Some thoughts on blogs and forum comments

I continue to read up on the City Harvest saga.

You know, calling it a 'saga' seems to suggest that it indeed is a fraud, like NKF's case.

I read on asiaone forum that Pastor Tan had mentioned that bloggers are 'Pharisees' and forummers are 'Scribes'. For those unaware, pharisees and scribes were the very people who condemned and criticised Jesus and were waiting to see his downfall.

On the comments ...

As I read the comments in the forums and blogs, the public seems to be certain that Pastor Kong and Yeow Sun are guilty of fraud, when the truth isn't even out yet!

The comments are so vicious. You can tell that the commenters really wish that those investigated by the CAD, especially Pastor Kong and his wife, go to jail.

I remember when I was doing my A levels History, my History teacher mentioned that in the ancient times, the Chinese system was such that you are 'guilty until proven innocent' while the ang moh system was 'innocent until proven guilty'.

I'm amazed that things like this, where money is often involved, brings out the very essence of Chinese in us - that people are guilty until proven innocent, although the law mandates that they are innocent until proven guilty.

In all honesty, these comments disturb me greatly. They bring out the best and worst in people, but the 'let's wait and see their downfall' is a particularly strong, unsaid statement. Many are laughing and scorning at the church, when nothing is concrete yet!

Down the memory lane ...

Is City Harvest Church so hated?

Since its founding as Ekklesia Ministry, it has met with many criticisms - that it's unorthodox and cult. But I'd seen miracles in that house. My churchmates' fingers and legs of uneven length were lengthened visibly right before my eyes. It was a physical miracle, not something that's unverifiable.

I myself went through the 'deliverance'. There was a period of time when Pastor Kong preached hard on deliverance. In fact, his first book was about deliverance from the demons.

A cell group leader prayed for me. I remember as I lay there on the ceramic floor, I felt that there was a few tums at my chest, within. As the third tum went, I gave a shrill scream. I never expected that. And I certainly didn't plan that. The leader was praying against suicidal spirits, and I did often have suicidal thoughts when I was in my teens. She said that the spirits fled through my screams as they weren't that strong.

When the girls wore veils on their heads, as was the practice in the Corinthian churches, it was met with disapproval of many other churches. The wearing of veil was later abandoned. What reason was given, we weren't told. I thought perhaps it was to appease the other churches and since it wasn't a big issue, we could afford to give in.

I think the church has come a long way, adjusting its various practices for various reasons. From 'no discotheque, no lion dance, no skimpy clothes, no boy/girlfriends' to practices that are more laxed, perhaps the church is constantly adjusting itself to suit the generation. Afterall, every industry is asked to modify itself to cater to the ever-changing landscapes in the secular world, right? So why can't a church change itself too?

My non-violent rebuttals ...

1) On the unorthodox teachings

A blogger mentioned that a church has no business in self-improvement, after viewing Pastor Kong's sermon on how to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals for Christians. But the church has so many youngsters. I think it's appropriate to impart self-improvement skills to these youths.

I remember when the church first started out with a Manhood message for the guys and we were all intrigued, but it made good sense to teach Singapore boys how to behave with girls. Many boys, and men, do not know how to treat a girl or woman. They think men and women are equal in everything (since they themselves demand equality), so they bring this 'equality' mentality into their marriage, which eventually leads to divorces.

How many of those in CHC have married members from the same church? And how many of them are so happily married? None of the ones I know is divorced. I think it speaks alot about how well the men are taught in that church.

I'm not sure why the prophet CHC is inextricably linked to, Benny Hinn, has his wife of 30 years asking for a divorce. The reason given is 'irreconciliable differences'. After 30 years of marriage, the relationship is ended based on 'irreconciliable differences'. Of course, it couldn't have happened over one or two years. Just like William and me. If I'm never married, I wouldn't be able to understand why she only saw the differences after 30 years. She'd probably borne with much before she finally decided to throw in the towel. It takes untold courage to file a divorce when your marriage is high on profile.

For others, it might be strange why I'm blogging about CHC when I haven't been part of them for so long. Although I left the church 'officially' when I was 19, I still went back to the church for Sunday service on and off, even after I had my first kid, most of the time just to see how the church was doing. After all, it was part of my life in my formation years. In those awkward and sensitive teenage years, it opened me up to a world of friends and ideas from outside the school. It taught me many things, showed me many things, and was instrumental in building my foundation of spoken English.

2) On friendship pressure

I was never afraid of 'losing friends' if I ever left that church, like what some forummers claim. Many of those who left CHC before me actually didn't want the friends in CHC! Probably because they felt that they were pressured unnecessarily. From the statements of various ex-CHC members, they don't sound like they were afraid of losing friendships from the church either.

3) On youths' monetary contribution

I'm surprised to know that the majority of the church is still made up by youths under 25, because I remember the church had aimed to become a 'family church', no longer 'youth church'. I don't believe that youths are able to contribute so much. I always thought that the ones who contribute the most are the working adults who had been there since their teenage years.

4) On the lack of staying power

A forummer mentioned that less than 10% of people she knew in her first year stay in CHC because as they grow up to be sensible adults, they are able to distinguish the right from wrong and so they left the church, but the pioneers I knew are still there. A letter that went to the Straits Times Forum bore the name of a CHC member I knew personally. The man in the picture showing Sun walking out of the police station is someone I knew. The faces in the youtube videos leading the praise and worship are as familiar to me as the back of my hand.

I'm not here to judge Pastor Kong and Sun for something that is not even proven.

I'm just expressing my thoughts on how I feel about the whole episode. If I ever have any questions, they are really just that - questions.