What Pastor Rony Tan told his congregation
February 16th, 2010 | 
Author: Straits Times, 16 February 2010
‘This is the first public statement that I’m making regarding my breach of religious harmony.
After I had offered my sincere apology on Feb 8, 2010, our church took immediate action to review our literature.
Right now, we are in the process of eliminating all possible offensive recorded material from our huge catalogue.
We also urge all members of Lighthouse, and others, not to circulate our past sermons which may provoke religious sensitivity.
Now this is my instruction to all my members. From now on, we must realise that upholding religious harmony is promoting peace, unity and true freedom.
Respecting different religious beliefs means to respect the personhood, or the individual.
Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the freedom to share our Lord’s goodness and blessing with others.
We just have to be more sensitive in our approach.
Let there be no criticism of any religion.
One more thing of paramount importance: No matter how deeply you appreciate me, never justify for me. A wrong is a wrong and must be rectified, not justified.
Although I am your spiritual leader, I too, have feet of clay, like you.
The important thing is to be willing to learn from past mistakes and you can help me to set such an example by not justifying for me to those you talk to.
Many people want to know how I feel.
I feel unbearably terrible for my grave error for which I regret deeply.
I’ve let many people down.
When it first happened, I mentally planned three steps:
One. Sincerely repent and confess.
Two. Bravely face all the consequences from the authorities.
And three. After paying my dues, depart from the very nation that I love.
After much struggle I decided to be true to my heart, because Singapore is my home, no matter what.
I have a purpose in my heart, that this adversity is not going to define Lighthouse.
Instead it will be refined, and grow a bit more like Christ, the prince of peace.
By God’s grace, I must redeem myself by promoting religious harmony, while still doing the good works of Christ effectively.
This I vow to do.
Now finally I would like to thank all my faithful Lighters and staff, believers from other churches, and my loving family for their passionate prayers in my darkest hour.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed strengthened me through this ordeal, through your intercession.
Thank you so much, and God bless you.’
Source: Straits Times
Posted in Snippets
Thank you Pastor.
Focus on god and love thy enemy.
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“When it first happened, I mentally planned……. ”
You sure this first time happened ?
First time you happened to be caught more appropriately.
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MeeSiamWhereGotHumStupid on Tue, 16th Feb 2010 11:26 am
Q: When is it safe to cross the street?
A; When there is a green man
B: When there is a red man
and for some
C; When there is no blue man.
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how can you love thy your enemy. In as much as a sheep loving a wolf?
The wolf putting on the sheep’s skin and cried “wolf, wolf”.
By nature, a sheep doesn’t love a wolf. God knows that. Don’t be a fool trying to project the real-life into a book.
God needs no book of confusion. Time to think on your own in solitude.
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Would this U-turn come about if
ISD does not exist?
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Yo Rony!
U damn drama papa lah – such hyperbole! U can sing, act, talk c**k…. Did PAPa write the speech for u? Sounds like the typical govt speech – lots of hollow words. “After paying my dues, depart from the very nation that I love. After much struggle I decided to be true to my heart, because Singapore is my home, no matter what.” Funny lah, does anyone with a double-digit IQ actually believe him?
“I must redeem myself by promoting religious harmony” – let’s hope these are not empty words! No mention how he’s going to it? He can start by saying that EVERYTHING he said in the videos are lies…. he just said that he regretted what he said, he never said that what he said was WRONG!
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猫哭老鼠假慈悲.
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MARK MY WORDS!
That is why I will say again that Pastor Rony Tan had passed with flying colours the difficult test of humility God had allowed him to be tested, as his first public statement so clearly shows. Believe me, it was never dictated by any government leader or official, but something out of his heart, as God had prompted him
Pastor Rony Tan is a humble, caring, sensible, honourable, patriotic and trustworthy man. He will have his members and people like me to help him and encourage him on. He will never falter nor fail, for God will be his Sustainer.
P{astor Rony Tan has wanted all church members to be loyal to our government and do what they can to help our leaders to build for su the type of Singapore we all so wanted. He had reminded his church members to see the government as including the Opposition leaders like Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chiam See Tong, not just the PAP.
That is why the authorities and MHA Wong Kan Seng have no heart to put him on a criminal charge. So mark my words—greater things are going to happen in Lighthouse Evangelism, a church which I am happy and proud to go to for my worship service. I would recommend those who are looking for a good church. They can check out Lighthouse Evangelism first.
You can be sure that if you are there, the government will know that you are good and patriotic citizens.
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Kopi at ISD must taste really bad, and he doesn’t want to go back and have another lim kopi session with ISD officer. I’ve did watch his video clip at youtube, Based on what he say during testimonies and the article above. It look like there an 180 degree turn with so much sincerity. What an hyprocrite.
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to mr oh tham eng,
ur so called fellow rony is a BIG HYPOCRITE! A COWARD! A RELIGIOUS COWARD WITH A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT INSDE HIM!
LET ME END WITH THIS : DO NOT BE DECEIVED! GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED!! AND YOUR SO CALLED HOLLOW AND SHALLOW ‘PASTOR’ JUST DID THAT!!!
SHAME ON HIM!!! AND SHAME TO HIS SUPPORTERS ALSO!!!
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{protest on Tue, 16th Feb 2010 7:43 pm
{to mr oh tham eng,
ur so called fellow rony is a BIG HYPOCRITE! A COWARD! A RELIGIOUS COWARD WITH A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT INSDE HIM!
LET ME END WITH THIS : DO NOT BE DECEIVED! GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED!! AND YOUR SO CALLED HOLLOW AND SHALLOW ‘PASTOR’ JUST DID THAT!!!
