The Straits Times - ISD calls up pastor for insensitive comments
09 February 2010
Leader of independent church apologises to Buddhists and Taoists
By Yen Feng
What ISD said
'Pastor Tan's comments were highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities. ISD told Pastor Tan that in preaching or proselytising his faith, he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions.'
The Home Affairs Ministry, on what the Internal Security Department told Senior Pastor Rony Tan
What pastor said
'I sincerely apologise for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again.'
Senior Pastor Rony Tan, in his statement posted on his church's website last night
THE Government called up a Christian church leader yesterday after receiving complaints about online video clips that show him making insensitive comments about Buddhism.
The Internal Security Department yesterday met Senior Pastor Rony Tan, founder of the Lighthouse Evangelism independent church, and told him that what he did was wrong.
Last night, he posted an apology on the church's website, promising to respect other faiths and 'not ridicule them in any way, shape or fashion'.
The video clips, which first appeared on the church's website two weeks ago, showed Pastor Tan questioning two church members as they recounted their past experiences as Buddhists.
In the exchanges, some of Pastor Tan's comments - on Buddhist precepts of rebirth, karma and nirvana - drew laughter from his audience.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said last night that his comments were 'highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists'.
It said the ISD told him that in preaching or spreading his faith, 'he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions'.
Singapore's Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act makes it unlawful for a person to make insensitive comments about other religions.
In his apology last night, the pastor did not refer to being at the ISD. Instead, he said he had received e-mail messages from people who had been 'saddened and hurt' by what he had said, and realised that his presentation and comments were wrong and offensive.
'So I sincerely apologise for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again,' he said.
Although the video clips are no longer on the church's website, netizens have reposted them on other forums.
Two short clips show Pastor Tan asking church member Joseph Wee about the time he was a Buddhist in the 1980s, including a short stint as a monk.
Mr Wee described chanting words he did not understand, and his frustration at not getting answers to his questions about attaining nirvana - the Buddhist state of enlightenment.
Pastor Tan drew laughter from his audience with his remarks on the chanting, and compared Mr Wee's effort to seek answers from his mentors as 'the blind leading the blind'.
In a third video clip, a woman claimed she could recite an ancient Buddhist chant even though she had never heard it. Pastor Tan suggested that the words had been put into her mind by 'demons'.
The video clips, carrying the church's 'Miracle TV' logo, first appeared on the online forum HardwareZone on Feb 3. By last night, the forum thread had chalked up nearly 1,600 comments and more than 63,000 page views.
On YouTube, the three videos have garnered about 4,000 views each.
Many viewers who left comments felt that Pastor Tan's comments about Buddhism were insensitive and unfair.
Lighthouse Evangelism has branches in Tampines and Woodlands, and describes itself as a 'megachurch'. It has more than 12,000 members and is not affiliated with the National Council of Churches of Singapore.
The church was founded in 1978 by Pastor Tan who, in his online autobiography, said he was born into a Taoist family. His son Pacer is the church's youth pastor, while his daughter Tracy leads the church's drama ministry.
Buddhist and Taoist groups who had received complaints said last night that while it was good the authorities intervened, more should be done to ensure that such incidents did not recur.
Venerable Kwang Phing, secretary-general of the Singapore Buddhist Federation, said: 'We put in so much work to maintain religious harmony in Singapore; it takes only one or two persons to jeopardise that process.'
In his apology, Pastor Tan urged netizens who have been circulating the videos to stop doing so.
He said also that he wanted to tell his followers 'not only to continue to love souls, but also to respect other beliefs and not to ridicule them in any way, shape or fashion'.
He added: 'Let's put our goal to build a harmonious Singapore a top priority.'
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times - Leaders of Buddhist, Taoist groups urge restraint
09 February 2010
Pastor did right thing by apologising, but Buddhist group wants to make sure there is no repeat
By Grace Chua
THE Singapore Buddhist Federation said Senior Pastor Rony Tan's act of apologising was the right thing to do - for a start.
But it will still approach the authorities and have its voice heard in order to prevent similar incidents in future, it said last night.
'It is good that the authorities have looked at this matter, but this is a matter of national concern. We want to appeal to the public and the authorities to make sure there is no second time,' said the federation's secretary-general, Venerable Kwang Phing.
