The City Harvest Church Trial

The courts have found a pastor of a mega church here in Singapore guilty of fraud. Together with a team of accomplices  he used $50 million dollars - $50,000,000.00 - that's roughly about $40million USD to fund the secular music career of his wife in America.

I'm sure that when he started the church - he and his wife were humble people - desiring only to serve God.

Somewhere along the way they got sidetracked. Why?

Its simple really. Power corrupts. Look at the Catholic Church history. Protestants like to smirk at the old institution and laugh at their corruption. But humans are humans. We sin.

There has to be a transparent accountability system to avoid this sort of thing.

But the teachings in the Bible tend to gravitate towards placing too much power into the hands of individuals. Maybe that's the way with most religions.

I've been in some churches where the preachers are treated like demigods. Why?

Nowadays I tend to stay away from churches because my idea of the Bible is not similar. I believe God has given all of us the freedom to live life. He made us the way we are. He has given us a beautiful world to live in. We have to live a life that does not hurt other people in their path to also be happy. Dominating people, acquiring too much wealth at the expense of others, or abusing your position of authority for personal gain is all wrong.

I think the CH Church should dismantle itself - sell all its assets and distribute them to the poor in accordance with Christ teaching. If they can't even do that - they should not bother preaching the gospel to others.

Critical thinking is not fostered in most churches. Instead there is an emphasise on obedience to rigid rules - some of the charismatic churches even discourage thinking - instead they emphasise a life lived in "faith" - instead its one ruled by emotion and your own personal neurosis.

God gave all of us a brain and a heart for a reason. Churches should encourage its members to train that up. Blindly following your leaders and uncritical acceptance of church teachings - even sections of the Bible is foolish. Think about it. Don't let your mind be ruled by what someone else believes.

Singapore justice system is a bit strange

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/briton-jailed-two-months-for-assaulting-cabby-and-ordered-to-pay-compensation

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/student-jailed-six-months-for-taking-drug-while-abroad-and-for-having#xtor=CS1-10

I find this a bit strange - a British national assaults a Singapore taxi driver - beats the shit out of him and thanks to passersby didn't do more damage.  Our courts jail the British guy for 2 months and gets him to pay $1250 to the taxi driver.

Meanwhile our courts are going to jail a young Singaporean man for smoking weed in Amsterdam and for possessing some hash - FOR SIX MONTHS. He was also suffering from depression.

Seriously it doesn't make sense. How can the courts jail a depressed man for 6 months for smoking weed - and give only 2 months to a fucking angmo shithead who nearly beat a poor taxi driver to death?

It'd make more sense if they sent the young man for counselling for his depression. Sending him to jail for 6 months is just going to frack him up more.

But seriously wtf our court system doesn't seem very interested in protecting the lives of our citizens. That poor taxi driver is now suffering from post-traumatic syndrome - didn't the courts take into account that? Getting the angmo to pay $1250 is a joke. How would you feel if someone beat the shit out of you? You think that's a fair amount?