他山之石∕香港教會對六四事件的三條道路
胡志偉 （香港教會更新運動總幹事，牧師）
【曠野172期】
一九八九年六四事件經過了二十二年，香港人與教會始終揮不去的是鬱結於內心的「平反六四」情意結；每年港人公開悼念六四活動標誌著「一國兩制」下，我們仍可在中國主權管轄下一小塊地土享有表達異見的自由。筆者嘗試就個人觀察及有限參與，就教內報刊、民運反思祈禱會與六四紀念禱文登報聯署等現象，說明了香港教會「六四情意結」的三條道路： 自限、限人與自主。
自限之道
按《2009香港教會普查簡報》反映，香港教會與內地教會有交流的，佔整體的63.3% （2004年同性質的調查反映有50.2%）。不同的宗派組織與機構，均有同工定期北上訪問內地，或有內地教會與政府機關人士來港拜訪宗派組織、機構與神學院等。
因著不少領袖在內地有其事工或服務的考慮，大多不願鮮明地表達對六四的看法或立場，憂慮因而影響了關係，從而帶來事工的限制與不方便。筆者諒解不少教會領袖為了顧及堂會或機構，避免參與明顯地違反中央權力意志的活動。個人靜悄悄參與每年維多利亞公園舉行六四燭光晚會不是問題，但參與民運反思祈禱會或具名登報聯署六四紀念禱文，則有所保留。
就筆者過往至今的接觸，有部分堂會於六四前後的主日與祈禱會，不少採用「香港基督徒愛國民主運動」（成立於1989年，執委為蔡元雲、胡丙杰、盧龍光、朱耀明、周榮富、林海盛、李信堅、劉子睿、梁恩榮、翁偉業） 撰寫的「六四紀念禱文」或「中國主日啟應禱文」；有些刊登於週刊，有些則用於崇拜的公禱程序。
從現實理解，當前香港教會主流對六四事件的論述，停留於自我限制的意識形態；大多教會領袖採取明哲保身，避免作出任何被理解為衝擊中央管治權威的言論與行動；畢竟教會的首要之務並非「平反六四」。《2009香港教會普查簡報》指出，大多堂會關注的社會課題為經濟 （佔整體堂會的63.9%）、家庭 （52.4%）與性倫理 （39.9%）等，民主進程的關注程度由2004年的12.4%下跌至2009年的5.7%，這些客觀數據說明了香港教會對較敏感的政治課題如六四事件的戒心。
限人之道
第二條路線，與第一條路線的分別，則在於有教會領袖不僅基於個人考慮而自限，更進一步為了取悅權勢，甚至限制他人就六四表達意見。六月五日香港基督教兩份有代表性報刊:《基督教週報》與《時代論壇》的版面與內容至少反映若干事實。
《基督教週報》內容隻字不提六四事件，而《時代論壇》則於第二版用了半頁篇幅報導「民運反思祈禱會」，並於公開園地刊登了陳中禧來稿〈六月第四日重組〉（第1240期）。《時代論壇》於早一期 （5月29日） 的封面則是一端是六四廿二週年研討會的報導，另一端則刊登了整篇六四紀念禱文。這兩份報刊截然不同的取態正好說明了教會領袖對六四事件的立場。
由香港華人基督教聯會出版的《基督教週報》，迴避任何與六四相關的文字；筆者多年前為此報刊撰稿時，文內任何提及「六四」的片紙隻字均被刪掉，也有其他作者的文章有類似下場。對這些在位領袖而言，六四是敏感字眼，為了與中國大陸保持友好關係，任何觸動政權神經之事，還是不提為妙，不僅對六四表示沉默，更限制了作者們表達六四的自由！ 就筆者接觸，持守此種自限又限人立場的，仍是極少數。然而，隨著年日與權力的增長，筆者憂慮的是部分自我約制的領袖，為了合理化其「自限之道」的高明立場，不自覺或有意地作出了「限人之道」。
自主之道
第三條道，筆者稱之為「自主之道」；香港回歸中國後仍能公開悼念六四，正是「一國兩制」下的言論與集會自由。當有一天，香港人與教會不能公開表達「平反六四」的聲音，意味著香港不再是「特別行政區」了 ！
香港仍有少數領袖如蔡元雲與盧龍光等不畏形勢，公開地發言或登報聯署，表達教會對六四的信念。胡丙杰（中華基督教會合一九龍堂主任牧師） 撰寫文章〈六四不應是教會禁忌〉（刊登於基督徒關懷香港學會出版之《基關窗》，2011年4月），他這樣分享:「近期卻聽到『六四是教會禁忌』的聲音，非常奇怪。本人在牧養教會的經驗中，每年都有三、四十位弟兄姊妹自願聯署登報『六四紀念禱文』，亦將此禱文轉印於教會週刊內，而六四期間的講道亦配合，從來沒有人質疑，大家都默默地支持中國民主運動及為六四受影響者禱告。所以，從來不覺得六四是教會禁忌。」
筆者也參與了「香港基督徒愛國民主運動」主辦的六四民運反思祈禱會，約四十多位出席。聚會其中一項是由一群青年人以「八十後的六四」為題，分享對六四的感受，他們認為「歷史不能遺忘，要薪火相傳，直至六四平反的一天。」蔡元雲醫生分享： 「一個國家失去記憶是可恥的，忘記自己身分是羞恥的」。教會每年堅持舉行六四祈禱會不是「發牢騷」，而是盼望歷史得著延續，使後人能認識此事，得以從過去歷史來建立國家意識和身份。與會者寫下個人對中國的心願，並以茉莉花表達心意，並由「我要回家運動」發起人朱耀明祝福，結束聚會。就筆者過往至今的參與，除了「香港基督徒愛國民主運動」執委外，在位領袖參與的確實寥寥可數，尤其是堂會教牧同工。
哪條道路 ?
筆者尊重不同人士選取不同道路；基督新教本身是多元表達，就政治或公共事務不一定有一致的看法。然而在一些政治事件，如六四事件、二二八事件等，對錯較為明確，教會應該選擇站在接近公義的一方。當教會享有自由與自主，卻怯於政權或形勢，表達適當的道德勇氣，我們就失掉了在公共空間的先知聲音。教會領袖不能取巧地在事件已有公論時，才插上附和的聲音；乃是在事件的抗爭過程中，因著信仰，不再計較名利、權力與得失……等，對任何違反人道與公義者，予以譴責。
猶太裔學者漢娜鄂蘭 （Hannah Arendt） 著有《責任與判斷》（Responsibility and Judgment），其中第六章探討天主教會，特別是教宗庇護十二世 （Pius XII） 對納粹暴行的漠視沉默，鄂蘭於文內指出教會對有關指控有三方面回應。第一種回應我稱為明哲保身「抗議和譴責的態度……不僅徒勞，而且有害 : 這是問題的重點」（279頁）。第二種回應則是勢孤力弱，天主教徒無法動員與組織起來；鄂蘭反駁納粹佔領地區時，天主教徒佔多數，只是教會高層的怕事，間接助長了納粹的暴行。第三種回應則是保持中立，有意見認為：「戰爭之中，教宗一份權威聲明就可能造成分裂」（279頁）；即使教宗看到希特勒發動「不義之戰」，但他認為共產主義較納粹主義更危險，於是「保持中立」意味著教會不敢向納粹政權譴責與採取行動，同樣助長了納粹的權勢。
教會的明哲保身、勢孤力弱與保持中立，在某些場景是不得不然的 （中國大陸絕多教會未對六四事件表態，筆者是可以理解的）；然而當教會享有自由與自主，卻自我限制，甚至限制他人，這是可悲的！
Monday, July 18, 2011
Saturday, July 09, 2011
杜絕變相公投
杜絕變相公投
區樂民
2011年07月09日 蘋果日報 副刊
為了杜絕變相公投，政府推出替補機制，弄至民怨沸騰，七一上街的人龍，從白天走到黑夜。政府決定押後二讀。有政黨建議不宜「一刀切」處理所有立法會議員出缺，替補機制應針對自行請辭的議員；如果因病或死亡而出缺，該進行補選。
一看，就知這個建議有漏洞。
舉個實例，零四年董建華先生因腳痛辭去特首職務。請問這樣的辭職，是屬於「自行請辭」還是「因病出缺」？
我無意拿董先生來開玩笑。說實話，我心裏尊敬他，因為他的人品好。我舉出這個例子，是要說明「因病出缺」很難被證實或否定。
有人提議，辭職的議員一年內不得參選。這是不合理的，比方說，一個議員患了癌病，決定辭職，經過化療和電療，效果出奇地好，他想參加補選，再為市民服務，若遭摒諸門外，那算不算殘疾歧視？
又有人說，變相公投浪費公帑。我沒有念經濟科，不肯定那是不是浪費。記得通縮那幾年，政府鼓勵人們消費來刺激經濟。補選花的錢，其實是轉移到許多基層公務員的口袋，錢多了，自然增加消費，帶旺食肆、娛樂場所、百貨公司等等。
晚飯時，三叔說：「其實杜絕變相公投的方法很簡單，為甚麼政府要搞個『大頭佛』出來？」
「有何方法？」我問。
「遇上重大政治課題，」三叔答道：「政府正正當當地舉行公投，那就不會出現變相公投。公投是合法、合情、合理的。」
（區樂民）
區樂民
2011年07月09日 蘋果日報 副刊
為了杜絕變相公投，政府推出替補機制，弄至民怨沸騰，七一上街的人龍，從白天走到黑夜。政府決定押後二讀。有政黨建議不宜「一刀切」處理所有立法會議員出缺，替補機制應針對自行請辭的議員；如果因病或死亡而出缺，該進行補選。
一看，就知這個建議有漏洞。
舉個實例，零四年董建華先生因腳痛辭去特首職務。請問這樣的辭職，是屬於「自行請辭」還是「因病出缺」？
我無意拿董先生來開玩笑。說實話，我心裏尊敬他，因為他的人品好。我舉出這個例子，是要說明「因病出缺」很難被證實或否定。
有人提議，辭職的議員一年內不得參選。這是不合理的，比方說，一個議員患了癌病，決定辭職，經過化療和電療，效果出奇地好，他想參加補選，再為市民服務，若遭摒諸門外，那算不算殘疾歧視？
又有人說，變相公投浪費公帑。我沒有念經濟科，不肯定那是不是浪費。記得通縮那幾年，政府鼓勵人們消費來刺激經濟。補選花的錢，其實是轉移到許多基層公務員的口袋，錢多了，自然增加消費，帶旺食肆、娛樂場所、百貨公司等等。
晚飯時，三叔說：「其實杜絕變相公投的方法很簡單，為甚麼政府要搞個『大頭佛』出來？」
「有何方法？」我問。
「遇上重大政治課題，」三叔答道：「政府正正當當地舉行公投，那就不會出現變相公投。公投是合法、合情、合理的。」
（區樂民）
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Rejoice and be glad in it
Ps 118:24 (ESV)
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.
There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, and our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming. We can relate to the writers of the psalms who often felt this way. But no matter how low the psalmists felt, they were always honest with God. And as they talked to God, their prayers ended in praise. When you don't feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you a reason to rejoice. God has given you this day to live and to serve him-be glad!
(Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion)
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;let us rejoice and be glad in it.
There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, and our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming. We can relate to the writers of the psalms who often felt this way. But no matter how low the psalmists felt, they were always honest with God. And as they talked to God, their prayers ended in praise. When you don't feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you a reason to rejoice. God has given you this day to live and to serve him-be glad!
(Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion)
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
可憐
李純恩
蘋果日報 副刊 2011年07月04日
這天是七月一日，曾特首蔭權發表講話，說在未來的一年中，要為服務香港，奮鬥到「最後一分一秒」。
聽了曾先生的話，我很激動。真是很久沒有聽過如此豪言壯語了。上一次聽到類似的豪言壯語，已是上個世紀的事了。四十年前，中國「文革」的時候，我們天天都說這樣的豪言壯語，開始說的時候心情還挺激動，說到後來，就像放屁一樣自然了。如今舊景重溫，恍如隔世。
可見，幫曾先生寫演講稿的仁兄，不但是個懷舊之人，且不知時代進步，或實在墨水有限。可憐曾先生不知就裏，照稿直宣，着了道兒，堂堂一個香港首長，卻像個宣誓入伙的紅衞兵。
「最後一分一秒」是如何算出來的呢？曾先生沒有講。是「呢份工」的結束？還是生命的終結？曾先生沒有講。
「最後一分一秒」，到底是最後「一分」？還是最後「一秒」？既然有了「最後一秒」，哪裏還用「最後一分」？曾先生又不是劉翔，要一分一秒算着去跨欄，誰會在乎他的「最後一分最後一秒」？如果他「奮鬥」到了「最後一分最後一秒」，卻沒有一點成績，只留下一灘蘇州屎，那這「最後一分一秒」是不是早到好過晚到？
一句「豪言壯語」，本來應該是媚俗的壓軸之句，結果卻既無邏輯又無水平，綉花枕頭裏的一包草就全露出來了。
蘋果日報 副刊 2011年07月04日
這天是七月一日，曾特首蔭權發表講話，說在未來的一年中，要為服務香港，奮鬥到「最後一分一秒」。
聽了曾先生的話，我很激動。真是很久沒有聽過如此豪言壯語了。上一次聽到類似的豪言壯語，已是上個世紀的事了。四十年前，中國「文革」的時候，我們天天都說這樣的豪言壯語，開始說的時候心情還挺激動，說到後來，就像放屁一樣自然了。如今舊景重溫，恍如隔世。
可見，幫曾先生寫演講稿的仁兄，不但是個懷舊之人，且不知時代進步，或實在墨水有限。可憐曾先生不知就裏，照稿直宣，着了道兒，堂堂一個香港首長，卻像個宣誓入伙的紅衞兵。
「最後一分一秒」是如何算出來的呢？曾先生沒有講。是「呢份工」的結束？還是生命的終結？曾先生沒有講。
「最後一分一秒」，到底是最後「一分」？還是最後「一秒」？既然有了「最後一秒」，哪裏還用「最後一分」？曾先生又不是劉翔，要一分一秒算着去跨欄，誰會在乎他的「最後一分最後一秒」？如果他「奮鬥」到了「最後一分最後一秒」，卻沒有一點成績，只留下一灘蘇州屎，那這「最後一分一秒」是不是早到好過晚到？
一句「豪言壯語」，本來應該是媚俗的壓軸之句，結果卻既無邏輯又無水平，綉花枕頭裏的一包草就全露出來了。
Friday, June 24, 2011
《時代論壇》社評 : 警惕特區政府「輕民權以自保」的思維
《時代論壇》Christian Times 第一二四三期 -- 二零一一年六月廿六日
因應去年的「五區請辭，變相公投」，特區政府的政制及內地事務局建議修例，日後當立法會直選議席因為議員呈辭、疾病或死亡而出缺，將不再舉行補選產生新任議員，而是由之前的選舉之中得最大餘額票名單的候選人自動填補議席空缺。該局更表示，去年「變相公投」的一次立法會補選投票率偏低，已清楚顯示民意，因此今次修例將不作公眾諮詢，而是直接交由立法會進行立法程序。雖然如此，立法會仍然為此召開公聽會，大批巿民以各式各樣的團體名義出席，當中反對政府做法的意見相當多。大律師公會亦表態，指政府的建議並不符合《基本法》中關於議席由選舉產生的條文，不過政府仍然堅持自己的一套邏輯，維持既有建議，要求立法會通過。
去年的立法會補選，的確引起社會廣泛議論，即使同屬泛民主派的陣營，矛盾亦非常之大。而在教會之內，對於當時各方就爭取政制民主化的種種策略（包括「變相公投」），張力亦不少。但必須指出，對於「變相公投」持不同意見是一回事，對於政府以剝奪巿民補選權利的手法來懲罰日後在有意及無意下出缺的議員及其所屬政團，明顯是另一回事。政府請不要混淆視聽。
選舉制度很重要的一點，在於表達選民的集體意願。若以落敗候選人中得最大餘額票者作為日後替補出缺機制中的當然人選，那根本就有逆於當年的選舉結果，與集體民意不符。另一方面，如此替補安排，亦很自然加大了政敵不擇手段要對手出缺的誘因，這也不是巿民所樂見。
經過去年「五區請辭」所觸發的種種京港官方反應，對於特區政府要想辦法堵塞「變相公投」這個「漏洞」，香港社會其實並不感到意外。問題是特區政府今次的處理手法相當粗暴，既不諮詢公眾，對於民主選舉反映當前民意這最基本的理念也毫不尊重，且將種種做法歸因於所謂清晰卻實質另有所指的民意，實質是照顧自己的政治需要，就是為了掃除一個全民表態的機會，即使殃及池魚也在所不惜。特區政府以此「輕民權以自保」的思維模式來處理政制事務，實在不敢恭維。
由於政府在立法會肯定得到建制派的支持，其建議幾可肯定通過無誤，行禮如儀。至於民間方面，也許因為早已有自發大遊行的「尚方寶劍」在手，即使政制裡快將失去一個全民表態的可能，關注的溫度還是給其他議題比了下去（例如人人派發六千元，又例如財政司司長被指政治干預招標工作的立法會聆訊）。然而觀乎特區政府在今次事件上所表現的種種嘴臉、態度和思維，港人實在需要加強警惕，否則更多的重要權利將會被無聲無息的敗掉。民主，是永恆的覺醒。
因應去年的「五區請辭，變相公投」，特區政府的政制及內地事務局建議修例，日後當立法會直選議席因為議員呈辭、疾病或死亡而出缺，將不再舉行補選產生新任議員，而是由之前的選舉之中得最大餘額票名單的候選人自動填補議席空缺。該局更表示，去年「變相公投」的一次立法會補選投票率偏低，已清楚顯示民意，因此今次修例將不作公眾諮詢，而是直接交由立法會進行立法程序。雖然如此，立法會仍然為此召開公聽會，大批巿民以各式各樣的團體名義出席，當中反對政府做法的意見相當多。大律師公會亦表態，指政府的建議並不符合《基本法》中關於議席由選舉產生的條文，不過政府仍然堅持自己的一套邏輯，維持既有建議，要求立法會通過。
去年的立法會補選，的確引起社會廣泛議論，即使同屬泛民主派的陣營，矛盾亦非常之大。而在教會之內，對於當時各方就爭取政制民主化的種種策略（包括「變相公投」），張力亦不少。但必須指出，對於「變相公投」持不同意見是一回事，對於政府以剝奪巿民補選權利的手法來懲罰日後在有意及無意下出缺的議員及其所屬政團，明顯是另一回事。政府請不要混淆視聽。
選舉制度很重要的一點，在於表達選民的集體意願。若以落敗候選人中得最大餘額票者作為日後替補出缺機制中的當然人選，那根本就有逆於當年的選舉結果，與集體民意不符。另一方面，如此替補安排，亦很自然加大了政敵不擇手段要對手出缺的誘因，這也不是巿民所樂見。
經過去年「五區請辭」所觸發的種種京港官方反應，對於特區政府要想辦法堵塞「變相公投」這個「漏洞」，香港社會其實並不感到意外。問題是特區政府今次的處理手法相當粗暴，既不諮詢公眾，對於民主選舉反映當前民意這最基本的理念也毫不尊重，且將種種做法歸因於所謂清晰卻實質另有所指的民意，實質是照顧自己的政治需要，就是為了掃除一個全民表態的機會，即使殃及池魚也在所不惜。特區政府以此「輕民權以自保」的思維模式來處理政制事務，實在不敢恭維。
由於政府在立法會肯定得到建制派的支持，其建議幾可肯定通過無誤，行禮如儀。至於民間方面，也許因為早已有自發大遊行的「尚方寶劍」在手，即使政制裡快將失去一個全民表態的可能，關注的溫度還是給其他議題比了下去（例如人人派發六千元，又例如財政司司長被指政治干預招標工作的立法會聆訊）。然而觀乎特區政府在今次事件上所表現的種種嘴臉、態度和思維，港人實在需要加強警惕，否則更多的重要權利將會被無聲無息的敗掉。民主，是永恆的覺醒。
Nat's manager Riggleman resigns...
WASHINGTON -- Jim Riggleman felt he deserved better. He had essentially become a permanent interim manager for the Washington Nationals, a franchise that has spent much of its time trying to become relevant. Once the club was ready to be a contender, he sensed he would be shunted aside for the next best thing to come along.
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"I just felt if there's not going to be some type of commitment, then there obviously never will be," Riggleman said. "I'm just not the guy that they thought they could move forward with."
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"I tell ya, I've been in this 10 years," Riggleman said. "Maybe I'll never get another opportunity, but I promise you I'll never do it on a one-year deal again. ... You don't bring people in on a one-year deal. I'm sure they will never do it here. When they get the guy they want, it won't be on a one-year deal."
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"Timing? Come on," Riggleman said. "That's like I'm not going to get married until I have a steady job. You'll never get married. You make the decision you feel is right and Mike felt the decision was to not move forward with me."
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He said Thursday he was fully aware that he was leaving one of the precious 30 managerial jobs in the majors, but for him it was a matter of principle.
"It's about me," Riggleman said. "It's about looking in the mirror and feeling like I've got to answer to myself. In today's world in major sports, it's not a good environment to work when the manager or head coach in football or whatever is on a short leash. Too many negatives can come out of it. You're walking on egg shells too often. You can't think out of the box as much. I thought after 10 years I'd earned the right to have a little bit longer leash."
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"I just felt if there's not going to be some type of commitment, then there obviously never will be," Riggleman said. "I'm just not the guy that they thought they could move forward with."
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"I tell ya, I've been in this 10 years," Riggleman said. "Maybe I'll never get another opportunity, but I promise you I'll never do it on a one-year deal again. ... You don't bring people in on a one-year deal. I'm sure they will never do it here. When they get the guy they want, it won't be on a one-year deal."
---
"Timing? Come on," Riggleman said. "That's like I'm not going to get married until I have a steady job. You'll never get married. You make the decision you feel is right and Mike felt the decision was to not move forward with me."
---
He said Thursday he was fully aware that he was leaving one of the precious 30 managerial jobs in the majors, but for him it was a matter of principle.
"It's about me," Riggleman said. "It's about looking in the mirror and feeling like I've got to answer to myself. In today's world in major sports, it's not a good environment to work when the manager or head coach in football or whatever is on a short leash. Too many negatives can come out of it. You're walking on egg shells too often. You can't think out of the box as much. I thought after 10 years I'd earned the right to have a little bit longer leash."
Monday, June 20, 2011
基督日報(香港) - 「大師」宣傳「幸福科學」 梁燕城進行大剖析
基督日報(香港) - 「大師」宣傳「幸福科學」 梁燕城進行大剖析
陳麗斯 / 基督日報記者
2011年06月17日02時06分 上午 Posted.
上月在港鐵及報章上都有廣告宣傳一種新興宗教心靈玩意，稱為「幸福科學」，其日本創辦人大川隆法蒞港傳教。
(採訪：于嘉豪、撰文：陳麗斯)
上月在港鐵及報章上都有廣告宣傳一種新興宗教心靈玩意，稱為「幸福科學」，其日本創辦人大川隆法蒞港傳教。「幸福科學」揚言「現代人需要從科學實證的角度，去探究心靈和覺悟世界究竟是什麼」。心靈的覺悟能用科學的方法實證嗎﹖「幸福科學」的本質是什麼呢﹖本報特地與對宗教文化有深厚研究的梁燕城博士作訪談，為這個新興的學說給一個說法。
訪問前半部梁博士逐剖析了「幸福科學」的本質，而第二部份則探討了信仰及科學的關係，以及宗教如何心靈的滿足，更分享了他對選擇自己信仰的看法。
缺乏科學實證的「偽科學」
梁博士指出引用「科學」去講幸福在本質上是對「科學」這個名詞的濫用。從其網站所見他並無對他說的「科學」下定義，亦欠缺對科學的基本認識。嚴格的科學不是用來追求幸福，這是與科學無關的。科學有其基本標準，當有人提出一些講法而又能通過客觀的實驗鑒證的，才能稱之為科學。
怎樣的說法才合符科學?他提到波柏爾提出科學要符合「證偽原則」，當中關鍵是當一樣東西自稱為科學，一定要提供一個被實驗所檢查的原則，意思是原則上可以證明是假的，這是相當重要的科學的標準。另外一些科學哲學家也提出所謂科學是可以提供一個「範式」解釋科學的現象，去指示未來科學的發展，比如牛頓所提出的物理學或愛恩斯坦提出的物理學，形成一種範式，以後可根據規則研究，提供各種實驗的根據。因此任何自稱為科學的若無這些原則基本上不能叫做「科學」。若有人用科學這個字但又不合乎原則，則只能視為偽科學，並且是妄稱科學這個名詞，濫用科學名詞。
就「幸福科學」而論，梁博士認為它的觀點本質上算是偽科學，因為它並未提供任何合乎科學原則的講法，只是隨意用科學這個名詞。整體來說，創辦者明顯是一個無受過基本訓練的人，亂用了一些名詞而形成一些觀點。
他舉例，幸福科學的網站內容裡涉及輪迴之說，並用輪迴解釋人；裡面的靈魂觀稱很龐大的靈界裡有很多靈，他們會通過輪迴投胎轉世成為某些人。「如果用科學去解釋則完全是偽科學，因為它無任何科學方式被否證，不能成為科學。如你要解釋一個完全觀察不到、又無法實驗的情況，並說這是科學，則只能是一個『偽科學』。」
傾向佛教異端
另一方面，精通佛學思想的梁博士又指出，「幸福科學」提出類似佛教式的解釋方法，但它的解釋不是正統的佛家，而是異端形態的佛教。
以輪迴的觀念為例，「幸福科學」強調科學能實證這一概念。對此梁博士表示幸福科學嘗試為這個世界有很多現象、比如家庭的現像用輪迴去作解釋系統，但用科學方法去解釋輪迴的做法早已被推翻，在科學界不再被重視。其實科學家已將所有輪迴的「科學證據」否決了，所謂「證據」指的是有人聲稱回憶起自己的「前世」，此現象曾被視為是科學家通過催眠的方法去達致的，並因此被視為一個科學的證據。後來這些「證據」亦被摒棄掉，因為科學家去考查那些所謂通過催眠術出來的幾千個記憶事件，沒有一個能被印證在歷史上曾經發生的，同時科學家也證實催眠術也不能喚起正確的回憶，由催眠所產的所謂「輪迴的回憶」都被證實為無效，因此那些輪迴的「證據」全都已被科學家推翻，不被視為真實。
梁博士甚至認為「幸福科學」利用輪迴理論去講靈界更接近法輪的觀點，而不是佛教正統的講法，因為佛教並不那麼強調靈界的觀點的，所「幸福科學」傾向是佛教的異端。例如法輪亦算此類，因為它自稱能讓人成佛，其實亦是提出一些理論，嘗試去解釋這世界有很多空間存在，並有各種靈進入這個世界，但這些都是隨意提出的講法，並無任何實證的基礎，因此這個理論一來不合符科學基本原則的要求，第二它提出的解釋系統亦無法被證明有任何的可靠性及公正性。
「幸福科學」聲稱能帶給人幸福，梁博士指出，此說隨意的運用它自身的解釋系統，嘗試指示人一個走向幸福的方向，但它提出的解釋系統本身並無任何可信性，即不符合科學，亦無法在任何哲學理論上被認定是理性，所以他認為這只能稱為一個異端或膜拜團體，或非正統的教派。他說：「它隨意提一套不可知、不可證實的理論，去指引人做某一些無法辨別真偽的實踐，通過這些實踐讓人去購買它的商品，所以最後可以稱之為一個『宗教性的商業行為』。」
科學實證不適用於心靈修養
那麼，現代人真的需要科學幫助實證或探究心靈的世界嗎﹖梁博士認為科學實證指向的是可實證的現象，但主觀的修養或修練則不屬實證科學的範圍。他說：「科學實證是在實驗中可以重演，並且可以預測，例如H2+O會產生水，這樣重覆就產生水，這個叫做『預測』，這些才是科學實證。而他講的『科學實證』卻是通過一些修養方法達到一些體會，而他視之為實證，但其實這些不屬於科學實證。」
基督教也會憑著人們的主觀經驗去嘗試證明上帝的存在，如此的「見證」都是不靠譜嗎﹖據梁博士所說，若一些經驗有足夠的普遍性，則可說也具有更高度的真實性：「比如有100人通過同樣的修行方式得到同樣的經驗，可以說這是具有較多的普遍性的經驗，但也不是被證明是一個真理。」他舉例若要解釋一些通過修練達至的經驗或境界，則大可以用哲學方法去分析，例如現象學就是通過某些宗教修煉而達到某些境界諸如得到一些領悟，又如當基督徒打開心靈、並通過信心接受上帝是耶穌基督的同時所經歷到的喜樂、上帝的安慰都是普遍的經驗。這類的普遍經驗不能被視為科學的實證，只能說是具有普遍性的主觀經驗，並哲學上可說是具有更高的真實性，但絕不稱之為科學實證。
因此梁博士認為「幸福科學」的創辦者利用「科學」說項可說是看出他無受過真正訓練，只是提出來一個解釋系統，聲稱可以解決人生的某些問題，並將之推廣為一個膜拜系統，並加入宗教式的觀點讓人去跟從。
對此等以「大師」的高姿態來吸引信眾的「宗教」，梁博士認為見怪不怪：「這些所謂大師式的講法是時常有的，比如法輪亦然。他們大師身份來吹噓和自我宣傳，說自己是大師啊、活佛啊和古鲁（印度教的教主Guru）基本上是無牌照的。當你自稱為大師，或者是得道的活佛，事實是無檢定的機構發個憑證或給一個牌照說『啊！你真是達至大師！』沒有一個客觀標準衡量怎麼算是大師，很多大師型的宣稱都是自封的。所以街頭很多呃神騙鬼的各種的迷信用命理學術或風水來欺騙人的，通常他們都自詡為大師來增加自己的權威性。」
他又認為「幸福科學」的大川隆法亦是走這一種大師路線，因此將之視為非正統教派以宣揚某種宗教，並提出不可證實的實證系統來吸引人跟從。有的跟從者可能主觀地得到某些感覺，傳開去之後又吸引更多人去跟從。梁博士說：「世間上最厲害的邪教通常都是用這樣的方法，但達到邪教地步的會去殺人、或叫人自殺，或因等待某種的末日來臨而引致集體的性的放縱或集體的自殺，這些都叫做邪教。但他(大川隆法)這種未到邪教的地步，只是隨意胡亂提出一個解釋系統去引致某些人跟從。我相信這些非正統教派的只要對社會無害不算為邪教，但事實上它不具有任何可信的真實性。」
陳麗斯 / 基督日報記者
2011年06月17日02時06分 上午 Posted.
