The “Gaying of Singapore”
Dr Tow Siang Hua
(Senior Pastor, Calvary Pandan BPC)
“The writing is on the wall,” meaning to say that the gaying of Singapore society is well within sight. Section 377 of the Penal Code used to be a deterrent but is fast losing its relevance as the thinking of younger Singaporeans flows with the rising liberal tide. The silent conservative majority is fast fading in the face of social change and liberalization.
This transformation was enacted before our very eyes in Straits Times of July 24, 2009. In the “Home” section, page C2, is an article titled, “Top grad in censorship protest.” Read carefully and you will see the gaying of Singapore society had taken a “great leap forward” when the “top grad” delivered his valedictory speech at the Nanyang Technological University’s Graduation ceremony.
In a business-like manner, before the “cream of Singapore society,” the young graduate Mr Loo Zihan made a gentle protest against the “censorship” for banning his poster depicting a homosexual scene. It featured an undressed man, being handled by another male, and a third male reflected in a mirror nearby.
The NTU authorities demanded that Mr Loo change the poster (which had been used to advertise his film “Threshold”) featuring homosexuality, his final year project. The reason given was because “it was inappropriate as young children would be attending…”
But Mr Loo stood firm, and held back his poster. At the convocation, he spoke out: if he had given in and agreed to “change the poster image” (as demanded by the NTU) it would mean, “loss of conviction and authority …” on his part.
He felt a sense of responsibility to his fellow graduates who had voted for him to speak on their behalf. In his speech, Mr Loo called upon his schoolmates to be “brave enough to stand firm,” adding that artists must strive not only to produce great art but to bear responsibility for their productions, failing which “we betray ourselves and our audiences.”
Mr Loo was confident that his batch of graduates would make a difference to society. He further urged them to “carry on and fulfil the role of the artists in society, to think, to question, and to challenge.”
When contacted by the ST journalist, NTU said “it was a misunderstanding, and the school had decided to allow Mr Loo to display the poster in question after some discussion.” (Quoted from ST article on page C2 of 24.07.09).
Society’s Attitude to Homosexuality Is Fast Changing
And how smoothly and swiftly it has happened. It took a determined and eloquent graduate aged 26 years, to change the minds of NTU administrators (possibly twice his age) to approve of his poster executed “with conviction and authority,” and wholeheartedly backed by his colleagues. With resolve and conviction, Mr Loo and company quietly demonstrated the strength of their “unshakeable mission.”
Such apparent “sweet reasonableness” and determination must have won not a few converts from among the audience and more from a multitude of ST readers afterwards.
These are “signs of the times” which only the blind do not see. The “gaying of Singapore society” marches on relentlessly. Today, our conservative Government holds to the time-honoured Section 377 of the Penal Code. But time will not honour it for much longer.
Mr Loo and more graduates downstream “with conviction and authority” will produce more “great art” in time, and laws (no matter how long standing and time-honoured) will give way to “progress,” just as the Lord Jesus had said. The days of Lot are here. If so, can our Lord’s return be far behind?
Heed Our Lord’s Words
True to his promise to the Lord, on that morning by the Sea of Galilee, Peter faithfully fed the flock of God with timely words of admonition and warning. In his Second Epistle, the Apostle reminds readers that God, in judgment, turning “… the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly” (2 Pet 2:6).
But the Lord has great things coming for those who stand fast and serve faithfully in the face of the current global rebellion. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet 3:13, 14).
[Reprinted from Calvary Pandan BPC
Weekly of August 2, 2009.]
Far Eastern Bible College
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).
FEBC has a total enrolment of 304 students this semester, July-November 2009, comprising 98 day-time students (53 fulltime, 45 part-time), and 206 night-time students. The full-time students come from 16 countries: Australia, Cambodia, China, Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
The faculty consists of the following lecturers: Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo (Systematic Theology, Life of Christ, Greek Exegesis), Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew (Contemporary Theology, Homiletics, Daniel, Hebrew Reading), Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy (Elementary Hebrew, Isaiah, Zechariah), Mrs Ivy Tow (Elementary Greek), Rev Koa Keng Woo (Bible Geography and Cults), Rev Tan Kian Sing (1 Timothy), Mrs Jemima Khoo (Introduction to Christian Education, Pianoforte), and Miss Carol Lee (Sunday School Curriculum Development, Jesus the Master Teacher); and tutors: Mr Dennis Kabingue (Greek Reading), Mrs Janice Lai (Hymn Stories), Mrs Anne Lim (Intensive English), Mrs Sharleen Eio (Intermediate English), and Eld Han Soon Juan (Advanced English). Dr Paul Ferguson who was recently conferred the degree of Doctor of Religious Education by Foundations Bible College (USA) teaches Biblical Apologetics as part of his ThD requirements at FEBC.
For students who cannot come to FEBC, FEBC goes to them. The College offers three online courses this semester—“Knowing Man,” “Knowing Bible-Presbyterianism,” and “The Perfect Preservation of the Holy Scriptures.” Besides our residential students, we have three from Calvary Jaya BPC in KL taking the courses for credit and working towards a Certificate.
The distance learning online programme replaces the off-campus correspondence programme offered by FEBC since 1995. The correspondence programme had no strict schedule; students could work on the faculty-directed courses at their own time and pace. The online programme, on the other hand, follows the academic timetable of the College, and begins and ends at the same time as the residential courses of the College semester by semester. Such a controlled and disciplined approach gives students the impetus to complete their studies on time. The courses and syllabi are taught and designed by the faculty, and Mr Murray Ong, our IT Specialist, administers the whole programme via the internet.
As part of the College curriculum, the Principal will lead a Holy Land Pilgrimage from the 15th to the 29th of November 2009 (DV). Pilgrims who submit a research paper or project after the trip will earn two credits.
We thank the Lord that the Basic Theology for Everyone (BTFE) night classes on Daniel and Isaiah are well attended. The over 200 BTFE students come from 34 different local churches: Baptist Fellowship Church, Berean Bible-Presbyterian Church, Berith Bible-Presbyterian Church, Calvary Assembly of God, Calvary Baptist Church, Calvary Bible-Presbyterian Church, Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church, Calvary Tengah Bible-Presbyterian Church, Christ Methodist Church, Evangelize China Fellowship, Faith Community Baptist Church, Fisherman of Christ Fellowship, Galilee Bible-Presbyterian Church, Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church, Gospel Light Bible-Presbyterian Church, Grace Bible Church, Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church, Hope Church, Hope of God Church, Jesus Saves Mission, Jireh Bible-Presbyterian Church, Leng Kwang Baptist Church, Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Maranatha Bible-Presbyterian Church, Moriah Bible-Presbyterian Church, New Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, Pasir Panjang Christ Church, Praise Evangelical Church, Sharon Bible-Presbyterian Church, Tabernacle Bible-Presbyterian Church, True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, Truth Bible-Presbyterian Church, Zion Bible-Presbyterian Church.
The Rev Gordon Ferguson preached to the FEBC students on 17 August 2009 at the morning chapel hour. He spoke from Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 and encouraged the faculty and students to be industrious in sowing the gospel seed and teaching the whole counsel of God. Rev Ferguson is the pastor of the Free Presbyterian Church in London, and an officer of the General Committee of the Trinitarian Bible Society.
