just minishorts.

Malaysia church torched amid Allah row

Kononnya Islam itu agama yang mementingkan keamanan dan keselamatan. Kononnya.

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You know, I'm sorry if this sentence bites, but seriously, the kind of Islam practiced in this country, the one that is propogated by UMNO, the one that has @NajibRazak spouting counter-1Malaysia comments in the light of this crazy, crazy #Allah word controversy, the one that turned it into a controversy in the first place, THAT kind of Islam, is the only kind of religion in the world I know that claims that God, Allah, belongs to them.

Or as far as I know, and have experienced, whereever I've read, even the MOST fanatical of Christian sects, or Buddhist groups, devoted Hindus, and so many normal Muslims I know, any talk of God is always of humility, reverence, respect.

Of belonging to God.

Not the other way around.

But in this country, it is a case of 'Allah' is mine. God is mine. And I will die defending My right to keep Him for myself.

Pencinta keamanan, kononnya.

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?

Someone had the nerve to talk about God's abundant grace online, spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, and turned up in church dressed like a ghoul yesterday. I don't know if I was lucky that I missed service, or unfortunate that I still walked into the chapel yesterday. I do know that I had the shock of my life when I saw two hantus laughing in the church.

I'm no conservative when it comes to religious ideals, but I do draw my lines. For some reason, unless it is a costume party, or that we have previously agreed upon 'dressing up' for service, I think there are some parameters some people must consciously agree to. This is why sometimes, I frown upon people who keep banging on the free country slogan. It doesn't help that overtly liberal people tend to take things too far and then they forget that, in their zeal to make their point that their voice matters, other people's space matters also.

Since I'm in a foul mood today, thanks to vision-induced nightmares, I'll leave it with this: no wonder love eludes you and you're so fucking emo in your posts. Its deservedly so, and since I'm no God, the most I can try to understand is your point of view that God drowns you in his ocean of Grace.

I guess for all the pain you've caused, you need that Grace.

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.

Perplexed by this incident.

Once again we get another story of some insensitive Muslims doing something really stupid, i.e. bringing the severed head of a cow to protest the relocation of a Hindu temple.

Some people will claim to say that 'Let's not be alarmed by people like these, because they represent only a minority of the fundamental crazies.'

I've always be very candid with how I regard the fundies, be they Muslim, Christian, Buddhists, Hindus, or whatever. In my opinion, it doesn't really matter whether there's just one or two, the fact that they continue to exist and continue to be loud enough to disturb the peace is enough for us to keep reminding ourselves how important it that we not just shut up and ignore people like these.

I attempt to be gracious yes, but even tolerating behavior such as this and brushing it off makes no sense. Do you really think people like these are harmless? Were the two 'investigative journalists' who pretended to be Christians and entered a Catholic church, partook of the communion wafer then spit it out for a photograph to be published in their Islam-upholding magazine – were they harmless? Is that crazy Christian who tells you that your mother will be separated from God and suffer eternal torment and burning in hell because she hasn't accepted Christ yet – is that Christian harmless?

Mr/Mrs/Mdm/Ms Fanatic: seriously, are you trying to tell me that your God, who is so almighty, so amazing, so sovereign, so fantastico, are you telling yourself that His teaching *pushes* you to fight His wars for Him, are you telling yourself that He is so helpless that you have to hurt a fellow creation's beliefs and way of life in order to uphold the sovereignity of your God?

Are you saying that your God is so greedy for believers to be subservient and obey him that he commands you to do something as ridiculously nauseating and disgusting, such as chopping off a poor cow's head and parading it off in some stupid measure of protest while you jump around boasting how you say YOUR GOD IS SO GREAT?

When you say Your God is Love, are you so certain you mean it, or are you just eager to get this life over with, get to Heaven, and then smile smugly at the rest of the world who won't get saved? Is that why you keep telling people they will end up in Hell? Seriously.

Come on lah. Seriously.

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When you were hurt by 'insensitivity' like this, didn't you feel harmed? Even if just one out of thousands spat words like this in your face, no matter how noble and how 'loving' their intent, didn't you feel stabbed? Didn't you feel like someone took away your life, took away your heart, took away your entire respect for the whole pot of people they called Muslims/Christians/Buddhists/(insert whatever).

You think one drop of oil in a pan of clean water is harmless? Seriously?

Seriously, don't tell me people like these are harmless.