8/21/2009

Race and Religion the hot topic

After Hsien Loong's ND Rally, race and religion have taken on a higher profile with poeple agreeing that they should be discussed openly and not be tabooed, or fearing that someone will come knocking at your door. The general mood is that it is time for issues of race and religion be discussed. I think before such a great happening becomes a reality, people must accept certain limitations, constraints and ground rules to abide by. It is easy to start talking about them. But it is not easy to close the topic when things get heated up and when young blood or instigators join the fray. Discussing such issues, the demand for maturity, respect, sensitivity and an understanding ear are very high as the views put forth, when the views are true, genuine and from the heart, can be very tough to the wrong listener. In the case of religion, I think it is more difficult as certain doctrines and seeds of division and hatred are already deeply embedded over centuries in religious books. Unless such dangerous views are removed from these books, they will always be used by the wrong group as reasons to fight and kill. For such views and doctrines, which many believers chose to ignore or pretend that they do not exist, are intolerable or breed intolerance of those not of the same sect. Many are outright destructive. Would a revision be done by the wise men of today to erase those words, phrases and doctrines of the ancient and do a cleansing of these old books so that future generations can live in peace without such historical notes to invite them to be intolerable or to kill those who do not subscribe to their beliefs? How real, genuine and sincere can believers be when the doctrines are not of peace, not of tolerance and acceptance of others?

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