The below email is sent to xueying@sph.com.sg. She is the writer for the article "A fiery NMP gets her baptism of fire" featuring Dr Thio Li-ann.
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Dear Xueying,
This email is in response to the article "A fiery NMP gets her baptism of fire" published last Friday 2 November 2007 in Straits Times.
Yee-wei
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I read with great concern regarding Dr Thio Li-ann's worldview on how her take on morality issues is decidedly and openly christian based - and the fact that she is using them as basis for an argument as an NMP to push for a law in our very own country. I would like Dr Thio to kindly leave her religion at the doorsteps of the parliament in future before stepping in. Whatever her stand may be for the S377A issue, please let it be one preached not on the basis of her own religion. While I respect her dramatic telling of how she converted to a Christian from a staunch non-believer, I think it only lends credence as a story to convert other non-believers to her faith, and adds nothing to the strength of her argument or moral standing on the issue of S377A.
Dr Thio believes that religion should have a part to play in public policymaking, and I shudder to know how many in our government share this view. This is because I do not wish my country's policy's to be swayed towards a certain religion or be determined based on a certain religion's view of what's moralistic or not. There should be a separation between religion and state politics. And if she thinks it is inevitable, then she should consider changing her job from a politician to that of a preacher. A fair politician should realise that in order to keep it fair amongst people of different race and religion, he/she has to be objective about how he/she tackles policymaking for all without discrimination and not tainted by his/her evangelical movement to save people their way. I do not want a day to come where we are arguing in parliament about what is allowable by the standards of Buddha versus that of Jesus Christ. Please keep your Gods at your own churches and temples and let your conscience, objectivity and common sense be your guide.
As she proudly wears her own religious beliefs as a badge to champion a moralistic view in parliament, has she given a thought to how people of other race/religion will swallow it? Her using of evangelical christianity as a basis for public policymaking could evoke discord amongst people of different races and religion within the country, and wouldn't that be considered an act of sedition?
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4 comments:
aiyoh, relak lah. not as if her views on this issue is exclusive to her religion. many other faiths also say same mah. furthermore, she is servant to a secular state, most of her beliefs will have to be filtered one mah.
so relak. no can one pull a wool over your eyes unless you fool lor.
but you not one right?
I am no fool ... but i can't say that for other people who reads the Straits Times and takes everything as it is ... or listens to what the government says and just swallow them wholesale.
Thank you for writing to the Staits Times. However, the newspaper's views of Thio Li-ann is captured in the title of the article - she is made out to be some sort of a "heroine"! Do the ST writers even think anymore? Thio Li-ann brings shame to a lot of good Christians. God teaches us to love. Not hate!
Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire. See the link below for more info.
#fiery
www.ufgop.org
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