City Harvest's founder Kong Hee & 4 others arrested/charged
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I am not a christian but I find that what the media is reporting is one-sided. No mention of the good they have done. True, the good they do does not make them right but this is not a case of taking money for their personal gain but more for advancing their project to do good works. Singing maybe one way Sun took to try to do that.
Just talked to a colleague who is from another church, Cornerstone, who shared how Pastor Kong has impacted christianity in singapore. I was surprised that they have done so much but the only reports that come out are all negative. And most people take great pleasure in seeing them fall.
An interesting article I saw on facebook written by a muslim. Food for thought.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mohammad-nizam-abdul-kadir/city-harvest-church-the-views-of-a-muslim-singaporean-remember-operation-spectru/359495054082723 -
WeiHan:
methink dis part is not accurate.
On the other hand, as a registered charity, City Harvest has some obligations under the law about how it spends it funds. Otherwise, any Tom, Dick and Harry can register a company as a charity, then raise funds from members, invest them in property or conduct a genuine commercial business.. and essentially become a tax-free business.
===
CoC only looks after governance of charities under Charity Act.
Taxation issues fall under d purview of IRAS.
Since 2008, d rule dat charities must spend at least 80% of their donations on charity-related activities to qualify for tax exemption was lifted. -
cel-tang:
Just finish reading d link u posted.I am not a christian but I find that what the media is reporting is one-sided. No mention of the good they have done. True, the good they do does not make them right but this is not a case of taking money for their personal gain but more for advancing their project to do good works. Singing maybe one way Sun took to try to do that.
Just talked to a colleague who is from another church, Cornerstone, who shared how Pastor Kong has impacted christianity in singapore. I was surprised that they have done so much but the only reports that come out are all negative. And most people take great pleasure in seeing them fall.
An interesting article I saw on facebook written by a muslim. Food for thought.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mohammad-nizam-abdul-kadir/city-harvest-church-the-views-of-a-muslim-singaporean-remember-operation-spectru/359495054082723
So d rather long prologue was to introduce a conspiracy theory
- wat do u think? -
Way2GO:
Not too sure but he did raise some interesting points. I do not think the govt is anti any religion but I do think they will get uncomfortable if any religious group seems too big. And unlike other countries, where different newspapers report the news from different viewpoints, in Singapore we only have one main newspaper and it seems to report things from a certain point of view to drive home certain points.
Just finish reading d link u posted.
So d rather long prologue was to introduce a conspiracy theory
- wat do u think?
That is what I am not too comfortable with.
So for now, I am reading through what is written outside of the newspapers as well to try to get a more balanced viewpoint. -
cel-tang:
Ultimately though, we can only speculate, we are not privy to any details or accounts pertaining to the case at hand. It is true that CHC has probably impacted Christianity in Singapore more so than any other churches by virtue of its size and resources. I also personally witnessed many good things CHC had done and I like many other Christians would not want to see the church fall. But what we would like to see is accountability and responsibilities being practiced by the leadership of the church. If this means cutting loose the bad branches, so be it. Would be very interesting what will happen within this one month.
Not too sure but he did raise some interesting points. I do not think the govt is anti any religion but I do think they will get uncomfortable if any religious group seems too big. And unlike other countries, where different newspapers report the news from different viewpoints, in Singapore we only have one main newspaper and it seems to report things from a certain point of view to drive home certain points.Way2GO:
Just finish reading d link u posted.
So d rather long prologue was to introduce a conspiracy theory
- wat do u think?
That is what I am not too comfortable with.
So for now, I am reading through what is written outside of the newspapers as well to try to get a more balanced viewpoint. -
Way2GO:
do u think in d light of recent developments,
Christopher Pang is just an EM, if there is going to be a new head of the church, it will be Aries Zulkarnain first.Dreamaurora:
[quote=\"WeiHan\"]
I think this Christopher Pang is an opportunist. He knows well that the 5 will be convicted and go to jail so he is trying to act like hero and establish himself as the new head of the church.
Christopher Pang will pursue d matter with MYCS?[/quote]Hard to say, they after all are still going to let Kong Hee and Tan Ye Peng preach. IMO, that is like an open display of denial and defiance. So I will not be surprised if Christopher Pang pursues the matter. -
cel-tang:
butI do thinkthey will get uncomfortable if any religious group seems too big.
what is the lastest church membership size for City Harvest Independent church now ?
how about New Creation Independent church ?
which church bigger, occupy #1 spot now?
NC or CH ? -
cel-tang:
ur view on msm is shared by many who r better informed, more widely read.
Not too sure but he did raise some interesting points. I do not think the govt is anti any religion but I do think they will get uncomfortable if any religious group seems too big. And unlike other countries, where different newspapers report the news from different viewpoints, in Singapore we only have one main newspaper and it seems to report things from a certain point of view to drive home certain points.
That is what I am not too comfortable with.
So for now, I am reading through what is written outside of the newspapers as well to try to get a more balanced viewpoint.
when LKY was in d opposition, he argued against d press being used as a tool to influence d general public;
one of d first thing he did when PAP came into power was to take control over d press.
Dat is to be expected. Any party in power wld try to influence/control msm.
It did crossed my mind whether KH has built a cult personality n CHC has grown too big for his own good.
It seems to be dat way, d cult culture, fr d way many of his followers hv responded to dis crisis. Just my viewpoint. Or perhaps they r just showing solidarity behind their founder.
On d main thrust of Mohd's article, if true, then d latest press release fr CHC wld add credence to it.
Thus my question in my earlier posts, \"wat audience r d leaders playing too?\"
They r playing with fire, its a high stake dangerous game, n they cannot win against dis govt.
Archbishop Gregory Yong came out to support d 'Marxists' when it was brought out into d open.
d Catholics numbers r much larger than CHC's 33,000.
He buckled under pressure. -
June 28 2012
Ex-finance chief of City Harvest in spotlight
http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_815924.html
SINGAPORE:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1210232/1/.html
The Christian community is united in disapproving any misuse of public institutional funds, the National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS) said, in response to the case involving five City Harvest Church members.
This includes money raised by or given to churches, NCCS president Lutheran Bishop Terry Kee said.
He added that dishonesty in financial matters is clearly contrary to the teaching of the church.
However, he noted that as the matter is before the courts, it was important to avoid speculation or pre-judgement, and that the legal process should be allowed to take its course.
The bishop said the council appreciates the clarification by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean that the charges are filed against the five individuals, and not City Harvest Church itself.
Bishop Kee also hoped that Singaporeans would not react against the church or churches in Singapore. -
cel-tang:
Not taking away wat gud they hv done with CHC n Crossover,I am not a christian but I find that what the media is reporting is one-sided. No mention of the good they have done. True, the good they do does not make them right but this is not a case of taking money for their personal gain but more for advancing their project to do good works. Singing maybe one way Sun took to try to do that.
why then d elaborate scheme to conceal d movement of money to fund SH's expenditures in US if everything is lily white?
Looking at d videos (d ones posted in dis forum), u seriously believe it will reach out to those who otherwise will not be touched by Christianity, n moved them to join? in US?
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