From: Tanki <5191...@gmail.com>
Posted by: ZacLoh
I am writing from my point as a Christian who draws his perspective
from the Bible. In the intense religious environment we are in right
now, I hope we Christians are able to see that we are fighting over a
word.
Being English speaking Christian who had never ever used the word
`Allah' in devotion or worship; I don't pretend that I know what the
Bahasa Melayu speaking Christians are going through nor do I know how
they really feel.
But as fellow believers who based their faith on the Bible, I would
like to point out that we are a biblical Christian, more than a
cultural Christian, more than a political Christian. As such, we ought
to derive our behavior and action from the teaching of Jesus Christ
who is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't see fighting for our rights,
found in the Bible. Instead, Jesus taught us to give the other cheek,
to go the extra mile.
In the practical sense, Christians can make allowance even if we have
used a word for 400 years. God is still changing and transforming us.
Therefore, we can adopt another Semitic word with the same meaning.
For us, the meaning of the word is more important, and supersedes the
language. For out of the heart, proceeds good and evil.
Furthermore, didn't Jesus teach us to go the extra mile? Can we go the
extra mile to accommodate the whole lot of work of inconvenience
involved in changing a word used for generations? I believe we can,
and thus, reflect the character of Christ. By the display of our true
character, the cause of Christ will be promoted when people see this
genuine good work, and glorify God.
In return, we can request the government to allow the local
publication of the Bahasa Malaysia Bible and materials so that we
don't have to import from Indonesia. Since the government wants to
adopt a policy different from Indonesia (which is, by the way, the
largest Muslim nation of the world with 86% of population embracing
Islam), then we should be given the generosity of printing our own.
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