上月在港鐵及報章上都有廣告宣傳一種新興宗教心靈玩意，稱為「幸福科學」，其日本創辦人大川隆法蒞港傳教。
(採訪：于嘉豪、撰文：陳麗斯)
上月在港鐵及報章上都有廣告宣傳一種新興宗教心靈玩意，稱為「幸福科學」，其日本創辦人大川隆法蒞港傳教。「幸福科學」揚言「現代人需要從科學實證的角度，去探究心靈和覺悟世界究竟是什麼」。心靈的覺悟能用科學的方法實證嗎﹖「幸福科學」的本質是什麼呢﹖本報特地與對宗教文化有深厚研究的梁燕城博士作訪談，為這個新興的學說給一個說法。
訪問前半部梁博士逐剖析了「幸福科學」的本質，而第二部份則探討了信仰及科學的關係，以及宗教如何心靈的滿足，更分享了他對選擇自己信仰的看法。
缺乏科學實證的「偽科學」
梁博士指出引用「科學」去講幸福在本質上是對「科學」這個名詞的濫用。從其網站所見他並無對他說的「科學」下定義，亦欠缺對科學的基本認識。嚴格的科學不是用來追求幸福，這是與科學無關的。科學有其基本標準，當有人提出一些講法而又能通過客觀的實驗鑒證的，才能稱之為科學。
怎樣的說法才合符科學?他提到波柏爾提出科學要符合「證偽原則」，當中關鍵是當一樣東西自稱為科學，一定要提供一個被實驗所檢查的原則，意思是原則上可以證明是假的，這是相當重要的科學的標準。另外一些科學哲學家也提出所謂科學是可以提供一個「範式」解釋科學的現象，去指示未來科學的發展，比如牛頓所提出的物理學或愛恩斯坦提出的物理學，形成一種範式，以後可根據規則研究，提供各種實驗的根據。因此任何自稱為科學的若無這些原則基本上不能叫做「科學」。若有人用科學這個字但又不合乎原則，則只能視為偽科學，並且是妄稱科學這個名詞，濫用科學名詞。
就「幸福科學」而論，梁博士認為它的觀點本質上算是偽科學，因為它並未提供任何合乎科學原則的講法，只是隨意用科學這個名詞。整體來說，創辦者明顯是一個無受過基本訓練的人，亂用了一些名詞而形成一些觀點。
他舉例，幸福科學的網站內容裡涉及輪迴之說，並用輪迴解釋人；裡面的靈魂觀稱很龐大的靈界裡有很多靈，他們會通過輪迴投胎轉世成為某些人。「如果用科學去解釋則完全是偽科學，因為它無任何科學方式被否證，不能成為科學。如你要解釋一個完全觀察不到、又無法實驗的情況，並說這是科學，則只能是一個『偽科學』。」
傾向佛教異端
另一方面，精通佛學思想的梁博士又指出，「幸福科學」提出類似佛教式的解釋方法，但它的解釋不是正統的佛家，而是異端形態的佛教。
以輪迴的觀念為例，「幸福科學」強調科學能實證這一概念。對此梁博士表示幸福科學嘗試為這個世界有很多現象、比如家庭的現像用輪迴去作解釋系統，但用科學方法去解釋輪迴的做法早已被推翻，在科學界不再被重視。其實科學家已將所有輪迴的「科學證據」否決了，所謂「證據」指的是有人聲稱回憶起自己的「前世」，此現象曾被視為是科學家通過催眠的方法去達致的，並因此被視為一個科學的證據。後來這些「證據」亦被摒棄掉，因為科學家去考查那些所謂通過催眠術出來的幾千個記憶事件，沒有一個能被印證在歷史上曾經發生的，同時科學家也證實催眠術也不能喚起正確的回憶，由催眠所產的所謂「輪迴的回憶」都被證實為無效，因此那些輪迴的「證據」全都已被科學家推翻，不被視為真實。
梁博士甚至認為「幸福科學」利用輪迴理論去講靈界更接近法輪的觀點，而不是佛教正統的講法，因為佛教並不那麼強調靈界的觀點的，所「幸福科學」傾向是佛教的異端。例如法輪亦算此類，因為它自稱能讓人成佛，其實亦是提出一些理論，嘗試去解釋這世界有很多空間存在，並有各種靈進入這個世界，但這些都是隨意提出的講法，並無任何實證的基礎，因此這個理論一來不合符科學基本原則的要求，第二它提出的解釋系統亦無法被證明有任何的可靠性及公正性。
「幸福科學」聲稱能帶給人幸福，梁博士指出，此說隨意的運用它自身的解釋系統，嘗試指示人一個走向幸福的方向，但它提出的解釋系統本身並無任何可信性，即不符合科學，亦無法在任何哲學理論上被認定是理性，所以他認為這只能稱為一個異端或膜拜團體，或非正統的教派。他說：「它隨意提一套不可知、不可證實的理論，去指引人做某一些無法辨別真偽的實踐，通過這些實踐讓人去購買它的商品，所以最後可以稱之為一個『宗教性的商業行為』。」
科學實證不適用於心靈修養
那麼，現代人真的需要科學幫助實證或探究心靈的世界嗎﹖梁博士認為科學實證指向的是可實證的現象，但主觀的修養或修練則不屬實證科學的範圍。他說：「科學實證是在實驗中可以重演，並且可以預測，例如H2+O會產生水，這樣重覆就產生水，這個叫做『預測』，這些才是科學實證。而他講的『科學實證』卻是通過一些修養方法達到一些體會，而他視之為實證，但其實這些不屬於科學實證。」
基督教也會憑著人們的主觀經驗去嘗試證明上帝的存在，如此的「見證」都是不靠譜嗎﹖據梁博士所說，若一些經驗有足夠的普遍性，則可說也具有更高度的真實性：「比如有100人通過同樣的修行方式得到同樣的經驗，可以說這是具有較多的普遍性的經驗，但也不是被證明是一個真理。」他舉例若要解釋一些通過修練達至的經驗或境界，則大可以用哲學方法去分析，例如現象學就是通過某些宗教修煉而達到某些境界諸如得到一些領悟，又如當基督徒打開心靈、並通過信心接受上帝是耶穌基督的同時所經歷到的喜樂、上帝的安慰都是普遍的經驗。這類的普遍經驗不能被視為科學的實證，只能說是具有普遍性的主觀經驗，並哲學上可說是具有更高的真實性，但絕不稱之為科學實證。
因此梁博士認為「幸福科學」的創辦者利用「科學」說項可說是看出他無受過真正訓練，只是提出來一個解釋系統，聲稱可以解決人生的某些問題，並將之推廣為一個膜拜系統，並加入宗教式的觀點讓人去跟從。
對此等以「大師」的高姿態來吸引信眾的「宗教」，梁博士認為見怪不怪：「這些所謂大師式的講法是時常有的，比如法輪亦然。他們大師身份來吹噓和自我宣傳，說自己是大師啊、活佛啊和古鲁（印度教的教主Guru）基本上是無牌照的。當你自稱為大師，或者是得道的活佛，事實是無檢定的機構發個憑證或給一個牌照說『啊！你真是達至大師！』沒有一個客觀標準衡量怎麼算是大師，很多大師型的宣稱都是自封的。所以街頭很多呃神騙鬼的各種的迷信用命理學術或風水來欺騙人的，通常他們都自詡為大師來增加自己的權威性。」
他又認為「幸福科學」的大川隆法亦是走這一種大師路線，因此將之視為非正統教派以宣揚某種宗教，並提出不可證實的實證系統來吸引人跟從。有的跟從者可能主觀地得到某些感覺，傳開去之後又吸引更多人去跟從。梁博士說：「世間上最厲害的邪教通常都是用這樣的方法，但達到邪教地步的會去殺人、或叫人自殺，或因等待某種的末日來臨而引致集體的性的放縱或集體的自殺，這些都叫做邪教。但他(大川隆法)這種未到邪教的地步，只是隨意胡亂提出一個解釋系統去引致某些人跟從。我相信這些非正統教派的只要對社會無害不算為邪教，但事實上它不具有任何可信的真實性。」
Sunday, June 12, 2011
基督徒要等事業有成才返教會？
基督徒要等事業有成才返教會？ / 一牧者 : 眾議園 -《時代論壇》Christian Times
一牧者 : 眾議園
《時代論壇》Christian Times
表面上，「基督徒要等事業有成才返教會」這句話似乎十惡不赦，卻是不少基督徒的潛在思想，因香港基督教圈子內熱賣的見證，都是高官或跨國企業高級行政人員退休後，如何運用工作時的知識，為主作大事，而當中不少是年輕時已認識主，但到退休後才穩定返教會的。
若教會過份吹捧這類見證，其實等於鼓勵基督徒要等事業有成才返教會，按這邏輯，教會大可不必做成人事工，只用做兒童、青少年和長者事工便夠了，免得成年信徒不能全力為事業打拼，不能爬上高位，退休後不能為主作大事。
按這邏輯，教會也不應做兒童和青少年事工，因一樣會減少他們讀書的時間，影響他們入讀名牌大學的機會，以致將來不能成為高官或跨國企業高級行政人員。
按這邏輯，教會只做長者事工便夠，但當然不是街邊下棋的阿伯，而是提早退休的高官或跨國企業高級行政人員，這樣教會便會有龐大的人力物力，可以為主作大事，之後又可開教會增長講座，教人如何使教會興旺，正如private banking只做high net-worth individuals便夠。
這種培育信徒的觀念合乎聖經嗎？成年信徒為信仰生活犧牲事業，是沒價值的嗎（犧牲的意思是用了時間讀經、祈禱、傳福音、返教會，以致不能全力為事業打拼，最後事業發展不如人）？還是香港教會已中了資本主義效益至上的毒？
第一二四一期.二○一一年六月十二日
一牧者 : 眾議園
《時代論壇》Christian Times
表面上，「基督徒要等事業有成才返教會」這句話似乎十惡不赦，卻是不少基督徒的潛在思想，因香港基督教圈子內熱賣的見證，都是高官或跨國企業高級行政人員退休後，如何運用工作時的知識，為主作大事，而當中不少是年輕時已認識主，但到退休後才穩定返教會的。
若教會過份吹捧這類見證，其實等於鼓勵基督徒要等事業有成才返教會，按這邏輯，教會大可不必做成人事工，只用做兒童、青少年和長者事工便夠了，免得成年信徒不能全力為事業打拼，不能爬上高位，退休後不能為主作大事。
按這邏輯，教會也不應做兒童和青少年事工，因一樣會減少他們讀書的時間，影響他們入讀名牌大學的機會，以致將來不能成為高官或跨國企業高級行政人員。
按這邏輯，教會只做長者事工便夠，但當然不是街邊下棋的阿伯，而是提早退休的高官或跨國企業高級行政人員，這樣教會便會有龐大的人力物力，可以為主作大事，之後又可開教會增長講座，教人如何使教會興旺，正如private banking只做high net-worth individuals便夠。
這種培育信徒的觀念合乎聖經嗎？成年信徒為信仰生活犧牲事業，是沒價值的嗎（犧牲的意思是用了時間讀經、祈禱、傳福音、返教會，以致不能全力為事業打拼，最後事業發展不如人）？還是香港教會已中了資本主義效益至上的毒？
第一二四一期.二○一一年六月十二日
Saturday, June 04, 2011
'Sports are supposed to be fun': Jays' Jo-Jo Reyes shares his 5 lessons for success
TheStar 'Sports are supposed to be fun': Jays' Jo-Jo Reyes shares his 5 lessons for success
Jo-Jo Reyes
Special to the Star
A pie in my face. Gatorade dumped on my back. The fans chanting my name.
Then a big hug from teammate Ricky Romero, who said Monday after I went the distance — a complete game, pitching all nine innings — in a victory over the Cleveland Indians: “Hey man, you can smile now. It’s over.”
Finally, I was a winner again, this time as a Toronto Blue Jay.
For three years, I’d gone without a victory as a starter — string of losses and no decisions that made it a winless streak, not a losing streak. My last “W” — June 13, 2008, against the Anaheim Angels when I was a member of the Atlanta Braves. I was at 28 starts without a victory. Another loss on Monday would have set a Major League Baseball record at 29.
So how, after three years of hard luck, did I became a winner once more?
Did I use a special trick, a change in routine, a complete makeover to my pitching style?
No, is the short answer. The slightly longer answer is I never lost sight of how much I love baseball and that a good attitude is as important as good work habits in the gym or on the field.
The Star asked me to give readers my lessons on how to be a winner — even if you’re not a major leaguer. I’ve given it some thought and here are five basic steps that work for me:
No. 1: Have fun
I’ve said many times that my teammates are awesome and it’s true. Sports are supposed to be fun and we have some good laughs. For example, they kept the mood light for me before Monday’s game, which helped. Brandon Morrow sent out a Tweet that day, jokingly asking for a goat or a chicken to sacrifice to change my luck. Funny guy. Smiling is not a sign of weakness. Even when others think things look bleak, whether it’s at work or at school, a sense of humour can be valuable.
No. 2: Preparation
There is no shortcut to excellence at the park, in the classroom or in the boardroom. There is no substitution for hard work, day in and day out. The physical component is critical — core training and aerobic sessions are part of my routine — but so is the psychological prep.
The Jays have a great online video library, where pitchers can access research on any hitter to review. It’s my responsibility to be mentally prepared to go to work, just like everyone else.
No. 3: Forget yesterday
Shake it off. That’s a cliché, I know. But that’s what you have to do. You can’t bring disappointment from one game into the next because it’s mental baggage. Neither can you expect an easy outing just because the last game went well — that can be just as troublesome as negative thoughts. Each game is a fresh start, no matter what your game in life is.
No. 4: Confidence
While I wished I was winning over the past three years, it wasn’t like I was frustrated, gloomy or down about it. As I said in step No. 3, forget yesterday and focus on what you can control in the future. Be confident in your skill and your knowledge.
Confidence can be infectious. On Monday, the fans were chanting: “We believe, we believe.” Then they chanted my name through the entire ninth inning. It was incredible to have that kind of support.
I also pitched the first complete game of my career on Monday. That was because manager John Farrell let it happen. He believed I could finish the game and I went out there and proved I could.
No. 5: Don’t forget
To me, humility is vital to success. How I was raised, the people I chose as friends, my coaches along the way — I wouldn’t be pitching for the Blue Jays if all those generous people hadn’t invested their time in me. I didn’t get here by myself and it’s helpful to keep your achievements in perspective. It’s also good to give back to your community, reach out to those who could use a helping hand. Remember, someone helped you along the way.
So, that’s a little peek into my personal playbook. A win-loss record is one gauge of an athlete’s success and, of course, that’s important. That’s why we compete, that’s why we dream of winning championships from the time we’re little boys.
But how people feel about you — your family, friends, teammates and fans — is another indicator. You’re always a winner when you’re surrounded by people who care about you. The trade that brought me to Toronto last year did that for me.
Jo-Jo Reyes
Special to the Star
A pie in my face. Gatorade dumped on my back. The fans chanting my name.
Then a big hug from teammate Ricky Romero, who said Monday after I went the distance — a complete game, pitching all nine innings — in a victory over the Cleveland Indians: “Hey man, you can smile now. It’s over.”
Finally, I was a winner again, this time as a Toronto Blue Jay.
For three years, I’d gone without a victory as a starter — string of losses and no decisions that made it a winless streak, not a losing streak. My last “W” — June 13, 2008, against the Anaheim Angels when I was a member of the Atlanta Braves. I was at 28 starts without a victory. Another loss on Monday would have set a Major League Baseball record at 29.
So how, after three years of hard luck, did I became a winner once more?
Did I use a special trick, a change in routine, a complete makeover to my pitching style?
No, is the short answer. The slightly longer answer is I never lost sight of how much I love baseball and that a good attitude is as important as good work habits in the gym or on the field.
The Star asked me to give readers my lessons on how to be a winner — even if you’re not a major leaguer. I’ve given it some thought and here are five basic steps that work for me:
No. 1: Have fun
I’ve said many times that my teammates are awesome and it’s true. Sports are supposed to be fun and we have some good laughs. For example, they kept the mood light for me before Monday’s game, which helped. Brandon Morrow sent out a Tweet that day, jokingly asking for a goat or a chicken to sacrifice to change my luck. Funny guy. Smiling is not a sign of weakness. Even when others think things look bleak, whether it’s at work or at school, a sense of humour can be valuable.
No. 2: Preparation
There is no shortcut to excellence at the park, in the classroom or in the boardroom. There is no substitution for hard work, day in and day out. The physical component is critical — core training and aerobic sessions are part of my routine — but so is the psychological prep.
The Jays have a great online video library, where pitchers can access research on any hitter to review. It’s my responsibility to be mentally prepared to go to work, just like everyone else.
No. 3: Forget yesterday
Shake it off. That’s a cliché, I know. But that’s what you have to do. You can’t bring disappointment from one game into the next because it’s mental baggage. Neither can you expect an easy outing just because the last game went well — that can be just as troublesome as negative thoughts. Each game is a fresh start, no matter what your game in life is.
No. 4: Confidence
While I wished I was winning over the past three years, it wasn’t like I was frustrated, gloomy or down about it. As I said in step No. 3, forget yesterday and focus on what you can control in the future. Be confident in your skill and your knowledge.
Confidence can be infectious. On Monday, the fans were chanting: “We believe, we believe.” Then they chanted my name through the entire ninth inning. It was incredible to have that kind of support.
I also pitched the first complete game of my career on Monday. That was because manager John Farrell let it happen. He believed I could finish the game and I went out there and proved I could.
No. 5: Don’t forget
To me, humility is vital to success. How I was raised, the people I chose as friends, my coaches along the way — I wouldn’t be pitching for the Blue Jays if all those generous people hadn’t invested their time in me. I didn’t get here by myself and it’s helpful to keep your achievements in perspective. It’s also good to give back to your community, reach out to those who could use a helping hand. Remember, someone helped you along the way.
So, that’s a little peek into my personal playbook. A win-loss record is one gauge of an athlete’s success and, of course, that’s important. That’s why we compete, that’s why we dream of winning championships from the time we’re little boys.
But how people feel about you — your family, friends, teammates and fans — is another indicator. You’re always a winner when you’re surrounded by people who care about you. The trade that brought me to Toronto last year did that for me.
