moderation, tolerance and mutual respect is important and people in a position of religious and moral leadership should have special regards not to sow seeds of discord and hatred in scoiety and moderate their own constituency and not pit one group against another…
as Minister Teo Chee Hian said if you push your argument too hard, others will push back at you, that’s why there is strife and war….
if press reports that COOS senior pastor Derek Hong has sent out emails to his church members urging them to sign up with AWARE and support the new AWARE team at the EGM is correct, then in my opinion he should reflect seriously he is doing the right thing…
it is ok for the pastor to have his personal opinion on AWARE..it is maybe ok for him to openly state his personal opinion on AWARE to his associates, less so in a sermon in COOS, but it is quite inappropriate for a person in religious and moral leadership to overtly or covertly influence his flock to affect the outcome of a secular institution like AWARE..
it is ok for the pastor and COOS to sermonstate or sermonize their beliefs and position on homosexuality inside, or outside the church if it is done with respect and moderation…but the issue of new or old guards at AWARE does NOT equate the issue of homosexualtiy…and the church has no business actively interfering with the affairs of a secular organisation….
if press reports are correct that COOS first denied to the press that the church is involved in AWARE saga, and now openly canvass to affect the outcome of AWARE EGM then the church is condoning deceit and has no credibility…people in position of religious and moral leadership should be very careful and balance in what they do or say so as not to sow discord and hatred…do things with compassion not with mean spirit and narrow-minded hatred and to benefit society not contribute to chaos…
