According to NUS Campus Crusade for Christ, Thailand is “a place of little true joy” because “Buddhism is so much of the Thai national identity and permeates into every level of society and culture that only one hundred Thais accept Christ each year”:
In Turkey, “much of the population is M, much prayer and work is needed in this place” (what is “M” may I ask?):
Very insensitive and very tactless.
Why do NUS Campus Crusade for Christ have to dis other religion when promoting their own?
UPDATE (2.30pm, 16 Feb 2012):
NUS Campus Crusade for Christ had apologised:
I am a NUS CCC representative from NUS. With reference to the closed thread:
[GPGT] NUS group “Campus Crusade for Christ” insults Thai Buddhists and Turkey – www.hardwarezone.com.sg
We would like to post an online apology as follows:
Dear Netizens,
We humbly apologize for the distress we have caused you through the poster of ours that has gone viral online. We recognize that our choice of words used should have been more sensitive and tactful. We acknowledge that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and it is definitely not our intention to force anyone to believe in what we do.
We have since removed our posters and websites, and will be watchful of future actions. Thank you for your understanding and our deepest apologies again for the distress that this incident has caused you.
With sincere apologies,
On behalf of NUS Campus Crusade
NUS school Provost had given his comments as well:
RELIGIOUS HARMONY ON CAMPUS
The University was alerted yesterday to disrespectful and insensitive remarks about other religions and communities contained in posters and website comments put up by a student group, the NUS Campus Crusade for Christ. We contacted the student group last night. The posters that were put up on campus have been removed, and the student group has also removed all related postings at their website and Facebook page. The students concerned have also apologized.
NUS is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious community. We expect every member of our community to be respectful towards the religious customs, beliefs and sensitivities of others. The University does not endorse any comment or action by members of our community that disrupt religious harmony or disparage the diverse communities that live in Singapore and overseas.
Thank you.
Professor Tan Eng Chye
Deputy President (Academic Affairs) & Provost
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Campus Crusade for Christ is only apologising because they were caught. What about other instances of insensitive and unneeded evangelising efforts? Or would this be their very first attempt at proselytizing? .
Why are these jokers allowed to engage in the proselytising activities? They are in university to study or spread Christianity?
Christianity in Singapore is pretty insidious and it has spawned a community of mainly Chinese Singaporeans who have put the idea in their heads that their religion is exclusively relevant, and every other religion deserves to be casually mocked.
I was raised a Christian, and I used to kick over Buddhist altars and mock my Muslim peers in school for being misled by Satan, and this behavior was encouraged by my fellows in church.
Then I reached the age of reason at 17. I've been an atheist since then, and I'm so glad that I'm overseas - I no longer need to endure the guilt-tripping by the church's task force of my childhood friends who still attempt to coax me to "go back to Christ".
Alvinology (like most overly-sensitive people) have gotten it wrong. Read the poster carefully.
The poster reads: "Thailand is a place of little true joy”. “Buddhism is so much of the Thai national identity...".
There was no "because" in between the 2 sentences. The effect of adding "because" changes the meaning radically because it makes the 2nd sentence appear to be the result of the first, (ie Thais have little joy because they are Buddhists).
Campus Crusade is NOT saying that Thais are joyless because they are Buddhists. They are saying that Christianity brings true joy. What is wrong with saying that? Isn't is part and parcel of promoting one's religion.
I fail to see how that can be construed as a negative portrayal of Buddhism. Unless people take it so sensitively that you cannot even mention 2 different religions in a single poster.
you can argue all you want about the language, but the underlying meaning is obvious and cannot be denied
No religion teaches us to do bad (maybe except Al Qaeda and gang), it is always some followers who distort. It gets very uncomfortable when some folks insist their GOD is the one and only. The World and Universe is bigger than we can fathom, live and let live :)
Peace.
Peace..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCS7P-vdRM
Gee Markus, it is really sad. Not only you have been caught red handed but to make matter worst you keep on denying it by trying to raise a very dubious point of semantic.
It is you who should read the poster carefully, not Alvin. And wake up to your insincerity.
All different religions are good in nature and valid. But it is us who behaves like a little immature child arguing and fighting with other kids saying "My daddy is better than yours, he is most handsome, stronger than yours etc...." Childish indeed and narrow minded. If Jesus Christ did say " I am the way the life..", yet Christ DID NOT say that he is the ONLY way, the ONLY life. Over zealous religious people "put words" into their founder's mouth or interpret words towards that of a supremacist views.
@Markus -
"There was no “because” in between the 2 sentences. The effect of adding “because” changes the meaning radically because it makes the 2nd sentence appear to be the result of the first, (ie Thais have little joy because they are Buddhists)."
It is pretty much implied so even without the conjunction, "because". If there is no relevance/correlation whatsoever between the sentence 'Thailand is a little place of joy' and the 'Buddhism is so much of the Thai national identity and permeates into every level of society and culture that only one hundred Thais accept Christ each year” - then why have the former mention in the first place?
"Campus Crusade is NOT saying that Thais are joyless because they are Buddhists. They are saying that Christianity brings true joy. What is wrong with saying that? Isn’t is part and parcel of promoting one’s religion. I fail to see how that can be construed as a negative portrayal of Buddhism. Unless people take it so sensitively that you cannot even mention 2 different religions in a single poster."
Nothing wrong with that. But if that's the intention, why the need to bring in another religion and references?
Stretching the argument one step, if you remove the former sentence and read it again, the question that begs the readers' mind - is "So what?" Hence, it is quite implicit that the copywriter was attempting to insinuate the correlation between high prevalence of Buddhism and Thailand being a little place of joy.
Logical POV,
Premise - "Thailand is a little place of joy'"
Inference - "Buddhism is so much of the Thai national identity and permeates into every level of society and culture that only one hundred Thais accept Christ each year"
Conclusion - "Do you share the burden..."
Not rocket science, I suppose?
HAHAH nah beh benjamin really never ban chance for markus ah you HAHA