The Gay Issue

Following the news these few months, you will no doubt notice that very now and then, the issue of legalising same sex marriages and homosexuality have come out and made the news. Be it a same sex marriage of a certain high profile celebrity couple or the remarks made by our very own MM Lee during a certain public function. The forums in the newspapers will come abuzz with debate about what this person did or what that person said about the gay issue without fail.

I am glad that all the articles and public debate I have come across so far in Singapore have been pragmatic and intelligent which is more than I can say for America where it has descended into a political and religious farce. Which begs the question, does religion have any place in the public debate on social issues in our postmodern world?

Firstly, I believe religion does NOT have a place in such a debate because not everyone goes by the same standard nowadays. This differing of social values and standards among individuals is a fact in our postmodern world which we can't deny. Postmodernism can be both good and bad for Christians like me because while other people can't impose upon me their social values and standards, I also can't impose my on them. This is a far cry from the days of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages where it is the Church in Rome that imposes social values and standards on all, any deviation from those standards would be met with harsh consequences. As such I can't tell people that homosexuality is wrong just because the Bible says so because not all believe in the Bible or accept its laws and commandments. In fact I might look rather ignorant and stupid.

But after all that is said there is still some good in all this. Being influence by the things we believe in we as Christians can offer our point of view about this issue, but we must be practical and logical about it and not start waving Bibles and crosses shouting slogans about gays burning in hell. We as Christians must present an argument on how and why homosexuality is wrong and what harm it will do to the family unit and society at large rather than preaching fire and brimstone without sense. I believe that there is a way to get the Bible's message about homosexuality across without religious rhetoric and pushing into people's faces, doing that will only turn more people away.

Paul said in Corinthians that, "everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." Therefore we must show how accepting homosexuality is NOT beneficial and present people with the one and only alternative. Religion might not have a place in a postmodern world, but there is always a chance to slip it in.

Jazz

A lot of people have asked me why I listen to music that even my grandfather would find old fashioned. The thing is I don't really have an answer. Jazz just simply makes me feel how I think good music should make me feel. Whether it is the old multi-melodic syncopations of New Orleans Jazz or the modern Jazz done by people like Paris Match or Jazzinho, it does not matter which era the Jazz is from, as long as its Jazz it will sound right to me. Which is a lot more than I can say about certain christian music these days.

Of course I do have my favourites and preferences, but as I sat at the table with my friend at Jazz@Southbridge last week, all the music the band was playing sounded right. Their rendition of old classics like "desafinados" and "blue bossa" was spot on and flawless. I did, on a few occasions, challenge myself to put into words my feelings about Jazz only to find myself even more at a lost for words.

Fact is, I love Jazz, maybe a bit too much. But through Jazz, I think I have learnt a thing or two about love and how you should love. God willing, I pray that I can challenge myself to put into words my feelings about God's grace and mercy only to find myself even more at a lost for words. But I won't be truly lost, because God will find the words for me.