I have a confession to make. One of the things I truly dislike about the old Barisan Nasional (BN) is their constant attacks on Christianity and regular attempts to put Christians on a collision course with our national religion.
I don’t know why this behaviour has been around for so long.
So whenever these guys run out of ammo to explain something that frustrates them, they immediately switch to the most over-used scapegoat; the minority Christian population and this disgraceful behaviour sadly continued even after they lost.
Malaysian Christians usually refrain from sharing stuff that embarrasses their Muslim friends, whether it’s the murtad issue or certain individuals renouncing their faith.
I have never done so myself. It’s pointless because it’ll just go back to silly religious debates that get us nowhere, with each side trying to convince the other that their belief is correct.
Know why Muslims and Christians cannot simply adopt an “agree-to-disagree” stance in these things? I’ll tell you why. It’s because of this thing called dogma.
Dogmas are beliefs laid down by religious authority as incontrovertible truths. They form the primary basis of major religions, and cannot be altered or discarded without serious consequences affecting the profession of that faith.
Islam, Christianity and Judaism are the three major religions built largely upon this premise. They are defined by different tenets of faith, despite originating from the same geographic location and sharing the same history.
Dogmas assign specific theological tenets in such a manner that people who dispute or disbelieve them are effectively rendered as apostates (murtad).
There is absolutely no provision to modify, revise or alter any of them without implying blasphemy or heresy.
For instance, Catholics hold steadfast to dogma like the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary.
All Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was physically resurrected on the third day after his crucifixion.
That’s a belief by faith, which is why people like Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin’s frequent and foolish demands of “evidence” fall flat.
The same in Islam, as there are also certain truths sacred to Muslims which cannot be transgressed or violated.
The existence of dogma in both form and substance in these religions makes it a perennial flashpoint throughout the centuries. Look no further than the events in the Middle East from Biblical era to present day.
When I was in university, I took up “Islam Sebagai Ad-din”, a subject that served me well when understanding Muslims’ way of life and belief systems.
It helped me understand why certain issues are sacred to Muslims, such as the matter of their aqidah and why it cannot be transgressed; so when I fly with Muslim co-pilots, I refrain from eating anything that contains pork, although there is no rule against non-halal food in the cockpit.
Yet I don’t expect the same from them concerning beef. Because I’ve understood that religions that prohibit beef consumption reason that prohibition differently (i.e. the sanctity of the cow) compared to how Muslims view pork (which invalidates their prayer obligations).
The same with me helping to ascertain the position of the qiblat in flight to accommodate the prayer requirements of Muslim passengers, particularly during the Haj season.
Again, it’s easy because I understand that a Muslim’s profession of his faith is closely linked to his personal prayer activity. My Christian faith, however, does not require me to pray according to time.
So I’d like to advice these last remnants of the old BN to reconsider every time they get tempted to take swipes against non-Muslims.
Learn that people are different. Not everyone can be forced to profess the same things you do.
Before expecting to be understood, learn to understand first. So that everyone may learn with the intention to gain insight, not the intention to disagree.
