This petition have been floating around for some time and somehow can't seem to gather much moss like the debates we had with the attempted repeals of Section 377A (or anal sex acts between consenting males). I have signed the petition as a Singaporean and as Christian; it is the right thing to do as women should not be expose to the fear of unpunished domestic violence and God had urged man and wife to treat one another with equal respect.
I will not attempt to rephrase the intention of this petition. It has been clearly and adequately put across by www.notorape.com and reproduced here:
The Penal Code currently provides loopholes to the offence of rape if the perpetrator and victim are married.
Section 375(4), known as the “marital rape exemption”, provides that non-consensual penetration by a man of his wife’s vagina, using his penis (“marital rape”), will not constitute the offence of “rape” except in limited circumstances.
Section 376A(5) provides a “marital rape exemption” whereby this offence is not committed by a man who uses his penis to penetrate the vagina of a girl who is under the age of 16, provided they are married to each other.
Every human being deserves the protection of the law from violence.
We propose the repeal of both Section 375(4) and Section 376A(5) so that the same penalties will be available to a court upon conviction of a perpetrator of marital rape, as with any other kind of rape.
Abolishing these exemptions will make the law consistent with criminalising violence to protect all individuals in Singapore society.
If like me, you agree with the advocators of this movement, please lend your voice by signing the petition. I believe that we can make a positive contribution here.
On a related note, Terence Lee of www.irreligiously.blogspot.com has questioned the Christian community on their involvement in the movement. Specifically, the involvement of certain personalities who have been rather forceful in their attempt to keep 377A. By and large, they have remained rather quiet in this discussion, perhaps not as important and perhaps not as sensational, but I think Terence Lee raised a valid by questioning their silence. He termed it "blatant hypocrisy"; I call it an obession on their part (with gays of course).
In any case, their silence notwithstanding, I hope fellow Christians will at least give the case of the petitioners a read and judge for themselves. It's only with the participation of fellow believers in such social issues that we can shape a better Singapore. The petition ends on 30th Nov 09. To God be the Glory.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Between a Cathedral and a Club
Haven't got much inspiration to write these few days, am feeling lethargic, maybe the crazy weather is getting into my bones. This article below caught my eye, a minor disagreement between a Cathedral and a dance club in KL, Malaysia. In land-locked, it won't be surprising if we had a similar problem. Fair enough, St John's Cathedral did raise some valid on how the club would disrupt the activities of church-goers, but this could also be an opportunity for the church to involve their church members and recruit more members. If this happened in Singapore, I hope we can solve it amicably and capitalise on the situation.
Club too close for church's comfort
They fear that the new club will disrupt their activities and also the serenity of the church. -NST
Wed, Oct 14, 2009
New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Parishioners of St John's Cathedral in the city are not pleased that a new entertainment club is set to open in front of their cathedral.
They fear that the new club, which is located in Jalan Gereja, will disrupt their activities and also the serenity of the church.
The parishioners are also afraid that there will be a repeat of what happened several years ago when another club was operating at the same place.
The new club is located at the same lot where the popular 11 LA and Boom Boom Room used to operate in the 1990s.
The parishioners claimed that previously, some of the patrons were rowdy and they drank and urinated in public. Fights also broke out between patrons.
A member of the St John's Cathedral parish pastoral council, Leonard Teoh, 68, said the cathedral and its parishioners were against the idea of having a club in their vicinity.
"What we were told was that there was an application put in for a restaurant. We had no idea that there was going to be a club. This is our place of worship and there should not be a club here," he said.
"The location of the club is too close to the church. We have prayer meetings on weekdays and we are afraid that the din from the club will disrupt our activities."
Teoh said club patrons had also inconvenienced churchgoers when they parked their vehicles in front of the cathedral's entrance.
"There is also a grotto of Our Lady near the entrance of the cathedral where parishioners come to light candles and pray. We don't want people parking their vehicles there," he said.
Parishioner S. A. Fernandez said that activities at the cathedral would be disrupted if the club was allowed to operate.
"The main road leading into Bukit Nanas is very narrow. An entertainment club in Lorong Gereja will add to the massive congestion in Bukit Nanas."
