Homosexuality , Politics and Government

In Politics, fighting for equality has let to voter taking sides. In Justice and Equality such words we read out during our National pledge. The government (PAP) insist that repeal of Section 377A is a NOT now decision, may in the future. SDP's Paul Tambyah said 377A should be repealed.

https://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/the-choice-between-wear-white-and-those-dressed-in-white/

The choice is clear, for LGBTs and for me.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/confounding-pink-dot-allowed-promote-their-agenda-lawrence-khong

Mr Khong said: “This is no good for Singapore. Why then is our Government giving Pink Dot public space to push its agenda and grow its movement?”

"Government leaders, need to draw a clear line on where they now stand with regard to this moral issue.”

Who am I to JUDGE!

The Pope Francis Statement That Changed the Church on LGBT Issues

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Over the last two years, the Catholic Church has become more open to welcoming the LGBT community

“If someone is gay and searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Two years ago Tuesday, Pope Francis uttered these words, sending shockwaves throughout the Catholic Church and the world. His position stood in contrast to that of his predecessors: Months earlier, Pope Benedict XVI suggested that gay marriage was a threat to global peace.

Under the leadership of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is evolving on LGBT issues. As theologian David Cloutier has noted, the process isn’t political—it’s spiritual. The church is beginning to discern more deeply the full measure of God’s presence in LGBT individuals and, yes, couples, too. There have been five notable moments in this evolution.

1. Pope Francis said that God doesn’t condemn LGBT individuals — Sept. 30, 2013

In an interview with America Magazine, Pope Francis revealed his pastoral approach toward the LGBT community:

A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being.

2. Pope Francis suggested the church could be open to civil unions — March 5, 2014

Francis said in an interview that the church could be open to same-sex civil unions, a view he had first voiced as archbishop of Buenos Aires. The pope reiterated the church’s teaching that a “marriage is between a man and a woman” but argued that on civil unions, “we have to look at different cases and evaluate them in their variety.”

3. The Francis effect goes global — Summer of 2014

The summer of 2014 was a remarkable period during which a number of high-ranking Catholic prelates signaled that Pope Francis’s more open posture had permeated throughout the Catholic world. In May, a top-ranking Italian bishop said that the church should listen to same-sex marriage arguments. A few weeks later, Brazilian Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, said he “didn’t know” whether Jesus would oppose gay marriage. In early September, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan approved the St. Patrick Day Parade Committee’s decision to allow a gay group to march in the 2015 parade under their own banner. (Twenty-one years earlier, one of Dolan’s predecessors, Cardinal John O’Connor, said that to allow a gay group to march would be a slander to the Apostles’ Creed.)

4. The Synod on the Family’s interim report affirmed the “gifts and qualities” of LGBT individuals — October 2014

The bishops gathered for Pope Francis’s Synod on the Family in October 2014 issued a report suggesting that the church should create a more inclusive space for LGBT Catholics. In the document, they said that the LGBT community has “gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” and they asked, “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” Though this language was rejected in the final draft, it sparked a conversation that the church could formally change its stance toward the LGBT community when the bishops meet again this October.

5. The pope began a series of meetings and dialogues with LGBT individuals and activists — 2015

Throughout the first months of 2015, Pope Francis had several encounters with LGBT individuals and groups, including a transgender man from Spain who was excluded from his parish community, and gay and transgender prisoners in Naples. The Vatican also gave the VIP treatment to a pro-LGBT American Catholic group visiting Rome and the pope met with a gay Paraguayan activist during his recent trip to South America.

Collectively these events signal a church that is more open to welcoming the LGBT community and the diverse realities of the modern family than it was two years ago. After the Supreme Court’s ruling in support of same-sex marriage last month, Blase Cupich, Pope Francis’s handpicked archbishop of Chicago, said the church’s respect for LGBT individuals “must be real, not rhetorical, and ever reflective of the Church’s commitment to accompanying all people.” Such language would have been rare two years ago. Today it’s expected. Thank God.

Varsity in Singapore launch independent LBGT network

The first-ever independent support network for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in major Singapore universities is to be launched next month – and it’s receiving a lot of support.

Next month’s Pink Dot event – which, according to TODAY, has attracted a record number of sponsors including Bloomberg, Twitter and Cathay Organisation – will mark the opening of the Inter-University LGBT Network.

It is comprised of representatives from five independent student groups - The G Spot from Yale-NUS College, tFreedom from Tembusu College at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Gender Collective from the University Scholars Programme at NUS, Kaleidoscope from the Nanyang Technological University, and Out To Care from the Singapore Management University (SMU).

It shows the gay community is still standing strong, despite a Supreme Court ruling in October last year to uphold the country’s ban on same-sex relations between consenting adult men under section 377A of Singapore’ penal code.

And it’s a community garnering more and more public support.

Last month IKEA Singapore was slammed on social media for promoting a show by a magician who previously publicly said he viewed homosexuals as having "a shorter lifespan, more sexually transmitted infections and more health problems than the general population".

