Right End Wrong Means?

This video is currently quite popular with many, especially proponents of God and those who want to prove God exists. I am a follower of Christ. I believe in God. However, I do feel that sometimes, our over-enthusiasm to 'prove' God can unwittingly prod us toward behaviour that is questionable or even unethical.

Background
This video is said to be backed by the Government of Macedonia to inform the masses that religion ought to be considered part of the classroom. After all, why should atheists be the ones who have the only say about public education? Considering that Macedonia is part of that great European continent where Christendom was prominent in the early 3rd Century till the 16th-17th Century, it should not be strange that religion be included in any curriculum.

My personal opinion is that this video lies within the domain of 'questionable ethics.' Can we use a false story, adopt a false name in order to propagate truth? If for example, the video openly states that it is a fictional story and uses a fictional character.  Then people will know that the story is as good as the director's cut. Instead, we see a supposedly dramatization of a real character called Albert Einstein, dated (1879-1955). There are a couple of other reasons why I am not certain of the authenticity of this video.

Firstly, there is no proof that Einstein actually said that, or had that conversation with the Professor. The popular email that has been circulated depicts a smart student with an atheist professor. Secondly, this email has been classified as a hoax by Snopes,Urban-Legends, and others. There was even a claim that Einstein himself does not believe in a personal God. In fact, the first few seconds of this video remind me of another widely circulated email of the same theme. I remember the first time I read it, I was absolutely awed. Only later, I discovered that it was a hoax. (For more on learning how to detect email hoaxes, click here.) Thirdly, even though the arguments in the video may sound convincing, in a real court of law, it can be dismissed on the basis of a technicality, which is attributing false names to a story. For that matter, the proponents of the video may even be charged for misrepresentation. I will be more at ease if the video is more upfront about it, by not naming Einstein at all, or perhaps state that it is a 'fictional' work. Maybe that is how commercials work in the first place. Have we not seen commercials where a family appears happy when they are sitting smiling in a brand new family van? The viewer will typically know that this is a marketing gimmick. If the "Does God Exist" commercial becomes a marketing gimmick for God-proponents, I think it not only discredits the arguments per se, it taints the righteousness of God's people. Finally, I have not been successful in finding out the source of the video, about the "New Moment New Ideas Company," the Government of Macedonia websites, about the Creative director, Dusan Drakalski; and the Art director, Nikola Vojnov. They are still mysteriously quiet making me wonder if the names were liberally used as much as the way "Albert Einstein's" name were used in the video? If you know of any authenticity in these names, do let me know and clear my doubts.

Don't get me wrong. I am all for supporting efforts to share the good news of God's presence in the world. I am just not keen on using wrong means to justify ends, no matter how right they are. If there is a tendency for anything to mislead people from truth, it is ethically wrong. As much as we accuse the Da Vinci Code of misusing facts, likewise we should not use the "Does God Exist" video as a way to vindicate truth.  Indeed, the Internet is full of information and lots of misinformation. How do we tell the difference? One way is to check the sources and do some personal research on it. Another way is simpler, though a little more radical and counter-cultural: Unplug your computer. Sigh. Easier said then done.

ks

Reconcilable Differences (5Cs)

‘Separation.’ ‘Divorce.’ ‘Breakups.’ ‘Splits.’ ‘Agree to Disagree.’ These words are often the result of failed attempts to come together in unity. The term ‘irreconcilable differences’ has been used widely when filing divorce papers. The statistics are grim. Even Christians contribute to the increase in divorce numbers. For the Church, since the infamous 16th Century divorce of Western Christendom into Protestant and Roman Catholic groups, the recent 400 years have also been littered with splits and schisms. The remarkable thing is that despite multiple common creeds, many differences are still classified irreconcilable. How do we prevent or minimize irreconcilable differences? I believe that one method is maintaining healthy and constructive discussions, while we are still in a healthy state. Medication used preventatively reaps better dividends than one used curatively. In other words, a healthy body responds better to medication. When a body is too sick, sometimes even amputation may not help. This is the same for healthy discussions. Having discussions that edify will unite. Having discussions that degenerate into name-calling or stone-throwing will divide. How do we ensure debates of all kinds be done in a civil and conciliatory manner? As we know, knowledge is good on the one hand, but it can also puff up. Care needed to be exercised when we debate views in the name of knowledge. Above all, let our speech, our words and actions be that of grace through reconciliatory attitudes.

