PROTECT AND DEFEND CHRISTIANS’ RIGHT TO USE THE ALKITAB - [CFM MEDIA STATEMENT]

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA

(PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)

Address: 10, Jalan 11/9, Section 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Telephone: (03) 7957 1278, (03) 7957 1463, Fax: (03) 7957 1457

Email: cfmsia@yahoo.co.uk

30thMarch 2011

CFM MEDIA STATEMENT

PROTECT AND DEFEND CHRISTIANS’ RIGHT TO USE THE ALKITAB 

We are grateful to Almighty God for bringing together Christian leaders from across churches in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak to address the current controversy surrounding the impounding of Bahasa Malaysia Bibles, the Alkitab,  at Port Klang and Kuching.  This decision weighs heavily on us because of the implications not only for Christians but for all Malaysians.  

We are united in  our reaffirmation of the freedom of religion and worship.  Therefore, our position is that there should be no restrictions, proscriptions or prohibitions whatsoever on the Bible or the use of the language of our choice in the practice of our religion, as it was in the days before and after the formation of Malaysia.

Christians, like any other Malaysians, are not demanding for anything beyond our constitutional and fundamental human rights as enshrined in Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution and Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The current controversy surrounding the Alkitab is just one of many issues that concerns Christians. There has been a systematic and progressive pushing back of the public space to practice, to profess and to express our faith.  For example, the wearing and displaying of crosses and other religious symbols, using religious words and constructing places of worship have been restricted.  When Christians express this concern, we do so not just for ourselves but on behalf of all Malaysians.  Our faith forms a critical component of our identity as Malaysians in nation-building as enshrined in the first pillar of our nation’s Rukunegara: Belief in God.

As regards the offer made by the government on 22 March 2011, we respectfully state that this does not address the substantive issues.  In point of fact, our previous offer made in 2005 to use the term “A Christian Publication” was only honoured in respect of one shipment of the Alkitab.  Subsequent shipments were similarly held up and subjected to further arbitrary conditions for release.

In order to move forward, we call on the Government to commit itself once and for all to remove every impediment, whether legal or administrative, to the importation, publication, distribution and use of the Alkitab and indeed to protect and defend our right to use the Alkitab.This includes revoking all orders made under the Internal Security Act 1960, which have declared the Alkitab as a threat to national security.  Neither can the Alkitab be considered a threat to public order under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.  We categorically reject the characterisation of our Holy Scriptures in this manner.  

Instead, we see our Holy Scriptures as providing enlightenment and direction. In the words of the psalmist, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119 : 105). In the New Testament is stated the teaching that we hold dear and true : “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3 : 16) 

We remain committed to work with the Government for a viable and longterm solution where the detailed processes and procedures are made clear and unequivocal and so long as our fundamental liberties as enshrined in the Federal Constitution are not infringed.

As for the copies of the Alkitab that have been impounded and desecrated, we reiterate our position that the action of the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) in stamping the Bibles amounts to an act of defacement,  disrespect and treating with disdain the holy book of the Christians.

Given the unfortunate experience of KDN’s tendency of taking arbitrary action without consulting affected parties or respecting the religious sensitivities of the Christian community, any decision to collect copies of the Alkitab which have been stamped and serialised would be with a view to prevent the possibility of further arbitrary acts of desecration, disrespect or destruction being committed against the Holy Scripture of the Christians by KDN and its officers. 

We have left it to the 2 importers to decide whether or not to collect the Alkitab, based on their different specific circumstances and level of trust in the authorities and the processes in their local context.  

Nevertheless, no matter what their decision is, we remain united in our common stand to uphold the principle of freedom of religion which includes the free availability without hindrance or obstacle of the Alkitab and all sacred scriptures in Malaysia.

We continue to call on all peace-loving Malaysians to pray for a dignified resolution to these critical issues in the life of our nation.  

Dated this day 30th March 2011                                   

                                                                         

   

                                                                                 

Bishop Ng Moon Hing  

Chairman and the Executive Committee

The Christian Federation of Malaysia 

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CFM MEDIA STATEMENT - CHRISTIANS DEPLORE LINK TO VALENTINE’S DAY AND SIN

CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA

(PERSEKUTUAN KRISTIAN MALAYSIA)

Address: 10, Jalan 11/9, Section 11, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Telephone: (03) 7957 1278, (03) 7957 1463, Fax: (03) 7957 1457

Email: cfm.exesec08@gmail.com

11 February 2011

MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE CHRISTIAN FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA

CHRISTIANS DEPLORE LINK TO VALENTINE’S DAY AND SIN

Christians in Malaysia vehemently deplore and are hurt by public statements made recently which link Valentine’s Day to sin and Christianity.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia strongly objects to the perpetuation of such statements and the impudence of some people to say that a religious faith in Malaysia indulges in sinful activities.

