her Pastor and her gaggle of church going fellas to my parents' house to pray over my Dad. Saying that that will heal him. I told DH to stop MIL from doing such things cos my Dad will definitely chase them away.
I myself though not baptised have been greatly influenced by the Catholic faith. I believe in God. But I think what some representatives of some churches are doing is damaging and for people like my MIL, bordering on dangerous, even. She has stopped taking her high blood pressure meds saying prayers will help heal her. And the even scarier thing is, she is not alone, her sisters who are all converts and attending the same church share the same thinking in varying degrees.
走火入魔！
Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone. But I feel they are superstitious liao! -
tree nymph:
I agree loh. There was once at dinner after hearing her spouting Pastor XXX said this and that and this and that, I cannot tahan. I asked her who is God for I am getting the impression that Pastor XXX is her god. Nowhere in the entire monologue was there a mention of Jesus but throughout, it was Pastor XXX is very powerful, he very devout, he can cure people of their illness, blah blah blah.the first thing that comes to my mind after reading your account... Your MIL and her sisters and some of her church mates:
走火入魔！
Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone. But I feel they are superstitious liao!
In any case, she has been trying to get FIL and DH to go to her church. Saying that she wants all of them to be together in the afterlife. -
insider:
Do you think there are many churches in Singapore that are not like THAT?!She is furious and added if she were to be a Christian subsequently, she will definitely not be in his church.
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