Friday, June 03, 2011
職場事奉的迷思 / 黃元山 : 經世理財 -《時代論壇》Christian Times
職場事奉的迷思 / 黃元山 : 經世理財 -《時代論壇》Christian Times
職場事奉的迷思
黃元山
電郵：wongcomment@yahoo.com.hk
從內地西北的城市短宣回來，配合當地的宣教士的服事；由於政治宗教關係，當地的宣教士都是帶職事奉的。可以這樣說，內地的宣教士是被迫帶職事奉的，因為他們沒有其他選擇。他們是全職宣教士，但同時又是學生、商人、專業人士等。這模式對時下流行談到的「職場事奉」，有沒有一定的啟發呢？
時下說的「職場事奉」，其中令人憂慮的一點，是這模式是否只是一個「卸膊」的藉口：「我已經在搞『職場事奉』，其他的事奉不用預我。」另外，這是否一個另類的權利鬥爭：「你們在教會事奉的，不懂我們『職場事奉』的難處，所以，你們少管我們吧。」
話雖如此，我認為一般的教牧同工是比較難理解一般信徒「職場事奉」的迷惑。
打個比喻，我們都知道向家人傳福音是最困難的，雖然我們最愛他們，最心急他們得救，但往往正因為太過「近」而增加難度。同樣地，向未信的同事傳福音，也具有同樣難度，特別是在一些講求效率的金融機構，可能你剛跟你的下屬談耶穌的愛，轉頭便要「逼迫」他們在「死線」內盡快交出業績。
有一位著名的學者（牧者），為研究了解「職場事奉」，於是「下海」做生意。之後他寫了很多書，講授有關職場事奉的神學。平信徒打工，是沒選擇地去「搵食」；神學教授下海，是有建制的支持，我懷疑這個打工實驗，對在每天職場掙扎的啟發有多少。也有全時間在教會事奉的朋友告訴我，他們也是打工的，所以了解職場事奉的種種迷惑；我希望他只是說笑而已，否則他便不知道他不知道甚麼。
不過，事實上我們不應濫用「信徒皆祭司」，這不是新約無中生有的發明，而是舊約的一個概念，就是以色列人是萬民中的祭司，傳遞上帝的救恩。我們基督徒也是一樣，「信徒皆祭司」不等於沒有祭司，我們仍然相信和接受牧師按立的傳統。大衛的帳幕中，祭司和利未人不一定要了解在前面打仗同僚的情況，重要是因人而異、各司其職。
國內宣教士的啟發，是他們先認定了自己祭司的身份，就是要使萬民得救，至於他們的方法、賺錢不賺錢、高調或低調、本地的教會接納與否，便成為次要的問題。我們平常在職場上，有多少時候仍然記得自己首先是甚麼身份呢？
（作者為中大全球政治經濟碩士課程客席講師）
第一二三九期.二○一一年五月廿九日
職場事奉的迷思
黃元山
電郵：wongcomment@yahoo.com.hk
從內地西北的城市短宣回來，配合當地的宣教士的服事；由於政治宗教關係，當地的宣教士都是帶職事奉的。可以這樣說，內地的宣教士是被迫帶職事奉的，因為他們沒有其他選擇。他們是全職宣教士，但同時又是學生、商人、專業人士等。這模式對時下流行談到的「職場事奉」，有沒有一定的啟發呢？
時下說的「職場事奉」，其中令人憂慮的一點，是這模式是否只是一個「卸膊」的藉口：「我已經在搞『職場事奉』，其他的事奉不用預我。」另外，這是否一個另類的權利鬥爭：「你們在教會事奉的，不懂我們『職場事奉』的難處，所以，你們少管我們吧。」
話雖如此，我認為一般的教牧同工是比較難理解一般信徒「職場事奉」的迷惑。
打個比喻，我們都知道向家人傳福音是最困難的，雖然我們最愛他們，最心急他們得救，但往往正因為太過「近」而增加難度。同樣地，向未信的同事傳福音，也具有同樣難度，特別是在一些講求效率的金融機構，可能你剛跟你的下屬談耶穌的愛，轉頭便要「逼迫」他們在「死線」內盡快交出業績。
有一位著名的學者（牧者），為研究了解「職場事奉」，於是「下海」做生意。之後他寫了很多書，講授有關職場事奉的神學。平信徒打工，是沒選擇地去「搵食」；神學教授下海，是有建制的支持，我懷疑這個打工實驗，對在每天職場掙扎的啟發有多少。也有全時間在教會事奉的朋友告訴我，他們也是打工的，所以了解職場事奉的種種迷惑；我希望他只是說笑而已，否則他便不知道他不知道甚麼。
不過，事實上我們不應濫用「信徒皆祭司」，這不是新約無中生有的發明，而是舊約的一個概念，就是以色列人是萬民中的祭司，傳遞上帝的救恩。我們基督徒也是一樣，「信徒皆祭司」不等於沒有祭司，我們仍然相信和接受牧師按立的傳統。大衛的帳幕中，祭司和利未人不一定要了解在前面打仗同僚的情況，重要是因人而異、各司其職。
國內宣教士的啟發，是他們先認定了自己祭司的身份，就是要使萬民得救，至於他們的方法、賺錢不賺錢、高調或低調、本地的教會接納與否，便成為次要的問題。我們平常在職場上，有多少時候仍然記得自己首先是甚麼身份呢？
（作者為中大全球政治經濟碩士課程客席講師）
第一二三九期.二○一一年五月廿九日
"Tell the Coming Generation" (ps 78)
5 因為他在雅各中立法度、在以色列中設律法、是他吩咐我們祖宗、要傳給子孫的． 6 使將要生的後代子孫、可以曉得．他們也要起來告訴他們的子孫． 7 好叫他們仰望 神、不忘記 神的作為．惟要守他的命令． 8 不要像他們的祖宗、是頑梗悖逆居心不正之輩、向著 神心不誠實。
18 他們心中試探 神、隨自己所欲的求食物． 19 並且妄論 神、說、 神在曠野豈能擺設筵席麼。 20 他曾擊打磐石、使水湧出、成了江河．他還能賜糧食麼．還能為他的百姓豫備肉麼。 21 所以耶和華聽見、就發怒．有烈火向雅各燒起、有怒氣向以色列上騰． 22 因為他們不信服 神、不倚賴他的救恩。 23 他卻吩咐天空、又敞開天上的門、 24 降嗎哪像雨給他們喫、將天上的糧食賜給他們。
32 雖是這樣、他們仍舊犯罪、不信他奇妙的作為。 33 因此他叫他們的日子、全歸虛空、叫他們的年歲、盡屬驚恐。 34 他殺他們的時候、他們才求問他、回心轉意、切切的尋求 神。 35 他們也追念 神是他們的磐石、至高的 神、是他們的救贖主。 36 他們卻用口諂媚他、用舌向他說謊。 37 因他們的心向他不正、在他的約上也不忠心。 38 但他有憐憫、赦免他們的罪孽、不滅絕他們．而且屢次消他的怒氣、不發盡他的忿怒。
65 那時主像世人睡醒、像勇士飲酒呼喊。 66 他就打退了他的敵人、叫他們永蒙羞辱。 67 並且他棄掉約瑟的帳棚、不揀選以法蓮支派、 68 卻揀選猶大支派、他所喜愛的錫安山． 69 蓋造他的聖所、好像高峰、又像他建立永存之地。 70 又揀選他的僕人大衛、從羊圈中將他召來． 71 叫他不再跟從那些帶奶的母羊、為要牧養自己的百姓雅各、和自己的產業以色列。 72 於是他按心中的純正、牧養他們、用手中的巧妙、引導他們。
18 他們心中試探 神、隨自己所欲的求食物． 19 並且妄論 神、說、 神在曠野豈能擺設筵席麼。 20 他曾擊打磐石、使水湧出、成了江河．他還能賜糧食麼．還能為他的百姓豫備肉麼。 21 所以耶和華聽見、就發怒．有烈火向雅各燒起、有怒氣向以色列上騰． 22 因為他們不信服 神、不倚賴他的救恩。 23 他卻吩咐天空、又敞開天上的門、 24 降嗎哪像雨給他們喫、將天上的糧食賜給他們。
32 雖是這樣、他們仍舊犯罪、不信他奇妙的作為。 33 因此他叫他們的日子、全歸虛空、叫他們的年歲、盡屬驚恐。 34 他殺他們的時候、他們才求問他、回心轉意、切切的尋求 神。 35 他們也追念 神是他們的磐石、至高的 神、是他們的救贖主。 36 他們卻用口諂媚他、用舌向他說謊。 37 因他們的心向他不正、在他的約上也不忠心。 38 但他有憐憫、赦免他們的罪孽、不滅絕他們．而且屢次消他的怒氣、不發盡他的忿怒。
65 那時主像世人睡醒、像勇士飲酒呼喊。 66 他就打退了他的敵人、叫他們永蒙羞辱。 67 並且他棄掉約瑟的帳棚、不揀選以法蓮支派、 68 卻揀選猶大支派、他所喜愛的錫安山． 69 蓋造他的聖所、好像高峰、又像他建立永存之地。 70 又揀選他的僕人大衛、從羊圈中將他召來． 71 叫他不再跟從那些帶奶的母羊、為要牧養自己的百姓雅各、和自己的產業以色列。 72 於是他按心中的純正、牧養他們、用手中的巧妙、引導他們。
His Comfort (Ps 77)
1 〔亞薩的詩、照耶杜頓的作法、交與伶長。〕我要向 神發聲呼求．我向 神發聲、他必留心聽我。 2 我在患難之日尋求主．我在夜間不住的舉手禱告．我的心不肯受安慰。 3 我想念 神、就煩燥不安．我沉吟悲傷、心便發昏。〔細拉〕 4 你叫我不能閉眼．我煩亂不安、甚至不能說話。 5 我追想古時之日、上古之年。 6 我想起我夜間的歌曲、捫心自問．我心裏也仔細省察。 7 難道主要永遠丟棄我、不再施恩麼． 8 難道他的慈愛永遠窮盡、他的應許世世廢棄麼． 9 難道 神忘記開恩．因發怒就止住他的慈悲麼。〔細拉〕 10 我便說、這是我的懦弱．但我要追念至高者顯出右手之年代。
11 我要提說耶和華所行的．我要記念你古時的奇事。 12 我也要思想你的經營、默念你的作為。 13 神阿、你的作為是潔淨的．有何神大如 神呢。 14 你是行奇事的 神．你曾在列邦中、彰顯你的能力。 15 你曾用你的膀臂贖了你的民、就是雅各和約瑟的子孫。〔細拉〕 16 神阿、諸水見你、一見就都驚惶．深淵也都戰抖。 17 雲中倒出水來．天空發出響聲．你的箭也飛行四方。 18 你的雷聲在旋風中．電光照亮世界．大地戰抖震動。 19 你的道在海中、你的路在大水中、你的腳蹤無人知道。 20 你曾藉摩西和亞倫的手、引導你的百姓、好像羊群一般。
11 我要提說耶和華所行的．我要記念你古時的奇事。 12 我也要思想你的經營、默念你的作為。 13 神阿、你的作為是潔淨的．有何神大如 神呢。 14 你是行奇事的 神．你曾在列邦中、彰顯你的能力。 15 你曾用你的膀臂贖了你的民、就是雅各和約瑟的子孫。〔細拉〕 16 神阿、諸水見你、一見就都驚惶．深淵也都戰抖。 17 雲中倒出水來．天空發出響聲．你的箭也飛行四方。 18 你的雷聲在旋風中．電光照亮世界．大地戰抖震動。 19 你的道在海中、你的路在大水中、你的腳蹤無人知道。 20 你曾藉摩西和亞倫的手、引導你的百姓、好像羊群一般。
Friday, May 27, 2011
"To err is human; to forgive, divine."
(From TSN, http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367030 )
KERRY FRASER
5/27/2011 10:41:34 AM
Today marks the 18th anniversary of Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Final between the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. We all know what happened in that game and not a day goes by that a member of the TSN.ca community reminds Kerry about it (some of them nice, most of them not so nice) at cmonref@tsn.ca. So on this day, Kerry responds...
Kerry,
Do you remember what happened 18 years ago today? Have you cleared your mind of it since or do you carry it around with you like luggage?
Joe, Halifax
-----
Kerry,
Can you go one day without someone mentioning the Gilmour-Gretzky incident to you?
Cory Maas, Toronto
-----
Hey Kerry,
What can you say to me to make me stop hating your guts after the missed high stick in 93? You cost us the Cup because everyone knows we would have whupped the Habs!
Andrew, Toronto
-----
Hi Kerry,
Did Gilmour or Gretzky ever talk to you/confront you about you know what back in 1993? Is it a taboo subject?
Stephen Anderson - Oakville, Ontario
No official wants to make or miss a call that has an impact on a game or a series. It becomes a bitter pill to swallow.
On the 18th anniversary of the infamous "Missed Call," for many a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, the bitterness has never subsided.
Every year, right up to my final season as a referee in the NHL I was contacted by the media on this day and asked to rehash the play. They always ran with it and feelings were dredged up from old wounds that have never healed; especially from those that harbour hatred towards me. I devoted an entire chapter in my book (coming out in updated paperback and e-book versions this fall - nice plug!), "The Final Call" entitled, "The Missed Call" and put it all out there; including a sincere apology to Leafs fans everywhere for not having seen the play.
My dear wife, Kathy has always told us (our seven children and I) that feelings exist. They are real and for the person who holds onto them there is no right or wrong; just that they exist. I have never avoided the subject when asked and today won't be any different. I will respond to your questions and accept that your feelings exist as another anniversary passes.
Yes, Joe in Halifax, I do remember those aching feelings well. The helplessness of not knowing for sure what had just occurred as Doug Gilmour dabbed blood from his chin and prevented it from staining the Fabulous Forum ice lingers in my memory. While I don't carry it with me like "luggage," the baggage that many a Leafs fan continually pack, makes it impossible for the memory to ever go away. After all it was only 18 short years ago! Perhaps more time is required to close the wound?
Cory in Toronto, I live in New Jersey and nobody south of the 49th Parallel is really affected by this. Many events have occurred for me since that night in Los Angeles, both professionally and personally.
I worked several Stanley Cup Finals; the World Cup of Hockey; the Winter Olympics in Nagano; the 2000 All Star Game in Toronto; the Winter Classic in Boston's Fenway Park to mention a few in a record setting career.
On a personal level, I buried my father in 2001 - the same father that chased a Leafs fan from Kitchener up the street with an axe in the wee hours of the morning after the game in '93. The uninvited assailant drove away in haste after continually ramming into Dad's mini-motor home parked in the driveway of his Sarnia home. (Kitchener is close to a two-hour drive from Sarnia in Southern Ontario.) My mother has retired the referee whistle that hung on a skate lace by her telephone at the ready to blow into the phone whenever terribly obscene phone calls were received at their home.
We have witnessed our children's graduation from high school and university. Kathy and I shared in the joy at weddings for three of our children to this point, along with the current engagement of two others. We have been blessed with five beautiful grandchildren years after the missed call. Life is not static unless we chose it to be and mine has continually moved forward.
That being said, when I was in Toronto at the TSN studios for the first month of the Stanley Cup Playoffs every day someone would recognize me and ask me about '93. The supervising producer who coordinates the website at TSN sifts through all your questions and provides me with the ones I answer in this column. He tells me there is at least one a day on the Gretzky-Gilmour subject. In some camps the very mention of my name causes vitriol unlike no other.
Stephen Anderson in Oakville, I did speak to Doug Gilmour about the missed call in a telephone conversation he and I had last summer. It was most cordial, even friendly as we shared stories and different perspectives from our long careers. Doug Gilmour is a class act beyond being the tremendous player, captain and leader that he was throughout his career. Doug understands that plays are missed and mistakes are made by officials and players alike. In that conversation, 'Killer' shared something I have seen him state publicly in the past. Doug said, "Give me Game 7 back in my home building and I'd take it any time. We just didn't get it done."
Doug Gilmour retired as a Maple Leaf in the 2002-2003 season. During almost 10 years that we were on the ice together after May 27, 1993, I never heard Doug Gilmour reference that play with me. At no time did I ever discuss the incident with Wayne Gretzky. Why would I? Wayne knew what happened better than any of us.
And finally to all the "Andrews of Toronto" that need me to say something that might help make you "stop hating my guts." I don't really think there is much more that I can say that hasn't been already said. "I'm sorry, I missed the call, I blew it..." just don't seem to be helping you let go of it or the fact that the Leafs lost Game 7 back in Toronto.
Instead, please allow me to share with you a quote that Doug Gilmour gave to Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun on the occasion of my last game worked in the Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2010. Your captain said, "Please let it go. It's over. The man's retiring. For the sake of his sanity, let it go."
If that fails Andrew, I would like to offer the wisdom of Alexander Pope (even though he didn't play for the Toronto Maple Leafs) who said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."
Peace be with you...
KERRY FRASER
5/27/2011 10:41:34 AM
Today marks the 18th anniversary of Game 6 of the Campbell Conference Final between the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. We all know what happened in that game and not a day goes by that a member of the TSN.ca community reminds Kerry about it (some of them nice, most of them not so nice) at cmonref@tsn.ca. So on this day, Kerry responds...
Kerry,
Do you remember what happened 18 years ago today? Have you cleared your mind of it since or do you carry it around with you like luggage?
Joe, Halifax
-----
Kerry,
Can you go one day without someone mentioning the Gilmour-Gretzky incident to you?
Cory Maas, Toronto
-----
Hey Kerry,
What can you say to me to make me stop hating your guts after the missed high stick in 93? You cost us the Cup because everyone knows we would have whupped the Habs!
Andrew, Toronto
-----
Hi Kerry,
Did Gilmour or Gretzky ever talk to you/confront you about you know what back in 1993? Is it a taboo subject?
Stephen Anderson - Oakville, Ontario
No official wants to make or miss a call that has an impact on a game or a series. It becomes a bitter pill to swallow.
On the 18th anniversary of the infamous "Missed Call," for many a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, the bitterness has never subsided.
Every year, right up to my final season as a referee in the NHL I was contacted by the media on this day and asked to rehash the play. They always ran with it and feelings were dredged up from old wounds that have never healed; especially from those that harbour hatred towards me. I devoted an entire chapter in my book (coming out in updated paperback and e-book versions this fall - nice plug!), "The Final Call" entitled, "The Missed Call" and put it all out there; including a sincere apology to Leafs fans everywhere for not having seen the play.
My dear wife, Kathy has always told us (our seven children and I) that feelings exist. They are real and for the person who holds onto them there is no right or wrong; just that they exist. I have never avoided the subject when asked and today won't be any different. I will respond to your questions and accept that your feelings exist as another anniversary passes.
Yes, Joe in Halifax, I do remember those aching feelings well. The helplessness of not knowing for sure what had just occurred as Doug Gilmour dabbed blood from his chin and prevented it from staining the Fabulous Forum ice lingers in my memory. While I don't carry it with me like "luggage," the baggage that many a Leafs fan continually pack, makes it impossible for the memory to ever go away. After all it was only 18 short years ago! Perhaps more time is required to close the wound?
Cory in Toronto, I live in New Jersey and nobody south of the 49th Parallel is really affected by this. Many events have occurred for me since that night in Los Angeles, both professionally and personally.
I worked several Stanley Cup Finals; the World Cup of Hockey; the Winter Olympics in Nagano; the 2000 All Star Game in Toronto; the Winter Classic in Boston's Fenway Park to mention a few in a record setting career.
On a personal level, I buried my father in 2001 - the same father that chased a Leafs fan from Kitchener up the street with an axe in the wee hours of the morning after the game in '93. The uninvited assailant drove away in haste after continually ramming into Dad's mini-motor home parked in the driveway of his Sarnia home. (Kitchener is close to a two-hour drive from Sarnia in Southern Ontario.) My mother has retired the referee whistle that hung on a skate lace by her telephone at the ready to blow into the phone whenever terribly obscene phone calls were received at their home.
We have witnessed our children's graduation from high school and university. Kathy and I shared in the joy at weddings for three of our children to this point, along with the current engagement of two others. We have been blessed with five beautiful grandchildren years after the missed call. Life is not static unless we chose it to be and mine has continually moved forward.
That being said, when I was in Toronto at the TSN studios for the first month of the Stanley Cup Playoffs every day someone would recognize me and ask me about '93. The supervising producer who coordinates the website at TSN sifts through all your questions and provides me with the ones I answer in this column. He tells me there is at least one a day on the Gretzky-Gilmour subject. In some camps the very mention of my name causes vitriol unlike no other.
Stephen Anderson in Oakville, I did speak to Doug Gilmour about the missed call in a telephone conversation he and I had last summer. It was most cordial, even friendly as we shared stories and different perspectives from our long careers. Doug Gilmour is a class act beyond being the tremendous player, captain and leader that he was throughout his career. Doug understands that plays are missed and mistakes are made by officials and players alike. In that conversation, 'Killer' shared something I have seen him state publicly in the past. Doug said, "Give me Game 7 back in my home building and I'd take it any time. We just didn't get it done."
Doug Gilmour retired as a Maple Leaf in the 2002-2003 season. During almost 10 years that we were on the ice together after May 27, 1993, I never heard Doug Gilmour reference that play with me. At no time did I ever discuss the incident with Wayne Gretzky. Why would I? Wayne knew what happened better than any of us.
And finally to all the "Andrews of Toronto" that need me to say something that might help make you "stop hating my guts." I don't really think there is much more that I can say that hasn't been already said. "I'm sorry, I missed the call, I blew it..." just don't seem to be helping you let go of it or the fact that the Leafs lost Game 7 back in Toronto.
Instead, please allow me to share with you a quote that Doug Gilmour gave to Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun on the occasion of my last game worked in the Air Canada Centre on March 27, 2010. Your captain said, "Please let it go. It's over. The man's retiring. For the sake of his sanity, let it go."
If that fails Andrew, I would like to offer the wisdom of Alexander Pope (even though he didn't play for the Toronto Maple Leafs) who said, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."
Peace be with you...
Thursday, May 26, 2011
愛 ‧ Love
喜悦、张海军 20110522 中国达人秀片段
「喜悅和張海軍，這是一對非常普通的中國夫妻。視頻中所表現的是在現今這個物質為上，扭曲價值觀的世界中最平凡但是最珍貴的一段真愛！在中國擺地攤是比較難以維持生活的，喜悅是一個平凡的女人，但是她的那一句"把愛情進行到底"，我承認我被她深深的感動了！」
愛就是這樣.
This is what we call "LOVE".
"Love" is not only about "feeling"...
but its so deep that its un-describable and only the sacrifices will tell others all about it...
「喜悅和張海軍，這是一對非常普通的中國夫妻。視頻中所表現的是在現今這個物質為上，扭曲價值觀的世界中最平凡但是最珍貴的一段真愛！在中國擺地攤是比較難以維持生活的，喜悅是一個平凡的女人，但是她的那一句"把愛情進行到底"，我承認我被她深深的感動了！」
愛就是這樣.
This is what we call "LOVE".
"Love" is not only about "feeling"...
but its so deep that its un-describable and only the sacrifices will tell others all about it...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
笑話的哲理值得深思
蘋果日報 副刊
笑話的哲理值得深思 - 李怡
(11.05.24-25)
網上看到幾個笑話。笑話普通，但引申的道理卻大堪咀嚼。
某夫人對建築師說每當火車經過時，她的睡床就會搖動。
「這簡直是無稽之談，」建築師回答說，「我來看看。」建築師到達後，夫人叫他躺在床上，體會一下火車經過時的感覺。建築師剛上床躺下，夫人的老公就回來了。他見此情形，便厲聲喝問：「你躺在我太太的床上幹什麼？」
建築師戰戰兢兢地回答：「我說是在等火車，你會相信嗎？」
這笑話帶出的人生道理是：有些話是真的，卻聽上去很假；有些話是假的，卻讓人毋庸置疑。
× × ×
英國紳士與法國女人同乘一個火車包廂，女人想引誘這個英國人，她脫衣躺下後就抱怨身上發冷。紳士把自己的被子給了她，她還是不停地說冷。
紳士說：「我還能怎麼幫助你呢？」女人說：「我小時候媽媽總是用自己的身體給我取暖。」
「小姐，這我就愛莫能助了。我總不能跳下火車去找你的媽媽吧？」
這笑話的人生道理是：善解風情的男人是好男人，不解風情的男人更是好男人。
× × ×
麥克走進餐館，點了一份湯，服務員給他端了上來。
服務員剛走開，他就嚷嚷起來：「對不起，這湯我沒法喝。」
服務員重新給他上了一個湯，他還是說：「對不起，這湯我沒法喝。」
服務員只好叫來經理。經理畢恭畢敬地朝麥克點點頭，說：「先生，這道菜是本店最拿手的，深受顧客歡迎，難道您……」
「我是說，匙羮在哪裏呢？」
人生道理是：有錯就改，當然是好事。但我們常常卻改掉正確的，留下錯誤的，結果是錯上加錯。
× × ×
飯廳內，一個異常謙恭的人膽怯地碰了碰另一個顧客，那人正在穿一件大衣。
「對不起，請問您是不是皮埃爾先生？」
「不，我不是。」那人回答。
「啊，」他舒了一口氣，「那我沒弄錯，我就是他，您穿了他的大衣。」
人生道理：理直氣壯不多見。理直的人，往往謙恭；而我們看到許多理曲的人，往往反而氣壯。
× × ×
有一個人去倫敦，想順便探望一位老朋友，卻忘了他的住址，於是給父親發了一份電報：「您知道托馬的住址嗎？」當天，他就收到一份回電：「知道。」
人生道理：當我們終於找到最正確的答案時，卻發現它是最無用的。
× × ×
有三個人到紐約度假。他們在一座高層賓館的第 45樓訂了一個套房。一天晚上，大樓電梯出現故障，他們只好徒步走回房間，為了放鬆以減輕登樓的勞累，約定輪流說笑話、唱歌和講故事。
笑話講了，歌也唱了，好不容易爬到第 34層，大家都感覺精疲力竭。
「好吧，彼得，你來講個幽默故事吧。」
彼得說：「故事不長，卻令人傷心至極：我把房間的鑰匙留了在大廳。」
人生道理：痛苦縱不可免，幽默卻可以讓痛苦減輕，甚至轉為輕鬆一笑。
× × ×
一個很有名的作家要來書店參觀。書店老闆連忙把所有的書撤下，全部換上作家的書。作家來到書店後，心裏非常高興，問道：「貴店只售本人的書嗎？」
「當然不是。」書店老闆回答，「別的書銷路很好，都賣完了。」
人生道理：「恭維」是個奇怪的詞：你像是在奉承他，又像是在侮辱他。
× × ×
笑話很普通。但所引伸的人生道理卻值得深思。
笑話的哲理值得深思 - 李怡
(11.05.24-25)
網上看到幾個笑話。笑話普通，但引申的道理卻大堪咀嚼。
某夫人對建築師說每當火車經過時，她的睡床就會搖動。
「這簡直是無稽之談，」建築師回答說，「我來看看。」建築師到達後，夫人叫他躺在床上，體會一下火車經過時的感覺。建築師剛上床躺下，夫人的老公就回來了。他見此情形，便厲聲喝問：「你躺在我太太的床上幹什麼？」
建築師戰戰兢兢地回答：「我說是在等火車，你會相信嗎？」
這笑話帶出的人生道理是：有些話是真的，卻聽上去很假；有些話是假的，卻讓人毋庸置疑。
× × ×
英國紳士與法國女人同乘一個火車包廂，女人想引誘這個英國人，她脫衣躺下後就抱怨身上發冷。紳士把自己的被子給了她，她還是不停地說冷。
紳士說：「我還能怎麼幫助你呢？」女人說：「我小時候媽媽總是用自己的身體給我取暖。」
「小姐，這我就愛莫能助了。我總不能跳下火車去找你的媽媽吧？」
這笑話的人生道理是：善解風情的男人是好男人，不解風情的男人更是好男人。
× × ×
麥克走進餐館，點了一份湯，服務員給他端了上來。
服務員剛走開，他就嚷嚷起來：「對不起，這湯我沒法喝。」
服務員重新給他上了一個湯，他還是說：「對不起，這湯我沒法喝。」
服務員只好叫來經理。經理畢恭畢敬地朝麥克點點頭，說：「先生，這道菜是本店最拿手的，深受顧客歡迎，難道您……」
「我是說，匙羮在哪裏呢？」
人生道理是：有錯就改，當然是好事。但我們常常卻改掉正確的，留下錯誤的，結果是錯上加錯。
× × ×
飯廳內，一個異常謙恭的人膽怯地碰了碰另一個顧客，那人正在穿一件大衣。
「對不起，請問您是不是皮埃爾先生？」
「不，我不是。」那人回答。
「啊，」他舒了一口氣，「那我沒弄錯，我就是他，您穿了他的大衣。」
人生道理：理直氣壯不多見。理直的人，往往謙恭；而我們看到許多理曲的人，往往反而氣壯。
× × ×
有一個人去倫敦，想順便探望一位老朋友，卻忘了他的住址，於是給父親發了一份電報：「您知道托馬的住址嗎？」當天，他就收到一份回電：「知道。」
人生道理：當我們終於找到最正確的答案時，卻發現它是最無用的。
× × ×
有三個人到紐約度假。他們在一座高層賓館的第 45樓訂了一個套房。一天晚上，大樓電梯出現故障，他們只好徒步走回房間，為了放鬆以減輕登樓的勞累，約定輪流說笑話、唱歌和講故事。
笑話講了，歌也唱了，好不容易爬到第 34層，大家都感覺精疲力竭。
「好吧，彼得，你來講個幽默故事吧。」
彼得說：「故事不長，卻令人傷心至極：我把房間的鑰匙留了在大廳。」
人生道理：痛苦縱不可免，幽默卻可以讓痛苦減輕，甚至轉為輕鬆一笑。
× × ×
一個很有名的作家要來書店參觀。書店老闆連忙把所有的書撤下，全部換上作家的書。作家來到書店後，心裏非常高興，問道：「貴店只售本人的書嗎？」
「當然不是。」書店老闆回答，「別的書銷路很好，都賣完了。」
人生道理：「恭維」是個奇怪的詞：你像是在奉承他，又像是在侮辱他。
× × ×
笑話很普通。但所引伸的人生道理卻值得深思。
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Why do powerful men cheat? Because they can - CTV News
Why do powerful men cheat? Because they can - CTV News
From Bill Clinton to Tiger Woods to countless political leaders in Europe, Arnold Schwarzenegger is just the latest in a list of married celebrities caught in a sex scandal.
And while his affair shocked many, some say with all that power and fame, it's not only predictable that a man like Schwarzenegger would cheat, but highly likely.
Toronto-based clinical psychologist, Dr. Oren Amitay, says men (and women) with power tend to have an overinflated sense of confidence that allows them to think they'll get away with bad behaviour.
"It's not intelligence that's at issue; it's judgment," Amitay told CTV's Canada AM Thursday.
"If you've gotten away for so many years with doing pretty much whatever you want to do with very few consequences, why would you change?
While Schwarzenegger had plenty to risk with his extramarital dalliances -- his marriage, his family, his career and perhaps his legacy --he had also been able to weather similar scandalous storms before.
During Schwarzenegger's campaign for California governor, as many as 15 women stepped forward to allege that the then-actor groped, spanked, or touched them inappropriately.
"And what were the consequences? Nothing," said Amitay.
"So when your needs are so important, when you place your needs above everything else, you're not really thinking of the consequences or anticipating what could happen, or feeling any anxiety around it, because that's not part of your experience."
Amitay says it's worry that prevents most of us from doing naughty things -- the worry about getting caught, the fear of the consequences, of hurting somebody. But when powerful people get away with misdeeds for so long, it's not long before they don't bother to worry at all.