In a recent statement made by the Pas Youth leader, quoting a statement by the National fatwa Council, there is an insinuation that Valentine’s Day has “some Christian elements and sin”, which can be interpreted to mean that Christianity condones and promotes sinful activities on Valentine’s Day.

Further, a certain Muslim lady evangelist has said in a programme aired on national television and circulated on www.YouTube.com sometime ago in regards to Valentine’s Day that “maksiat, disco, couple-couple bersunyi sunyian, inilah tradisi masyarakat yang beragama Kristian” that is that vices, disco-going and couples meeting in quiet places are the traditions of the Christians.

Statements which have a tendency to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility against any particular religious community cannot and should not be tolerated.

We strongly urge that better research be done and no mistake be made of linking the Christian faith to Valentine’s Day which is celebrated publicly in many countries today and not just in the West. It is not a Christian festival celebrated by the church today.

The earliest records indicate that a feast was dedicated to Valentine on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I, as a martyr of Rome. But details of his background are vague and much of the writings about him have been the stuff of legends and especially romanticised during the Middle Ages. The association with love and marriage may have arisen as part of popular culture at that time rather than as religious literature.

The Catholic Church has removed the memorial of his feast since the promulgation of the new Roman liturgical calendar in the year 1969 (although his name remains on the list of saints and martyrs). In place of this commemoration, the feast of two revered saints of the Eastern Church, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles of the Slavs, are celebrated on 14 February.

Today, Christians do not commemorate Valentine's Day as a religious festival. Its celebration by the public is very much within the domain of secular culture and has nothing to do with the Christian faith.

CFM further reiterates that we do not believe in nor practise the moral policing of individuals and groups in our society. The Church in Malaysia has always advocated that we should educate and teach the beliefs and tenets of our faith and live by them rather than to be engaged in spying upon and arresting Malaysians presumed to be engaged in alleged immoral activities.

The Bible espouses love and hence CFM invites all Christians to express the love of God in their families, with their spouses and their loved ones and also with people from the various communities in Malaysia not only on this special day but throughout the year.

Bishop Ng Moon Hing
Chairman and the Executive Committee,
The Christian Federation of Malaysia

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 3-12): An Invitation to Solidarity with Humanity

This article was originally published in the Dec edition of CANews published by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur

The word ‘beatitude’ comes from beatus in Latin which means blessed or happy. Both Luke and Matthew have their own versions of the Beatitudes taught by Jesus – but in actual fact, there are many other instances of similar phrases that speak of the blessedness of a person in terms of their experiences or actions.[1]
The beatitudes are composed of 2 parts; the first part introduces a virtue while the second part speaks of the outcome of possessing that virtue. Expressed in the passive form, it does not exactly say how or through whom the outcome will be achieved. Scholars term this form the ‘divine passive’ – pointing to God, who brings it all about.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus overturns normal thought patterns. What people might normally have seen as negative situations are instead declared as blessed or happy. The shock value that would have affected Jesus’ audience might not be our experience through over-familiarity with the text. Hence, as we re-encounter the Beatitudes, we need to see them according to the mind and heart of Jesus, rather than that of the world.

The Beatitudes are, in reality, a synthesis of the teaching of Jesus in terms of how we are to live out our lives in relation to thewider world, not just in terms of the Christian community. They do not focus on a personalistic or individualist morality but rather help us situate our life and mission in the concrete realities of humanity. They help us in our quest of living out a spirituality of communion.

It is interesting that in Matthew’s Beatitudes while most of the outcomes point to a future reality, two – the first and last - stand out as pointing at current realities.

The following is a survey of Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes:

How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Scholars are generally in agreement that the phrase ‘in spirit’ has been added by Matthew to expand the Lukan idea of the materially poor to include those who acknowledge that all that they are in fact poor in that they are not self-sufficient.
The poor in spirit are those who are not self-assertive, self-reliant, self-confident, self-centered, or self-sufficient.
All we possess is in fact gift, and God is the giver of every gift. Thus, our possessions are not ours by virtue of our own merit and to be used exclusively for ourselves. We are instead called to acknowledge our dependence on God who provides for our every need. Having too many possessions and having to spend our time and effort in terms of safeguarding them can close us to other persons and realities in life.

