WHY

SUFFERING? – PHILOSOPHICAL &  CHRISTIAN REFLECTIONS

Since: 1st May 2003

 

Last Update : 8th April 2010

Romans 8:17

“Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory.”

 

 

 

 

A NOTE TO READERS

This is unapologetically a Christian web site. It is an honest, sincere and passionate declaration of my faith.

It is an attempt on my part to tell the “old old story of Jesus Christ” the best I could.

 

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION ON MY PART TO TAKE MORAL HIGH GROUND. IT IS ALSO NOT MY INTENTION TO WIN CONVERTS BY OPEN OR COVERT MEANS. IN THE WORDS OF A FAMOUS PREACHER, “EVANGELISM, ie. THE SHARING OF THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOUR TO A FALLEN WORLD IN NEED OF SALVATION, IS NOTHING MORE THAN A BEGGAR TELLING ANOTHER BEGGAR WHERE TO FIND FOOD”

 

My plea to you, my esteemed readers, is to read with an open mind. I have no agenda, no hidden motive, no axe to grind. Least all of, to convert anyone. That work belongs to God and God alone.

These writings are merely manifestations of my spiritual journey. They are expressions of my own understanding of a highly philosophical and complex subject. You, the readers, are therefore free to disagree; free to disregard them. The least we owe each other is the mutual extension of the right to differ and the respect for disagreement.

 

 

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, EACH PERSON HAS TO MAKE HIS OR HER OWN DECISION AS TO WHERE AND HOW ONE WOULD SPEND ETERNITY WITHOUT COERCION FROM ANYONE ELSE.

 

 

I am a self-trained webmaster. I believe there are links and pages that do not work quite the way I wanted. Please bear with me as I work on them.

Some of these links (yet to be workable) are subjects which I intend to address in time to come; they reflect the length and breath of the subject of pain and suffering.

 

There are also artwork and photos that I have obtained from the internet that I have given due acknowledgement as much as I can. In time to come, such artwork and photos would be replaced with those drawn and taken from my good old friend Mr Chong Keng Sen, a very accomplished artist and art teacher and the very godly pastor of my church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

There may be times as I edit and re-edit my web pages, the site would not be available. There would also be occasions when I experiment with various layout and links. Some pages would always be in a state of continuous construction and revision as I struggle to translate thoughts into words. In a sense, most pages would never end. More and more would be added as I go along. I would try to organize and edit them. However, they can also be viewed as entries in my spiritual journals and as such, would therefore flow continuously; uninterrupted by dictates of English grammar. Most of all, as the merciful and gracious God guide me to address specific and unique circumstances, the web pages would change for the better.

 

Even with the use of spelling and grammar check as I go along, there would always be the one or two that got away undetected. (By the way, the English I am using on this web site is American English spelling, not British English). They would be refined as I move along.

 

Some writings would be in rough, un-edited, un-cut and un-polished form (diamond?) and hopefully would eventually be polished and worthy of the readership of my esteemed visitors. As the title suggests, these writings are not thesis, monograph or treatise on philosophy or Christian theology; they are the reflections and musings of a Christian man who has not stop wondering about God’s reason for creating humankind, about God’s reason for withholding his manifestations, about God’s reason for pursuing fallen man in love and about God’s reason for sharing His glorious creation with humankind.  

 

By the way, I am a Malaysian. (Malaysia is at the very southern tip of the continent of Asia). I live in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

 

Much as I would like to extend my counsel to readers; to address matters raised by readers and to debate with readers; I am not ready at this season of my life to undertake such pursuits. When such occasions arise, I may refer, with the reader’s consent, to others, such as my church pastor and seminary lecturer/professor for appropriate response.

 

Lastly, do come back and visit the site. Thank you and God bless you through these readings.

 

 

Come with me and let us reason together. (Isaiah 1:18)

[Isaiah is the 23rd Book of the Old Testament of the Bible]

 

 

 

Chen Boon Tai, B. Eng (Hon); M. Min; Doctor of Ministry Candidate.  

Senior Reader of Asia Pacific Seminary, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.