"Certain personalities just don't feel anxiety," he said.
Some of these people, if they were raised with power, get used to having parents or family swoop in and protect them, Amitay says. Others like Schwarzenegger, who is more of a self-made man, probably told themselves as young men that they were going to be a certain kind of personality.
Amitay believes Schwarzenegger is likely in a lot of ways just like Tiger Woods, who risked his family and career for his sexual peccadilloes.
"They've lived their lives being told by everyone around them they're special, they're entitled. ‘You deserve whatever you want; you're that great.' And if you're being told that, why wouldn't you believe it?"
From Bill Clinton to Tiger Woods to countless political leaders in Europe, Arnold Schwarzenegger is just the latest in a list of married celebrities caught in a sex scandal.
And while his affair shocked many, some say with all that power and fame, it's not only predictable that a man like Schwarzenegger would cheat, but highly likely.
Toronto-based clinical psychologist, Dr. Oren Amitay, says men (and women) with power tend to have an overinflated sense of confidence that allows them to think they'll get away with bad behaviour.
"It's not intelligence that's at issue; it's judgment," Amitay told CTV's Canada AM Thursday.
"If you've gotten away for so many years with doing pretty much whatever you want to do with very few consequences, why would you change?
While Schwarzenegger had plenty to risk with his extramarital dalliances -- his marriage, his family, his career and perhaps his legacy --he had also been able to weather similar scandalous storms before.
During Schwarzenegger's campaign for California governor, as many as 15 women stepped forward to allege that the then-actor groped, spanked, or touched them inappropriately.
"And what were the consequences? Nothing," said Amitay.
"So when your needs are so important, when you place your needs above everything else, you're not really thinking of the consequences or anticipating what could happen, or feeling any anxiety around it, because that's not part of your experience."
Amitay says it's worry that prevents most of us from doing naughty things -- the worry about getting caught, the fear of the consequences, of hurting somebody. But when powerful people get away with misdeeds for so long, it's not long before they don't bother to worry at all.
"Certain personalities just don't feel anxiety," he said.
Some of these people, if they were raised with power, get used to having parents or family swoop in and protect them, Amitay says. Others like Schwarzenegger, who is more of a self-made man, probably told themselves as young men that they were going to be a certain kind of personality.
Amitay believes Schwarzenegger is likely in a lot of ways just like Tiger Woods, who risked his family and career for his sexual peccadilloes.
"They've lived their lives being told by everyone around them they're special, they're entitled. ‘You deserve whatever you want; you're that great.' And if you're being told that, why wouldn't you believe it?"
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
輸得起
(知信行 - 靈修勵語)
我輸得起，因為在基督裡沒有甚麼是輸不起的！
著名的靈修大師級人物茱莉安，在她《愛的啟示》一書中表示，神給祂所愛的人的一個煉淨生命的場所，就是失敗，而且是敗完又敗！一個人若受得起失敗，他才有基督的生命事奉神，而且，輸了之後又能爬起來的，他的生命必然煥發光彩，在主裡他充滿神的愛！換句話說，我們需要學習去輸，而且要輸得起。
失敗並不可怕，甚至它是「好東西」，因為當你走出困厄之後，就成為了一個新造的人。問題只視乎一個人「承受挫敗」的勇氣，倘若不肯認輸，他就因此牢困一世。
若人在面對困境時，能夠把自己放輕一點，目光看遠一點，把人生的意義放在神國度上多一點，就會發現人生是充滿希望的。放眼世界，即使只看見一線陽光，你會感到人生很美！在輸得起的人身上，心胸是開放闊大的。因為他常常看到神的同在。
「凡從神生的，就勝過世界；使我們勝了世界的，就是我們的信心。」（約壹五4）在新約世界中活著的眾多信徒，大部分都是活在水深火熱之中，忍受著各式各樣的逼迫困苦，然而，基督榮耀而充滿喜樂平安的生命，就在這班飽受欺壓的人身上彰顯出來的。
不過，當我執著於我的苦，就算我只失去了一塊錢，我也會覺得很苦！所以放開一點，只要生命還在，機會就還在；當你還肯祈求主的同在，那你的人生意義就出現。
失敗是一項心靈的打擊，原本擁有的鬥志都給挫敗了，這份抬不起頭來面對世界的感覺，使人無地自容。無能、羞愧、丟臉是如斯難受，我還可以作甚麼？我已經一無所有了！當我們來到這一刻，答案就出來了 我們根本就是一無所有的。看看耶穌，耶穌在客西馬尼園中，祂在軟弱時多麼坦然、多麼真實，而真實的我是不用掩藏的！
在安靜中，細細吸吮內心傷痕的痛，那是真實的我！人活得真時，人生就顯得充滿份量了。然後，在挫敗中和哭泣中，呼求主耶穌的安慰，打開胸懷，讓主耶穌進入你心內與你同哭，你會發現，原來，淚是主和你一起流的！
只要放開一點胸懷，看遠一點世界，失敗根本不重要。當人說得出：「我輸得起！」他就成長了。
我輸得起，因為在基督裡沒有甚麼是輸不起的！
我輸得起，因為在基督裡沒有甚麼是輸不起的！
著名的靈修大師級人物茱莉安，在她《愛的啟示》一書中表示，神給祂所愛的人的一個煉淨生命的場所，就是失敗，而且是敗完又敗！一個人若受得起失敗，他才有基督的生命事奉神，而且，輸了之後又能爬起來的，他的生命必然煥發光彩，在主裡他充滿神的愛！換句話說，我們需要學習去輸，而且要輸得起。
失敗並不可怕，甚至它是「好東西」，因為當你走出困厄之後，就成為了一個新造的人。問題只視乎一個人「承受挫敗」的勇氣，倘若不肯認輸，他就因此牢困一世。
若人在面對困境時，能夠把自己放輕一點，目光看遠一點，把人生的意義放在神國度上多一點，就會發現人生是充滿希望的。放眼世界，即使只看見一線陽光，你會感到人生很美！在輸得起的人身上，心胸是開放闊大的。因為他常常看到神的同在。
「凡從神生的，就勝過世界；使我們勝了世界的，就是我們的信心。」（約壹五4）在新約世界中活著的眾多信徒，大部分都是活在水深火熱之中，忍受著各式各樣的逼迫困苦，然而，基督榮耀而充滿喜樂平安的生命，就在這班飽受欺壓的人身上彰顯出來的。
不過，當我執著於我的苦，就算我只失去了一塊錢，我也會覺得很苦！所以放開一點，只要生命還在，機會就還在；當你還肯祈求主的同在，那你的人生意義就出現。
失敗是一項心靈的打擊，原本擁有的鬥志都給挫敗了，這份抬不起頭來面對世界的感覺，使人無地自容。無能、羞愧、丟臉是如斯難受，我還可以作甚麼？我已經一無所有了！當我們來到這一刻，答案就出來了 我們根本就是一無所有的。看看耶穌，耶穌在客西馬尼園中，祂在軟弱時多麼坦然、多麼真實，而真實的我是不用掩藏的！
在安靜中，細細吸吮內心傷痕的痛，那是真實的我！人活得真時，人生就顯得充滿份量了。然後，在挫敗中和哭泣中，呼求主耶穌的安慰，打開胸懷，讓主耶穌進入你心內與你同哭，你會發現，原來，淚是主和你一起流的！
只要放開一點胸懷，看遠一點世界，失敗根本不重要。當人說得出：「我輸得起！」他就成長了。
我輸得起，因為在基督裡沒有甚麼是輸不起的！
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
A time for renewal
An excerpt from The Star reports (link)
Last week's electoral bloodbath has led to an existential crisis for the Liberals, who were once known as Canada's "natural governing party."
They find themselves being squeezed by the NDP on the left and the Conservatives on the right, with many suggesting it's time for the two parties to consider merging.
Both current MPs and former MPs are brushing aside merger talk and are calling for a period of renewal, saying that Canada needs a strong centralist party.
Part of that renewal is figuring out what exactly went wrong on Election Day.
Former Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy said the party is "humbled by the election . . . and the parties that did better.
"There's a yearning there we didn't capture and the NDP did for the present moment," he told CTV's Power Play.
He suggested the party did not put enough "solutions out there for specific issues" during the campaign.
Brison, a Nova Scotia MP, said the party needs a hard look at policy, something it didn't do after the last leadership race in 2006.
He said the Liberals need to re-engage with the grassroots of their party.
But Brison said that the two-year Conservative attack-ad campaign on Ignatieff can't be overlooked.
"The die was cast by two years of negative ads . . . they were very successful," he said. "He was effectively torpedoed before the campaign even began."
He said while on the campaign trail he heard many Canadians repeating some of the Conservatives attacks on Ignatieff.
Another Liberal heavyweight MP who lost his job, Mark Holland, said the party must look beyond its leader.
"It's not about quick fixes, it's not about one person who is going to paint over everything and make it OK," he told Power Play. "The Liberal Party has a choice; it either makes reforms and it changes . . . or we've got even darker days ahead of us."
John Manley, a former Liberal finance and foreign affairs minister, said the party has to get away from the "natural governing party" attitude.
"There was an attitude and voters can smell that sense of entitlement a mile away and I think the party failed to really tackle that," Manley told Power Play.
"You have to have some core beliefs and know what they are. I happen to believe there's a big piece of the centre of Canadian politics that is up for grabs and I define that centre as being economically prudent . . . but socially progressive."
Last week's electoral bloodbath has led to an existential crisis for the Liberals, who were once known as Canada's "natural governing party."
They find themselves being squeezed by the NDP on the left and the Conservatives on the right, with many suggesting it's time for the two parties to consider merging.
Both current MPs and former MPs are brushing aside merger talk and are calling for a period of renewal, saying that Canada needs a strong centralist party.
Part of that renewal is figuring out what exactly went wrong on Election Day.
Former Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy said the party is "humbled by the election . . . and the parties that did better.
"There's a yearning there we didn't capture and the NDP did for the present moment," he told CTV's Power Play.
He suggested the party did not put enough "solutions out there for specific issues" during the campaign.
Brison, a Nova Scotia MP, said the party needs a hard look at policy, something it didn't do after the last leadership race in 2006.
He said the Liberals need to re-engage with the grassroots of their party.
But Brison said that the two-year Conservative attack-ad campaign on Ignatieff can't be overlooked.
"The die was cast by two years of negative ads . . . they were very successful," he said. "He was effectively torpedoed before the campaign even began."
He said while on the campaign trail he heard many Canadians repeating some of the Conservatives attacks on Ignatieff.
Another Liberal heavyweight MP who lost his job, Mark Holland, said the party must look beyond its leader.
"It's not about quick fixes, it's not about one person who is going to paint over everything and make it OK," he told Power Play. "The Liberal Party has a choice; it either makes reforms and it changes . . . or we've got even darker days ahead of us."
John Manley, a former Liberal finance and foreign affairs minister, said the party has to get away from the "natural governing party" attitude.
"There was an attitude and voters can smell that sense of entitlement a mile away and I think the party failed to really tackle that," Manley told Power Play.
"You have to have some core beliefs and know what they are. I happen to believe there's a big piece of the centre of Canadian politics that is up for grabs and I define that centre as being economically prudent . . . but socially progressive."
Sunday, May 08, 2011
His Plan
Psalm 33:11 (NIV) 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion
"The LORD's plans stand firm forever." Are you frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others, or even in yourself? God is completely trustworthy-his intentions never change. There is a promise that good and perfect gifts come to us from the Creator who never changes. When you wonder if there is anyone in whom you can trust, remember that God is completely consistent. Let him counsel you, and trust in his plans for your life.
Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion
"The LORD's plans stand firm forever." Are you frustrated by inconsistencies you see in others, or even in yourself? God is completely trustworthy-his intentions never change. There is a promise that good and perfect gifts come to us from the Creator who never changes. When you wonder if there is anyone in whom you can trust, remember that God is completely consistent. Let him counsel you, and trust in his plans for your life.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wedding of the King-to-be
One more day, all eyes will focus on the wedding of the King-to-be.
Or I should say, for days, all eyes had been focusing on the wedding of the King-to-be.
Someone may feel so odd about the extensive media coverage of the wedding, even some media was also commenting on the crazy coverage. No wonder, as even CTV was spending almost one-third of their 30-minutes national news covering the wedding.
You may ask why? Let me try...
Canadians are tired of hearing the "debate" regarding another minority government election. Well, yes, we are all too tired of the lies of all these politicians.
And... as Vancouver is the only playoff team in Canada for the Stanley Cup, and forget about the NBA... No hockey, no basketball, not yet football.... so, you can imagine how boring Canadians will be. Well, we are fortunately that Blue Jays are still in the playoff hunt.
What about the other parts of the world? Days after days, we hear about wars everywhere... or radiation-affected Japanese food and cars.
Chinese channels... HK news are all about sickness of those high ranking officers, how bad people saying the government is treating them....
Hey... we just need something positive, something for ourselves to cheer about...
And thank you, Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, your wedding just come at the right time... something that can give us a smile on our face... :P
Or I should say, for days, all eyes had been focusing on the wedding of the King-to-be.
Someone may feel so odd about the extensive media coverage of the wedding, even some media was also commenting on the crazy coverage. No wonder, as even CTV was spending almost one-third of their 30-minutes national news covering the wedding.
You may ask why? Let me try...
Canadians are tired of hearing the "debate" regarding another minority government election. Well, yes, we are all too tired of the lies of all these politicians.
And... as Vancouver is the only playoff team in Canada for the Stanley Cup, and forget about the NBA... No hockey, no basketball, not yet football.... so, you can imagine how boring Canadians will be. Well, we are fortunately that Blue Jays are still in the playoff hunt.
What about the other parts of the world? Days after days, we hear about wars everywhere... or radiation-affected Japanese food and cars.
Chinese channels... HK news are all about sickness of those high ranking officers, how bad people saying the government is treating them....
Hey... we just need something positive, something for ourselves to cheer about...
And thank you, Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, your wedding just come at the right time... something that can give us a smile on our face... :P
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Time to clip union power in Canada
Written by Joseph C. Ben-Ami
(www.policystudies.ca)
Monday, 11 April 2011
The recent decision by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) to increase its members’ dues by $60 to fund an anti-Progressive Conservative Party campaign during this fall’s provincial election has been rightly criticized by a number of groups and individuals. In fact, the OECTA decision is just the tip of the iceberg, and a reminder of how bad labour laws in Canada are at protecting individual workers from abuse at the hands of powerful mega-unions.
Neither Canadians, nor their political leaders, seem to grasp just how far behind the rest of the developed world we are when it comes to defending these rights. Only in Canada can workers be forced to join a union as a condition of employment, and even in those places where workers are not forced to join the union, they still have to pay full union dues. The only way workers in Canada can legally opt out of joining a union – or paying dues if not actually forced to join – is if they have a religious objection to union affiliation. Even then, opting out does not entitle workers to keep their money. Instead of going to the union, the dues are re-directed to a charity the union approves.
The above arrangement is referred to as the Rand Formula after Supreme Court Justice Ivan Rand who, in an arbitration decision settling a strike at Ford Motor Company in Windsor, ruled that employers must deduct and turn over to the union, dues from all employees including non-members. Rand explained that this was because all workers benefited from the union’s collective bargaining.
For decades, union bosses in Canada have been collecting fees from workers including many who are not even members, and then using those fees to fund, not just the collective bargaining mandate of the union, but a myriad of partisan social and political causes as well. These bosses claim that the Rand Formula permits them to do this. They also claim that unions are democratic organizations, and that, Rand notwithstanding, the decision to allocate a portion of collected fees for any purpose is the outcome of a democratic process.
They are wrong on both counts.
To begin with, Mr. Justice Rand himself explained that his decision to force non-union workers to pay union dues could only be justified if those dues were used exclusively for collective bargaining purposes. Anything else would be nothing less than legal robbery (my words, not his).
As for the argument that the decision-making process is democratic, that might come as a surprise to all those non-union members from whose paychecks mandatory union dues are deducted every week. They are not entitled to vote in any union elections or plebiscite and, as a consequence, have no say whatsoever regarding how their dues are being spent. Only bona fide members of the union can participate in the decision making-process.
There is another reason why the “democracy argument” does not hold water though. The right to vote for or against a person or political party running for public office, or to assist, financially or otherwise, a social or political cause, is an individual right. It cannot be transferred to anyone else, even if that transfer is accomplished through democratic means.
It is quite astonishing that this simple fact has been so utterly overlooked here in Canada. Even in Europe – where liberal-left public policy is de rigueur – the courts have consistently ruled, not just against unions using dues to support causes unrelated to collective bargaining without the consent of individual members, but against any form of compelled membership altogether.
Nor is Europe the only jurisdiction where workers’ rights are given precedence over union privileges. In America, depending on what state they operate in, unions that engage in activities unrelated to collective bargaining must either raise the necessary funds through a voluntary appeal to their members, or if mandatory dues are to be used they (unions) must offer to discount dues commensurately, or they must offer members a refund of that portion of their dues that would otherwise have been used for these purposes.
Is there something the Europeans and Americans know about workers rights and their protection that we in Canada don’t? Apparently so.
It’s time for Canada to join the rest of the developed world in the 21st century by reforming labour laws to protect workers from the voracious appetite of unscrupulous and virtually unaccountable union bosses. That would require politicians with backbone though.
Is that really too much to hope for?
(www.policystudies.ca)
Monday, 11 April 2011
The recent decision by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) to increase its members’ dues by $60 to fund an anti-Progressive Conservative Party campaign during this fall’s provincial election has been rightly criticized by a number of groups and individuals. In fact, the OECTA decision is just the tip of the iceberg, and a reminder of how bad labour laws in Canada are at protecting individual workers from abuse at the hands of powerful mega-unions.
Neither Canadians, nor their political leaders, seem to grasp just how far behind the rest of the developed world we are when it comes to defending these rights. Only in Canada can workers be forced to join a union as a condition of employment, and even in those places where workers are not forced to join the union, they still have to pay full union dues. The only way workers in Canada can legally opt out of joining a union – or paying dues if not actually forced to join – is if they have a religious objection to union affiliation. Even then, opting out does not entitle workers to keep their money. Instead of going to the union, the dues are re-directed to a charity the union approves.
The above arrangement is referred to as the Rand Formula after Supreme Court Justice Ivan Rand who, in an arbitration decision settling a strike at Ford Motor Company in Windsor, ruled that employers must deduct and turn over to the union, dues from all employees including non-members. Rand explained that this was because all workers benefited from the union’s collective bargaining.
For decades, union bosses in Canada have been collecting fees from workers including many who are not even members, and then using those fees to fund, not just the collective bargaining mandate of the union, but a myriad of partisan social and political causes as well. These bosses claim that the Rand Formula permits them to do this. They also claim that unions are democratic organizations, and that, Rand notwithstanding, the decision to allocate a portion of collected fees for any purpose is the outcome of a democratic process.
They are wrong on both counts.
To begin with, Mr. Justice Rand himself explained that his decision to force non-union workers to pay union dues could only be justified if those dues were used exclusively for collective bargaining purposes. Anything else would be nothing less than legal robbery (my words, not his).
As for the argument that the decision-making process is democratic, that might come as a surprise to all those non-union members from whose paychecks mandatory union dues are deducted every week. They are not entitled to vote in any union elections or plebiscite and, as a consequence, have no say whatsoever regarding how their dues are being spent. Only bona fide members of the union can participate in the decision making-process.
There is another reason why the “democracy argument” does not hold water though. The right to vote for or against a person or political party running for public office, or to assist, financially or otherwise, a social or political cause, is an individual right. It cannot be transferred to anyone else, even if that transfer is accomplished through democratic means.
It is quite astonishing that this simple fact has been so utterly overlooked here in Canada. Even in Europe – where liberal-left public policy is de rigueur – the courts have consistently ruled, not just against unions using dues to support causes unrelated to collective bargaining without the consent of individual members, but against any form of compelled membership altogether.
Nor is Europe the only jurisdiction where workers’ rights are given precedence over union privileges. In America, depending on what state they operate in, unions that engage in activities unrelated to collective bargaining must either raise the necessary funds through a voluntary appeal to their members, or if mandatory dues are to be used they (unions) must offer to discount dues commensurately, or they must offer members a refund of that portion of their dues that would otherwise have been used for these purposes.
Is there something the Europeans and Americans know about workers rights and their protection that we in Canada don’t? Apparently so.
It’s time for Canada to join the rest of the developed world in the 21st century by reforming labour laws to protect workers from the voracious appetite of unscrupulous and virtually unaccountable union bosses. That would require politicians with backbone though.
Is that really too much to hope for?
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Devotions
Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion
Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Joshua's new job consisted of leading more than two million people into a strange new land and conquering it. Every new job is a challenge. Without God it can be frightening. With God it can be a great adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with us as we face our new challenges. We may not conquer nations, but every day we face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations. God promises, however, that he will never abandon us nor fail to help us. By asking God to direct us we can conquer many of life's challenges.
1 Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."
Be careful what you promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to Hannah's credit, she did her part, even though it was painful. Although we are not in a position to barter with God, he may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise. When you pray, ask yourself: "Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if he grants my request?" It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps his promises, and he expects you to keep yours.
1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
Samuel reminded the people to take time to consider what great things God had done for them. Taking time for reflection allows us to focus our attention upon God's goodness and strengthens our faith. Sometimes we are so progress- and future-oriented that we fail to take time to recall all that God has already done. Remember what God has done for you so that you may continue your life accompanied with gratitude.
2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.
King David's reign was characterized by doing what was "just and right." David was fair in interpreting the law, administering punishment with mercy, respecting people's rights, and recognizing people's duties toward God. Is it any wonder that almost everyone trusted and followed David? Justice should characterize the way you relate to people. Make sure you are fair in the way you treat them.
2 Samuel 22:47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation...
David praises God wholeheartedly. Praise is not just a song about God; it is a song to God. Praising God has several aspects to it: (1) Say thank you to him for each attribute of his divine nature; (2) focus our hearts on him; (3) thank him for his many gracious gifts to us; and (4) thank him for our relationship with him.
Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Joshua's new job consisted of leading more than two million people into a strange new land and conquering it. Every new job is a challenge. Without God it can be frightening. With God it can be a great adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with us as we face our new challenges. We may not conquer nations, but every day we face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations. God promises, however, that he will never abandon us nor fail to help us. By asking God to direct us we can conquer many of life's challenges.
1 Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."
Be careful what you promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to Hannah's credit, she did her part, even though it was painful. Although we are not in a position to barter with God, he may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise. When you pray, ask yourself: "Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if he grants my request?" It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps his promises, and he expects you to keep yours.
1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
Samuel reminded the people to take time to consider what great things God had done for them. Taking time for reflection allows us to focus our attention upon God's goodness and strengthens our faith. Sometimes we are so progress- and future-oriented that we fail to take time to recall all that God has already done. Remember what God has done for you so that you may continue your life accompanied with gratitude.
2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.
King David's reign was characterized by doing what was "just and right." David was fair in interpreting the law, administering punishment with mercy, respecting people's rights, and recognizing people's duties toward God. Is it any wonder that almost everyone trusted and followed David? Justice should characterize the way you relate to people. Make sure you are fair in the way you treat them.
2 Samuel 22:47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation...
David praises God wholeheartedly. Praise is not just a song about God; it is a song to God. Praising God has several aspects to it: (1) Say thank you to him for each attribute of his divine nature; (2) focus our hearts on him; (3) thank him for his many gracious gifts to us; and (4) thank him for our relationship with him.
Monday, April 04, 2011
EQ四段曲
Got from an email today... seen them all before, but first time reading together... wonderful link...!
specially like: "且慢下手"
EQ四段曲
請照主旨之順序讀 :
1. 誤會； 2. 釘子； 3. 且慢下手； 4. 寬大
1. 誤會 :
早年在美國阿拉斯加地方，有一對年輕人結婚，婚後生育， 他的太太因難產而死，遺下一孩子。
他忙生活，又忙於看家，因沒有人幫忙看孩子，就訓練一隻狗， 那狗聰明聽話，能照顧小孩，咬著奶瓶餵奶給孩子喝，撫養孩子。 有一天，主人出門去了，叫牠照顧孩子。 他到了別的鄉村，因遇大雪，當日不能回來。 第二天才趕回家，狗立即聞聲出來迎接主人。他把房門開一看，到處是血， 抬頭一望，床上也是血，孩子不見了，狗在身邊，滿口也是血， 主人發現這種情形，以為狗性發作，把孩子吃掉了， 大怒之下，拿起刀來向著狗頭一劈，把狗殺死了。 之後，忽然聽到孩子的聲音，又見他從床下爬了出來， 於是抱起孩子；雖然身上有血，但並未受傷。 他很奇怪，不知究竟是怎麼一回事，再看看狗身， 腿上的肉沒有了，旁邊有一隻狼，口裡還咬著狗的肉； 狗救了小主人，卻被主人誤殺了，這真是天下最令人驚奇的誤會。
註：誤會的事，是人往往在不瞭解、 無理智、 無耐心、缺少思考、 未能多方體諒對方，反省自己，感情極為衝動的情況之下所發生。 誤會一開始，即一直只想到對方的千錯萬錯；因此，會使誤會越陷越深， 弄到不可收拾的地步，人對無知的動物小狗發生誤會， 尚且會有如此可怕嚴重的後果，這樣人與人之間的誤會，則其後果更是難以想像。
2. 釘子 :
有一個男孩有著很壞的脾氣，於是他的父親就給了他一袋釘子； 並且告訴他，每當他發脾氣的時候就釘一根釘子在後院的圍籬上。 第一天，這個男孩釘下了37根釘子。慢慢地每天釘下的數量減少了。 他發現控制自己的脾氣要比釘下那些釘子來得容易些。 終於有一天這個男孩再也不會失去耐性亂發脾氣，他告訴他的父親這件事， 父親告訴他，現在開始每當他能控制自己的脾氣的時候，就拔出一根釘子。 一天天地過去了，最後男孩告訴他的父親，他終於把所有釘子都拔出來了。 父親握著他的手來到後院說：你做得很好，我的好孩子。 但是看看那些圍籬上的洞，這些圍籬將永遠不能回覆成從前。 你生氣的時候說的話將像這些釘子一樣留下疤痕。 如果你拿刀子捅別人一刀，不管你說了多少次對不起，那個傷口將永遠存在。 話語的傷痛就像真實的傷痛一樣令人無法承受。
註：人與人之間常常因為一些彼此無 法釋懷的堅持? 而造成永遠的傷害。 如果我們都能從自己做起，開始寬容地看待他人，相信你（妳）一定能收到許多意想不到的結果....幫別人開啟一扇窗，也就是讓自己看到更完整的天空.....