Here the reference to the kingdom of heaven is not just pointing to a future reality but rather a here-and-now reality of living out God’s plan for humanity. Jesus has already inaugurated the Kingdom and the poor in spirit are already beneficiaries of the Kingdom!
The use of the term Kingdom of Heaven rather than Kingdom of God may be due to Matthew’s acknowledgement of Jewish sensitivities to the use of the divine name; both terms may be viewed as synonymous.

Blessed are the gentle:
they shall have the earth as inheritance. (cf Ps 37:11)
Being gentle does not mean that we are to be spineless pushovers. Rather it means that in humility, we are called to treat others with not just tolerance but acceptance and respect. It means that we are called to practice non-violence, recognizing that violence breeds more violence and the gentle are called instead to bring about reconciliation. Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit that we are gifted with as we grow in discipleship, having grown through discipline and suffering, coming to terms with God’s will in our lives.
The Jews would have seen the earth (or land, as in some translations) in terms of Canaan, the Promised Land, but for us, it is the Kingdom, a lived reality in the here-and-now as well as a heavenly destination in the hereafter, the “new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. (2 Peter 3:13)

Blessed are those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.

Mourning is most often associated with suffering and death. Yet we also mourn when we realize that we are sinners alienated from God. We also mourn for and with others in that we empathize with them and are somehow sharers in their pain and sorrow. We also mourn when we see that the Kingdom is not yet fully realized.

Ironically, in that mourning there is a sense of faith and hope for it will surely come to pass. Paul writes of being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10). We are given the assurance that comfort will surely come. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness:
they shall have their fill.
Hunger and thirst here are seen not simply in terms of food and drink but rather what God desires – that which is righteous. Again, we are assured that it will be come to pass, and we shall be be abundantly filled.

Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Mercy is not mere pity or feeling sorry for a person. Instead it goes beyond and can be linked to forgiveness. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray ‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.’ Mercy or forgiveness is a two-way street! We cannot expect to receive if we are not also willing to reach out in forgiveness, hard as it might be to let go of our hurts. As St Francis would put it, ‘It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.’
In living out this beatitude, relationships are healed and strengthened as mutual forgiveness abounds.

Blessed are the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Purity of heart does not mean that we are sinless. Neither does it merely point to chastity. Rather it points to a heart that is single-minded in its search of God. There is a sincerity and mindfulness of God that does not allow for mixed motivations.
Ultimately, the search is rewarded – God chooses to reveal himself to us – again here, however, the timing is undefined. Yet we are called to be relentless in our quest – and God will surely honour our single-mindedness!

Blessed are the peacemakers:
they shall be recognised as children of God.
Peacemakers are not the same as peacekeepers! The latter may be passive, steering away from trouble but peace is not a mere absence of war!
The shalom of God is more than just a ceasefire! It involves the building of bridges and facing realities that may be indeed difficult. It means facing our differences honestly and yet treating the other with respect, being willing to ‘agree to disagree’. It involves a shift from mere tolerance to acceptance, despite differences that may still exist. It is about learning to co-exist in harmony. The peacemaker may also have to bring other parties together, to be an agent of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Being recognized as a child of God means that others can see God working in and through us, that we are used as his instruments.

Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven;
this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
If we are not at all persecuted, even if it is subtle, it may mean that we are somehow treading through life in a very safe fashion. Yet, if we are truly living out our vocation as Christians in a prophetic and upright manner, we cannot but attract opposition! Through legitimate suffering, we learn and grow. Persecution leads ultimately to perfection, but only if we persevere. Ultimately it is for the Lord’s sake that we might have to suffer and we must keep that in mind!
Here, the promised outcome is not in the future but an already existent reality – again the same as promised to the poor in spirit. It is also the honour of knowing that we walk in the footsteps of the prophets, revered today but reviled in their own time.

In conclusion, the beatitudes do not merely state a way of life or morality that pertains merely to one’s own self but rather in relation to all of humanity. They also seem to offer congratulations to those who have made them a part of their lives as well as re-issuing a call or summons to us to heed them. They are not sectarian – they are in fact offered to all people of goodwill. They are a call to radical discipleship – a discipleship that calls us to solidarity with all of humanity.



Gerard Steve Theraviam, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, is the Rector of College General, the seminary in Penang where he also lectures on the Bible. He is also a trained spiritual director.

Remembering our beloved Pope John Paul II

Beatification on May 1st, 2011. 
Remembering Pope John Paul II forever, in his strength, his weakness, his words and his life!

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