SINGANEWS-GUILTY UNLESS PROVEN INNOCENT

It’s peculiar how netizens are so quick to judge on Singanews – an online news portal that was soft launched in the Kum Yan Methodist Church on 9^th Sep 09. Singanews hasn’t even written a single word and people are fear mongering about a Christian conspiracy in public space. You can read about it in thevoiddeck and temasekreview as I had and I think they are not worthy of being reposted here.

Well, basically, they have problems with Singanews being softie launched in a church and sharing a stage with Thio Li-ann (she has death threats issued on her I think). They also have issues with the editorial being majority Christians and funding from individuals who profess Christianity as their religion (apparently it’s a crime to be a Christian online ;p). The Singapore parliament has many Christians and I don’t see netizens criticising MPs for pushing the Christian agenda/conspiracy in public. What about Christian editors in our major newspapers? Have you seen a Chritsian agenda being hawkered in the op-ed columns over the years? Have you seen Christian funded welfare organisations going around old folks and actively trying to ask them to give up their Buddha statues or Korans?

Simply put, they pick on one of the weakest kid on the block and gang-up against him, they find seemingly only circumstantial evidence and keep harping on it – repeating it countless times until they become the truth (age old tested tactic). Oh well, the people behind Singanews should have expected this when they decide to do their sofite launch (they could have ask their children how they behave online). A somewhat unwise move on their part, I think.

The Christian community is not homogeneous, and we don’t pretend to be one. There are just too many different groups and opinions out there (with regards to gays, abortions, proselytising etc). However, what we believe is listening and respecting others when they are speaking . Singanews may or may not represent what people termed as fundamentalists. Nonetheless, they should be applauded for having the will to organise and set-up an alternative news website, how many Singaporeans are willing to devote time and effort to such ventures? I hope they won’t stop before they even start. It would be a step backwards for the alternative online media.