Reconciliation is not stopping any one person from voicing his views. It is learning to voice one’s opinions honestly, and to paraphrase the other respectfully without humiliating either. Reconciliation is not cheap. It costs deeply. Reconciliation is not shaking the dissenting hand grudgingly. It is learning to embrace the brother/sister graciously, warts and all. Reconciliation is accepting one another on the basis of Christ’s love, not humanistic contracts or agreements. It is a process, not simply the end product. It cannot be forced though it can be reinforced. After traveling the rugged countryside of controversies, reconciliation is like a regular oil change, to lubricate the engines with love so that all passengers can travel further and more purposefully in their faith journeys. Without the lubricant of love, each cranking of the debate engine dangerously wears out the prime mover of the vehicle. A debate that ends without reconciliation is like the car heading toward self-inflicted implosion. On the other hand, debates that end with reconcilable differences not only prevent the Body from self-destruction, it is constructive enough for the car to run many more miles to spread the gospel of peace. It is with this intent, that I write this article, entitled ‘Reconcilable Differences’ covering the 5 Cs of debates. Aim at the 5Cs of debates. Civility in arguments. Charity in disagreements. Aim to cascade arguments up or down, and not castrate fellow believers. Context is important. Community is the fruit of the Spirit. We need debates, but more importantly, we need the skills and the humility for reconciliation of differences at all times.

Book - Mudhouse Sabbath

Title: Mudhouse Sabbath
Author: Lauren Winner
Published: MA: Paraclete Press, 2003

Lauren Winner is one of my favourite professors at Regent-College. Even though she teaches only one class that Summer in 2007, it was a memorable one. Not because I got a good grade for my paper, but more for the insightful and frank manner she communicates the art of writing.

This delightful little book comprises a series of 11 short essays on the rituals surrounding the traditional Jewish rituals. Winner, a Jew who embraced Christianity, yet misses her Jewish rituals. Even though the title of the book is not entirely about Sabbath, the use of the word 'Sabbath' is in effect a recognition that it is still the Sabbath that is still most central in Judaism, or at least in her Jewish upbringing. This book is a result of her efforts to connect her Jewish background with her understanding of Christianity. It is about her personal journey of integrating Sabbath with Christianity. In her own words, she writes:

"This is a book about those things I miss. It is about Sabbaths and weddings and burials and prayers, rituals Jews and Christians both observe, but also rituals we observe quite differently. It is about paths to the God of Israel that both Jews and Christians travel.  It is, to be blunt, about spiritual practices that Jews do better. It is, to be blunter, about Christian practices that would be enriched, that would be thicker and more vibrant, if we took a few lessons from Judaism. It is ultimately about places where Christians have some things to learn." (Lauren Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath, viii-ix)

Hopefully, more Christians will learn to incorporate meaningful practices into the faith so much so that it is not the practices that make one Christians, but remind them what it MEANS to 'live as Christians.'

Story of Acceptance

This is a perceptive commercial. It is also an interpretation of the nature of human beings, that they are needy social beings. Everyone regardless of language, race, religion or whatever human uniqueness all has a common need: To be accepted. It reminds me of the Genesis verse:

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." (Gen 2:18)

Indeed, God our creator knows us and how we need to function. Our tendency toward companionship is not simply having a spouse. It is in making meaningful connections. We all need it. You can watch the clip below or click the link here.


Thanks to Rosie for highlighting this clip.