3. 且慢下手 :
大多數的同仁都很興奮，因為單位裡調來一位新主管，據說是個能人，專門被派來整頓業務；可是日一天天過去，新主管卻毫無作為，每天彬彬有禮進辦公室， 便躲在裡面難得出門，那些本來緊張得要死的壞份子，現在反而更猖獗了。 「他那裡是個能人嘛！根本是個老好人，比以前的主管更容易唬！」 四個月過去，就在真正努力為新主管感到失望時， 新主管卻發威了－－壞份子一律開革，能人則獲得晉昇。 下手之快，斷事之準，與四月表現保守的他，簡直像是全然換個人。 年終聚餐時，新主管在酒過三巡之後致詞： 「相信大家對我新到任期間的表現，和後來的大刀闊斧，一定感到不解， 現在聽我說個故事，各位就明白了：「我有位朋友，買了棟帶著大院的房子， 他一搬進去，就將那院子全面整頓，雜草樹一律清除，改種自己新買的花卉， 某日原先的屋主往訪，進門大吃一驚的問：『那最名貴的牡丹哪裡去了？』 我這位朋友才發現，他竟然把牡丹當草給剷了。
後來他又買了一棟房子，雖然院子更是雜亂，他卻是按兵不動， 果然冬天以為是雜樹的植物，春天裡開了繁花； 春天以為是野草的，夏天裡成了錦蔟；半年都沒有動靜的小樹，秋天居然紅了葉。 直到暮秋，它才真正認清哪些是無用的植物， 而大力剷除，並使所有珍貴的草木得以保存。」說到這兒，主管舉起杯來： 「讓我敬在座的每一位，因為如果這辦公室是個花園，你們就都是其間的珍木， 珍木不可能一年到頭開花結果，只有經過長期的觀察才認得出啊！
4. 寬大 :
這是一個甫自越戰歸來的士兵的故事。
他從舊金山打電話給他的父母，告訴他們：「爸媽，我回來了，可是我有個不情之請。 我想帶一個朋友同我一起回家。」「當然好啊！」他們回答「我們會很高興見到的。」 不過兒子又繼續下去「可是有件事我想先告訴你們，他在越戰裡受了重傷， 少了一條胳臂和一隻腳，他現在走投無路，我想請他回來和我們一起生活。」 「兒子，我很遺憾，不過或許我們可以幫他找個安身之處。」 父親又接著說「兒子，你不知道自己在說些什麼。 像他這樣殘障的人會對我們的生活造成很大的負擔。 我們還有自己的生活要過，不能就讓他這樣破壞了。 我建議你先回家然後忘了他，他會找到自己的一片天空的。」 就在此時卻掛上了電話，他的父母再也沒有他的消息了。 幾天後，這對父母接到了來自舊金山警局的電話， 告訴他們親愛的兒子已經墜樓身亡了。警方相信這只是單純的自殺案件。 於是他們傷心欲絕地飛往舊金山，並在警方帶領之下辨認兒子的遺體。 那的確是他們的兒子沒錯，但驚訝的是兒子居然，只有一條胳臂和一條腿。
specially like: "且慢下手"
EQ四段曲
請照主旨之順序讀 :
1. 誤會； 2. 釘子； 3. 且慢下手； 4. 寬大
1. 誤會 :
早年在美國阿拉斯加地方，有一對年輕人結婚，婚後生育， 他的太太因難產而死，遺下一孩子。
他忙生活，又忙於看家，因沒有人幫忙看孩子，就訓練一隻狗， 那狗聰明聽話，能照顧小孩，咬著奶瓶餵奶給孩子喝，撫養孩子。 有一天，主人出門去了，叫牠照顧孩子。 他到了別的鄉村，因遇大雪，當日不能回來。 第二天才趕回家，狗立即聞聲出來迎接主人。他把房門開一看，到處是血， 抬頭一望，床上也是血，孩子不見了，狗在身邊，滿口也是血， 主人發現這種情形，以為狗性發作，把孩子吃掉了， 大怒之下，拿起刀來向著狗頭一劈，把狗殺死了。 之後，忽然聽到孩子的聲音，又見他從床下爬了出來， 於是抱起孩子；雖然身上有血，但並未受傷。 他很奇怪，不知究竟是怎麼一回事，再看看狗身， 腿上的肉沒有了，旁邊有一隻狼，口裡還咬著狗的肉； 狗救了小主人，卻被主人誤殺了，這真是天下最令人驚奇的誤會。
註：誤會的事，是人往往在不瞭解、 無理智、 無耐心、缺少思考、 未能多方體諒對方，反省自己，感情極為衝動的情況之下所發生。 誤會一開始，即一直只想到對方的千錯萬錯；因此，會使誤會越陷越深， 弄到不可收拾的地步，人對無知的動物小狗發生誤會， 尚且會有如此可怕嚴重的後果，這樣人與人之間的誤會，則其後果更是難以想像。
2. 釘子 :
有一個男孩有著很壞的脾氣，於是他的父親就給了他一袋釘子； 並且告訴他，每當他發脾氣的時候就釘一根釘子在後院的圍籬上。 第一天，這個男孩釘下了37根釘子。慢慢地每天釘下的數量減少了。 他發現控制自己的脾氣要比釘下那些釘子來得容易些。 終於有一天這個男孩再也不會失去耐性亂發脾氣，他告訴他的父親這件事， 父親告訴他，現在開始每當他能控制自己的脾氣的時候，就拔出一根釘子。 一天天地過去了，最後男孩告訴他的父親，他終於把所有釘子都拔出來了。 父親握著他的手來到後院說：你做得很好，我的好孩子。 但是看看那些圍籬上的洞，這些圍籬將永遠不能回覆成從前。 你生氣的時候說的話將像這些釘子一樣留下疤痕。 如果你拿刀子捅別人一刀，不管你說了多少次對不起，那個傷口將永遠存在。 話語的傷痛就像真實的傷痛一樣令人無法承受。
註：人與人之間常常因為一些彼此無 法釋懷的堅持? 而造成永遠的傷害。 如果我們都能從自己做起，開始寬容地看待他人，相信你（妳）一定能收到許多意想不到的結果....幫別人開啟一扇窗，也就是讓自己看到更完整的天空.....
3. 且慢下手 :
大多數的同仁都很興奮，因為單位裡調來一位新主管，據說是個能人，專門被派來整頓業務；可是日一天天過去，新主管卻毫無作為，每天彬彬有禮進辦公室， 便躲在裡面難得出門，那些本來緊張得要死的壞份子，現在反而更猖獗了。 「他那裡是個能人嘛！根本是個老好人，比以前的主管更容易唬！」 四個月過去，就在真正努力為新主管感到失望時， 新主管卻發威了－－壞份子一律開革，能人則獲得晉昇。 下手之快，斷事之準，與四月表現保守的他，簡直像是全然換個人。 年終聚餐時，新主管在酒過三巡之後致詞： 「相信大家對我新到任期間的表現，和後來的大刀闊斧，一定感到不解， 現在聽我說個故事，各位就明白了：「我有位朋友，買了棟帶著大院的房子， 他一搬進去，就將那院子全面整頓，雜草樹一律清除，改種自己新買的花卉， 某日原先的屋主往訪，進門大吃一驚的問：『那最名貴的牡丹哪裡去了？』 我這位朋友才發現，他竟然把牡丹當草給剷了。
後來他又買了一棟房子，雖然院子更是雜亂，他卻是按兵不動， 果然冬天以為是雜樹的植物，春天裡開了繁花； 春天以為是野草的，夏天裡成了錦蔟；半年都沒有動靜的小樹，秋天居然紅了葉。 直到暮秋，它才真正認清哪些是無用的植物， 而大力剷除，並使所有珍貴的草木得以保存。」說到這兒，主管舉起杯來： 「讓我敬在座的每一位，因為如果這辦公室是個花園，你們就都是其間的珍木， 珍木不可能一年到頭開花結果，只有經過長期的觀察才認得出啊！
4. 寬大 :
這是一個甫自越戰歸來的士兵的故事。
他從舊金山打電話給他的父母，告訴他們：「爸媽，我回來了，可是我有個不情之請。 我想帶一個朋友同我一起回家。」「當然好啊！」他們回答「我們會很高興見到的。」 不過兒子又繼續下去「可是有件事我想先告訴你們，他在越戰裡受了重傷， 少了一條胳臂和一隻腳，他現在走投無路，我想請他回來和我們一起生活。」 「兒子，我很遺憾，不過或許我們可以幫他找個安身之處。」 父親又接著說「兒子，你不知道自己在說些什麼。 像他這樣殘障的人會對我們的生活造成很大的負擔。 我們還有自己的生活要過，不能就讓他這樣破壞了。 我建議你先回家然後忘了他，他會找到自己的一片天空的。」 就在此時卻掛上了電話，他的父母再也沒有他的消息了。 幾天後，這對父母接到了來自舊金山警局的電話， 告訴他們親愛的兒子已經墜樓身亡了。警方相信這只是單純的自殺案件。 於是他們傷心欲絕地飛往舊金山，並在警方帶領之下辨認兒子的遺體。 那的確是他們的兒子沒錯，但驚訝的是兒子居然，只有一條胳臂和一條腿。
Thursday, March 17, 2011
蘋論：日本未亂 中港先亂？
在核輻射近距離直接威脅下的日本民眾雖然憂心忡忡，雖然被深重的危機弄得心緒不靈，雖然久久看不到希望的曙光，但他們仍然保持冷靜沉着，沒有恐慌，沒有自亂陣腳，沒有被謠言煽動，沒有出現人潮搶購那些無任何科學根據的抗輻射物資。
在距離核電廠過千公里的中國各大城市包括香港、澳門，在遠離輻射塵直接威脅的中國城市，民眾包括香港一些市民卻陣腳大亂，自行製造危機。從昨天大清早開始，大批民眾就湧到超級市場、雜貨店、街市掃貨，把貨架上的所有食鹽買清光，後來的向隅者紛紛鼓譟投訴存貨太少，要求超市補貨。一時間，各大城市都出現長長的買鹽人龍，大家都惴惴不安，人心惶惶，彷彿出了甚麼大危機。不明就裡的人甚至可能以為發生核事故的不是日本，而是中國，而是中國的核電廠！
那中國各地民眾包括部份香港市民為甚麼會突然搶購食鹽呢？據說主要有幾個原因。第一個是有傳言說鹽含有碘之類的物質，吃進身體可以抗輻射；第二是說鹽的生產可能受輻射污染，需要早作儲備；第三是其他人都在搶購，不想執輸便跟其他人一起排隊搶購。
在重大天災人禍期間，在情況及前景不明朗的時候，人心虛怯是免不了的事，各種各樣的假消息、假資料四處流散也不奇怪，特別是在網絡、 facebook、手機年代，一條沒有證據、根據的流言很容易在瞬間傳遍不同地方，引發不理性的反應。只是，食鹽可以抗輻射的說法不但沒有任何科學根據，跟一般常識、常理也不相符。單單因為這樣無稽的說法就引來多個大城市民眾恐慌搶購，這充份反映中國民眾包括部份香港市民連基本的科學常識也欠奉，連基本的防災知識意識也缺乏，容易變成驚弓之鳥，被不法商人、居心叵測的人利用魚肉！若果這樣的素質不改善，真正有災難臨頭時不管中國或香港都很容易自亂陣腳，令災情進一步惡化。
當然，防災知識、意識不足不僅僅是市民個人的問題，也跟社會條件、政府政策不足有關。以內地為例，資訊長期受政府嚴格控制，民眾往往無法從正式渠道了解事件的真相，必須依賴非正式途徑或小道消息補充。久而久之，民眾便容易聽信流言，出現非理性反應。
另一方面，防災抗災知識並不是與生俱來的，必須透過教育、訓練、演習逐步培養。日本民眾在地震、海嘯中的冷靜沉着表現就是月復月、年復年的教育、演習成果。他們清楚知道事故前該作甚麼準備，事故中該如何對應，事故後該如何逃生。中國、香港民眾卻欠缺這方面的教育及訓練，出現事故包括核威脅時自然手忙腳亂。
自八十年代末興建大亞灣核電廠後，核電及核事故已成了近在眼前的事，已成了必須認真面對的事。可惜歷年來電廠、港英政府及特區政府只是不斷強調核電廠非常安全，不大願意討論風險問題，也沒有大力宣傳應對核事故的方法，更不要說組織緊急應變演習活動。在這樣的情況下，市民對核安全知識的了解相當零碎有限，如何應對災難更是茫無頭緒。結果當有威脅臨近時，市民便容易失去方寸，進退失據，甚至被無根據的流言騙倒。
我們認為，今次日本核輻射危機雖然未必直接影響香港，但由於內地特別是廣東省大力發展核電，核安全問題將會是個長期問題，揮之不去。要避免昨天那種自亂陣腳、「自己嚇自己」的情況，最根本的做法是培養抗災知識及意識，包括加強核事故應對方法的宣傳教育，讓市民明白甚麼該做甚麼不該做，讓市民有能力判斷消息的可信性，從而提升市民、社會對謠言的免疫力。
在距離核電廠過千公里的中國各大城市包括香港、澳門，在遠離輻射塵直接威脅的中國城市，民眾包括香港一些市民卻陣腳大亂，自行製造危機。從昨天大清早開始，大批民眾就湧到超級市場、雜貨店、街市掃貨，把貨架上的所有食鹽買清光，後來的向隅者紛紛鼓譟投訴存貨太少，要求超市補貨。一時間，各大城市都出現長長的買鹽人龍，大家都惴惴不安，人心惶惶，彷彿出了甚麼大危機。不明就裡的人甚至可能以為發生核事故的不是日本，而是中國，而是中國的核電廠！
那中國各地民眾包括部份香港市民為甚麼會突然搶購食鹽呢？據說主要有幾個原因。第一個是有傳言說鹽含有碘之類的物質，吃進身體可以抗輻射；第二是說鹽的生產可能受輻射污染，需要早作儲備；第三是其他人都在搶購，不想執輸便跟其他人一起排隊搶購。
在重大天災人禍期間，在情況及前景不明朗的時候，人心虛怯是免不了的事，各種各樣的假消息、假資料四處流散也不奇怪，特別是在網絡、 facebook、手機年代，一條沒有證據、根據的流言很容易在瞬間傳遍不同地方，引發不理性的反應。只是，食鹽可以抗輻射的說法不但沒有任何科學根據，跟一般常識、常理也不相符。單單因為這樣無稽的說法就引來多個大城市民眾恐慌搶購，這充份反映中國民眾包括部份香港市民連基本的科學常識也欠奉，連基本的防災知識意識也缺乏，容易變成驚弓之鳥，被不法商人、居心叵測的人利用魚肉！若果這樣的素質不改善，真正有災難臨頭時不管中國或香港都很容易自亂陣腳，令災情進一步惡化。
當然，防災知識、意識不足不僅僅是市民個人的問題，也跟社會條件、政府政策不足有關。以內地為例，資訊長期受政府嚴格控制，民眾往往無法從正式渠道了解事件的真相，必須依賴非正式途徑或小道消息補充。久而久之，民眾便容易聽信流言，出現非理性反應。
另一方面，防災抗災知識並不是與生俱來的，必須透過教育、訓練、演習逐步培養。日本民眾在地震、海嘯中的冷靜沉着表現就是月復月、年復年的教育、演習成果。他們清楚知道事故前該作甚麼準備，事故中該如何對應，事故後該如何逃生。中國、香港民眾卻欠缺這方面的教育及訓練，出現事故包括核威脅時自然手忙腳亂。
自八十年代末興建大亞灣核電廠後，核電及核事故已成了近在眼前的事，已成了必須認真面對的事。可惜歷年來電廠、港英政府及特區政府只是不斷強調核電廠非常安全，不大願意討論風險問題，也沒有大力宣傳應對核事故的方法，更不要說組織緊急應變演習活動。在這樣的情況下，市民對核安全知識的了解相當零碎有限，如何應對災難更是茫無頭緒。結果當有威脅臨近時，市民便容易失去方寸，進退失據，甚至被無根據的流言騙倒。
我們認為，今次日本核輻射危機雖然未必直接影響香港，但由於內地特別是廣東省大力發展核電，核安全問題將會是個長期問題，揮之不去。要避免昨天那種自亂陣腳、「自己嚇自己」的情況，最根本的做法是培養抗災知識及意識，包括加強核事故應對方法的宣傳教育，讓市民明白甚麼該做甚麼不該做，讓市民有能力判斷消息的可信性，從而提升市民、社會對謠言的免疫力。
基督日報(香港) - 陳世協院長：教會的興衰決定於領袖優劣
基督日報(香港) - 陳世協院長：教會的興衰決定於領袖優劣
新加坡神學院陳世協院長上周末在紐約中宣會領袖訓練營中分享如何塑造「領袖的品格和條件」。陳院長表示這是非常重要的一個課題，因為領袖的優劣可決定教會的興衰，真正屬神而又委身、聖潔和有領導力的領袖能帶動教會的復興。
遠景清晰
陳院長用四個方面來探討領袖的品格和條件。其中，擁有清晰的遠景（異象）是作為稱職的領袖最重要的品格和條件。他根據箴言書29章18節（沒有異象，民就放肆）總結說，「倘若教會領袖沒有從神而來的異象和使命，整個教會將迷失方向、不知何去何從。」
從微觀來看，教會各部門的領袖也要對自己所負責的工作懷有夢想。陳院長說，所有事工都是從夢想開始的，夢想是推動事工不斷向前發展的動力；倘若領袖沒有夢想，那麽由他所負責的事工就不會有發展。
因此，他建議每位領袖先檢討對於神托付自己的工作是否懷有夢想。倘若發覺自己還沒有夢想，或者夢想並不清晰，就要禱告直到神賜下清晰的夢想為止。
敢於領導
合神心意的領袖應具備的第二個品格和條件就是要敢於領導。陳院長表示「勇氣」是領袖不可缺少的品格，因為好的領袖不會安於現狀，而是尋求突破、改變的，然而在改變過程中一定會出現質疑和抗拒的聲音，領袖若缺乏迎接挑戰的勇氣則無法擔當領導重任。
但陳院長也同時澄清，這裏所說的勇氣並非魯莽蠻幹、一意孤行，領袖也要帶著謙卑的心去聆聽不同的聲音，「待大家誠懇的交換意見、且同心禱告後，若仍有不同的聲音出現，這時候領袖就要頂住壓力當機立斷，帶著甘願承擔一切後果的心誌做出最後的決定。」
他特別提醒領袖都按照神的心意來做每一項決定，「我們所作出的決定不是基於合人的心意，而是要順服神的心意。因此領袖萬不可為了何討好人而不視神的指引。」
講到做到
第三，作領袖的要說到做到，說到做到的領袖才能樹立威信、令人折服。
自我領導
陳院長還提出領袖要學會自我領導。首先領袖要不斷提升靈命，使自己「言行一致」，給跟隨著留下美好的榜樣和見證。其次，領袖在事奉中難免會遭遇挫折、感到疲憊，因此好的領袖要懂得如何管理自我情緒，使自己恢復元氣、時刻保持旺盛的鬥誌。
再次，一個合神心意的領袖要有寬闊的胸懷，敢於收納比自己優秀的同工。他表示，這些有恩賜、又有同樣夢想的新同工是教會的未來，迎接他們將促使自己的夢想早日成真。
陳院長最後總結說，做領袖是一輩子的工作，盼望所有領袖不要失去學習的心誌，在事奉中不斷挑戰自我、完善自我。
新加坡神學院陳世協院長上周末在紐約中宣會領袖訓練營中分享如何塑造「領袖的品格和條件」。陳院長表示這是非常重要的一個課題，因為領袖的優劣可決定教會的興衰，真正屬神而又委身、聖潔和有領導力的領袖能帶動教會的復興。
遠景清晰
陳院長用四個方面來探討領袖的品格和條件。其中，擁有清晰的遠景（異象）是作為稱職的領袖最重要的品格和條件。他根據箴言書29章18節（沒有異象，民就放肆）總結說，「倘若教會領袖沒有從神而來的異象和使命，整個教會將迷失方向、不知何去何從。」
從微觀來看，教會各部門的領袖也要對自己所負責的工作懷有夢想。陳院長說，所有事工都是從夢想開始的，夢想是推動事工不斷向前發展的動力；倘若領袖沒有夢想，那麽由他所負責的事工就不會有發展。
因此，他建議每位領袖先檢討對於神托付自己的工作是否懷有夢想。倘若發覺自己還沒有夢想，或者夢想並不清晰，就要禱告直到神賜下清晰的夢想為止。
敢於領導
合神心意的領袖應具備的第二個品格和條件就是要敢於領導。陳院長表示「勇氣」是領袖不可缺少的品格，因為好的領袖不會安於現狀，而是尋求突破、改變的，然而在改變過程中一定會出現質疑和抗拒的聲音，領袖若缺乏迎接挑戰的勇氣則無法擔當領導重任。
但陳院長也同時澄清，這裏所說的勇氣並非魯莽蠻幹、一意孤行，領袖也要帶著謙卑的心去聆聽不同的聲音，「待大家誠懇的交換意見、且同心禱告後，若仍有不同的聲音出現，這時候領袖就要頂住壓力當機立斷，帶著甘願承擔一切後果的心誌做出最後的決定。」
他特別提醒領袖都按照神的心意來做每一項決定，「我們所作出的決定不是基於合人的心意，而是要順服神的心意。因此領袖萬不可為了何討好人而不視神的指引。」
講到做到
第三，作領袖的要說到做到，說到做到的領袖才能樹立威信、令人折服。
自我領導
陳院長還提出領袖要學會自我領導。首先領袖要不斷提升靈命，使自己「言行一致」，給跟隨著留下美好的榜樣和見證。其次，領袖在事奉中難免會遭遇挫折、感到疲憊，因此好的領袖要懂得如何管理自我情緒，使自己恢復元氣、時刻保持旺盛的鬥誌。
再次，一個合神心意的領袖要有寬闊的胸懷，敢於收納比自己優秀的同工。他表示，這些有恩賜、又有同樣夢想的新同工是教會的未來，迎接他們將促使自己的夢想早日成真。
陳院長最後總結說，做領袖是一輩子的工作，盼望所有領袖不要失去學習的心誌，在事奉中不斷挑戰自我、完善自我。
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
「議員不要政治考慮」...?
"負責提交臨時撥款決議案的陳家強會後「黑面」指摘說：「立法會通過臨時撥款，是立法會應該做和有責任做的事情。我呼籲個別議員不要因為政治的考慮罔顧市民利益。」"
簡直是一派胡言,究竟香港D高官明唔明白佢自己做緊甚麼?D議員係市民用公民權投票要佢地用政治的考慮去帶領這個社會，你竟然公開叫佢地"不要因為政治的考慮"而作出決定?你知唔知到底政治是甚麼...!!
根據百度百科...政治的詞源 (http://baike.baidu.com/view/5073.htm)
政治的詞源
不少西方語言中的「政治」一詞(法語politique、德語Politik、英語politics),都來自希臘語πολις,這個詞可以考證出的最早文字記載是在《荷馬史詩》中,最初的含義是城堡或衛城。古希臘的雅典人將修建在山頂的衛城稱為“阿克羅波里”,簡稱為“波里”,城邦制形成後,“波里”就成為了具有政治意義的城邦的代名詞,後同土地、人民及其政治生活結合在一起而被賦予“邦”或“國”的意義。後又衍生出政治、政治制度、政治家等詞。
因此,“政治”一詞一開始就是指城邦中的城邦公民參與統治、管理、參與、鬥爭等各種公共生活行為的總和。
中國先秦諸子也使用過“政治”一詞,。《尚書•畢命》有“道洽政治,澤潤生民”;《周禮•地官•遂人》有“掌其政治禁令”。但在更多的情況下是將“政”與“治”分開使用。“政”主要指國家的權力、制度、秩序和法令;“治”則主要指管理人民和教化人民,也指實現安定的狀態等。
在中國古代,“政”一般表示: 朝代的制度和秩序,例如“大亂宋國之政” 一種統治和施政的手段,如“禮樂刑政,其極一也” 符合禮儀的道德和修養,如“政者正也,子帥以政,孰敢不正” 朝廷中君主和大臣們的政務活動,如“其在政府,與韓琦同心輔政” “治”在中國古代則一般表示 安定祥和的社會狀態,如“天下交相愛則治” 統治、治國等治理活動,例如“修身、齊家、治國、平天下” 中國古代的這些“政治”的含義,與西方和古希臘的“政治”含義完全不同,很大程度上政治只是一種君主和大臣們維護統治、治理國家的活動。
中文裡現代的“政治”一詞,來自于日本人翻譯西方語言時用漢字創造的相同的“政治”一詞。當英文的Politics從日本傳入中國時,人們在漢語中找不到與之相對應的詞。孫中山認為應該使用“政治”來對譯,認為“政就是眾人之事,治就是管理,管理眾人之事,就是政治。”他的這一說法在當時的中國非常具有影響力。
"政就是眾人之事,治就是管理,管理眾人之事,就是政治。"議員不以因為政治的考慮為出發點,可以用甚麼?
另外，"立法會通過臨時撥款，是立法會應該做和有責任做的事情。"通過"者,有被認同的需要，亦等於有不被認同的可能。若是不能被人所接納，"不通過"也"是立法會應該做和有責任做的事情"。
我並非在此認同或是不認同今次的行為，只是慨嘆香港比D連何謂"政治"都不通的"高官"話事,唉...!
簡直是一派胡言,究竟香港D高官明唔明白佢自己做緊甚麼?D議員係市民用公民權投票要佢地用政治的考慮去帶領這個社會，你竟然公開叫佢地"不要因為政治的考慮"而作出決定?你知唔知到底政治是甚麼...!!
根據百度百科...政治的詞源 (http://baike.baidu.com/view/5073.htm)
政治的詞源
不少西方語言中的「政治」一詞(法語politique、德語Politik、英語politics),都來自希臘語πολις,這個詞可以考證出的最早文字記載是在《荷馬史詩》中,最初的含義是城堡或衛城。古希臘的雅典人將修建在山頂的衛城稱為“阿克羅波里”,簡稱為“波里”,城邦制形成後,“波里”就成為了具有政治意義的城邦的代名詞,後同土地、人民及其政治生活結合在一起而被賦予“邦”或“國”的意義。後又衍生出政治、政治制度、政治家等詞。
因此,“政治”一詞一開始就是指城邦中的城邦公民參與統治、管理、參與、鬥爭等各種公共生活行為的總和。
中國先秦諸子也使用過“政治”一詞,。《尚書•畢命》有“道洽政治,澤潤生民”;《周禮•地官•遂人》有“掌其政治禁令”。但在更多的情況下是將“政”與“治”分開使用。“政”主要指國家的權力、制度、秩序和法令;“治”則主要指管理人民和教化人民,也指實現安定的狀態等。
在中國古代,“政”一般表示: 朝代的制度和秩序,例如“大亂宋國之政” 一種統治和施政的手段,如“禮樂刑政,其極一也” 符合禮儀的道德和修養,如“政者正也,子帥以政,孰敢不正” 朝廷中君主和大臣們的政務活動,如“其在政府,與韓琦同心輔政” “治”在中國古代則一般表示 安定祥和的社會狀態,如“天下交相愛則治” 統治、治國等治理活動,例如“修身、齊家、治國、平天下” 中國古代的這些“政治”的含義,與西方和古希臘的“政治”含義完全不同,很大程度上政治只是一種君主和大臣們維護統治、治理國家的活動。
中文裡現代的“政治”一詞,來自于日本人翻譯西方語言時用漢字創造的相同的“政治”一詞。當英文的Politics從日本傳入中國時,人們在漢語中找不到與之相對應的詞。孫中山認為應該使用“政治”來對譯,認為“政就是眾人之事,治就是管理,管理眾人之事,就是政治。”他的這一說法在當時的中國非常具有影響力。
"政就是眾人之事,治就是管理,管理眾人之事,就是政治。"議員不以因為政治的考慮為出發點,可以用甚麼?
