That Saga

That saga has spinned out of control. I think it has evolved into a meaningless tirade where the new exco and old guard cannot compromise at any point anymore; any time when they compromise and apologize for any fault they have committed would be deemed as an act of failure, inability and will attract only further chastisements and pressure to leave the group. Given that both sides pride themselves on their years of professional experience and their abilities to lead ’successful’ organizations, they seemed to have tripped at this one point - conflict management. It also seemed to me that both sides probably lacked the ability to handle the situation with tact. The offensive remarks from both sides are unecessary, unhelpful and unwanted.

While I believe that a woman’s highest calling in life is childbearing, I feel that the new exco may have been too myopic to critique only the issues of family and homosexuality. I also do not think that the stance of the old guard homosexuality is pro-gay as spelled out by the new exco. In my opinion, there is no clear stance, but rather, just being accepting towards people who are different. The organisation is also a highly pluaristic one; not every member subscribes to the same set of values. Indeed, there is a possiblity that some members remain there because of other work that that organisation is pursuing. The fact that there is just one issue that members do not agree on does not spell the need to bid each other goodbye.

Yet, the old guard is not without fault as well. Their impatience in waiting for the new exco to issue a statement of purpose and the manner in which they demanded things to be done accoridng to the way in which they are familiar with showed little regard for the constitution - afterall, the new exco was voted in legally, albeit the method was a little different. Yet honestly, how different is it? Governments dangle carrots and engage in gerrymandering prior to election day too. Admitably, it is one of the shortcomings of democratic elections as they may reduce to just a popularity vote, instead of being a means to choose the best and most suitable person into power. The old guard has, in my opinion, showed their unwillingness to give up control and has not stepped down gracefully.

I think such attitudes were exacerbated by an apparent arrogrance on the part of the old guard. While it may be in the rules that some forms and reports may need to be submitted by a certain deadline, to punish the subcommitte heads by ’sacking’ them or replacing them at best when they failed to submit the required documents on time is to harsh a punishment. Afterall, it is an voluntary organisation where people from all walks of life come together to push for the betterment of the status of women in society. It is not a corporate organisation and it need not be run like a company. To do so would only erode the warmth and love such an organisation should epitomize. How much more can we expect to further the rights of women in Singapore if they have already left a bad impressible on people that they are unreasonable and not receptive towards any ideas?

An important point to note is that change in a society doesn’t come overnight. Society needs time to reexamine their values and in fact they are highly resistant to change. There are ulterior motives at times (eg slave trade), but also it takes effort to push society to move out of their comfort zone. But the point is not to moralize people. I don’t think William Wilberforce pushed for the abolishment of slave trade down people’s throat.  On the contrary, it was through clear arguments that convince people, not force people to accept their point of view.

My point is that I’m disappointed by the actions of the so-called Christians in the entire saga. I feel that they have not shown much love to another Christian (the ex-president who resigned after a few days). The disrepect they have shown towards that lady is appalling, especially in the way they have stepped all over her. The Bible clearly commands that we are to show love towards fellow Christians (1 John 4:7-21), what more a Christian who is in authority? They have not shown much love to other non-Christians. This is reflected in their choice of words and the way they treated the asst hon secretary. Jesus, did not, at any point, treated people who were against Him badly. In fact, He called for Christians to love their enemies. If the Christians have truly outlived their philosophy in life, all these nasty things would not have transpired.

The cause that the new exco is technically speaking, a noble one. To push for a pro-family Singapore, and encouraging people not to walk down the path of homosexuality, which obviously is usually a lifestyle choice, is beneficial to Singapore. Research has shown clearly that only a small handful of people are born with different sexual orientation, but that number is disporportionate to the noise the homosexual community is making. However, the approach that the new exco has taken is one that pains me. It pains me because it shows a poor testimony of Christianity to the community at large. Yet, I ask for tolerance from other segements of society as Christians are imperfect beings trying to serve a perfect God. There are many things that need to be addressed before we get to the state of being like John Newton and William Wilberforce.

For Christians, it is high time to ask if we truly live out the Christian faith, and do we treat Christianity as a super culture that permeates every single bit of our life? God is a God of justice, but also a God of Love, a God of Mercy etc. It may be time to examine if a reductionist approach has resulted in a warped view of God.

Finally, this debate, regrettably on the side of the old guard, has evolved into a Christianity vs homosexuality debate. It shouldn’t be. There are many things wonderful with having a normal family that I think nature has set in place for us, and God need not feature in the argument even for it to be persuasive. I am pro-family, but I will not discrimate against any homosexuals as they are also human beings deserving of my respect.