Will you be willing to be watchful and pay attention to a needy soul? Perhaps, one reason why people are restless or starts to irritate others is simply because he/she is crying out for one thing: To be accepted.

ks

Note: For those who didn't get it, all the things that Mr W did is a personification of what the wind does, blowing skirts off, messing one's hair, blowing off flower pots etc. Only when we learn to see the wind as less of a nuisance, but to be harnessed for better purpose, we see the light. Wind is not simply to be seen as an irritation but a gift. Let those who has eyes see.

"Christianity on Trial" (Book)

TITLE: Christianity on Trial
Authors: Vincent Carroll and David Shiflett
Published: San Franciscon: Encounter Books, 2002 (244pp).

Our modern culture in the West seems to be increasingly anti-religious, especially anti-Christian judging from the anti-religious rhetoric thrown around like verbal graffiti. As much as accusers can come up with all kinds of rhetoric and anti-religious bigotry, if they close their minds to seeing the other point of view, they become the very bigots they try to accuse in the first place. The authors listed 8 major objections commonly thrown at Christianity. These 8 deals with complaints with regards to the negative roles the Church has played in:
- Development of the modern Western culture
- Introducing and Enforcing slavery;
- Attacking and Limiting Science;
- Slaughtering innocents
- Third Reich, Nazism
- Charity
- Environment
- American Democracy.

With each point, the authors helpfully state the initial stumbling block, and then proceeds to dismantle them by showing the other side of the picture, that apart from the accusations of bad things the Church has done, the Church too has been credited with lots of virtuous deeds. Unfortunately, these good deeds are either not remembered or largely unknown to the majority of the public at large. Without the knowledge of facts, it is easy to go with the flow. After all, social acceptance can be won through criticizing the Church or Christianity at large. Modern culture seems to issue extra brownie points for every tomato thrown at the face of the church.

It is indeed unfortunate that some people tend to readily criticize or condemn the church while conveniently ignoring its good works. The authors of this book do society a good service by providing more of the other side of the story. I hope more people, especially the anti-religious will come to learn of the good side of the story, that much of Western civilization and progress have been due to the merits of Christian people in the past. For example, while people can easily criticize 300 years of horrible wars, they forget that for the first 1000 years, Christianity has been the victim. They remember the small things but fail to acknowledge the contributions of big things. How many of us know that hospitals and universities were first started by the Church? What about the abolition of slavery was spearheaded by a staunch Christian believer, William Wilberforce? For every mention of the Church mistreatment of Galileo, what about the technological advancement made by the monasteries during the middle ages? Farming technology, iron making in France and England, establishment of medical facilities by Emperor Constantine who became a Christian, the memory of a monk trying to fly a plane even before the Wright brothers were born. The authors conclude with a powerful demonstration of Christian virtue in action through the Polish revolution in 1983. At that time, the harsh dictatorship of Yugoslavia's General Jaruzelski were oppressing the people of Poland, sending them deeper into economic ruins. There were bloody rebellions at least thrice against the Communist leaders in 1956, 1970 and 1976. However, in 1979, the pope visited Poland and preached a gospel of peace. From then on, the struggle for freedom and peace became a determined but peaceful one. Led by Lech Walesa who describes his Christian faith as his 'peace and strength,' the evil regime fell to peaceful demonstrations. Didn't faith matters play a positive part in Poland then?

Let me suggest that in order to get our perspectives right, our starting point is to be able to see both sides of any picture. The biggest service the authors have done is to supply the public another perspective to counter the increasingly negative and anti-Christian perceptions. Let us all be fair in all our interpretations. See both sides of any story. For those who like to bash Christainity, may I urge adopting a fair and rational view. Do away with bashing Christianity for the sake of bashing. This book can provide helpful ways to be thankful rather than vengeful.

Rating - 4 stars out of 5.

ks

Book Review (One Less Thing to Worry About)

Title: One Less Thing to Worry About (uncommmon wisdom for coping with common anxieties)
Author: Jerilyn Ross with Robin Cantor-Cooke
Published: NY: Ballantine Books, 2009 (269pp).