另外，"立法會通過臨時撥款，是立法會應該做和有責任做的事情。"通過"者,有被認同的需要，亦等於有不被認同的可能。若是不能被人所接納，"不通過"也"是立法會應該做和有責任做的事情"。
我並非在此認同或是不認同今次的行為，只是慨嘆香港比D連何謂"政治"都不通的"高官"話事,唉...!
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
揭開帕子之後
(11.03.09 靈修勵語)
路加福音記載了撒迦利亞在祭壇上上香的事，主的天使在祭壇的右邊出現了，然後說出了從神來的預言。這一位祭司，知道了這莫大的歡喜快樂之事，他的反應是甚麼？他不信！
撒迦利亞的反應是難以明白的，他是祭司，當下他在聖殿事奉，屬神的人在屬神的殿聽見屬神的話本應該驚喜！而且他是清清楚楚看見了的天使加百列顯現，說出了他期待以久的說話──神要賜他一個兒子，約翰！然而，這樣一個在神前蒙恩的人，他卻竟然不相信親眼看見的真事！
人類的天性就是對陌生的事物抱存疑懼，為了叫自己能夠保持現狀，千方百計不惜壓抑、欺騙、隱瞞，甚至訴之暴力，也要避免陌生的事情發生在自己身上。於是，我們為了保持生命的現有境況，就連賜人生命的主也排斥了。
我們鼓勵人憑著信心經歷神，我們相信靈修親近神就充滿著神蹟奇事，因為有耶穌在心裡就是神蹟。信徒可以敞開臉看見主的榮光，按照聖經所說：「這帕子在基督裡已經廢去了」（林後三：14）主的靈親自揭開蒙在心中的帕子，釋放了你，讓你得以自由，從此你就與主同行了。
所以根本上，屬神的人經歷屬神的事是理所當然的！
然而，我們的真相就是害怕，而且我們也害怕揭示真相。揭開帕子之後，你要在主面前敞開生命了，你真真正正的貼近這位主耶穌。我們要與這位陌生的主開始最深入生命的關係。你的生命有了愛你的主，但祂也等候你愛主更深。你的罪被抖了出來，也被主清洗乾淨。你的人際關係被主的愛觸摸了，但也表示了你要復和、寬恕和關懷你身邊的人。你的困難有了出路，但這出路也表示了你要面對困難。
經歷神的人就是不斷向真相開放自己，做一個勇敢向前邁進的人。你願意對自己的生命和信仰認真，勇敢地揭開帕子，與神相遇嗎？
路加福音記載了撒迦利亞在祭壇上上香的事，主的天使在祭壇的右邊出現了，然後說出了從神來的預言。這一位祭司，知道了這莫大的歡喜快樂之事，他的反應是甚麼？他不信！
撒迦利亞的反應是難以明白的，他是祭司，當下他在聖殿事奉，屬神的人在屬神的殿聽見屬神的話本應該驚喜！而且他是清清楚楚看見了的天使加百列顯現，說出了他期待以久的說話──神要賜他一個兒子，約翰！然而，這樣一個在神前蒙恩的人，他卻竟然不相信親眼看見的真事！
人類的天性就是對陌生的事物抱存疑懼，為了叫自己能夠保持現狀，千方百計不惜壓抑、欺騙、隱瞞，甚至訴之暴力，也要避免陌生的事情發生在自己身上。於是，我們為了保持生命的現有境況，就連賜人生命的主也排斥了。
我們鼓勵人憑著信心經歷神，我們相信靈修親近神就充滿著神蹟奇事，因為有耶穌在心裡就是神蹟。信徒可以敞開臉看見主的榮光，按照聖經所說：「這帕子在基督裡已經廢去了」（林後三：14）主的靈親自揭開蒙在心中的帕子，釋放了你，讓你得以自由，從此你就與主同行了。
所以根本上，屬神的人經歷屬神的事是理所當然的！
然而，我們的真相就是害怕，而且我們也害怕揭示真相。揭開帕子之後，你要在主面前敞開生命了，你真真正正的貼近這位主耶穌。我們要與這位陌生的主開始最深入生命的關係。你的生命有了愛你的主，但祂也等候你愛主更深。你的罪被抖了出來，也被主清洗乾淨。你的人際關係被主的愛觸摸了，但也表示了你要復和、寬恕和關懷你身邊的人。你的困難有了出路，但這出路也表示了你要面對困難。
經歷神的人就是不斷向真相開放自己，做一個勇敢向前邁進的人。你願意對自己的生命和信仰認真，勇敢地揭開帕子，與神相遇嗎？
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Hipster Faith
To remain relevant, many evangelical pastors are following the lead of hipster trendsetters. So what happens when 'cool' meets Christ?
Brett McCracken | posted 9/03/2010 10:26AM
(http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/september/9.24.html)
Here's a riddle: A young man walks into a building. From the outside, it looks like a nondescript, run-down, abandoned warehouse. Inside he finds mood lighting, music with throbbing bass, and young people wearing skinny jeans and superfluous scarves. A bar off to the side offers drinks of some sort, and a frenetically lit stage is shrouded in fog. Jumbo screens display what appear to be music videos. Everywhere people text on their iPhones.
A young woman with a nose ring and a vaguely Middle Eastern tattoo comes up andintroduces herself. She makes awkward (but refreshingly earnest) small talk about her passion for community gardens and food co-ops. She asks him if he has heard Arcade Fire's new album, and compliments him on his bushy beard and lumberjack look. Beards like that are cool, she says. Eventually she asks him for his contact information.
Question: Is the man in a bar? Or is he in a church?
It could go either way.
Welcome to the world of hipster Christianity. It's a world where things like the Left Behind book and film series, Jesus fish bumper stickers, and door-to-door evangelism are relevant only as a source of irony or nostalgia. It's a world where Braveheart youth-pastor analogies are anathema, where everyone agrees that they wish Pat Robertson "weren't one of us" and shares a collective distaste for the art of Thomas Kinkade.
The latest incarnation of a decades-long collision of "cool" and "Christianity," hipster Christianity is in large part a rebellion against the very subculture that birthed it. It's a rebellion against old-school evangelicalism and its fuddy-duddy legalism, apathy about the arts, and pitiful lack of concern for social justice. It's also a rebellion against George W. Bush—style Christianity: American flags in churches, the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, and evangelical leaders who get too involved in conservative politics, such as James Dobson and Jerry Falwell.
The new subculture of young evangelicals—I call them "Christian hipsters"—grew up on Contemporary Christian music (CCM), Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey, flannel graphs, vacation Bible school, and hysteria about the end times. Now all of that is laughable to them, as they attempt to burn away the kitschy dross of the megachurch Christianity of their youth—with its emphasis on "soul-winning" at the expense of everything else—and trade it for something with real-world gravitas.
They prefer to call themselves "Christ-followers" rather than "Christians." They cringe at the thought of an altar call, and the prospect of passing out tracts gives them nightmares. Christian hipsters alarm some church leaders and mystify others. But for many observers, hipster Christianity is an exciting development. It reassures them that not all young people are abandoning the church. They are just rehabilitating its image, making it their own.
In order to remain relevant in this new landscape, many evangelical pastors and church leaders are following the lead of the hipster trendsetters, making sure their churches can check off all the important items on the hipster checklist:
- Get the church involved in social justice and creation care.
- Show clips from R-rated Coen Brothers films (e.g., No Country for Old Men, Fargo) during services.
- Sponsor church outings to microbreweries.
- Put a worship pastor onstage decked in clothes from American Apparel.
- Be okay with cussing.
- Print bulletins only on recycled cardstock.
- Use Helvetica fonts as much as possible.
- Leverage technologies like Twitter.
This is what hipster Christianity looks like; this is what it requires. But what does it all mean? As the latest zeitgeisty Christian subculture in a long string of zeitgeisty Christian subcultures, what does hipster Christianity offer the church??
And what does it take away?
The History of Cool Faith
Before we examine those questions, we need to take a whistle-stop tour through the somewhat brief history of "Christian cool."
By most accounts, the story of cool Christianity begins in the 1960s. Its seeds were planted in the exploding post-war youth culture, which gave rise to a new emphasis on youth ministry within evangelicalism, the growth of parachurch organizations like Youth Specialties (founded in 1969), and a general feeling that, to reach increasingly rebellious and countercultural adolescents, Christianity had to get a bit edgier and wiser to the trends of the day.
But the biggest boost for cool Christianity came in the most unexpected way—when, in the late '60s and early '70s, hippies started following Christ. Acid-tripping, long-haired, sandal-wearing hippies like Ted Wise and Lonnie Frisbee led the pack, as hip Christian coffeehouses and communes sprung up in San Francisco, Greenwich Village, Chicago, and all across the country. Denominations like Calvary Chapel and Vineyard exploded, fueled by the charismatic fervor of the young hippie converts. Christian rock was born, led by people like Chuck Girard, a friend of Brian Wilson's whose band Love Song came out of the Laguna Beach dope scene, and Larry Norman, "the grandfather of Christian rock," whose 1969 masterpiece, Upon This Rock, is considered the first Christian rock album. It wasn't long, however, before the alternative/organic Jesus movement lost steam in the process of becoming mainstream. It wasn't long before "Christian rock" the movement became CCM the industry.
By the 1980s, most of the Jesus People had cut their hair, shaved their beards, and traded in their tunics and sandals for argyle sweaters and penny loafers. Yet the legacy of the hippie Christian movement was alive and well. For one thing, the deeply personal, experiential, Spirit-filled emphasis of the Jesus People remained as the charismatic movement took off, as well as the "just how you like it," seeker-sensitive approach that became common evangelical practice. This included an emphasis on the new and an elevation of trend and cool. Following the lead of Chuck Smith, whose outreach to hippies through Calvary Chapel reaped huge dividends, more evangelical leaders in the 1980s and '90s actively sought cool. They began to reach out to the youth culture and form churches to fit its needs—motivated by a renewed desire to be contemporary, current, and relevant.
As a result, evangelicalism in the '90s had a firmly established youth culture, built on the infrastructure of a lucrative Christian retail industry and commercial subculture. Huge Christian rock festivals, Lord's Gym T-shirts, WWJD bracelets, Left Behind, and so forth. It was big business. It was corporate. It was schlocky kitsch. And it was begging to be rebelled against.
Enter the age of the Christian hipster. As the '90s gave way to the 2000s, young evangelicals reared in the ostentatious Je$us subculture began to rebel. They sought a more intellectual faith, one that didn't reject outright the culture, ideas, and art of the secular world. In typical hipster fashion, they rejected the corporate mentality of the purpose-driven megachurch and McMansion evangelicalism, and longed for a simpler, back-to-basics faith that was more about serving the poor than serving Starbucks in the church vestibule.
They looked up to young Christian authors and pastors like Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, and Donald Miller, read Relevant magazine, adored indie-folk musician Sufjan Stevens, and were fascinated by ancient church liturgies and prayers. They began to dress and act like secular hipsters: drinking beer, getting tattoos, riding fixed-gear bikes, and eating raw and organic foods. They took interest in a broader range of issues (the environment, HIV/AIDS, globalization) than their parents' generation, and voted for Barack Obama.
In a way, the contemporary Christian hipster is a full-circle return to the Jesus People hippies of yesteryear. But the Jesus People were secular "hipsters" first, then—having converted to Christianity—began to shed their hippie clothes and customs to form communities that were set apart, ultimately becoming their own subculture (e.g., Jesus People USA). Today's Christian hipsters are doing the reverse. They seek to break out of the Christian subculture. The clothes and customs they shed are nothing less than the evangelical establishment itself, formed through decades of attempts at cool Christianity. Today's Christian hipsters retain their faith, but they want it to be compatible with, not contrary to, secular hipster counterculture. Their mission is to rebrand Christianity to be, if not completely void of its own brand altogether, at least cobranded and allied with the things that it had previously set itself in opposition to: art, academics, liberal politics, fashion, and so on.
As a result of its intentional melding of Christian and secular, hipster Christianity often feels a bit like a stealth operation. One cannot easily decipher the Christian elements of a Christian hipster, not because they aren't there, but because they aren't in the foreground as much as, say, the "can't miss it" sartorial expressions (lumberjack beards, vintage dresses, flask as accessory) that traditionally signify hip. You're telling me that indie folk singer is a Calvinist? Blue Like Jazz is a book about Christianity? That guy with the Poseidon tattoo I saw at the hookah bar last night is a Presbyterian pastor? Who knew?
The Hipster Look
In this confounding world of intentionally blurred distinctions and redefined categories, can we make out any clear marks of a Christian hipster?
What makes a church a "hipster church"? Does it have a one-word name that is either a Greek word or something evocative of creation? Does the pastor frequently use words like kingdom, authenticity, and justice, and drop names like N. T. Wright in sermons? Does the church advertise a gluten-free option for Communion? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, chances are that it's a hipster church.
Of course that's simplistic. The hipster Christianity that I discovered during the research for my book—which entailed visits to hipster churches and interviews all over the country—is actually complex and diverse in its incarnations, even if it isn't very diverse in ethnicity and socioeconomics. Hipster Christianity isn't a monolithic subculture that can be easily categorized, but it definitely has some recognizable characteristics.
One thing we can fairly say of hipster Christianity is that it frequently strives for shock value. Take, for example, Seattle's Mars Hill Church—a Christian hipster Mecca pastored by Mark Driscoll, the polarizing Howard Stern of neo-Calvinist Christianity. On the Sunday I visited, Driscoll's message was on the Dance of Mahanaim in the Song of Solomon (an "ancient striptease," as he referred to it, and "one of the steamiest passages in the Bible"). During his sermon, Driscoll—looking like a metrosexual jock in an Ed Hardy—esque tight T-shirt, cross necklace, and faux-hawk—talked about how wives should be "visually generous" with their husbands (e.g., they should keep the lights on when undressing and during sex). I never thought I'd hear a preacher talk about these things from the pulpit. And that's exactly the point.
Hipster Christianity's attention to shock value manifests in others ways. Some churches hold their services in bars and nightclubs—Mosaic in L.A. meets in the Mayan nightclub, and North Brooklyn Vineyard in New York meets at a place called the Trash Bar. Some churches, like Grace Chicago, host wine tastings or schedule outings to microbreweries. I even attended an Anglican church a few years ago that sponsored a cookout with fine wines, beer, and a selection of cigars from the priest's own humidor. Other churches focus more on the shock value of sermons, delving into touchy subjects such as homosexuality, child abuse, sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and so on, sometimes with an f-bomb or two thrown in for good measure.
Another distinguishing mark of hipster Christianity is the music in its worship services. In keeping with the overarching "avoid doing what everyone else is doing" motif of hipsterdom at large, most of the hipster churches I visited seemed done with the U2- starry-rock style that now dominates megachurch evangelicalism. Rather than contemporary praise choruses, many of them favored centuries-old hymns.
On the Sunday I visited Resurrection Presbyterian in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (the heart of worldwide hipster culture), the music was pared down (one singer and one instrumentalist), acoustic, vintage, and reverent. All the worship songs were old hymns, including "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" and "Fairest Lord Jesus." Almost everyone in the audience was under 35.
Hipster Christianity also expresses itself theologically, through preaching that often emphasizes covenantal and "new creation" ideas and attempts to construct a more ecclesiological or community-centric view of salvation. Things like soul-winning and going to heaven are downplayed in favor of the notion that heaven will come down to earth and renew the broken creation. Thus, the world matters. It's not a piece of rotting kindling that we will abandon for heaven one day. It's the site of a renewed kingdom. All of this informs hipster Christianity's attention to things like social justice, environmentalism, and the arts, because if God is building his kingdom on earth, then it all matters.
Small But Influential
Lest we overemphasize its importance in worldwide Christianity, we should remember that hipster Christianity is a rather narrow subset of the faith: mostly white evangelical, mostly economically well-off. It has little pertinence to, say, a rural Appalachian church or a monastic community in Ohio, let alone most of Christendom in the non-Western world. It also has little impact on non-white communities in the U.S., a point made by Anthony Bradley—professor of theology at New York's King's College—in a recent blog post titled "Can hipster Christians reach non-hipster blacks and Latinos in urban areas?" Soong-Chan Rah asked a similar question in a recent Sojourners article, "Is the Emerging Church for Whites Only?"
Hipster Christianity is undoubtedly a specific enterprise, which means its overall impact on global Christianity might be negligible. But it's clearly shaping some aspects of evangelical culture.
One of hipsterdom's positive values is its concern for justice—whether it be sweatshops or sex trafficking, water wells or finance reform. Hipsters almost always champion the cause of the underdog (immigrants, the poor, minorities) over those with power and privilege. Christians would be hard-pressed to find any Scripture passages that suggest Jesus didn't do the same. Many Christians, sadly, have moved away from social justice and fighting for the well-being of the downtrodden, but Christian hipsters are leading the way back.
Hipster Christians also have a healthy appreciation for the finer things in God's creation. With childlike awe and wonder that betrays their otherwise cynical demeanor, hipsters glory in the little pleasures of life: riding bikes along rivers, eating homemade macarons on a blanket in a friend's front yard, or playing Frisbee in the park. Hipsters appreciate the detail and artistry of creative, well-crafted films, music, books, and woodwork. They take the arts seriously and recognize their crucial part in human flourishing. Mainstream evangelical Christianity—too long in the ghetto of subpar subculture—should take note.
On the other hand, some wonder if hipster Christianity goes too far in embracing worldly things—especially when those things arguably become stumbling blocks or idols in the Christian life. Some suspect that its rebellious embrace of formerly taboo behaviors actually might do more long-term harm than good.
In order to be a hipster, one must be a rebel. Despite the fact that (ironically) hipster culture usually operates within and is sustained by the very structures it opposes, hipsterdom's raison d'être is countercultural, boundary-pushing rebellion. As such, hipster existence is frequently rife with vices. If hipsters cannot completely overthrow the structures that bind them, they can at least destabilize them by engaging in hedonistic behavior: smoking, drinking, cursing, sexual experimentation, and so on. It's about freedom, partying, and transgression—not in the Jersey Shore, frat-party sense (unless ironically), but in the "bourbon cask ales taste good and I don't care if I get drunk" sense. Hipsters ridicule bourgeois concerns such as "cigarettes cause cancer" and "drinking should be done in moderation," opting instead to recklessly embrace such vices with "why not?" abandon. If you aren't willing to engage in at least some of this "subversive hedonism," you will have a hard time maintaining any hipster credibility.
But what does this mean for Christian hipsters? When, in the name of rebellion and "freedom in Christ," Christian hipsters begin to look and act just like their secular hipster counterparts, drinking and smoking all the same things, shouldn't we raise a red flag?
Isn't Christianity supposed to be distinguishable and set apart from the world? Christian hipsters are rebelling against a mainstream Christianity that they see as too indistinguishable from secular mainstream culture (i.e., consumerist, numbers-driven, Fox News—watching, immigrant-hating, SUV-driving), but their corrective may not turn out much better. Some hipster Christianity is as indistinguishable from its secular hipster counterpart as yesterday's megachurch Christianity was indistinguishable from secular soccer-mom suburbia.
The challenge for hipster Christians is to figure out what it means, in their cultural context, to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). We are new creations, and the old has passed away (2 Cor. 5:17). How does that mesh with the Pabst-guzzling, Parliament-smoking nonchalant image that seems important to many hipsters?
Another concern about hipster Christianity is its fundamentally disposable, moving-on-to-what's-next transience. Granted, there is a tension here, because hipsters are rediscovering ancient liturgy and hymns. But one gets the impression that these are valued mostly because they are countercultural and therefore cool in their own way. But cool is all about the "now." It relentlessly pursues the next big thing, abandoning today's trend for tomorrow's with mechanistic speed and efficiency (think trucker hats or messenger bags).
This "of the moment" trendiness is an understandably appealing quality for those seeking to advance Christianity in today's world. How can we be taken seriously if we are perceived as behind the times or irrelevant? This is the reasoning that leads many churches to obsess about keeping their churches on pace with the latest technologies, worship music trends, or theological buzzwords (missional!). But is this painstaking, resource-draining rat race of staying ahead of the pack worth it? And what happens to Christianity when it becomes, like hipsterdom, a chameleon of fleeting fashion and transient trend?
As hipster Christianity grows, the temptation for church leaders will be to fashion themselves (and their churches) in the hipster mold. But in so doing, these churches will likely only reinforce a growing distinction between "authentic hipster" and "wannabe hip" churches. The former type is often simply an organic embodiment of an urban environment where hipsters live (and, thus, attend church). These churches are hip not because they self-consciously strive to be, but because they happen to exist in a hipster milieu (e.g., Resurrection Presbyterian in Brooklyn, or Grace Church in London's Hackney neighborhood).
The latter type, on the other hand, appropriates what it perceives to be the prevailing hipster sensibilities in a utilitarian, "staying relevant" way. These wannabe hip churches—largely of the suburban, megachurch, and "contemporary evening service" variety—dress themselves in the accoutrements of hipsterdom not because they understand or value it, but because they are terrified of being excluded, left behind, or undesirable. They are playing catch up, frantically maneuvering to be in the inner rings of culture and fashion rather than the dreaded periphery.
Wannabe-hip churches are springing up everywhere these days, but what will it mean for the larger church? Will this sort of Christianity bring back the youth, or will it further alienate a younger generation fed up with being a target market? Will hipster Christianity repair Christianity's PR problem? Or will it fizzle in a faddish wisp before anyone can say lectio divina?
These are open questions. In the meantime, hipster Christianity is a sometimes encouraging, sometimes maddening, always fascinating phenomenon. It defies easy yes-or-no understanding. And that's precisely how it prefers it to be.
Brett McCracken is author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide (Baker, 2010). He works at Biola University in Los Angeles.
Copyright © 2010 Christianity Today.
Brett McCracken | posted 9/03/2010 10:26AM
(http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/september/9.24.html)
Here's a riddle: A young man walks into a building. From the outside, it looks like a nondescript, run-down, abandoned warehouse. Inside he finds mood lighting, music with throbbing bass, and young people wearing skinny jeans and superfluous scarves. A bar off to the side offers drinks of some sort, and a frenetically lit stage is shrouded in fog. Jumbo screens display what appear to be music videos. Everywhere people text on their iPhones.
A young woman with a nose ring and a vaguely Middle Eastern tattoo comes up andintroduces herself. She makes awkward (but refreshingly earnest) small talk about her passion for community gardens and food co-ops. She asks him if he has heard Arcade Fire's new album, and compliments him on his bushy beard and lumberjack look. Beards like that are cool, she says. Eventually she asks him for his contact information.
Question: Is the man in a bar? Or is he in a church?
It could go either way.
Welcome to the world of hipster Christianity. It's a world where things like the Left Behind book and film series, Jesus fish bumper stickers, and door-to-door evangelism are relevant only as a source of irony or nostalgia. It's a world where Braveheart youth-pastor analogies are anathema, where everyone agrees that they wish Pat Robertson "weren't one of us" and shares a collective distaste for the art of Thomas Kinkade.
The latest incarnation of a decades-long collision of "cool" and "Christianity," hipster Christianity is in large part a rebellion against the very subculture that birthed it. It's a rebellion against old-school evangelicalism and its fuddy-duddy legalism, apathy about the arts, and pitiful lack of concern for social justice. It's also a rebellion against George W. Bush—style Christianity: American flags in churches, the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, and evangelical leaders who get too involved in conservative politics, such as James Dobson and Jerry Falwell.
The new subculture of young evangelicals—I call them "Christian hipsters"—grew up on Contemporary Christian music (CCM), Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey, flannel graphs, vacation Bible school, and hysteria about the end times. Now all of that is laughable to them, as they attempt to burn away the kitschy dross of the megachurch Christianity of their youth—with its emphasis on "soul-winning" at the expense of everything else—and trade it for something with real-world gravitas.
They prefer to call themselves "Christ-followers" rather than "Christians." They cringe at the thought of an altar call, and the prospect of passing out tracts gives them nightmares. Christian hipsters alarm some church leaders and mystify others. But for many observers, hipster Christianity is an exciting development. It reassures them that not all young people are abandoning the church. They are just rehabilitating its image, making it their own.
In order to remain relevant in this new landscape, many evangelical pastors and church leaders are following the lead of the hipster trendsetters, making sure their churches can check off all the important items on the hipster checklist:
- Get the church involved in social justice and creation care.
- Show clips from R-rated Coen Brothers films (e.g., No Country for Old Men, Fargo) during services.
- Sponsor church outings to microbreweries.
- Put a worship pastor onstage decked in clothes from American Apparel.
- Be okay with cussing.
- Print bulletins only on recycled cardstock.
- Use Helvetica fonts as much as possible.
- Leverage technologies like Twitter.
This is what hipster Christianity looks like; this is what it requires. But what does it all mean? As the latest zeitgeisty Christian subculture in a long string of zeitgeisty Christian subcultures, what does hipster Christianity offer the church??
And what does it take away?
The History of Cool Faith
Before we examine those questions, we need to take a whistle-stop tour through the somewhat brief history of "Christian cool."
By most accounts, the story of cool Christianity begins in the 1960s. Its seeds were planted in the exploding post-war youth culture, which gave rise to a new emphasis on youth ministry within evangelicalism, the growth of parachurch organizations like Youth Specialties (founded in 1969), and a general feeling that, to reach increasingly rebellious and countercultural adolescents, Christianity had to get a bit edgier and wiser to the trends of the day.
But the biggest boost for cool Christianity came in the most unexpected way—when, in the late '60s and early '70s, hippies started following Christ. Acid-tripping, long-haired, sandal-wearing hippies like Ted Wise and Lonnie Frisbee led the pack, as hip Christian coffeehouses and communes sprung up in San Francisco, Greenwich Village, Chicago, and all across the country. Denominations like Calvary Chapel and Vineyard exploded, fueled by the charismatic fervor of the young hippie converts. Christian rock was born, led by people like Chuck Girard, a friend of Brian Wilson's whose band Love Song came out of the Laguna Beach dope scene, and Larry Norman, "the grandfather of Christian rock," whose 1969 masterpiece, Upon This Rock, is considered the first Christian rock album. It wasn't long, however, before the alternative/organic Jesus movement lost steam in the process of becoming mainstream. It wasn't long before "Christian rock" the movement became CCM the industry.