SHAME ON HIM!!! AND SHAME TO HIS SUPPORTERS ALSO!!!}
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HOW TO PREVENT THE DEGRADATION OF ONE’S KARMA
He has repeatedly apologised to the aggrieved Taoists and Budhists and took all the necessary steps on his sown initiative to placate them. And I had also joined him to apologise to all aggrieved Buddists and Taoists too. And you people are still not happy.
But when I supported the anti-Rony Tan netizens to jail him, after an open trial, none of you suppoprted me. Strange!
And yet you people want to just go on raging endlessly mad. Unless action is taken now, I am afraid you people are going to be degraded a few notches in yur karma, and be re-incarnated as a rat or cockroach in your next life—if that is what you people seem to like becoming. How sad!
If I have my way, I would round up people like you to sit at the feet of that wise and gracious Venerable Kwang Sheng and let him teach you people something on the goodness of Buddhism. Perhaps, this could exorcise the raw animalism that is in many of you, and prevent the degrading of your karma.
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Leader of a 12,000 flock for donkey years and he didn’t know the consequences until he was invited for hi-tea ?!?!?!
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Why not install a recording camera in all these religious institutions – to deter them from such acts again.
That way, what started with Rony will end with Rony.
Why not quelled the lingering thot that someone would be doing the “Rony talk” on their pulpit on the sly again?
Secularism Singapore must prevail over such extremism.
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Albert Einstein (14 March 1879–18 April 1955) was a theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time. He is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the brightest minds we ever had. It is interesting that Albert Einstein actually think quite highly of Buddhism, unlike many others such as Pastor Rony Tan who made a video mocking Buddhism during his preaching.
Albert Einstein:
“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.”
“If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.”
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compasion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty
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Every crisis creates opportunities. Rony knows that. He also knows that to propogate one’s religious beliefs by belittling other faiths is wrong and likely going against the law. It could harm him but if he can manage it well he will come out of it stronger. I think he is doing it by focussing on patriotism and urging his fellow Lighters to join him in promoting religious harmony at national level. Afterall,he is still the leader and the prime mover of Lighthouse.Nothing wrong with all these aftermath actions. Quite similar to what Actor Jackie Chan does. He performs dangerous stunts but his movies sell well.
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So many seemed to think they know their god when they have much difficulty to define and defend when being asked tough questions. Same many seemed to know what their god is up to, when their god intervened, what happenings their god allowed.
Funny. Perhaps their god smses or emailed them. Surely that would not be the most difficult thing to do nowadays, especially for divine entities. But of course, simple direct approach is too simplistic for many gods. They need to be so obscure, so mama dramatic, so ambiguous..
Oh ya.. of course, the gods never play by our rules, but yet time and time again, their fans love to explained them in most humanistic, logical terms.
Too many do not even begin to understand simplistic genetic make up of human kind, for example. Here is one simple fact – we are pattern seeking creatures. We see faces in clouds, and NOT clouds in faces.
Without understanding say Mathematics in social sense, even ‘unlikely ‘ coincidences appear miraculous!
Or perhaps, these same people hear voices in their heads! There are places to go for that ‘ability’.
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Oh Tham Eng on Tue, 16th Feb 2010 6:55 pm and Oh Tham Eng on Tue, 16th Feb 2010 8:25 pm
HOW TO PREVENT THE DEGRADATION OF ONE’S KARMA
Mr. Oh – yes we all heard you. RT has apologized millions of times. The Taoists and Buddhists have long forgiven him. We are NOT upset with RT. We are upset with the Government. It is that simple. Don’t you see it???
You are talking nonsense again. Who are you to want to send RT to jail? Are you the government?
II trust you are still an Evangelist as we have y not heard renounced it. What is this then that you are now believing in Karma and re-incarnation? We reincarnated as rats or cockroaches?
Instead of you rounding us up to sit at the foot of Rev. Kwang Sheng, what if we ask the ISD to round you up and send you to Woodbridge Mental Hospital? It would make more sense. You are causing more problems for the Government, ISD and RT with your lunatic ravings.
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As far as I am concerned,the bashing sessions on other religions by this paster were well planned and well executed. Why on earth was there a need to record and published them in their website the ‘fun making and insulting sessions on videos?. Was there ulterior intentions/motives?. Only those involved in such shameful and disgraceful act can tell.
Anyway, ISD as already taken actions and he has also apologized several times. We should now more on. Nevertheless, it is a timely reminder that we all should never make “unacceptable” comments on other religions. The worse is to make fun, laugh and create jokes at the expense of another religion. It was indeed such a despicable act performed by a so-called religious leader.
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In my view, a million apologies are still not effect in curing the damage that is done. The damage remains, and non-christians are still hurting in their hearts, in spite of Rony’s apologies.
I suppose the only way Rony can undo the damage he has done is to sincerely make counter statements to nullify his damaging statements.
For instance, if he has said that all other religions are the work of the Devil Satan, then he must openly make counter statements to the effect that “other religions are NOT the work of Satan”. Thus he should make counter-statements to nullify every single offending statement and implication that he has made in his ‘professional’ capacity. But I seriously doubt he will do that, since it is lodged deep in his belief system.
Then, it’s better to leave things as they are and ‘move on’, hopefully to a more rosy future of harmony and peace.
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A cuppa of coffee at ISD does wonders.. but seriously, had there not been this coffee session, do you seriously think that RT will himself realize? I honestly think not!
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@ tan on Wed, 17th Feb 2010 11:52 am
Wow ah tan, u are damn good man, u can imagine the scenario like painting a picture in your mind and then find a story to fit the picture. u r so damn good !
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