God-given right (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)

Anyway, as I said, only roughly 10% of Malaysia’s population is Christian. Hence how can only 10% be right? Muslims make up more than 50% of Malaysia’s population. In a democracy do we not go on the basis that the majority is correct while the minority is wrong? Well, at least that is what many of you say judging by the comments you post in Malaysia Today.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Churches packed as thousands mark anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ

(The Star) – MALACCA: Christians here and across the country observed the most solemn day of the Holy Week Good Friday, which marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago.

The 303-year-old St Peter’s Church here saw a massive candlelight late evening procession steeped in tradition as thousands of pilgrims and devotees from Malaysia and Singapore converged here.

Besides taking part in the procession, which moved out from the country’s oldest operational Catholic church into the streets for a third consecutive year, participants also witnessed the most sombre aspect of the ceremony where the Dead Lord statue resting on a wooden bier was carried amid the singing of mournful Latin lamentations.

The massive crowd with lighted candles made their way out of the church compound along the upper reaches of Jalan Tun Sri Lanang before turning into Jalan Munshi Abdullah.

With church servers and clergy heading the procession, it also made its way into Jalan Bunga Raya before heading back to the church after a 2.5km route.

At churches across the country Christians turned up in droves to attend the main mass at 3pm, the hour Christ died on the cross.

In Puchong, Selangor, devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church braved the weather to witness a re-enactment of Christ’s passion and death.

Members of the church’s youth wing acted out the re-enactment, dressed in costumes and used make up to lend a sense of realism in portraying the solemn event.

Peter Thomas, 52, said the re-enactment was done annually to remind devotees of Christ’s sacrifice for their sins.

“We believe Christ endured torture, ridicule and ultimately crucifixion to redeem our sins,” he said.

During the Stations of the Cross devotion, pictures in the church and the main crucifix at the altar were draped in purple cloth to symbolise mourning.

The cloth will be in place till Easter Sunday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

Parish priest Father Leonard Lexson then led the congregation in a solemn mass, which was conducted in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

He said the whole theme of the Holy Week was to remember what Christ did.

“Before the death of Jesus, there was no meaning to death.

“But after this, the Lord himself gave meaning to it.

“His death brings new life to us all,” he said.

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About 10% of Malaysia’s population is Christian. While Malaysian Muslims are mainly Sunnis, the Christians are divided into Anglicans, Baptists, Brethren, non-denominational churches, independent Charismatic churches, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterian, Roman Catholics and so on. And some Christians regard the other Christians as not true Christians but heretics.

A fragmented minority population in Malaysia believes that Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected after three days. Furthermore, a minority population in Malaysia believes that Jesus Christ is of a virgin birth. And a minority population in Malaysia believes that Jesus Christ is the saviour and that our salvation is through Him.

Do you want to know what I believe? I believe that the story of Jesus dying on the cross was fabricated to give Jesus an image of being special. I also believe that the historical Jesus and the mythical Jesus are two different people who were ‘born’ at different times. Furthermore, I believe that Jesus was not of virgin birth because, according to some stories I read, Jesus had elder brothers — hence Mary was not a virgin when Jesus was born.

I also believe that Jesus was a Jew who was concerned with the deviant Jewish teachings and had tried to bring the Jews back to the right path but Paul later invented a new religion called Christianity and falsely credited that new religion to Jesus. And I further believe that Paul fabricated the so-called holy book called the Bible and that the Bible did not come from God.

Does my belief trouble you? Well, I have a God-given right to my belief and I also have a God-given right to tell you what I believe. I am not disparaging you or vilifying you for believing what I consider silly old wives tales and mythical stories. I am not even running down your beliefs even though I consider them silly. I respect your beliefs but that does not take away my right to tell you what I believe and tell you that I do not share your beliefs.

Some of you think that Islam is an evil religion. And you think so because you consider Islam a violent religion. Well, that is your belief and you are entitled to your belief. Actually, all religions are violent with a very low tolerance for those of other religions. It is just that in this day and age we can no longer kill people of other religions like we could in the good old days, say, of 500 years ago.

If not because of that we would still be killing people of other religions until today. In fact, in some parts of the world, wherever they are able to get away with it, the killing is still going on. Hence no religion believes in freedom of religion. All religions believe that killing in the name of God is allowed and in some cases even encouraged.

The Christians say that Islam is a violent religion only because the Christians can no longer kill the Jews and Muslims like they used to do in the not so long ago past. Anyway, did not President Bush attack Iraq because, according to him, God whispered in his ear and asked him to do so? And that was not really that long ago and the Americans are still in Iraq until today.

So spare me the holier-than-thou moralising. All religionists are the same. And don’t give me that lame excuse that that was a long time ago and is no longer so today. You mean God sent down the latest/amended version of the Bible/Qur’an in 2012?

Anyway, as I said, only roughly 10% of Malaysia’s population is Christian. Hence how can only 10% be right? Muslims make up more than 50% of Malaysia’s population. In a democracy do we not go on the basis that the majority is correct while the minority is wrong? Well, at least that is what many of you say judging by the comments you post in Malaysia Today.

Hence if the majority is correct and the minority is wrong, then the Muslims are correct while the Christians are straying up the wrong path. And the Christians should, therefore, abandon their misguided beliefs and come back to the right path, Islam. The minority should correctly follow the majority. That is how it works in a democracy where the majority rules and the minority are ruled and must bow to the majority.