One of the club owners, Brian Suresh, 34, said he and his partners were willing to sit down and work things out with the cathedral's committee members.
Suresh, who is a Catholic, said he understood the plight of the parishioners.
"We understand that previously some of the patrons were unruly but we can reassure the parishioners that they have nothing to worry about. We will adjust the volume of the music when there are church activities, especially during the midnight mass on Christmas and New Year's eve. We will also deploy our security guards outside the church to ensure our patrons don't park in front of the cathedral," he said.
Suresh said that the club's operating hours would be between 9pm to 3am.
"We will not exceed the stipulated time that was given by the local authority," he said.
Suresh said that he had sought a meeting with the cathedral members but they had refused to meet him.
"We have contacted the cathedral office to ask for an appointment, but they refused to entertain us. We just want to explain to them that our operations will not interfere with their programmes," he said.
In a statement to Streets, City Hall said that the club had been given a licence for its premises but it had not been issued an entertainment licence.
NEW STRAITS TIMES
Club too close for church's comfort
They fear that the new club will disrupt their activities and also the serenity of the church. -NST
Wed, Oct 14, 2009
New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Parishioners of St John's Cathedral in the city are not pleased that a new entertainment club is set to open in front of their cathedral.
They fear that the new club, which is located in Jalan Gereja, will disrupt their activities and also the serenity of the church.
The parishioners are also afraid that there will be a repeat of what happened several years ago when another club was operating at the same place.
The new club is located at the same lot where the popular 11 LA and Boom Boom Room used to operate in the 1990s.
The parishioners claimed that previously, some of the patrons were rowdy and they drank and urinated in public. Fights also broke out between patrons.
A member of the St John's Cathedral parish pastoral council, Leonard Teoh, 68, said the cathedral and its parishioners were against the idea of having a club in their vicinity.
"What we were told was that there was an application put in for a restaurant. We had no idea that there was going to be a club. This is our place of worship and there should not be a club here," he said.
"The location of the club is too close to the church. We have prayer meetings on weekdays and we are afraid that the din from the club will disrupt our activities."
Teoh said club patrons had also inconvenienced churchgoers when they parked their vehicles in front of the cathedral's entrance.
"There is also a grotto of Our Lady near the entrance of the cathedral where parishioners come to light candles and pray. We don't want people parking their vehicles there," he said.
Parishioner S. A. Fernandez said that activities at the cathedral would be disrupted if the club was allowed to operate.
"The main road leading into Bukit Nanas is very narrow. An entertainment club in Lorong Gereja will add to the massive congestion in Bukit Nanas."
One of the club owners, Brian Suresh, 34, said he and his partners were willing to sit down and work things out with the cathedral's committee members.
Suresh, who is a Catholic, said he understood the plight of the parishioners.
"We understand that previously some of the patrons were unruly but we can reassure the parishioners that they have nothing to worry about. We will adjust the volume of the music when there are church activities, especially during the midnight mass on Christmas and New Year's eve. We will also deploy our security guards outside the church to ensure our patrons don't park in front of the cathedral," he said.
Suresh said that the club's operating hours would be between 9pm to 3am.
"We will not exceed the stipulated time that was given by the local authority," he said.
Suresh said that he had sought a meeting with the cathedral members but they had refused to meet him.
"We have contacted the cathedral office to ask for an appointment, but they refused to entertain us. We just want to explain to them that our operations will not interfere with their programmes," he said.
In a statement to Streets, City Hall said that the club had been given a licence for its premises but it had not been issued an entertainment licence.
NEW STRAITS TIMES
Monday, October 12, 2009
Beyond me-personal-sphere
Had some spare time to surf today and read this interesting post from givemesometruth.wordpress.com depicting how a Christian can lose his head and the argument in quick succession. Alastair Su, the author, even gave a rather official name, ad hominem, or personal attack. It's always important to keep your cool when debating, more so when debating on issues that are inter-linked with socio-religious ideas/topics. If someone senses that you are emotional on a certain point, it is only natural to expose it or keep questioning it hoping that you would break. As Christians, we should not only quote the Bible but give concrete real examples of the Bible manifested in our real world. We should argue with logic, cause-effect, and demonstrate that faith is not blind and irrational. The opposite number might not agree with us but at least they can appreciate our method of argument or where we are coming from. It's nice to know that there are others out there who are trying to bring forth Christianity view points in the sphere of new media.
