<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - ISD asks New Creation Church to lim kopi</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Jun-14 8:19 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 29) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>34552.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Jun 15, 2010
ISD looks into clip of sermon which mocked Taoist beliefs
New Creation Church apologises and asks YouTube to remove it
<!-- by line -->By Yen Feng
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A 10-minute audio clip was posted on YouTube last Friday. In it, a church pastor, Mr Mark Ng (above), can be heard joking with the congregation about Chinese rituals. In one instance, he compared praying to Taoist deities to 'seeking protection from secret society gangsters'. -- PHOTO: YOUTUBE
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http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_540305.html
THE Internal Security Department (ISD) has looked into an incident involving the New Creation Church over a 2008 sermon being circulated online that mocks Taoist beliefs.
The 10-minute audio clip was posted on YouTube last Friday. In it, a church pastor, Mr Mark Ng, can be heard joking with the congregation about Chinese rituals; in one instance, he compared praying to Taoist deities to 'seeking protection from secret society gangsters'.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said yesterday in a response to queries from The Straits Times that the church had, on its own accord, contacted YouTube to remove the clip. It has also apologised.
'We are aware of the case. ISD has looked into it and taken up the matter with the New Creation Church.'
In a six-paragraph letter posted on its website on Sunday, New Creation said that Mr Ng, who heads the church's Chinese ministry, did not intend for his comments to be disrespectful to other faiths.
It added that earlier this year, the church had reviewed its archive of sermons and had stopped reproducing that particular sermon and other insensitive content that had been previously sold in the church bookstore.
'We recognise our responsibility in this major oversight in allowing this sermon not only to be preached, but also, as a usual practice, to be made available as a resource for sale,' the 20,000-strong independent church said.
'It is unfortunate that while we have endeavoured in every way to stop the circulation of this sermon, its recent appearance on the Internet continues to possibly cause offence.
'We would like to express our deepest apologies to any person who may have been offended by the remarks made by Pastor Mark Ng.'
The user who uploaded the New Creation clip declined to identify himself, but told The Straits Times in an e-mail interview that he hoped to raise public awareness on preaching styles that were disrespectful to other faiths.
'If such preaching continues unabated, it would definitely be trouble for multiracial and multi-religious Singapore,' said the 37-year-old Singaporean man, who uses the nickname 'happyman4072' on YouTube.
The clip has since been re-posted on more than a dozen websites, including Stomp!, tech forum fuckwarezone.com and social networking site Facebook.
On YouTube, it has been viewed about 4,000 times.
In February, the founder and senior pastor of another independent church, Lighthouse Evangelism, was censured for making comments that were insensitive to Buddhist and Taoist believers.
Mr Rony Tan, 64, mocked the religious precepts, such as reincarnation and nirvana. His remarks were recorded on video and uploaded on the church's website.
In days, the video clips were re-posted on YouTube and online forums.
Mr Tan was interviewed by the ISD and has since recanted and apologised for his remarks.
Mr Ng, who is 48 and married, could not be reached for comment.
The church, however, said on his behalf: 'Pastor Mark offers his unreserved and unmitigated apology to the public for his insensitive comments... He humbly appeals to those whom he has offended to forgive him for this serious indiscretion.'
The user who uploaded the clip said he had received CDs containing the sermon last month from a church-goer, presumably from New Creation.
'I am pretty sure that he didn't realise that these kind of recordings could give offence to others. Perhaps that could be the problem in our society right now?'
He added that he was not religious and did not subscribe to any faith.
Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye yesterday called on religious leaders to start paying more attention to what they say during services.
He said: 'Such comments do not promote religious harmony - that is obvious. There is just no need to criticise other religions when promoting your own faith.'
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ISD looks into clip of sermon which mocked Taoist beliefs
New Creation Church apologises and asks YouTube to remove it
<!-- by line -->By Yen Feng
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->
<!-- story content : start -->
http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_540305.html
THE Internal Security Department (ISD) has looked into an incident involving the New Creation Church over a 2008 sermon being circulated online that mocks Taoist beliefs.
The 10-minute audio clip was posted on YouTube last Friday. In it, a church pastor, Mr Mark Ng, can be heard joking with the congregation about Chinese rituals; in one instance, he compared praying to Taoist deities to 'seeking protection from secret society gangsters'.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said yesterday in a response to queries from The Straits Times that the church had, on its own accord, contacted YouTube to remove the clip. It has also apologised.
'We are aware of the case. ISD has looked into it and taken up the matter with the New Creation Church.'
In a six-paragraph letter posted on its website on Sunday, New Creation said that Mr Ng, who heads the church's Chinese ministry, did not intend for his comments to be disrespectful to other faiths.
It added that earlier this year, the church had reviewed its archive of sermons and had stopped reproducing that particular sermon and other insensitive content that had been previously sold in the church bookstore.
'We recognise our responsibility in this major oversight in allowing this sermon not only to be preached, but also, as a usual practice, to be made available as a resource for sale,' the 20,000-strong independent church said.
'It is unfortunate that while we have endeavoured in every way to stop the circulation of this sermon, its recent appearance on the Internet continues to possibly cause offence.
'We would like to express our deepest apologies to any person who may have been offended by the remarks made by Pastor Mark Ng.'
The user who uploaded the New Creation clip declined to identify himself, but told The Straits Times in an e-mail interview that he hoped to raise public awareness on preaching styles that were disrespectful to other faiths.
'If such preaching continues unabated, it would definitely be trouble for multiracial and multi-religious Singapore,' said the 37-year-old Singaporean man, who uses the nickname 'happyman4072' on YouTube.
The clip has since been re-posted on more than a dozen websites, including Stomp!, tech forum fuckwarezone.com and social networking site Facebook.
On YouTube, it has been viewed about 4,000 times.
In February, the founder and senior pastor of another independent church, Lighthouse Evangelism, was censured for making comments that were insensitive to Buddhist and Taoist believers.
Mr Rony Tan, 64, mocked the religious precepts, such as reincarnation and nirvana. His remarks were recorded on video and uploaded on the church's website.
In days, the video clips were re-posted on YouTube and online forums.
Mr Tan was interviewed by the ISD and has since recanted and apologised for his remarks.
Mr Ng, who is 48 and married, could not be reached for comment.
The church, however, said on his behalf: 'Pastor Mark offers his unreserved and unmitigated apology to the public for his insensitive comments... He humbly appeals to those whom he has offended to forgive him for this serious indiscretion.'
The user who uploaded the clip said he had received CDs containing the sermon last month from a church-goer, presumably from New Creation.
'I am pretty sure that he didn't realise that these kind of recordings could give offence to others. Perhaps that could be the problem in our society right now?'
He added that he was not religious and did not subscribe to any faith.
Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye yesterday called on religious leaders to start paying more attention to what they say during services.
He said: 'Such comments do not promote religious harmony - that is obvious. There is just no need to criticise other religions when promoting your own faith.'
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