Religion

Allah word use

Perhaps being fortunate enough to claim existence to life in Malaysia allows me the space to be constantly be puzzled over the religious authorities claims upon a language. Sampai orang nak sembahyang dalam bahasa sendiri pun boleh jadi masalah. Why on earth does the word 'Allah', which essentially means God, and is 'God' to so many other Christians in the rest of the world who speak languages which refers to God as 'Allah', so prohibited in this country?

And besides, there are so many other things for us to bother and worry about. Like  college undergraduates stupid enough to consult mediums  for quick fix remedies to 'bad luck' and ending up contracting STDs – oh wait, not your problem right? Because these people are pagan worshippers and have nothing to do with you? But apparently, some peace-loving, God loving person from another country who happens to call her God Allah as well, trespasses upon your precious territory?

I'm sorry but it's hard for me to understand why such a sovereign and almighty God would need gatekeepers to keep people in check. I suppose human beings just love being superior to other people, including God. At least, my understanding of God is that, He wouldn't be such a narrow minded bigot. Loving and Forgiving, yup, that's who God is to me. I kind of believe even your Allah would be loving and forgiving!

Interesting read here: Allah belongs to the Muslims, Christians, Jews or Sikhs?

I'll put it down here. I get it that you are all way way more experienced than I am. Had more salt than I ever swallowed rice, of course. I get it. You know more about babies than I do. Because you're older, you've been there, done that, and you know it all.

But…

• Give a little space for me to breathe
• Let me eat what I want to eat
• If its something my mom feeds me, don't tell me I can't eat it. I have a mother too you know, I love her and I kinda, well, trust her more than I trust you. Because I can't accept the possibility that she could mean me any harm (after all I'm her only kid, and she won't kill me).
• Don't bloody try to convert me into pentecostal extremism. What on earth is the difference between 'I believe in Divine Healing' and 'I stand for Divine Healing' anyway? You call yourself Christian? Get a mirror and look at yourself.
• What right have you to tell me that you are going to heaven because you have been personally saved by the spirit (as evidenced by nonsensical babbling) and I have not?
• BTW, didn't you see this 6 month old bump in front of you as you preached your mashed up version of the gospel and badmouthed the Methodist church?

I am not brave. I am just very honest here. I just believe that somethings have to be said. Since I'm on it, lemme ask a few more things:

• Do you honestly, honestly believe, that only the people from your church are going to heaven?
• Do you honestly honestly believe that only the King James Version of the bible is the true bible?
• DO YOU EVEN READ THE BIBLE AT ALL? Or do you just sit together heads bowed and shake yourselves into trances and then proclaim that the spirit has befallen all of you and therefore you are way way more blessed than the rest of us?

Seriously, we have major issues to handle here on earth. Since I do read some parts of the bible, I'll attempt a mini-your-style of dissecting literalism in the bible, can?

• In Genesis 6 it is written (please go and check your KJV):

 ¹And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,  ²That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.  ³And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

• If I sort of interpreted THAT literally, I think it also implies that before God got upset with us, He gave us longer time to live on earth. Literally, that probably means that we were supposed to live for 500 years to 1000 years (Noah lived for a long long long time, remember?). So this world is NOT supposed to be bad mah.
• But for some reason, when I attend services at extreme fundamentalistic churches, the message is always about how evil this world is, and how we should keep praying until the rapture happens so that everyone who is evil to us will be thrown into the lake of fire, and all the perfect for Christ people will go and heaven and laugh happily ever after. *super duper morbid ok*
• I AM SO NOT CONVINCED THAT GOD IS SO EVIL AS TO BANISH EVERYONE WHO DOESN'T SUBMIT TO YOUR MANMADE THEORIES OF WHAT GOD WANTS, INTO THE PIT OF FIRE.

Personally, I happen to believe that God made Creation for Himself to enjoy, for Him to commune with all of His Created beings inside, Man included, and that our biggest task here in Creation is to take good care of Creation and sayang everybody and take good care of everyone.  Not point fingers at one pregnant woman and demand that she stand for divine healing and tell her that if she doesn't accept the truth she will go to hell. Not spend time talking and bitching about how other people who pray to other Gods are all going to burn in hell. Not joking and laughing at the practices of other religious groups.

It happened to me okay. God, Your overzealous followers have simply, no regard for respecting other people, and giving people space.

Seriously, I know sometimes we think we're being led by overzealous  Muslim fundies. But those of you in AOGs, Fundie churches, be truly honest, if the roles were reversed, and you led this nation instead, would you allow temples and mosques in the country?

Seriously.