when atheists believe

In recent years Great Britain’s chief export to the U.S. has been a payload of books by atheist authors such as evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and literary critic Christopher Hitchens. They contend that faith is irrational in the face of modern science. Other prominent British atheists seem to be having second thoughts. Is there some revival sweeping England? No; they are examining the rationality of Christianity, the very beliefs Dawkins and others are so profitably engaging, but are coming to opposite conclusions.

Read When Atheists Believe by Chuck Colson

What does this tell us? People today have a caricatured view of Christians, seeing us as followers, often hypocritical and judgmental, of an outdated book of mere illusions. But if we can explain why Christianity is so reasonable, our faith becomes a very winsome proposition, which will at least open the mind, if not the heart, of many a doubter.

youngest headmaster

Around the world millions of children are not getting a proper education because their families are too poor to afford to send them to school. In India, one schoolboy is trying to change that. In the first report in the BBC’s Hunger to Learn series, Damian Grammaticas meets Babar Ali, whose remarkable education project is transforming the lives of hundreds of poor children.

READ MORE HERE

Since I read this story two days ago, I’ve been mulling over some thoughts:

- What the heck was I doing at 16?

- There is no required minimum age to start changing the world.

- The hunger to learn is what all – and I mean ALL – successful people have in common.

- The best way to learn is to teach others.

- If you can’t teach 800 people, then just teach one.

- How I can be an opener of doors for more people who’d come after me?

- The richest are not those who keep most but those who give most.

- A lack of compassion and a great deal of pettiness stem from our inability to see what’s happening outside our little bubble ME-world.

- If these kids were to hear us complaining about our studies, would they throw chicken poop at us?

- Give this young man a Nobel Prize!

What are your thoughts on it? Cmon, the best comment may win a free trip with me to West Bengal, haha! I think they deserve some classrooms, hey.

washington goes partying

Inaugural Invocation by Rick Warren

“…the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integirity, the compassion to lead us with generosity…”

 

Inaugural Neighborhood Ball
Beyonce serenading the First Couple for the First Dance

I threw a challenge to a certain someone that if he’d dare take up dancing lessons to do wedding waltz with Ms Lucky, I’d take up singing lessons to deliver a flawless version of Etta James’ At Last. And that sucker took the the bait… hook, line and sinker! I’ll be so looking forward to this.

 

P.S. Will be away from Singapore and blogosphere! Have a fattening Chinese New Year!

this day in history

[Disclaimer: These opinions are mine and wholly mine. They do not represent anyone or any organisation in any way. There, I've done my makeshift disclaimer. LOL!]

 

Since the election’s over 12 hours ago, I can finally come out.

First up, my personal anecdote.

Dad called last night just to ask how I thought it would turn out. He firmly believed the Bradley Effect would take place and McCain would pull it off. I told him times had changed since Baby Boomers and my generation’s not the same. We got into a ‘lively’ 20-min debate about all the factors from Jewish support to affirmative action before I finally said, “Fine, if you’re so confident, why don’t we make a bet?”

That’s where it got interesting.

We didn’t bet on money, no. We made a personal bet that caused my sis to roar in laughter and Mom shaking her head in disapproval. This is what happens everytime the stubborn twerp clashes with her stubborn old man.

But actually, I truly enjoy talking to him. We hardly agree on anything (from politics to social issues) and he’s my fiercest debate opponent (Especially when it comes to religion! Eeks! We’d squabble all the way till 3am till Mom wakes up and hollers at us to go sleep or else… *the legendary stare*)

I always think that when Dad finally comes to know God one day, he’d be able to do so much to serve. He’d reach out passionately, mentor lovingly and lead inspiringly. (He’d be a bit lazy, though! No prize for guessing where I got that one from.) I just pray the day will come sooner than later.

Oh my, how far I’ve digressed! Back to the (original) point of the anecdote: Because of that rash and downright-stupid-of-me bet, I have a personal stake in the election results because now, my future happiness depends on it!! (Did I mention I was downright stupid?)

We all know the election results by now so let’s move on to the second story.

 

***

 

This story was impossible to happen 20 years ago, is a remarkable milestone this very day, and will be in all social studies textbooks 20 years from now. It is no exaggeration to say that to see Obama becoming the 44th US President is nothing short of history in the making. Not because of the man himself – capable as he is – but because this says some things of the world today:

1. This generation is choosing to trample on racial prejudice and bigotry. 45 years after Martin Luther King said it, I think this generation is finally ready to judge a person by the content of his character, not the colour of his skin. Jesus, by the way, - who mixed with ‘riffraffs’ from Gentiles to *gasp* prostitutes – was dead against racism. I don’t think he’d laugh if Peter told a racist joke.

2. The way to win the world? Win the youth. The backbone of Obama’s campaign was the mobilisation of millions of youth – idealistic, creative and available. Ready for change. And this is what Republicans failed to understand. If you don’t win the young people, your organisation has no future. (I hope to discuss this more in next ULM to learn leadership principles from it.)

I have to state that Obama has HEAPS of work to do. I also have to mention that I deeply admire McCain, too. Some years ago Claramae bought me his book as Christmas present – and I was won over by his life and courage. He lost his footing a little but in his concession speech, he was outstandingly honourable. For that, I applaud him.

 

Well, before this got too political (or it already did?), I just wanna share one last video.

The first speech I saw Obama gave was in DNC 2004. Since then I’ve been observing him (and the rumour about him being Muslim terrorist is NOT true and absolutely idiotic, sheesh). Some of his speeches intrigued me: first victory speech in Iowa, concession speech in New Hampshire, the speech on race in Philadelphia, economy speech at Cooper Union, and few others.

But there’s a particular speech two months ago, just a small rally with a few thousands in Virginia. Halfway, rainstorm started pouring and got heavier by the minute. One would expect the crowd to disperse. The opposite happened. Unstatesmanlike, Obama took off his jacket and got pretty wet – and totally fired up. Whether you agree with his policies or not, you can’t deny this is leadership in display:

 

 

***

 

By the way, that bet with my Dad? I totally owned him! I just called to gloat but he… pretended it never happened. Not that I plan to let him get away with it… =)

listening — ordinary people by john legend

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4 Nov

By this time tomorrow, all polls would close and the results would emerge. I’m always puzzled by people who ask, “Why bother? US election has nothing to do with your life.” I have to disagree. As Plato said:

“The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves.”

Okay, that’s rather extreme. Still, how can one think it doesn’t matter who the next POTUS (President of the United States) would be? The executive decisions he makes would not only affect America but have far-reaching implications across today’s globalised world.

If you have not studied them, here’s a summary of where McCain and Obama stand on key issues (so that we won’t say things like “I support McCain because he’s older thus must be more experienced” or “I support Obama who will bring change – though I have no clue what kind.”)

Having said that, we must remember that whoever the POTUS is, he would definitely fail the people on at least one account, likely more. For no government on earth can solve every single issue for every single person. Only one person can.

In the olden days, people were governed by kings, lords and rulers of the land. Thus, when Jesus came, the believers crowned him “King of kings”, “Lord of lords” and ”Ruler of the the world”.

Today, people are governed by presidents and prime ministers. Technically, we should start calling Jesus “President of presidents” and “Prime Minister of the world”. Though imagine the headache it’d bring to our songwriters…

 

listening — august’ rhapsody by mark mancina