Someone help me please. I am getting increasingly offended by
followers of one of the monotheistic faiths. Right now there is a
lot of anger and frustration in me. I know these are destructive
sentiments, so I am seeking some help here.
First, something about me; All my life, I have experienced members
of a particular monotheistic faiths trying to convert me.
In the late 1970s, there was a very vocal and aggressive campaign
in Singapore not only to promulgate that monotheistic faith, but
also to denigrate the traditional Chinese religions such as Taoism
and Buddhism. I even get preached everywhere. On the streets, while
waiting for a bus, even at home! And these preachers do not stop
preaching even after I requested them to stop.
When I was studying in a missionary school of that faith, our
pastor would often tell us stories of a Buddhist/ Taoist converting
to that faith after realizing that the statutes they worship are
nothing but pieces of wooden blocks. That pastor never fails to
gleefully narrate the way these new converts smashed up the
Buddhist statutes after being saved.
Even while I was in the armed forces, a fellow soldier freely
distributed evangelical materials graphically depicting Buddhists/
Taoists burning in hell for not believing that faith. Even now in
the work place, my head of department (HOD) is a member of that
faith. On her first day of work, she conducted interviews to
familiarize with each of us, and in that interview, not only
announces her religion but also ask if I share her faith. I do not.
Subsequently, she will seize every opportunity to talk about her
faith in office, even to the extent of leading the department in
prayer during company sponsored department lunches! By the way, I
work in a profit-oriented, secular company. There are people of
different religions working in my department.
Things like that are still happening all over Singapore. Just not
to long ago, there were some public concerns over members of that
faith exploiting their institutional/ vocational advantages to
spread their faith. Eg, a doctor trying to convert his terminally
ill patient and lecturer leading prayer sessions with his students
etc. members of this faith even manage to insert its influence in
sex education, culminating in the recent ST forum discussion of a
supposedly secular sex education program not being secular at
all.
The members of this faith are
insidious, for want of a better term.
Is there no escaping these evangelists? The latest incident in my
office disturbed me the most. I cannot tell my HOD of my concerns.
That would be a career limiting move on my part, no matter how
politely I may request that. I can of course report her, but that
might jeopardize her career. I dont want something bad to happen
to her career too
You know Buddhists as a whole are a stoic lot. They dont push back
even while they are encroached! This is especially true of
Singapore Buddhists, who tend to have a very low profile while
members of that monotheistic faith are getting increasing vocal. I
am having a hard time looking for fellow Singapore Buddhists to
share my concerns and to offer me advice on how to manage my
feelings of being indignant.
Help please!