'Singapore is a multi-religious, multiracial society. There is no point arguing over who is right and who is wrong,' he added.
Singapore Buddhist Lodge chairman Lee Bock Guan urged restraint on the part of Buddhists so that tension does not escalate.
He said: 'Buddhism teaches us to forgive; everybody makes mistakes.'
'If (Pastor Tan) is sincere, we accept his apology, and hope this sort of thing does not happen again,' he said.
'We Taoists prize harmony, and would rather not bicker with others. We hope other religious groups can treat the beliefs of other faiths with an open and generous attitude.'
Mr Ameerali Abdeali, general secretary of the Inter-Religious Organisation, a non-governmental inter-faith outfit that aims to strengthen religious harmony, said leaders of the 10 religions represented in the group had been notified of the issue.
When asked if the incident meant the organisation needed to work harder at promoting religious harmony, Mr Ameerali said: 'Promoting religious harmony is a continuing effort. We have been promoting religious harmony and understanding for 60 years, and we will continue to do that.'
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times - The man behind the controversy
09 February 2010
By Jennani Durai
SENIOR Pastor Rony Tan, founder of the Lighthouse Evangelism church, was born into a Taoist family.
In an online biography on his website, he wrote of how his childhood was a time when he was lost and bewildered, and how he 'blindly followed' the practices of his parents who worshipped 'a great variety of gods'.
He was filled with uncertainties, doubts and fears, and said that in matters of religion, 'I was left on my own to figure out the mysteries of life in order to make some sense out of sheer nonsense'.
He dreamed of being a pop singer, and eventually played in a band. He revealed how his contact with the 'spirit world' - through games and experiences with fellow band members and singers - marked a turning point in his life and brought him to Christianity.
The church he now leads boasts two buildings - one in Tampines, and another in Woodlands, a seven-storey structure reportedly built at a cost of $33 million.
Married in 1976 to his wife Kwee Hong, Pastor Tan started the church two years later with eight others. Services were first conducted in Chip Bee Centre.
As the congregation grew, services were held in hotel auditoriums until the church moved into its Tampines building in 1992.
More services were added, including those in Mandarin and Indonesian. A regular 'Miracle Service to touch the lost, sick and afflicted' was also started.
And as response grew, a second premises for the church was built at Woodlands.
Pastor Tan's two children are also involved in the church. His son Pacer is listed as youth pastor and director of the church's Children Ministry; his daughter Tracy is the church's drama director.
Pastor Tan was in the news in 2008 for having composed a song for Singapore's 43rd National Day. Called The Singapore Song, it was a hit on the Internet, drawing more than 10,000 views within days of its release.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times - ISD acts
09 February 2010
THE Home Affairs Ministry issued this statement last night: 'The Internal Security Department (ISD) has called up Pastor Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism (LE) today in connection with his comments and insinuations about Buddhism and Taoism at LE sessions. These sessions were video-recorded and made available on LE's website; video clips of these sessions subsequently became available on YouTube and other websites.
Pastor Tan's comments were highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities. The ISD told Pastor Tan that in preaching or proselytising his faith, he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions.
Pastor Tan has expressed his deepest apologies and remorse. He deeply regrets that he has been insensitive and offensive towards the Buddhist and Taoist faiths, and that his comments have saddened and hurt their followers. He has promised that it will never happen again and has also affirmed that he will tell his members to respect other beliefs and build a harmonious Singapore.'
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times - Pastor's apology
02 February 2010
by Leong Wee Keat
THIS apology was posted on the website of the Lighthouse Evangelism church last night, headlined 'Urgent message from Pastor Rony':
'I have received a number of e-mails from people who have been saddened and hurt by the testimonies of an ex-monk and an ex-nun. I realised that my presentation and comments were wrong and offensive. So I sincerely apologise for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again.
When we received those e-mails, we immediately removed the video clips from our website. I urge those who have posted those clips on YouTube to remove them as well.
After reading the frank views from those e-mails, I was also prompted to tell my members not only to continue to love souls, but also to respect other beliefs and not to ridicule them in any way, shape or fashion.
Let's put our goal to build a harmonious Singapore a top priority.'
