Today’s Star carries a story about the first service conducted by Pastor OuYang here.


They look happy (gay) about it

Not long ago I received an e-mail from a friend alerting me about a certain ex-journalist who became a pastor and who is an homosexual. The e-mail by a certain Rev Allen Tan request that we support a protest to stem the start of this “Gay church”. It was a very emotional and passionate call to “not be silent” and quoting Amos and all.

I have my reservations about protesting against such things.

It would be wiser that Christians who oppose such things pray that the authorities use their legitimate powers to act within the current legal framework. If it is illegal then the authorities should act. If it is not illegal in anyway, the authorities should not act.

The question is have this group done anything illegal?

It is really pointless for Christians/Christian groups/or Christian Organisations to lobby for a ban against them on the grounds that they promote homosexual lifestyle or that they disagree with their “perversion” of theology.

Dont “crucify” me yet; I dont agree with what they teach or their homosexual lifestyle just like i dont agree with anyone who teaches others to lie, cheat and con others for a living. Or for that matter, anyone who promotes violent act against those who dont believe in the same God. For me, homosexual act is a sin just like greed, lying or cheating is a sin.

Although I may not agree with this “Gay Church” goals as a whole, I would certainly not want the government to deny them their civil rights to practice their own set of beliefs (be it orthodox or not) and I would not want our government to deny their right to establish their form of organisation here if it is permissible under the law.

For me the way to go about this by protesting is not going to reap the best result.

You see my reasoning is this:

1. All negative publicity is still publicity – Christians who raise a ruckus of issue would end up helping to advertise the very organisation they are trying to discourage. Any outrage, protest and ban-lobbying will only serve to attract the curious & gays or just plain liberal anti-establishment folks to this organisation (if it is established). We would be shooting ourselves on the foot.

2. A petition to ‘ban’ this gay-church would send 2 signals:
1. That the government should ban any deviant Christian group
2. That Christians are now in support of suppressing other religious groups (that they don’t agree with)

Would it not set a precedent for government to ban any “deviant” Christian groups? Who decides which is deviant? Should this authority be given to the government? Who is to know that one day the Pentecostals will be considered deviant?

It also gives sends the wrong signal to the general public (who are more liberal and embracing of differences), that Christians are no different from extremist Muslims – afraid of ‘deviants’, are narrow minded and fearful of a challenge to their orthodoxy.

3. If ordinary Malaysians are against any movement towards this gay lifestyle, this “venture” wont get far anyway. It would attract some curious people, but not the majority.

The way forward is through education - that we teach the young and our people what is wrong with a gay lifestyle - just as we approach any other sinful lifestyle, if we are worried that the kids and young people are “influenced/attracted” into it.

4. If we are to protest anything or speak out and not be silent about anything, it is the injustice, discrimination and outright racism in this country. And for that, the majority of Christian organizations have been silent. Why don’t we petition for the abolishment of racist political parties such as UMNO, MCA and MIC instead?

What do you think?

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