A) Overview
This is a book written by a woman aimed at a mostly women audience. [put it this way, female readers out there generally outnumber male readers.] Based on a premise that women generally worry more than men on a scale of 2:1, the author points out that the 'one less thing' to worry about is essentially learning to see anxiety as a friend rather than a foe. In other words, healthy worries are actually good. Packed with stories from her experience with various people, the author(s) outlines the 'Ross Prescription,' an 8-point set of techniques to free oneself from the tyranny of worry. Ross is currently a Director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in Washington DC. {you may seem surprised why I read this supposedly women's book. Two reasons. Firstly, in Christian ministry, we need to minister to both genders. Secondly, anxiety is a universal problem.}

Research also shows a significant link anxiety is connected with the following:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Asthma
• Accelerated breast cancer recurrence
• Alcohol & Drug abuse
• Chronic pain conditions
• Eating disorders
• Obesity

B) Main Points
In Part One, anxiety is given a new identity. The problem behind anxiety is not simply an emotional one. It is also biological. Ross's definition is an anxiety disorder is:

An umbrella term for a group of conditions that involve chronic, excessive, inexplicable anxiety that interferes with the way a person conducts his or her daily life. (39)

Ross writes that living with anxiety is like living with our family, and we need to learn to accept them rather than eradicating them completely. Instead, learn to 'embrace' them (21). It is also important to distinguish panic disorders from normal anxieties, so that we know how to treat them accordingly. In other words, anxiety has 2 sides, one that needs medical treatment and the other a normal occurrence of human living. The key is to know the difference. One way is to recognize our personal relationships with anxiety.

In Part Two, the author deals with four different kinds of relationships.

1. Reflective-Impulsive Relationship
   Reflective (without conscious thought);
   Impulsive (acting without foresight);
   
   PROBLEM: people with such a relationship generally tend to do-it-first without much thinking. Instead, they need something to steady the way behind their decision making.
   

   "The defining characteristic of this anxiety is not the efficacy of the
   responses it catalyzes but its unplanned, fix-it-quick quality." (84)

   TREATMENT: regular meal times, regular sleeping times, exercise and establish limits to emails, phone calls etc.
   
   
2. Pervasive-Adaptive Relationship
   Pervasive: diffused or spread through every aspect of
   Adaptive: adjusting oneself to particular conditions or ways
   

   "At the heart of the pervasive-adaptive relationship is the sense that anxiety is an inherent part of the self, that you just wouldn't be you if you didn't have a slightly apprehensive always-on-you-guard approach to life." (116)

   PROBLEM: is that if such anxieties are constantly hounded until it has no place else to go, it will surface somewhere.
   
   TREATMENT: "The key to making the pervasive-adaptive relationship work for you is to be conscious of why you are doing what you are doing." (133)
   
   
3. Primitive-Preventive Relationship
   Primitive: of behavior, thought or emotion originating in unconscious needs or desires and unaffected by objective reasoning.
   Preventive: designed to keep something undesirable such as illness, harm or accidents from occurring.
   
   Such a relationship is like a IF and THEN one.
   

   "If I do this thing in just this way, then that thing that makes me anxious won't happen." (135-6)

   PROBLEM: In using this kind of relationship, while one may try to solve personal situations, it unwittingly creates anxieties in others. An example is the mythical or traditional do's and don'ts. Like if one sees a black cat crossing one's path, and then the whole day the person worries oneself to ineffectiveness.
   
   TREATMENT: Recognize some of these thoughts are irrational and not to be followed. Sometimes, imagined terror is worse than the terror itself.
   
   
4. Imperative-Fugitive Relationship
   Imperative: an unavoidable fact compelling or insistently calling for action
   Fugitive: running away or intending flight
   
   PROBLEM: sometimes there are things which grows out of our inner fears and insecurity. One of them is the 'primal life and death anxiety,' which can make us blow life out of proportion.
   
   TREATMENT: Don't become a helpless victim. Do something about it.

PART THREE outlines the Ross prescription to do something about all of the above. It is essentially a 3+8 technique. The three stages are:

THREE STAGES
• Assess the anxiety;
• Observe the situation and circumstances;
• Accepting it in terms of doing something about it.