P.S. This other post by the same author on Salvation is also worth reading. Simple and direct. Acceptance is just the beginning and only through the constant perfection of God's work that we can truly earn our place with HIM.
P.S. This other post by the same author on Salvation is also worth reading. Simple and direct. Acceptance is just the beginning and only through the constant perfection of God's work that we can truly earn our place with HIM.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Prayers for Dollah Kassim
I am real Lions Fan, one of those you see at the National Stadium shouting my lungs out for the national team, be it the Malaysian Cup in the good old days or the Tiger Cup in more recent times. Yes, I own a 'Die Hard' shirt. One of our football heroes and a personal favourite of mine Dollah Kassim has been in critical condition since the match against the Selangor Veterans on 3 Oct. If you would, like me, include 'Gelek King' in your daily prayers. I really hope that he will get well soon and wake up to his children staying by his bedside.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Charities see Donations drop
Charities are seeing a big drop in donations. I don't think it's entirely due to the economic crunch because property launches and the stock markets are still buzzing. What the TODAY article failed to acknowledge is the bad publicity caused by many of the corrupted and pilfering charities. Yes, Singaporeans are disillusioned with the purported righteousness of charities. To me, that is sad, because there are many brothers and sisters out there doing good deeds and the money would make their mission so much easier. The article also talked about re-evaluating fund raising methods - lucky draw or lottery was one brought up. It sounds like TOTO/4D to me sometimes, I can;t quite put a finger on it besides admitting that it can quite effective. I am keen to believe that churches should get more enterprises and businesses involve - especially those of believers. The do-good spirit beckons as Christmas approaches.
TODAY ARTICLE
Title : Charities see big drop in donations, some urge rethink in fundraising methods
By :
Date : 05 October 2009 0622 hrs (SST)
URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1009290/1/.html
SINGAPORE : A survey of 10 charities has revealed poor takings in the past financial year, with donations falling by as much as S$2.03 million.
While the economic downturn was cited as a reason, other factors include the end of fundraising drives held in other years.
But in Singapore, the Handicaps Welfare Organisation has bucked the trend, collecting over $171,000 more from the previous financial year.
A key to its success is its lucky draw fundraiser, which helped offset the drop in takings from flag days.
Charities interviewed by TODAY said the 'tin-can' method of the fundraising may not work as well as in the past, especially with growing competition among voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) for donor support.
Some have suggested going for more creative methods, such as lotteries similar to that run by the blind in Ireland.
For the charity sector, the government is one alternative source of funds.
Earlier it announced a $15 million contingency fund to help VWOs tide over the economic crisis.
About $9 million have so far been disbursed by the ministries of health, and community development, youth and sports. - TODAY
TODAY ARTICLE
Title : Charities see big drop in donations, some urge rethink in fundraising methods
By :
Date : 05 October 2009 0622 hrs (SST)
URL : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1009290/1/.html
SINGAPORE : A survey of 10 charities has revealed poor takings in the past financial year, with donations falling by as much as S$2.03 million.
While the economic downturn was cited as a reason, other factors include the end of fundraising drives held in other years.
But in Singapore, the Handicaps Welfare Organisation has bucked the trend, collecting over $171,000 more from the previous financial year.
A key to its success is its lucky draw fundraiser, which helped offset the drop in takings from flag days.
Charities interviewed by TODAY said the 'tin-can' method of the fundraising may not work as well as in the past, especially with growing competition among voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) for donor support.
Some have suggested going for more creative methods, such as lotteries similar to that run by the blind in Ireland.
For the charity sector, the government is one alternative source of funds.
Earlier it announced a $15 million contingency fund to help VWOs tide over the economic crisis.
About $9 million have so far been disbursed by the ministries of health, and community development, youth and sports. - TODAY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
