Why I Am A Christian Not A Muslim, Or Hindu, Or...

It took me exactly 125 days since the last time I last post anything 'worth' writing in this blog. Granted, it is the year 2010 now, but I think I am still stucked in 2009, what with the continuous politicking and racial/religious tension continued to brew in this blessed land called Malaysia.

Well, since the Allah issue is still raging, let me just sub-divert from the topic and write about why I believe in what I believe. Since the word believe is so over-used nowadays, i.e "I believe it is my right as a Malay-Muslim to want Allah to be used by Muslim only", "I believe Christians have the same right to use Allah", let me just write on why I BELIEVE that Jesus is Lord and why I am a Christian and not a Muslim, even though I could say that I understand the fundamentals, though not thoroughly, what Islam teaches. And before anyone starts foaming in the mouth and shout that I am bashing Islam, let me clarify that this is not the case, and I am merely writing from the perspective of a non-Muslim viewing Islam with Malaysia as the backdrop. So, with that clear, let us begin.

Coming from a family of Catholics, my mother was and still is, my main influence in embracing the faith. You could say that she sowed the seed of faith, by constantly teaching me how to view life in general, how to approach certain situations from a Christian point of view. One thing that strikes me now, even as I reflect it, is the absence of violence or aggressiveness in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and yes, that includes how you approach your enemies. And the thing that strikes me even the most, is how Christ taught us how to love EVERYONE; ALL of humankind regardless of skin color, race, religion or beliefs. This is because for Him @ God, everyone is equally important. If I were the only human being left on this planet, He would still undergone hell and come back from it, just to save little me.

Now the word love is being slightly overused today, and the first thing that came to mind is Hollywood-love, the happy-ever-after-love kind. But in Christianity, love means something deeper. It means unconditional sacrifice, acceptance (note: this is different from tolerance, as what Malaysian Ministers like to spin) and forgiveness to everyone who is in need. This is the faith that is taught to me, and I believe to all Christians out there as well. And this also helps to explain why the Christians are always protesting peacefully, even though some take this as a sign of cowardice.

When you go to church, any Christian church in Malaysia, whether they are Catholics or Protestant, you will not hear any word of hate or incitement to hate the 'other' side of the faith. Look at the prayers of the faithful, and you will hear the prayers for the leaders of the nations (yes, that includes UMNO and BN as well) and for all our non-Christian sisters and brothers (yes, we call them sisters and brothers). I have never heard any hate-mongering words from any priest that teach us to hate the Muslims, even though there is a religious persecution going on in the country. And we were also not asked to pray that the Muslim extremists who fan all this tension to rot in hell, yet on the contrary, to pray for them and their souls.

Now, I have never been inside a mosque (though the closest would be me standing in its compound) before, but I can hear everything loud and clear from the loud-speakers and I am appalled by what I have heard so far. Not a SINGLE one spread the word of peace, at least not to the non-Muslims, who happened to be the rest of humanity if you minus all the Muslims. Peace to Muslims in Malaysia is only to fellow Muslims. Rights for the Muslims only includes the rights of Muslim people. The rest of the pendatangs and infidels / kafirs, you can rot in hell for all I care!

Now, I am not sure why this is. The Islam that I understand promotes peace and justice and to a certain extent, love. The name Islam itself means 'peace' but what the majority of Muslims in Malaysia are showing is on the contrary. And I feel some sympathy for my Muslim brothers and sisters who are really trying to show that Islam is truly a religion of peace and understanding. Though their numbers are small, but they are the testament of the true Islam as a religion of peace.

And as much as I am severely tempted to hate Islam and my Muslim brothers and sisters, I could not do so. This is because to hate them would be a severe violation of my own faith, which teaches me to love my God and EVERYONE with all my heart, strength, soul and body. And that is the reason why I am a Christian. To be a Christian (Christ means the Anointed One of God) means to follow in the footstep of the Christ, who came to die as a ransom for many, and yes, that includes Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist and all God's children.

"Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal (John 3:16)