Organic-Ally

When my son was born I had this inordinate fear, an overwhelming fear, totally illogical fear, that he would be gay (not in the "happy" sense). After years of parenthood now I realize that even if he did decide to be gay, I as a parent, would still love him. I would not abandon him. My Christian response to this debate is -- and I am not ashamed to say that I am a committed, Bible-believing Christian -- this is how I imagine God would respond to homosexuals. He still loves them nonetheless. They are still his creation, and he loves them one and all. Some Christians shorten this principle as "hate the sin, love the sinner". Of course it is not nice to be called a sinner, but that is what we are, if we believe in what the Bible says about our "fallen nature". What would Jesus do? (WWJD?) We read in the Gospels that Jesus associated with those who are the lowest of the low in his time on earth: the prostitutes, the lepers, the tax-collectors. Inde...

In my last visit to Singapore I (or rather my sister) managed to retrieve an old plastic folder of my newspaper clippings. I used to write letters to the local press (nothing's changed) as well as occasional "Analysis" pieces for the Sunday Times . In my folder I found a clipping from 7th April 1985, a letter entitled: If we took the Master at his word . Back then we were admonished by a senior statesman to follow a "Confucian ethic". I attach the text of this letter in full below: =========== It was interesting to have a People's Action Party Member of Parliament quote Confucius in support of Confucius policies. For if we are going to take Master Kung at his word, life in Singapore would be very different. For example, the Sage teaches that there should be no distinction of classes in education. If we accept that, streaming must go. Leonard Hsu, in The Political Philosophy of Confucianism , writes: "Equity, in Confucius philosophy, condem...

The excitement over the forthcoming General Election in Singapore is palpable, even where I am, miles away from home. It reminded me of the elections between 1981 and 1984, when I was often worried over whether an increase in bus fares would mean I could not afford to eat, given my meagre income giving private tuition as an undergraduate. I don't remember much of elections since then, and in particular in 2006. 2006 was when (1) my son had the most difficult time at school before his special education needs were identified, (2) my husband was very ill, and (3) my business was in its infancy. It has been said of British politics prior to 1997 when the Labour Party came into power, that it was not that the electorate wanted Conservative rule, but that there was no "credible opposition". I remember how every time the then PM John Major came on radio I switched it off. His "back to basics" rhetoric was torn to shreds as minister after minister, politician ...

The potatoes in my garden are going berserk. Every time I see new leaves I cover them with compost (as per instructions). If I put compost on it last thing at night, new growth appears the following morning. If I cover it with compost in the morning, the leaves break through again by the end of the day. New leaves appear despite the compost. Or is it because of the compost? I’ve been baking my own bread. In the temperate clime here it takes a long time for bread dough to prove (rise). But when it has risen to the right size, it takes but a few minutes to bake, and then soon we can tuck into delicious warm bread. When it’s the season for potatoes to grow, nothing would stop it once it finds moist, fertile ground. Fed with alternative views via the internet and watered by rising dissatisfaction, the political ground in Singapore is fertile for opposition growth. The ruling party might dig up the dirt and heap it on the opposition. But mudslinging and dirt (as compost is but ...

It's been a long while since I last posted. Together with all the usual busy-ness of life during this time of year I had been doing my weekly stint at a local charity which gives advice on all areas of life. (This means I have less time to run my business, but never mind.) Of course we are not know-it-alls. We merely have the resources to point people in the right direction. Some folk who come in need more help than others. For these we spend more time with them and help with writing letters, making phone calls, etc. My role in this charity is to assess within as short a time as possible how we might (or not) help the "client". We get all sorts. People asking about neighbour disputes over boundary fences, pensions and how these affect their current benefits, whether they are genuinely required to pay underpaid taxes because HMRC completely fouled up, domestic violence, how to apply for benefits for 19-year-olds, etc. We get the few odd-balls, for want of a better w...