EIGHT-POINT TECHNIQUE
1. Expect, allow, and accept that worry, anxiety and stress are part of life.
2. When you feel yourself getting anxious or starting to worry, stop, breathe and think.
3. Focus on what you can do, rather than on what you cannot do
4. Label your anxieties from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Note the thoughts, and behaviors you have at this level and what happens to the level when you change your thoughts and behaviors.
5. Ask yourself: "What am I really anxious about?"
6. Ask yourself: "What can I do to lower my anxiety level?" - and do it.
7. Stay rooted in the here and now. Focus on the information you have rather than on the 'what if?' that often accompany anxiety.
8. Expect, allow, and accept that worry, anxiety, and stress will return, because they are part of life.

C) What I Like
There are some very perceptive pointers about human behaviour. Since Ross's presciption is an 8-step technique, I shall list 8 things I like about them. Firstly, even though the author recognize women tends to be more easily anxious then men, the truth is women also cope better. One of them is via the 'tend-and-befriend' response, which generally puts women better able to handle stress and worries better than men. Women shares their problems while men keep problems mostly to themselves. In other words, men fight-or-flee while women tend-and-befriend.

The theory is that women's responses to stress have evolved not only to overcome or flee it but also to maximize the chances of their own survival and that of their children. To this end, Dr Taylor's team concluded that women typically tend their young and befriend other adults, often women, to mitigate and manage stress and reduce the risk of harm. (59)

In a nutshell, Ross's book reminds us the importance of relationships.

Secondly, there are many studies of gender differences, human phases of life, their various clinical disorders and anxiety research. The author encourages us to have a 'healthy skepticism' whenever we hear findings of any research or lab discoveries (75).

Thirdly, we need to be open that some of our anxieties do require professional help.

Fourthly, easy to read and follow. For an anxious person, the last thing the person needs is a hard to understand manual.

Fifthly, the stories are real life and adds authenticity to the concepts introduced.

Sixth, the way the 4 different relationships are highlighted brings my understanding that anxieties while we should not be enslaved to it, does not mean I should not seek to understand it more.

Seventh, the Ross Prescription's last step is a reminder that anxieties will most likely occur again. The most realistic thing we ought to have in dealing with anxiety is not eradication but education and reduction. In other words, learn from our past, and be better equipped to deal with future occurrences.

Eighth, the book blends scientific research and human experiences in a warm manner, making the book real in many ways.

D) What is Lacking
There is nothing written pertaining to spiritual forces of darkness. This limits the scope of the book drastically as it sees anxieties more with humanistic views. What about healing, especially inner healing? External techniques can only do so much. Sometimes, in order for one to be rational, one cannot simply depend on self-help mechanisms. Apart from taking with the doctor, how about religious groups or community support?

E) Personal Comments
It would seem that the main content provider of the book is Jerilyn Ross, while the second author helps put them together. It seems that the book is also too 'clinical' for comfort. It presupposes that anxiety is something that does not simply 'happen to us.' By saying that anxiety is a 'normal thing,' is Ross downplaying the seriousness of sin? I know that Ross meant well in saying that anxiety is a part of life. However, in the light of Paul's teaching, should we learn to see anxiety from the dimension of focusing on God rather than on our anxiety per se?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Though this is not a book on spirituality, I feel that the roots of anxiety has a more spiritual origin. The Christian worldview recognizes the presence of spiritual forces of evil, lusts of the human flesh and the terrible state of society due to sinful nature of people. Stress indeed can be managed, but the extent to which it is managed is ultimately not about techniques or self-help methodologies. It lies with knowing how we are created, and our purposes in life.

Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 bookworms.



ks

Desperate Times

I miss local South-East Asian delicacies. Some of my favourite dishes include crabs and noodles, especially Bak-Chor-Mee (Minced pork noodles). Last Monday was heavenly.

Crabs We Caught (5 large Dungeness and 2 Rock Crabs ;2 not shown)

Steamed Crabs

Chilli Crab

Bak Chor Mee

Burp! Feels so good. Now not so desperate.