By the 1980s, most of the Jesus People had cut their hair, shaved their beards, and traded in their tunics and sandals for argyle sweaters and penny loafers. Yet the legacy of the hippie Christian movement was alive and well. For one thing, the deeply personal, experiential, Spirit-filled emphasis of the Jesus People remained as the charismatic movement took off, as well as the "just how you like it," seeker-sensitive approach that became common evangelical practice. This included an emphasis on the new and an elevation of trend and cool. Following the lead of Chuck Smith, whose outreach to hippies through Calvary Chapel reaped huge dividends, more evangelical leaders in the 1980s and '90s actively sought cool. They began to reach out to the youth culture and form churches to fit its needs—motivated by a renewed desire to be contemporary, current, and relevant.
As a result, evangelicalism in the '90s had a firmly established youth culture, built on the infrastructure of a lucrative Christian retail industry and commercial subculture. Huge Christian rock festivals, Lord's Gym T-shirts, WWJD bracelets, Left Behind, and so forth. It was big business. It was corporate. It was schlocky kitsch. And it was begging to be rebelled against.
Enter the age of the Christian hipster. As the '90s gave way to the 2000s, young evangelicals reared in the ostentatious Je$us subculture began to rebel. They sought a more intellectual faith, one that didn't reject outright the culture, ideas, and art of the secular world. In typical hipster fashion, they rejected the corporate mentality of the purpose-driven megachurch and McMansion evangelicalism, and longed for a simpler, back-to-basics faith that was more about serving the poor than serving Starbucks in the church vestibule.
They looked up to young Christian authors and pastors like Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, and Donald Miller, read Relevant magazine, adored indie-folk musician Sufjan Stevens, and were fascinated by ancient church liturgies and prayers. They began to dress and act like secular hipsters: drinking beer, getting tattoos, riding fixed-gear bikes, and eating raw and organic foods. They took interest in a broader range of issues (the environment, HIV/AIDS, globalization) than their parents' generation, and voted for Barack Obama.
In a way, the contemporary Christian hipster is a full-circle return to the Jesus People hippies of yesteryear. But the Jesus People were secular "hipsters" first, then—having converted to Christianity—began to shed their hippie clothes and customs to form communities that were set apart, ultimately becoming their own subculture (e.g., Jesus People USA). Today's Christian hipsters are doing the reverse. They seek to break out of the Christian subculture. The clothes and customs they shed are nothing less than the evangelical establishment itself, formed through decades of attempts at cool Christianity. Today's Christian hipsters retain their faith, but they want it to be compatible with, not contrary to, secular hipster counterculture. Their mission is to rebrand Christianity to be, if not completely void of its own brand altogether, at least cobranded and allied with the things that it had previously set itself in opposition to: art, academics, liberal politics, fashion, and so on.
As a result of its intentional melding of Christian and secular, hipster Christianity often feels a bit like a stealth operation. One cannot easily decipher the Christian elements of a Christian hipster, not because they aren't there, but because they aren't in the foreground as much as, say, the "can't miss it" sartorial expressions (lumberjack beards, vintage dresses, flask as accessory) that traditionally signify hip. You're telling me that indie folk singer is a Calvinist? Blue Like Jazz is a book about Christianity? That guy with the Poseidon tattoo I saw at the hookah bar last night is a Presbyterian pastor? Who knew?
The Hipster Look
In this confounding world of intentionally blurred distinctions and redefined categories, can we make out any clear marks of a Christian hipster?
What makes a church a "hipster church"? Does it have a one-word name that is either a Greek word or something evocative of creation? Does the pastor frequently use words like kingdom, authenticity, and justice, and drop names like N. T. Wright in sermons? Does the church advertise a gluten-free option for Communion? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, chances are that it's a hipster church.
Of course that's simplistic. The hipster Christianity that I discovered during the research for my book—which entailed visits to hipster churches and interviews all over the country—is actually complex and diverse in its incarnations, even if it isn't very diverse in ethnicity and socioeconomics. Hipster Christianity isn't a monolithic subculture that can be easily categorized, but it definitely has some recognizable characteristics.
One thing we can fairly say of hipster Christianity is that it frequently strives for shock value. Take, for example, Seattle's Mars Hill Church—a Christian hipster Mecca pastored by Mark Driscoll, the polarizing Howard Stern of neo-Calvinist Christianity. On the Sunday I visited, Driscoll's message was on the Dance of Mahanaim in the Song of Solomon (an "ancient striptease," as he referred to it, and "one of the steamiest passages in the Bible"). During his sermon, Driscoll—looking like a metrosexual jock in an Ed Hardy—esque tight T-shirt, cross necklace, and faux-hawk—talked about how wives should be "visually generous" with their husbands (e.g., they should keep the lights on when undressing and during sex). I never thought I'd hear a preacher talk about these things from the pulpit. And that's exactly the point.
Hipster Christianity's attention to shock value manifests in others ways. Some churches hold their services in bars and nightclubs—Mosaic in L.A. meets in the Mayan nightclub, and North Brooklyn Vineyard in New York meets at a place called the Trash Bar. Some churches, like Grace Chicago, host wine tastings or schedule outings to microbreweries. I even attended an Anglican church a few years ago that sponsored a cookout with fine wines, beer, and a selection of cigars from the priest's own humidor. Other churches focus more on the shock value of sermons, delving into touchy subjects such as homosexuality, child abuse, sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS, and so on, sometimes with an f-bomb or two thrown in for good measure.
Another distinguishing mark of hipster Christianity is the music in its worship services. In keeping with the overarching "avoid doing what everyone else is doing" motif of hipsterdom at large, most of the hipster churches I visited seemed done with the U2- starry-rock style that now dominates megachurch evangelicalism. Rather than contemporary praise choruses, many of them favored centuries-old hymns.
On the Sunday I visited Resurrection Presbyterian in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (the heart of worldwide hipster culture), the music was pared down (one singer and one instrumentalist), acoustic, vintage, and reverent. All the worship songs were old hymns, including "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" and "Fairest Lord Jesus." Almost everyone in the audience was under 35.
Hipster Christianity also expresses itself theologically, through preaching that often emphasizes covenantal and "new creation" ideas and attempts to construct a more ecclesiological or community-centric view of salvation. Things like soul-winning and going to heaven are downplayed in favor of the notion that heaven will come down to earth and renew the broken creation. Thus, the world matters. It's not a piece of rotting kindling that we will abandon for heaven one day. It's the site of a renewed kingdom. All of this informs hipster Christianity's attention to things like social justice, environmentalism, and the arts, because if God is building his kingdom on earth, then it all matters.
Small But Influential
Lest we overemphasize its importance in worldwide Christianity, we should remember that hipster Christianity is a rather narrow subset of the faith: mostly white evangelical, mostly economically well-off. It has little pertinence to, say, a rural Appalachian church or a monastic community in Ohio, let alone most of Christendom in the non-Western world. It also has little impact on non-white communities in the U.S., a point made by Anthony Bradley—professor of theology at New York's King's College—in a recent blog post titled "Can hipster Christians reach non-hipster blacks and Latinos in urban areas?" Soong-Chan Rah asked a similar question in a recent Sojourners article, "Is the Emerging Church for Whites Only?"
Hipster Christianity is undoubtedly a specific enterprise, which means its overall impact on global Christianity might be negligible. But it's clearly shaping some aspects of evangelical culture.
One of hipsterdom's positive values is its concern for justice—whether it be sweatshops or sex trafficking, water wells or finance reform. Hipsters almost always champion the cause of the underdog (immigrants, the poor, minorities) over those with power and privilege. Christians would be hard-pressed to find any Scripture passages that suggest Jesus didn't do the same. Many Christians, sadly, have moved away from social justice and fighting for the well-being of the downtrodden, but Christian hipsters are leading the way back.
Hipster Christians also have a healthy appreciation for the finer things in God's creation. With childlike awe and wonder that betrays their otherwise cynical demeanor, hipsters glory in the little pleasures of life: riding bikes along rivers, eating homemade macarons on a blanket in a friend's front yard, or playing Frisbee in the park. Hipsters appreciate the detail and artistry of creative, well-crafted films, music, books, and woodwork. They take the arts seriously and recognize their crucial part in human flourishing. Mainstream evangelical Christianity—too long in the ghetto of subpar subculture—should take note.
On the other hand, some wonder if hipster Christianity goes too far in embracing worldly things—especially when those things arguably become stumbling blocks or idols in the Christian life. Some suspect that its rebellious embrace of formerly taboo behaviors actually might do more long-term harm than good.
In order to be a hipster, one must be a rebel. Despite the fact that (ironically) hipster culture usually operates within and is sustained by the very structures it opposes, hipsterdom's raison d'être is countercultural, boundary-pushing rebellion. As such, hipster existence is frequently rife with vices. If hipsters cannot completely overthrow the structures that bind them, they can at least destabilize them by engaging in hedonistic behavior: smoking, drinking, cursing, sexual experimentation, and so on. It's about freedom, partying, and transgression—not in the Jersey Shore, frat-party sense (unless ironically), but in the "bourbon cask ales taste good and I don't care if I get drunk" sense. Hipsters ridicule bourgeois concerns such as "cigarettes cause cancer" and "drinking should be done in moderation," opting instead to recklessly embrace such vices with "why not?" abandon. If you aren't willing to engage in at least some of this "subversive hedonism," you will have a hard time maintaining any hipster credibility.
But what does this mean for Christian hipsters? When, in the name of rebellion and "freedom in Christ," Christian hipsters begin to look and act just like their secular hipster counterparts, drinking and smoking all the same things, shouldn't we raise a red flag?
Isn't Christianity supposed to be distinguishable and set apart from the world? Christian hipsters are rebelling against a mainstream Christianity that they see as too indistinguishable from secular mainstream culture (i.e., consumerist, numbers-driven, Fox News—watching, immigrant-hating, SUV-driving), but their corrective may not turn out much better. Some hipster Christianity is as indistinguishable from its secular hipster counterpart as yesterday's megachurch Christianity was indistinguishable from secular soccer-mom suburbia.
The challenge for hipster Christians is to figure out what it means, in their cultural context, to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). We are new creations, and the old has passed away (2 Cor. 5:17). How does that mesh with the Pabst-guzzling, Parliament-smoking nonchalant image that seems important to many hipsters?
Another concern about hipster Christianity is its fundamentally disposable, moving-on-to-what's-next transience. Granted, there is a tension here, because hipsters are rediscovering ancient liturgy and hymns. But one gets the impression that these are valued mostly because they are countercultural and therefore cool in their own way. But cool is all about the "now." It relentlessly pursues the next big thing, abandoning today's trend for tomorrow's with mechanistic speed and efficiency (think trucker hats or messenger bags).
This "of the moment" trendiness is an understandably appealing quality for those seeking to advance Christianity in today's world. How can we be taken seriously if we are perceived as behind the times or irrelevant? This is the reasoning that leads many churches to obsess about keeping their churches on pace with the latest technologies, worship music trends, or theological buzzwords (missional!). But is this painstaking, resource-draining rat race of staying ahead of the pack worth it? And what happens to Christianity when it becomes, like hipsterdom, a chameleon of fleeting fashion and transient trend?
As hipster Christianity grows, the temptation for church leaders will be to fashion themselves (and their churches) in the hipster mold. But in so doing, these churches will likely only reinforce a growing distinction between "authentic hipster" and "wannabe hip" churches. The former type is often simply an organic embodiment of an urban environment where hipsters live (and, thus, attend church). These churches are hip not because they self-consciously strive to be, but because they happen to exist in a hipster milieu (e.g., Resurrection Presbyterian in Brooklyn, or Grace Church in London's Hackney neighborhood).
The latter type, on the other hand, appropriates what it perceives to be the prevailing hipster sensibilities in a utilitarian, "staying relevant" way. These wannabe hip churches—largely of the suburban, megachurch, and "contemporary evening service" variety—dress themselves in the accoutrements of hipsterdom not because they understand or value it, but because they are terrified of being excluded, left behind, or undesirable. They are playing catch up, frantically maneuvering to be in the inner rings of culture and fashion rather than the dreaded periphery.
Wannabe-hip churches are springing up everywhere these days, but what will it mean for the larger church? Will this sort of Christianity bring back the youth, or will it further alienate a younger generation fed up with being a target market? Will hipster Christianity repair Christianity's PR problem? Or will it fizzle in a faddish wisp before anyone can say lectio divina?
These are open questions. In the meantime, hipster Christianity is a sometimes encouraging, sometimes maddening, always fascinating phenomenon. It defies easy yes-or-no understanding. And that's precisely how it prefers it to be.
Brett McCracken is author of Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide (Baker, 2010). He works at Biola University in Los Angeles.
Copyright © 2010 Christianity Today.
Friday, March 04, 2011
「我對蘋果哲學的理解－蘋果的騙局」
(轉載自：http://unwire.hk/2011/03/04/appleipad2trap/column/）
在國內的 cnBeta 網站，出現了一篇名為「我對蘋果哲學的理解－蘋果的騙局」(http://www.cnbeta.com/articles/136262.htm)，在網絡上隨即惹來爭議。當然一間企業有人支持亦有會有人反對，我們可以聽取他們的心聲分享，為方便閱讀我們把原文轉成了繁體，不知各位閱讀後有甚麼意見呢?可以發表一下
借iPad2發佈的契機，把這篇長久以來的構想落在筆頭。就像我在狀態中所說的，我佩服蘋果的技術，卻不能接受蘋果的哲學。騙局？你肯定不信。待我問你，iPad2最大的賣點是什麼？你會說，加上了攝像頭，前後兩個，減小了厚度，加了蓋，"2x/9x"的速度提升。好，我們單說 加了攝像頭這一點。想一想，當今世面上的電腦、網本、智慧手機，能找到一款沒有攝像頭的麼？難。攝像頭已經成為移動電子產品的標配，為什麼iPad2上裝 了攝像頭，大家就無比激動？因為iPad1沒有攝像頭。那麼請想一想，為什麼iPad1沒有攝像頭？
如果你還沒有被騙的感覺，請繼續往下看。
蘋果的技術與行銷
任何一家依靠技術立足的公司，都必須有源源不斷的技術創新。然而，大家能在市場上買到的所謂"新"產品，其實並不一定是那家公司的最新技術。新技術是市場競爭中的籌碼，籌碼一定要攢在手中，適時的試用。如果產品在市場上業績不錯，一個公司沒有必要用出籌碼。只有當產品推出時間長了，銷量下滑了，人們開始淡忘了，或者有競爭產品推出時，一個公司才會吧之前已有的研發成果包裝成新產品推向市場。總而言之，所有企業在推出新技術時都是有所保留的，這是基本的策略，不足為奇。
蘋果卻將這種策略退向了極致。蘋果的技術保留，往往不是它的新技術，而是陳舊成熟的技術，或簡單易得的技術。
iPad2 的攝像頭是一個明顯的例證。攝像頭是非常成熟的技術，安裝攝像頭對於蘋果這樣的公司簡直沒有任何技術難度可言。從工程設計上，恐怕蘋果只要1個星期的時間 就能搞定，增加的成本也忽略不計。那麼它為什麼不在iPad1上安裝攝像頭？難道Jobs喝醉了忘記要求了？明顯不是，這就是為了讓iPad2顯得有所進 步。
再說iPad2的HDMI接電視的功能。在蘋果的官方網站上，有一個iPad1的VGA輸出附件，利用這個附件，可以把視頻和 Keynote輸出到電視或投影。然而，如果你留意一下這個附件下面的留言，幾乎所有用戶的評價都是2星一下，因為大家都希望共用其它App的顯示。但對 於iPad1，這是不能做到的。是技術上的限制麼？顯然不是，明明在發佈會上，Jobs都可以吧自己的iPhone/iPad螢幕投影到大螢幕上。使用者不 能這麼做，完全是個軟體上的限制。現在，iPad2支援了這個功能，從技術上，或許僅僅是注釋掉了幾行代碼，1分鐘的成本都用不了。
這樣的例子有很多，諸如iPhone4的Video Call，錄影。
這樣做，蘋果得了大利益。它開發一代新產品的成本非常低廉。不瞭解技術的用戶紛紛以為所有新產品的亮點都是技術革新，從而覺得新產品遠遠超越了原產品。這是一個假像。大部分新產品中的亮點，都是原本理所當然出現，卻硬生生的砍掉的。的確，新產品遠遠超越了原產品，不是因為新產品高端，而是因為原產品低端。
總結起來，蘋果的思路是，先用鮑魚龍蝦把你吸引來，然後餓著你，餓夠了再高價給你加個宮爆雞丁，你還激動的要死。殊不知如果你不貪那鮑魚龍蝦的面子，可以在別家吃的酒足飯飽。
強勢控制
所有企業都號稱以用戶為本，蘋果也不例外，號稱每個產品的更新，都聽取了大量用戶的回饋。但是蘋果真的在乎用戶麼？蘋果其實很強勢。
蘋果的每樣產品，多樣性都極其匱乏。並且這少的可憐的多樣性也僅僅體現在一些"硬"指標上，諸如記憶體大小、快閃記憶體大小。消費者沒有在功能上的選擇餘地，硬體軟體皆如此。蘋果的產品，充斥著這樣的信號：“我說有的就有；我說沒有的就沒有；我說有但是不給你的，你就別想要”。
Mac OS X不支持最大化是眾所周知的。"我們認為視窗的大小應該適合裡面的內容。" 好，就算你認為這是合理的，那麼你應該考慮到世界上還有很多認為"內容應該被調整以填滿整個視窗"的人，給個選項不好麼？蘋果的回答是，給你什麼你就用，抱怨也沒用。
又如上一節提到的，蘋果故意在產品中保留一些非常廉價、簡單、理所當然的功能。"大家都有的功能我偏不裝"，一樣是強勢的表現。
蘋果之所以這樣強勢，是為了樹立威信。人總是對待弱者很專橫，而對待強硬者就服服貼貼的。蘋果做出強硬的面孔，反倒利用了人的這種本性，讓人覺得“蘋果的概念都是真理，是我自己沒見過世面、太老土；蘋果的產品都是最高端的科技，是我自己的要求太科幻、白日夢。” 於是，人們也就不再吭聲了。
封閉的產品
蘋果的野心可謂無窮。它試圖以它的產品建立一個完全封閉的系統，以形成壟斷。微軟也曾經被指流覽器的壟斷，和蘋果相比，簡直小巫見大巫。蘋果經常藐視業界成文或不成文的標準、規範，藐視人們的習慣，只為建立自己的壟斷之勢。
iPhone 和iPad都有1G甚至更高頻率的處理器，卻不支援flash播放。flash已經成為目前互聯網上最常用的多媒體交互平臺，沒有之一。即時我個人也不主 張不必要的用flash，但蘋果直接選擇不支援flash，無疑又是挑戰標準的一例證。為什麼？因為flash本身是一個完善的多媒體交互環境，很多 iPhone/iPad app其實完全可以在flash中實現，況且flash是完全跨平臺的。如果開放了flash，就意味著開發人員或用戶可能放棄蘋果自己的環境，轉而直接 開發flash版本，使得蘋果成為一個空殼。為了商業利益，還是犧牲一下用戶吧。
iPad沒有SD卡槽。SD卡恐怕是當今最流行的存儲卡格式。即便Sony的筆記本，也在支持記憶棒的同時支持SD卡了。iPad不支持，是為了避免用戶買一個8G的iPad再配一個8G的SD卡，這樣的價格遠遠低於16G的iPad。
用過iPhone的人都知道，iPhone號稱支援藍牙，其實只支援藍牙耳機。市面上幾乎全部藍牙手機，都支持通過藍牙共用檔，唯獨iPhone不支持。猜測這是為了迫使使用者用網路傳輸，產生流量費用。
蘋果的軟體也極其封閉。這無需我解釋了。
營造產品的生態圈是人們所提倡的，但應該允許其它廠家的產品參與到競爭中來。蘋果卻努力排斥目前通行的行業標準，從而故意製造和其它廠商產品的不相容，以便形成自己封閉的生態圈。這是明顯的壟斷。
（值得一提的是，蘋果也服軟。它不敢不支援doc/docx/ppt/pptx，不敢不支援youtube。）
總結
我承認，蘋果擁有絕對領先的工程技術。然而，蘋果卻沒有利用這樣先進的技術千方百計造福人類，它想的全是如何斂財。我不否認斂財是一個公司的最重要功能之一。但是作為蘋果這樣一個世界上名列前茅的公司，理應在斂財之外，擔負起站在這個位置的社會責任來。
蘋 果擁有領先的技術，卻故意人為的製造產品的瑕疵，以期為後續產品贏得市場。蘋果故意抵制對自己壟斷事業不利的行業標準。要知道，一個規範的定型是一件非常 不易的事情，標準是人類智慧的結晶。只有有了標準，競爭才有準繩，技術的發展才有所依據，才能減少重複開發和浪費，提高效率。
作為消費電子 的使用者，我感到不被尊重，因為每當使用蘋果的產品，就有被強迫、被束縛的感覺。作為電子工程師，我感到羞恥，因為我看到人們夢想的技術不能得以實現，不是 被技術本身所限，不是被成本所限，而是被企業的野心與利益驅使所限；看到人類智慧的結晶被藐視，只因為企業的壟斷野心。
蘋果擁有領先的技術、地位、市場，卻不能承擔起應有的社會責任。這就是我對蘋果哲學的看法。
來源 :http://www.cnbeta.com/articles/136262.htm
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
We are indeed in need...
Life Application Study Bible Devotion
Exodus 4:10-13
Moses pleaded with God to let him out of his mission. After all, he was not a good speaker and would probably embarrass both himself and God. But God looked at Moses' problem quite differently. All Moses needed was some help, and who better than God to help him say and do the right things? God made his mouth and would give him the words to say. It is easy for us to focus on our weaknesses, but if God asks us to do something, then he will help us get the job done. If the job involves some of our weak areas, then we can trust that he will provide words, strength, courage, and ability where needed.
Exodus 4:10-13
Moses pleaded with God to let him out of his mission. After all, he was not a good speaker and would probably embarrass both himself and God. But God looked at Moses' problem quite differently. All Moses needed was some help, and who better than God to help him say and do the right things? God made his mouth and would give him the words to say. It is easy for us to focus on our weaknesses, but if God asks us to do something, then he will help us get the job done. If the job involves some of our weak areas, then we can trust that he will provide words, strength, courage, and ability where needed.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Panama Updates (4)
Dear all,
Thank you for your prayer support.
Thanksgiving:
1) 20 students @ Panama IEC Music Camp, they learnt music and Jesus at the same time... Many parents and other families enjoy the closing ceremony which included a drama done by the campers... :P
2) Sharing @ Alliance youth fellowship re: Messages in games
3) Karen arrived safely in Panama
4) Toronto STM for Music Camp safely arrived in Canada
Prayer items:
1) Please continue to pray for Youth Ministries in different Panama churches
2) Lung, brother from the Alliance youth fellowship have his problem changed from brain infection to lung infection. Although not in lift threatening situation, still critical. Please continue to pray for him and his family.
3) Our schedule
Feb 28: Alliance Youth fellowship
Mar 1: Visiting brothers and sisters at Arraijan (a city around one hour drive from Panama)
Mar 2: Panama IEC youth fellowship leaders training
Mar 6: Preaching at Living Water Alliance church
Mar 7: Leaving Panama for Toronto
For more updated photos, you can click *here*...
Thank you for your prayer support.
Thanksgiving:
1) 20 students @ Panama IEC Music Camp, they learnt music and Jesus at the same time... Many parents and other families enjoy the closing ceremony which included a drama done by the campers... :P
2) Sharing @ Alliance youth fellowship re: Messages in games
3) Karen arrived safely in Panama
4) Toronto STM for Music Camp safely arrived in Canada
Prayer items:
1) Please continue to pray for Youth Ministries in different Panama churches
2) Lung, brother from the Alliance youth fellowship have his problem changed from brain infection to lung infection. Although not in lift threatening situation, still critical. Please continue to pray for him and his family.
3) Our schedule
Feb 28: Alliance Youth fellowship
Mar 1: Visiting brothers and sisters at Arraijan (a city around one hour drive from Panama)
Mar 2: Panama IEC youth fellowship leaders training
Mar 6: Preaching at Living Water Alliance church
Mar 7: Leaving Panama for Toronto
For more updated photos, you can click *here*...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Panama Updates (3)
Dear all,
Thank you for all the support.
Thanksgiving:
1)Sharing @ Alliance youth fellowship was wonderful. We talked about how to utilize the media and internet to encourage the fellowship among the fellowship.
2)Almost 40 people attending 10th Anniversary of IEC Daniel fellowship, which started because of the Panama youth camp.
3)With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I share His words at IEC Spanish (using English, of course!), IEC Cantonese, and Iglesia Evangelica China de Arraijan, a city around 45 mins drive from Panama City.
4)Enjoying Amador, the great harbour front of Panama city, with the STM from Toronto.
Prayer items:
1)Father of the youth pastor of IEC passed away last Friday (18th) night, please pray for Pastor Louisa and her family.
2)A brother from the Alliance youth fellowship, Lung, was admitted into the emergency Sunday (20th) night. Out of life threatening situation but still critical. Please pray from him and his family.
3)Music Camp @ IEC, Feb 21-25. 20 kids camping at church to learn more about music and God.
For more updated photos, you can go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276047&id=514761224&l=81e9b95bba
Thanks
kelvin
Thank you for all the support.
Thanksgiving:
1)Sharing @ Alliance youth fellowship was wonderful. We talked about how to utilize the media and internet to encourage the fellowship among the fellowship.
2)Almost 40 people attending 10th Anniversary of IEC Daniel fellowship, which started because of the Panama youth camp.
3)With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I share His words at IEC Spanish (using English, of course!), IEC Cantonese, and Iglesia Evangelica China de Arraijan, a city around 45 mins drive from Panama City.
4)Enjoying Amador, the great harbour front of Panama city, with the STM from Toronto.
Prayer items:
1)Father of the youth pastor of IEC passed away last Friday (18th) night, please pray for Pastor Louisa and her family.
2)A brother from the Alliance youth fellowship, Lung, was admitted into the emergency Sunday (20th) night. Out of life threatening situation but still critical. Please pray from him and his family.
3)Music Camp @ IEC, Feb 21-25. 20 kids camping at church to learn more about music and God.
For more updated photos, you can go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276047&id=514761224&l=81e9b95bba
Thanks
kelvin
Men and Women
One day, there was a catastrophic event that caused all living creatures on Earth to die. To sort things out, everyone went to heaven.
God said, "I want the men to form two lines. One line for the men who ruled their women on Earth and one for the men who were ruled by their women."
The line of men who were ruled by their women was 1,000 miles long, and in the line of men who ruled their women, there was only one man.
God said, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I created you in my image and you were all whipped by your mates. Only one of my sons made me proud. Tell them, my son, how did you manage to be the only one in this line?"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I don't know," the man replied. "My wife told me to stand here."