This is also the same regarding the political culture of Malaysia. Since the majority are with Pakatan Rakyat then you, the minority, should also support Pakatan Rakyat. And since the majority believe that Anwar Ibrahim is the saviour of the country and that the country’s salvation lie in the hands of Anwar then all of you should also follow Anwar. The minority has no place in Malaysia and has no business in voicing out their minority views.

That is how it works.

And if the minority expresses anything opposed to the majority belief then we can disparage and vilify these people and heckle them and call them names. And this was what Zul Nordin rightfully did when he made fun of Hinduism, another minority religion in Malaysia. Zul was only doing what the other majorities in Malaysia are currently doing to the minority. So there is nothing wrong with what Zul did.

After all, in Malaysia, only the majority has the right to speak while the minority does not have that same right. And if you do not believe me then read the comments posted in Malaysia Today. There is enough evidence there to support what I say.

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上帝赐予的权力

无论如何，正如我说过，只有10%是基督徒，那请问10%怎么会是对的呢？马来西亚人口有50%都是穆斯林，而在我们对民主的看法里，多数就是对的，少数就是错的，不是吗？这就你们在MT上留言的结论。

原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin

译文：方宙

大约10%的大马人口是基督徒。在大马穆斯林多是逊尼教徒的当而，基督徒可分为圣公宗，浸信会，再洗礼派，灵恩派，信义宗，循道宗，天主会等等。有些基督徒会认为其他教会的教徒并不是真的教徒，甚至会认为他们是异教徒。

有一小部分的大马人口认为耶稣死在十字架上，且在三天后复活。此外，有人认为耶稣是个处女生出来的。也有人认为耶稣是我们的救世主，而我们通过他才得永生。

你想知道我是怎样想的吗？我相信耶稣死在十字架上是个捏造出来的故事，目的是要给耶稣制造一个特别的形象。我也相信史实上的耶稣和神化的耶稣是两个不同的人，而且在不同的时间出生。在来，我不认为耶稣是个处女生出来的，因为在我读到的故事里，耶稣他是有个哥哥的，所以说圣母玛利亚在生耶稣的时候不是个处女。

我也相信耶稣是个犹太人。他对偏离犹太教义的教规感到担心而想要把犹太人带回正途，而保罗发明了所谓的基督教而把它说成是耶稣的新宗教。我也认为保罗也编造了圣经，圣经并不是上帝的语言。

我相信的东西烦扰了你吗？我相信我有上帝赐予的权力去相信我要相信的东西，而我也有权力告诉你我相信些什么。我并没有因你相信我认为是很荒谬，很迷信的东西而来诋毁你。我也并不会过问和质疑你的信仰，虽然说我认为那很可笑。我尊重你的信仰，但那并不代表就有人可以拿走我告诉你我信仰的权力，和我告诉你我并不认同你信仰的权力。

你们当中有人认为伊斯兰教是邪恶的，因为伊斯兰是个暴力的宗教。当然你有你相信的权力。事实上，所有宗教都是暴力的，都不能容忍其他不同的宗教。只是说我们现在，不像500年前，不能再任意残杀其他宗教的教徒。

如果不是那样，我们早就互相残杀了！今时今日在有些地区，当有机会时，宗教残杀还是存在的。所以说，没有宗教会让你选择其他宗教。所有宗教都认为以上帝的名义来杀害他人是可以的，而且有些时候还是被鼓励的。

基督徒声称伊斯兰是暴力的；这是因为他们不能再像以往一样任意宰杀犹太人和穆斯林。无论如何，在小布斯发兵攻击伊拉克时，他不就是说是上帝在他耳朵里叫他这样做的吗？那还是不久以前吧，而现在美国还没有从伊拉克撤退呢。

所以请别来跟我大谈‘我比你还神圣’的狗屁道理。所有宗教都是一样的。也别来跟我说，噢那是以前的做法，现在不同了。那是不是代表上帝在2012年给了你新版本的圣经/可兰经呢？

无论如何，正如我说过，只有10%是基督徒，那请问10%怎么会是对的呢？马来西亚人口有50%都是穆斯林，而在我们对民主的看法里，多数就是对的，少数就是错的，不是吗？这就你们在MT上留言的结论。

所以如果多数是对的，少数是错的，那穆斯林就是对的而基督徒就是走在歧途上。进而基督徒应该放弃错的信仰而回归伊斯兰这条正途。少数应因该服从多数，这就是你们所谓的民主：少数应该对多数叩头。

这也是马来西亚政治文化的写照：既然多数人都支持民联，你身为少数者就必须跟着支持民联。当多数人相信安华是马来西亚救世主时，你也就必须相信他。少数人在这根本就没地方可站，根本就没有发言的余地。

这就是我们的政治文化。

当那些少数人发表对多数人不利的言论时，我们就可以诋毁他们，刁难他们，干屌他们。这正是Zul Nordin 取笑兴都教，一个少数人的宗教，时的作为。而Zul 所做的正是大马多数人会对少数人所作的事情，所以他并没有做错什么。

所以说，在今天的大马，只有多数人有权力发言，少数人只能闭嘴。如果你不相信的话，请去看MT的留言；你将会看到一大堆的证据。