Daily Lesson for Life 26 April 2009

"Minister's advice for Aware Govt would not get involved 'at this point in time': Dr Balakrishnan. -Sun, Apr 26, 2009 The Straits Times

IN SINGAPORE'S multi-racial and multi-religious society, it is 'potentially dangerous' for religion to 'descend into the fray of petty politics', warned the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports on Sunday.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan made it clear it is not a good idea to mix religion and what he calls the hurly-burly of politicking on the ground.

He gave this piece of advice on Sunday to the two groups at loggerheads in the ongoing Aware saga."

Notes: The Saga of Aware is: there was a new exco being voted in that seems unhappy that the old exco of the supposedly woman NGO's inclination to include gays and lesbians as well as men, foreign women, and others!

I thought I had seen the last of it a few days back after this public 'fight' of AWARE members was commented on by the fairly new DMP Teo. And now by the MCYS Minister. So, looks like AWARE is not going to be the same again!

Lessons for me are:

1. keep religion out of non-religious groups and matters. Do not try to use religion to justify one thing or the other if those things are not against the laws of human;

2. I said that before and I will say it again: religion is based on emotion while solving real world issues that do not need divine intervention is based on rationality. When religion is involved emotion reign and rationality takes a backseat. Every time!!;

3. the top leaders have spoken. The boundary has been clarified and set. If the new exco of AWARE is aware, they will know what to do. If not, the higher authority will probably intervene. There is a graceful step-down option available. When one is emotional, one tends to over-react and said too much. If you just back down, even without apologizing, people will understand and let you be. Unless the other side is making the mistake of being self-righteous as well!

It is an interesting happening in sterilised, sanitized, and lifeless Singapore. Let this be the test case when ALL Singaporeans learn that: religion has no place in the common folks' lives besides the place of worship. Hard to accept but then this is the boundary we have to observe without throwing the current order into chaos!

If you are right you don't have to be angry. But if you are wrong, you have no right to be angry. So, to the new exco members of AWARE, get on with your work. Know what you in for. Do the graceful thing of backing down and just focus on working the other issues besides the gay and lesbian thingy!