"Joke of the week - www.TBS.com"
God said, "I want the men to form two lines. One line for the men who ruled their women on Earth and one for the men who were ruled by their women."
The line of men who were ruled by their women was 1,000 miles long, and in the line of men who ruled their women, there was only one man.
God said, "You men should be ashamed of yourselves. I created you in my image and you were all whipped by your mates. Only one of my sons made me proud. Tell them, my son, how did you manage to be the only one in this line?"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I don't know," the man replied. "My wife told me to stand here."
"Joke of the week - www.TBS.com"
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Panama Updates (2)
Dear all, thank you for your prayer support.
Thanksgiving:
2011 Panama Youth Camp:
The camp was very thankful. The 120 kids are great. There are some challenges during the camp, like without running water or fridge is not cool enough. But God definitely got His hands there and many of the kids willing to committee or re-committed themselves to Christ.
Here are some pictures:
Camp album 1/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004510&id=168600074&l=b34a8fc43e
Camp album 2/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004526&id=168600074&l=6aa66a79e1
If you have Facebook account, you can see some pictures and videos thru these links
Camp album 1/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004510&id=168600074
Camp album 2/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004526&id=168600074
Talent Show http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150107000081225
Campfire / sharing night http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150107085466225
Alliance Youth Fellowship:
Monday night Valentine's gathering got around 30 people. Pray that they are being encourage about true love by Pastor Howard Ngan of NTCAC (Toronto).
I had a chat / training with the leaders on Tuesday. Definitely we can see the potential and ability in their hearts, just their confidence is lacking a bit. Please keep praying for them.
We will have another training session this coming friday, and most likely next friday too.
IEC (Panama Chinese Church - Iglesia Evangelisa China de Panama) Daniel Fellowship:
Almost 40 people showing up in the past two meetings. Around 30% are Panama-grown, Spanish speaking. Wonderful spiritual sharing and instructions from the youth leaders.
Here are some prayer request:
(1) My schedule ahead
-Feb 18 Alliance Youth Fellowship leaders training
-Feb 19 IEC Youth Fellowship 10th Anniversary
-Feb 20 IEC Chinese Worship
-Feb 21-25 Music Camp @ IEC
-Feb 25 Alliance Youth Fellowship leaders training
(2) Panama Youth Ministry
As different churches putting more effort in youth and 2nd generation ministry, there are more and more attending churches in Panama, Panama City and other gospel stations around Panama.
However, at the same time, challenges surfacing during these growth.
-Rev. Beltran is a missionary from Columbia. He is now the pastor of Alliance Church serving all Spanish-speaking congregation. His wife has been diagnosed with some kind of tumor in her body, fortunately, latest news is those cells are not cancer.
-Pastor Esther, the pastor of Living Water Alliance, is also the pastor of the Alliance Youth Fellowship. She was diagnosed with Lymph Nodes Cancer and is now being treated in HK. Pastor Michael, her husband, will head back to HK in March to take care of his wife.
-The Alliance plans to build a youth centre to help out with the youth ministry in Panama. Original budget was about $400k. However, due to the inflation rate and other unexpected cost, that might cause to a increase in the building cost. Please pray for the financial supply.
-Among those trained leaders of the IEC Daniel fellowship, most of them either getting married or moving back to China. The next generation need time to develop their potential to pick up the ministry. Please pray for the development.
(3) Other STM
- Calgary West Alliance (Living Water Alliance)
- North Toronto Alliance (Panama City and Chitre)
- A group of youth from Toronto (IEC Music Camp)
Please keep us in prayers.
Thanks
Kelvin
Thanksgiving:
2011 Panama Youth Camp:
The camp was very thankful. The 120 kids are great. There are some challenges during the camp, like without running water or fridge is not cool enough. But God definitely got His hands there and many of the kids willing to committee or re-committed themselves to Christ.
Here are some pictures:
Camp album 1/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004510&id=168600074&l=b34a8fc43e
Camp album 2/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004526&id=168600074&l=6aa66a79e1
If you have Facebook account, you can see some pictures and videos thru these links
Camp album 1/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004510&id=168600074
Camp album 2/2 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2004526&id=168600074
Talent Show http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150107000081225
Campfire / sharing night http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150107085466225
Alliance Youth Fellowship:
Monday night Valentine's gathering got around 30 people. Pray that they are being encourage about true love by Pastor Howard Ngan of NTCAC (Toronto).
I had a chat / training with the leaders on Tuesday. Definitely we can see the potential and ability in their hearts, just their confidence is lacking a bit. Please keep praying for them.
We will have another training session this coming friday, and most likely next friday too.
IEC (Panama Chinese Church - Iglesia Evangelisa China de Panama) Daniel Fellowship:
Almost 40 people showing up in the past two meetings. Around 30% are Panama-grown, Spanish speaking. Wonderful spiritual sharing and instructions from the youth leaders.
Here are some prayer request:
(1) My schedule ahead
-Feb 18 Alliance Youth Fellowship leaders training
-Feb 19 IEC Youth Fellowship 10th Anniversary
-Feb 20 IEC Chinese Worship
-Feb 21-25 Music Camp @ IEC
-Feb 25 Alliance Youth Fellowship leaders training
(2) Panama Youth Ministry
As different churches putting more effort in youth and 2nd generation ministry, there are more and more attending churches in Panama, Panama City and other gospel stations around Panama.
However, at the same time, challenges surfacing during these growth.
-Rev. Beltran is a missionary from Columbia. He is now the pastor of Alliance Church serving all Spanish-speaking congregation. His wife has been diagnosed with some kind of tumor in her body, fortunately, latest news is those cells are not cancer.
-Pastor Esther, the pastor of Living Water Alliance, is also the pastor of the Alliance Youth Fellowship. She was diagnosed with Lymph Nodes Cancer and is now being treated in HK. Pastor Michael, her husband, will head back to HK in March to take care of his wife.
-The Alliance plans to build a youth centre to help out with the youth ministry in Panama. Original budget was about $400k. However, due to the inflation rate and other unexpected cost, that might cause to a increase in the building cost. Please pray for the financial supply.
-Among those trained leaders of the IEC Daniel fellowship, most of them either getting married or moving back to China. The next generation need time to develop their potential to pick up the ministry. Please pray for the development.
(3) Other STM
- Calgary West Alliance (Living Water Alliance)
- North Toronto Alliance (Panama City and Chitre)
- A group of youth from Toronto (IEC Music Camp)
Please keep us in prayers.
Thanks
Kelvin
TheStar DiManno: Unlike Forsberg, some guys just don’t know when to quit
Rosie DiManno
2011-02-16 06:11:00 PM
Here today, gone tomorrow, back the day after that.
Or a year later, or four years later — or in the case of Martina Navratilova a decade later, 47 and an aging baby-boomer heroine with a first-round win at Wimbledon in 2004, oldest tennis player ever to take a professional singles match.
Breaking up with sports is the hardest thing to do for elite athletes. Whether Hamlet-like — Favre-like — indecisive about retirement or fleetingly firm in hanging ’em up, only to reverse themselves as time goes by, it is an often agonizing and discombobulating adjustment to civvy street.
They pine for the cheers, they ache for the existence left behind and they genuinely miss what they used to do so well. Few attempt comebacks for the money. What most yearn for is the person they once were.
Glory days, they will pass you by, as Bruce Springsteen sang. Retrieving them is usually a mug’s game.
Only a handful manage to seize again the shimmery éclat that was: Michael Jordan, the first time he had a re-think, picking up his career where he left off and leading the Chicago Bulls to three straight NBA championships; George Foreman, a serial comeback artist but especially in 1994, 45 years old when he knocked out Michael Moorer, 25, to become the oldest boxer in history to capture a heavyweight title; and Roger Clemens, revising retirement plans in a last hurrah with the Houston Astros, winning the 2004 Cy Young Award in the process. (Leaving aside, for the moment, that ignominious appearance before a U.S. House committee probing steroid use in baseball.)
At the other end of the spectrum, there was Stephane Richer — admittedly, not remotely in the same league as the aforementioned stars — who re-retired in 2009 after precisely one (1) practice with the Washington Capitals. Sometimes reality bites hard. And quick.
Lance Armstrong announced Wednesday that he was done with competitive cycling, wryly calling it “Retirement 2.0’’. In an interview with Associated Press, the 39-year-old teased: “Never say never’’ about perhaps changing his mind down the line, then added: “Just kidding.’’
Is he?
His comebacks have been legendary — first from testicular cancer and then, following seven straight Tour de France titles and a subsequent four-year withdrawal from competition, a return to the circuit in ’09, though never reclaiming the grandeur and hounded by accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs.
More ill-advised were the unretirements that damaged legacies: Muhammad Ali, who sadly demonstrated that being the “greatest of all time’’ doesn’t make you immune from the ravages of time, losing back-to-back decisions to Larry Holmes and a then-unknown Trevor Berbick.
Bjorn Borg, still using a clumsy old wooden racket, was handed his hat by one young player after another after a decade away from the courts. And Mark Spitz, the most gold medal-decorated swimmer in history until Michael Phelps came along, tanked when, at age 41, he tried and failed to qualify for the Olympics.
It’s particularly poignant when early retirement is imposed on athletes because of injury and they can’t accept that their tickets have been punched prematurely. Some try and try to resurrect halted careers, putting body and mind through exceedingly harsh travails.
Peter Forsberg was arguably the best two-way forward in the NHL until suddenly plagued by a befuddling foot ailment in 2003. The former league MVP, who spent most of his career with the Colorado Avalanche, leading them to two Stanley Cup titles, and two-time Olympic gold medallist repeatedly dipped that foot in and out of unofficial retirement in the years that followed. Multiple surgeries later, he drifted back to Sweden, practising on and off with the Modo junior team, never abandoning hope that he’d one day play again in the NHL.
That day came a week ago.
Convinced that he’d finally conquered the problem that caused his foot to feel like it was weirdly sliding around in his skate, and wearing a specially fitted brace on the extremity, Forsberg approached the Avs in January, suggesting a comeback. The struggling team eagerly said YES!
He began practising with the Avs on Jan. 22, agreed to a $1 million prorated contract and, after a visa issue was resolved, dressed for his first game back on Feb. 11, 3 ½ years after his last one, against Columbus. Though scoring no points, a seemingly vintage Forsberg enjoyed 17:38 of ice time, displaying his familiar puck-handling dexterity.
But the foot hurt afterwards, and more so next game out against Nashville.
On Monday, the usually stoic Forsberg — nickname Foppa — had to pause several times to fight back tears at a press conference where he announced the experiment was over.
Teammates were taken aback by the abrupt decision. On the flight back from Nashville, he’d given no indication what was on his mind during a long chat with captain Adam Foote.
But Forsberg, 37, had promised his fiancee that if he couldn’t adequately defend himself on the ice, he’d pull the plug on his comeback. And he’d regretfully concluded that he couldn’t. And the foot was throbbing. And the dream died.
“We can fly to the moon, we should be able to fix the foot,’’ Forsberg said, attempting humour. More touchingly, he said he felt “like a little kid that had candy stolen.’’
And he conceded: “I can’t do it anymore.’’
Accepting the truth of that, in his heart, puts Forsberg ahead of the game, unlike so many others.
2011-02-16 06:11:00 PM
Here today, gone tomorrow, back the day after that.
Or a year later, or four years later — or in the case of Martina Navratilova a decade later, 47 and an aging baby-boomer heroine with a first-round win at Wimbledon in 2004, oldest tennis player ever to take a professional singles match.
Breaking up with sports is the hardest thing to do for elite athletes. Whether Hamlet-like — Favre-like — indecisive about retirement or fleetingly firm in hanging ’em up, only to reverse themselves as time goes by, it is an often agonizing and discombobulating adjustment to civvy street.
They pine for the cheers, they ache for the existence left behind and they genuinely miss what they used to do so well. Few attempt comebacks for the money. What most yearn for is the person they once were.
Glory days, they will pass you by, as Bruce Springsteen sang. Retrieving them is usually a mug’s game.
Only a handful manage to seize again the shimmery éclat that was: Michael Jordan, the first time he had a re-think, picking up his career where he left off and leading the Chicago Bulls to three straight NBA championships; George Foreman, a serial comeback artist but especially in 1994, 45 years old when he knocked out Michael Moorer, 25, to become the oldest boxer in history to capture a heavyweight title; and Roger Clemens, revising retirement plans in a last hurrah with the Houston Astros, winning the 2004 Cy Young Award in the process. (Leaving aside, for the moment, that ignominious appearance before a U.S. House committee probing steroid use in baseball.)
At the other end of the spectrum, there was Stephane Richer — admittedly, not remotely in the same league as the aforementioned stars — who re-retired in 2009 after precisely one (1) practice with the Washington Capitals. Sometimes reality bites hard. And quick.
Lance Armstrong announced Wednesday that he was done with competitive cycling, wryly calling it “Retirement 2.0’’. In an interview with Associated Press, the 39-year-old teased: “Never say never’’ about perhaps changing his mind down the line, then added: “Just kidding.’’
Is he?
His comebacks have been legendary — first from testicular cancer and then, following seven straight Tour de France titles and a subsequent four-year withdrawal from competition, a return to the circuit in ’09, though never reclaiming the grandeur and hounded by accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs.
More ill-advised were the unretirements that damaged legacies: Muhammad Ali, who sadly demonstrated that being the “greatest of all time’’ doesn’t make you immune from the ravages of time, losing back-to-back decisions to Larry Holmes and a then-unknown Trevor Berbick.
Bjorn Borg, still using a clumsy old wooden racket, was handed his hat by one young player after another after a decade away from the courts. And Mark Spitz, the most gold medal-decorated swimmer in history until Michael Phelps came along, tanked when, at age 41, he tried and failed to qualify for the Olympics.
It’s particularly poignant when early retirement is imposed on athletes because of injury and they can’t accept that their tickets have been punched prematurely. Some try and try to resurrect halted careers, putting body and mind through exceedingly harsh travails.
Peter Forsberg was arguably the best two-way forward in the NHL until suddenly plagued by a befuddling foot ailment in 2003. The former league MVP, who spent most of his career with the Colorado Avalanche, leading them to two Stanley Cup titles, and two-time Olympic gold medallist repeatedly dipped that foot in and out of unofficial retirement in the years that followed. Multiple surgeries later, he drifted back to Sweden, practising on and off with the Modo junior team, never abandoning hope that he’d one day play again in the NHL.
That day came a week ago.
Convinced that he’d finally conquered the problem that caused his foot to feel like it was weirdly sliding around in his skate, and wearing a specially fitted brace on the extremity, Forsberg approached the Avs in January, suggesting a comeback. The struggling team eagerly said YES!
He began practising with the Avs on Jan. 22, agreed to a $1 million prorated contract and, after a visa issue was resolved, dressed for his first game back on Feb. 11, 3 ½ years after his last one, against Columbus. Though scoring no points, a seemingly vintage Forsberg enjoyed 17:38 of ice time, displaying his familiar puck-handling dexterity.
But the foot hurt afterwards, and more so next game out against Nashville.
On Monday, the usually stoic Forsberg — nickname Foppa — had to pause several times to fight back tears at a press conference where he announced the experiment was over.
Teammates were taken aback by the abrupt decision. On the flight back from Nashville, he’d given no indication what was on his mind during a long chat with captain Adam Foote.
But Forsberg, 37, had promised his fiancee that if he couldn’t adequately defend himself on the ice, he’d pull the plug on his comeback. And he’d regretfully concluded that he couldn’t. And the foot was throbbing. And the dream died.
“We can fly to the moon, we should be able to fix the foot,’’ Forsberg said, attempting humour. More touchingly, he said he felt “like a little kid that had candy stolen.’’
And he conceded: “I can’t do it anymore.’’
Accepting the truth of that, in his heart, puts Forsberg ahead of the game, unlike so many others.
證明你喜歡他／她的17條依據
十七
你經常看他/她的網誌,facebook,blog,無名...等等
十六
當你和他/她打電話打到很晚，他/她掛了電話，你仍然想念他/她，即使電話只掛了2分鐘
十五
你一遍又一遍讀他/她的短信/SMS
十四
你和他/她一起走路的時候，走得很慢很慢
十三
他/她在你周圍的時候，你敢到害羞
十一
當你想到他的時候，你的心跳一會跳得快，一會跳得慢
十
你聽到他/她的聲音的時候會笑
九
當你和他/她在一起的時候，你看不見周圍的所有人，你的眼中只有他/她
八
當你想到他/她的時候，你會聽抒情的慢歌
七
你想到的全都是他/她
六
你聞到他/她的氣味就很興奮
五
你意識到當你看著他/她的時候，你總是在笑
四
為了見到他/她，你會為他/她做任何事
三
當你讀這篇文章的時候，有個人一直在你的腦中浮現
二
你不停的想他/她，以至於你都沒有發現這裡沒有第十二條
一
你翻上去找第十二條，然後默默地笑自己....
(http://lovediary.thesharestory.com/view/4d5c9a22def47)
你經常看他/她的網誌,facebook,blog,無名...等等
十六
當你和他/她打電話打到很晚，他/她掛了電話，你仍然想念他/她，即使電話只掛了2分鐘
十五
你一遍又一遍讀他/她的短信/SMS
十四
你和他/她一起走路的時候，走得很慢很慢
十三
他/她在你周圍的時候，你敢到害羞
十一
當你想到他的時候，你的心跳一會跳得快，一會跳得慢
十
你聽到他/她的聲音的時候會笑
九
當你和他/她在一起的時候，你看不見周圍的所有人，你的眼中只有他/她
八
當你想到他/她的時候，你會聽抒情的慢歌
七
你想到的全都是他/她
六
你聞到他/她的氣味就很興奮
五
你意識到當你看著他/她的時候，你總是在笑
四
為了見到他/她，你會為他/她做任何事
三
當你讀這篇文章的時候，有個人一直在你的腦中浮現
二
你不停的想他/她，以至於你都沒有發現這裡沒有第十二條
一
你翻上去找第十二條，然後默默地笑自己....
(http://lovediary.thesharestory.com/view/4d5c9a22def47)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Righteous
Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God
Saying that Noah was "righteous" and "blameless" does not mean that he never sinned. Rather, it means that Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. For a lifetime he walked step by step in faith as a living example to his generation. Like Noah, we live in a world filled with evil. Are we influencing others or being influenced by them?
Genesis 15:6 And he (Abram) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God. We, too, can have a right relationship with God by trusting him. Our outward actions-church attendance, prayer, good deeds-will not by themselves make us right with God. A right relationship is based on faith--the heartfelt inner confidence that God is who he says he is and does what he says he will do. Right actions will follow naturally as by-products.
Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hardt for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The obvious answer is, "Of course not!" This question reveals much about God. Make it a habit to insert your specific needs into the question. Asking the question this way reminds you that God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for his power to help you.
(From Life Application Study Bible Devotion)
Saying that Noah was "righteous" and "blameless" does not mean that he never sinned. Rather, it means that Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. For a lifetime he walked step by step in faith as a living example to his generation. Like Noah, we live in a world filled with evil. Are we influencing others or being influenced by them?
Genesis 15:6 And he (Abram) believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God. We, too, can have a right relationship with God by trusting him. Our outward actions-church attendance, prayer, good deeds-will not by themselves make us right with God. A right relationship is based on faith--the heartfelt inner confidence that God is who he says he is and does what he says he will do. Right actions will follow naturally as by-products.
Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hardt for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The obvious answer is, "Of course not!" This question reveals much about God. Make it a habit to insert your specific needs into the question. Asking the question this way reminds you that God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for his power to help you.
(From Life Application Study Bible Devotion)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
我們所需要的神蹟
我們所需要的神蹟
(11.02.02 靈修勵語)
最感動我的神蹟是這樣的：有一位年屆七十歲的姊妹，在主裡領受呼召，差往自己的鄉間建立教會，她忠於主命，就拿著一筆可觀的積蓄，老遠從美國飛返家鄉。到了家鄉，她被安排住在荒僻鄉間的一所簡陋小屋裡。剛坐下來，迎接她的竟然是百多隻蚊子，短短幾小時間，就被蚊子針個遍體鱗傷。終於她忍耐不住，起來收拾包袱，決定連夜趕回美國。就在她踏出門口的一剎那，聖靈在她中心動工，吩咐她留下來。
老婆婆是敬畏事奉神的忠僕，不敢不留，但面對這困苦，又不知如何面對。最後，她只好跪下來，求主憐憫。這一刻神蹟就出現了！聖靈在她心中大大的加力，她勇敢地站起來，就拿起拖鞋，開始打蚊，打了幾個小時，把這個地方所有蚊子清理了。自這第一天的經歷開始，她就在這鄉間倚靠著神的恩典，全力為主作工。
今天正在尋求與神相遇的人，或許聽到上述的見證，會覺得沒有甚麼大不了。因為我們還是喜歡看見那些轟天動地的大能見證，我們要求醫治、靈語、異象和奇特啟示。對於不能刺激官能，平平無奇的事件毫不動心。因為人性就是只喜愛隔岸觀火地去觀賞神蹟，卻不願意去親身承受那背負十字架的生命能力。
然而，這就是今日我們所需要的神蹟！當你願意經歷神，你就要付上代價。首先，神要成為你的神，在你心靈深處以祂的大愛和大能觸動你，叫你將生命完全奉獻給祂；其次，神要用十架的大能介入你的生命裡，要幫助你去面對那些你無力面對的困難，好叫你勝過自己的軟弱，為主的名忍受一切不能忍受的環境。
讓我們重新思想與神相遇的意義，今日，神以祂的大愛切切呼喚你，神要的是你，祂要你真心真意愛上這位與你復和的神。
(11.02.02 靈修勵語)
最感動我的神蹟是這樣的：有一位年屆七十歲的姊妹，在主裡領受呼召，差往自己的鄉間建立教會，她忠於主命，就拿著一筆可觀的積蓄，老遠從美國飛返家鄉。到了家鄉，她被安排住在荒僻鄉間的一所簡陋小屋裡。剛坐下來，迎接她的竟然是百多隻蚊子，短短幾小時間，就被蚊子針個遍體鱗傷。終於她忍耐不住，起來收拾包袱，決定連夜趕回美國。就在她踏出門口的一剎那，聖靈在她中心動工，吩咐她留下來。
老婆婆是敬畏事奉神的忠僕，不敢不留，但面對這困苦，又不知如何面對。最後，她只好跪下來，求主憐憫。這一刻神蹟就出現了！聖靈在她心中大大的加力，她勇敢地站起來，就拿起拖鞋，開始打蚊，打了幾個小時，把這個地方所有蚊子清理了。自這第一天的經歷開始，她就在這鄉間倚靠著神的恩典，全力為主作工。
今天正在尋求與神相遇的人，或許聽到上述的見證，會覺得沒有甚麼大不了。因為我們還是喜歡看見那些轟天動地的大能見證，我們要求醫治、靈語、異象和奇特啟示。對於不能刺激官能，平平無奇的事件毫不動心。因為人性就是只喜愛隔岸觀火地去觀賞神蹟，卻不願意去親身承受那背負十字架的生命能力。
然而，這就是今日我們所需要的神蹟！當你願意經歷神，你就要付上代價。首先，神要成為你的神，在你心靈深處以祂的大愛和大能觸動你，叫你將生命完全奉獻給祂；其次，神要用十架的大能介入你的生命裡，要幫助你去面對那些你無力面對的困難，好叫你勝過自己的軟弱，為主的名忍受一切不能忍受的環境。
讓我們重新思想與神相遇的意義，今日，神以祂的大愛切切呼喚你，神要的是你，祂要你真心真意愛上這位與你復和的神。
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's gift
A young woman was taking an afternoon nap on Valentine's Day.
After she woke up, she told her husband, "I just had a dream that you gave me a diamond necklace for Valentine's Day. What do you think it means?"
"You'll know tonight," he said.
That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she ripped off the wrapping paper.
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Under the wrapping paper, she found a book called, "The Meaning of Dreams."
"Joke of the week - www.TBS.com"
After she woke up, she told her husband, "I just had a dream that you gave me a diamond necklace for Valentine's Day. What do you think it means?"
"You'll know tonight," he said.
That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she ripped off the wrapping paper.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Under the wrapping paper, she found a book called, "The Meaning of Dreams."
"Joke of the week - www.TBS.com"
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
Gen 4:6-7
6 The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."
From Life Application Study Bible Devotion:
How do you react when someone suggests you have done something wrong? Do you move to correct the mistake or deny that you need to correct it? After Cain's gift was rejected, God have him the chance to right his wrong and try again. But Cain refused. The next time someone suggests you are wrong, take an honest look at yourself and choose God's way instead of Cain's.
6 The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."
From Life Application Study Bible Devotion:
How do you react when someone suggests you have done something wrong? Do you move to correct the mistake or deny that you need to correct it? After Cain's gift was rejected, God have him the chance to right his wrong and try again. But Cain refused. The next time someone suggests you are wrong, take an honest look at yourself and choose God's way instead of Cain's.
Monday, February 07, 2011
Panama Updates
Thank God for having me here in Panama.
Things are great and so far so good. I have been going out with the youth fellowship of IEC (Panama Chinese Church - Iglesia Evangelisa China de Panama) for the weekend and we have a good chat.
This coming week (Feb 7-11) will be 2011 Panama Youth Camp. Theme: My Future is not a Dream.
There are 116 kids there, 51 of them are first time campers. Please pray for their hearts.
Also please pray for the message by Rev. Michael Lau from York Region LBC of Toronto.
and here is a list of gatherings / workshops after the camp
Feb 12 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship leadership training (by Rev. Lau)
Feb 14 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship Valentines day EM (by North Toronto CAC)
Feb 15 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship leadership training
Feb 16 Alliance Church prayer meeting (sharing about Youth and Young Adult ministry)
Feb 19 IEC Youth Fellowship
Feb 20 IEC Chinese Worship
And here are some pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276047&id=514761224&l=81e9b95bba
Thank you for your support.
kelvin
Things are great and so far so good. I have been going out with the youth fellowship of IEC (Panama Chinese Church - Iglesia Evangelisa China de Panama) for the weekend and we have a good chat.
This coming week (Feb 7-11) will be 2011 Panama Youth Camp. Theme: My Future is not a Dream.
There are 116 kids there, 51 of them are first time campers. Please pray for their hearts.
Also please pray for the message by Rev. Michael Lau from York Region LBC of Toronto.
and here is a list of gatherings / workshops after the camp
Feb 12 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship leadership training (by Rev. Lau)
Feb 14 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship Valentines day EM (by North Toronto CAC)
Feb 15 Alliance Church Young Adult fellowship leadership training
Feb 16 Alliance Church prayer meeting (sharing about Youth and Young Adult ministry)
Feb 19 IEC Youth Fellowship
Feb 20 IEC Chinese Worship
And here are some pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=276047&id=514761224&l=81e9b95bba
Thank you for your support.
kelvin
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