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
TODAY - ISD calls up pastor
09 February 2010
by Leong Wee Keat
SINGAPORE - The founder and senior pastor of a Christian church here publicly apologised last night for being "offensive" and "insensitive" after three video clips of him questioning Buddhist and Taoist beliefs sparked outrage among many Singaporeans. Pastor Rony Tan from Lighthouse Evangelism church posted his apology on the church's website after being called up by the Internal Security Department (ISD).
The videos showed the pastor addressing two church followers - a former monk and a former nun - in front of his congregation. In the clips, which lasted more than 25 minutes, Pastor Tan, who is in his 60s, questioned Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, touching on topics such as Nirvana, reincarnation and Karma. The congregation was heard laughing and clapping at several points. The videos were uploaded on the church's website.
Last Thursday, the videos were posted on several social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube. They subsequently made their rounds on numerous online forums.
It is understood complaints were made to the Police, ministers and the Presidential Council of Religious Harmony.
In response to queries, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman confirmed that the ISD had called up Pastor Tan "in connection with his comments and insinuations about Buddhism and Taoism". The ministry noted that the pastor's comments had been "video-recorded and made available on Lighthouse Evangelism's website" and video-clips "subsequently became available on YouTube and other websites".
"Pastor Tan's comments were highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities," said the ministry.
"ISD told Pastor Tan that in preaching or proselytising his faith, he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions.
"Pastor Tan has expressed his deepest apologies and remorse. He deeply regrets that he has been insensitive and offensive towards the Buddhist and Taoist faiths, and that his comments have saddened and hurt their followers.
"He has promised that it will never happen again and has also affirmed that he will tell his members to respect other beliefs and build a harmonious Singapore."
In an "urgent message" posted on the church's website last night, Pastor Tan said: "I realised that my presentation and comments were wrong and offensive. So I sincerely apologise for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again. When we received those emails, we immediately removed the video clips from our website. I urge those who have posted those clips on YouTube to remove them as well." Pastor Tan could not be contacted.
This is not the first time a video by Pastor Tan has attracted attention. Two years ago, he posted a five-minute music video, The Singapore Song, which sparked a debate in cyberspace on the role of the Government.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from TODAY.
Lianhe Zaobao - Pastor of Lighthouse Evangelism apologises for remarks insulting Buddhism and Taoism
09 February 2009
Translation
Many netizens were offended and lashed out criticisms at Senior Pastor Rony Tan of the Lighthouse Evangelism (LE) after viewing his slanderous remarks about Buddhism and Taoism made during a church service from online video clips posted on various websites. The pastor, who was called up for an interview by the Internal Security Department (ISD) yesterday, has made an apology on the church's website.
Replying to queries from the local media last night, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that ISD officers called up Pastor Rony Tan regarding his remarks which insinuated Buddhism and Taoism at a church service.
MHA said that Pastor Tan's comments were highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialized and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities.
ISD officers also told Pastor Tan that in preaching or proselytizing his faith, he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions.
MHA said that Pastor Tan had deeply regretted his remarks made earlier and was remorseful for his insensitivity in offending and hurting Buddhists and Taoists.
He promised that similar incidents would not happen again and told his church members to respect other religions and strive to build a harmonious society.
The video clips first appeared on the church's website but were subsequently reposted to YouTube and other websites.
Pastor Tan had removed the video clips from the LE's website and urged those who have posted the clips on YouTube to remove them as well.
Meanwhile, he posted an urgent message on the LE's website yesterday.
In his message, he said that he had received a number of emails from people who have been saddened and hurt by the testimonies of an ex-monk and an ex-nun.
He said, "I realized that my presentation and comments were wrong and offensive. So I sincerely apologize for my insensitivity towards Buddhism and Taoism, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again."
He added, "When I received those emails, I immediately removed the video clips from our website. I urge those who have posted those clips on other websites to remove them as well."
He said that after reading the frank views from those emails, he was also prompted to tell his members not only to continue to love souls, but also to respect other beliefs and not to ridicule them in any way. "Let's put our goal to build a harmonious Singapore a top priority."
It is learned that Pastor Tan interviewed an ex-monk who had converted to Christianity during a church service. During his exchanges with this man on stage, he made remarks which netizens found to have insulted and disparaged Buddhist and Taoist doctrines and offended the followers of these religions. The authorities were said to have received complaints from some members of the public.
Zaobao was unable to contact Pastor Tan yesterday.
Click on the link below to view the Lianhe Zaobao article