The international furniture giant went ahead with the magic show by Pastor Lawrence Khong

“As a company, IKEA Singapore respects the diversity and equality of all people living in our community,” IKEA Singapore’s assistant marketing manager Sandra Keasberry said in a statement.

“We also respect that all individuals have a right to their opinions and personal choices, including the freedom to choose their preferred entertainment.”

Speaking to TODAY on the sidelines of a Pink Dot press conference, Kaleidoscope’s Jessica Goh said she hoped the new network will help the groups collaborate with one another to provide greater support for the LGBT community and “foster a better environment within the schools”.

The launch of the network provides a timely reminder to Singapore employers that it is important to LGBT-friendly, something which – according to founder and CEO of Achieve Group Joshua Yim – can actually increase employee engagement.

Many companies prize integrity as a virtue and desire this from their employees, Yim told Singapore Business Review.

“It is usually part of the organisations mission statement and core values.

“If an employee is gay and tries to hide his or her sexual orientation for fear of being penalised or discriminated against, then this person is not being authentic. In fact, we can even say that the person is being fake or is a phony, and that would literally run against the codes of a company that values integrity.

But when an individual is empowered to be himself, he will definitely feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, resulting in a more engaged employee, Yim said.

“At the same time, other teammates within the organisation will also feel a sense of engagement as they witness the organisation upholding the over-arching principle of having integrity and being embracing of individual differences.”

Loving homosexuals does not mean accepting homosexual practices.
http://www.thebiblepage.org/biblesays/homosexuality.shtml

Thinking/Reading too much into things

Pink Dot, LGBT militants score own goal

https://atans1.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/pink-dot-lgbt-militants-score-own-goal/

Will you stop using IKEA products just because they support a Magic show?

Very weird. If pink dot respects diversity of opinion, then why does it still think that ikea should not hire the pastor for a magic show?

I think that some people can’t get it in their head that ikea is only buying a magic show and that the seller’s religious, political and sexual views do not enter into the equation at all.

Just because I buy palm oil products does not mean I agree with companies burning forests in Indonesia to clear land. Nor am I obliged to stop purchase because you don’t like it.

And

Also note that ikea is Not sponsoring anything. I don’t sponsor Toyota when I buy a car from them. It’s purely a commercial transaction. I do not associate myself with Toyota’s beliefs, philosophies or principles just because I happen to buy a car from them.

Same for ikea and the pastor. Same for Muslim food. Just because I eat at a Muslim stall does not mean I agree with the religion. All it means is I think the food is good.

Gays will do well to remember this, especially if they want to sample Muslim food, because islam’s stand on homosexuality is quite clear.

Pink dot should remember that one not read too much into everything. It is not like what George Bush said– that you are either with us or you are against us– when he addressed the world after Sep 11. Just because your straight friends go to a magic show by the pastor does not mean they have turned against you.

Nice one!

Ikea's Magic Show: Pro-family vs LGBT

IKEA Singapore, which came under the spotlight over the weekend after it touted a magic show by a pastor who has publicly opposed homosexuality, said it is in talks with the show organizers on their commercial arrangement.

The Swedish furniture company posted promotional ads on its website that members of its IKEA Family programme are entitled to discounted ticket prices for Faith Community Baptist Church’s (FCBC) Lawrence Khong’s “Vision” magic show in July.

After some netizens took to its Facebook page over the weekend to criticize its decision to support the event, IKEA Singapore said today (April 20) it recognizes that the “promotional collaboration” has “raised sensitivities” among members of the public.

“We have been in contact with the show’s organizers (today) and hope to find a resolution that is agreeable to both parties,” an IKEA Singapore spokesperson told TODAY. At press time, the ad promoting the event was still up on the IKEA Family official website.

When contacted today, an ­FCBC spokesperson said the church will probably issue a statement tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, the furniture retailer was reported to be reviewing its support for the magic show.

Mr Khong has been publicly voicing his views opposing homosexuality, ever since he appealed to the Government in 2013 to retain a law that criminalizes sex between men.

IKEA Singapore’s collaboration with Mr Khong’s show had drawn some consumers to threaten a boycott of the brand on its Facebook page, as well as some who supported its move.

One Facebook user going by the name of Sandara Tang wrote: “I am disappointed in you, Ikea, for supporting such a hateful and bigoted cause.”

Another, going by Michael Lee, wrote: “Thank you Ikea for celebrating true diversity by embracing the traditional marriage. Supporting traditional family is good for business and makes business sense. Do what is right for yourself. Make a stand for the family.”

The furniture giant says it reviewed the show's content and found that it "offers high entertainment value". The review came after public objections over its support for the pastor's magic show.

Ikea Singapore's statement reproduced in full:

“Thanks to our loyal customers for your patience while we at Ikea Singapore took time to come to an informed decision on an issue that has raised sensitivities in our community. We were concerned about the questions raised and decided to do a thorough review. We have spoken directly with the organizers, reviewed the content and confirmed that the Vision show offers high family entertainment value and, on that basis, we are continuing our promotional tie-up.

As a company, Ikea Singapore respects the diversity and equality of all people living in our community. We also respect that all individuals have a right to their opinions and personal choices, including the freedom to choose their preferred entertainment.”