Our Malaysian brethren across the causeway are a united body and I do admire their solidarity and united responses to many of the issues of government and religious encroachment and intrusion that they have experienced in the Muslim dominated federation of Malaysia. However this issue about 30,000 Alkitab (Bahasa Bibles) unlawfully stamped with “For Christians Only” has stirred different reactions from Malaysian Christian bloggers. This issue can be viewed from so many angles: legal and constitutional, theological, ecclesiastical, historical, religious, socio-political and global and I find it too deep and wide for me to wade into.
Admittedly, as a Singaporean bystander, I have been indifferent to the fracas. Its like overhearing some family squabble in some neighbour’s house. You feel perturbed, and you pray for peace to prevail, but you wouldn’t want to knock on the door to try to help. Who are you to do so, and how are you qualified? However, we are the body of Christ, and when one member suffers, other parts of the body should feel the pain, or at least should seek to understand or sympathize or pray with the Malaysian brethren. So I have come up with a list of links in an order that will help us learn from our Malaysian brethren, and think and feel about the situation and at least pray:
Dr Ng Kam Weng on Desecration of the Holy Bible: what if this is the spirit of the antichrist?
Alwyn Lau on Desecration? Really?(which also contains Dr Alex Tang’s comments)
Bishop Ng Moon Hing : Official position of Christian Federation of Malaysia
Dr Tony Siew on Malay Bibles in Malaysia
Clara Chooi’s report on Arab Christians express concern about Malay Bible row