~JcZw

Today I went back to AHS for two main reasons... one, to collect O-level cert, but more importantly, to listen to the debrief of the St. John camp proposal. It strikes me that in the process of arranging meetings etc, the excuse that "I have church" is always viewed with scorn. Today when I couldn't go out for dinner with the rest of seniors one of them made a sarcastic comment about being "so holy". Sadly, I have heard these kind of things so much that I'm already used to it. I have conflicting views on this, for the reasons I shall state below. Hope my info is correct... I'm recollecting what I remember from Knowledge of Order.

The origins of St. John, I heard, can be viewed in "Kingdom of Heaven", this latest show about the Crusades. The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital Of Jerusalem Of the Order Of St. John (a wee bit luo suo) was established then. The Knights of St. John, or more commonly known as the Knights Hospitallier, was set up to aid the main fighting force, the Knights Templar (a completely different association, so to speak), by providing with medical support... probably the first fighting medics in histoy, for a purpose of fighting for Christianity. A bit dubious, this value, of mayhem and slaughter and death, but readers should know it was FOR Christianity that the Knights of St. John was established.

It is from the Hospitalliers that the Maltese Cross (Their base was located in Malta sometime along their history. I recall they spent a lot of time retreating from place to place) was developed, and from there, the Eight-Pointed Cross which is now the universally-known insignia of St. John.

It is from the Hospitalliers that this theme of saving others using one's own skills was established too. It is a value which first aiders still hang on to today.

So why did St. John abandon its Christian origins? Why is it so scornful of its creators? I recall once in Sec. 4 during an NCO meeting one of my members said that she couldn't come for a non-essential event because of church. The senior officer's tactless, needless, useless, and generally unedifying reply was "Don't need go lah! God won't run away one if he's really God." She saw red. I saw red. I think so did the other Christians around. Naturally, she didn't go for that event in the end. I wouldn't have. This severe lack of sensitvity, and one could almost say, contempt, for another's religion is quite unbearable.

An even worst one was when a friend was told that "You're missing St. John for extra activites" Its enough to make you want to resign your commission. I'm pretty sure that we joined church before we'd ever known that St. John existed.

Another thing.... Why are competitions somtimes held on Sundays? My father once brought it up to me once, when I was getting ready for National Competition last year. I was "er, I dunno.... I think St. John has abandoned its Christian roots completely."

Objectively speaking, as a former OC of the division, part of the reason could be this. Many a slack member has used going to church as an excuse for skipping activities. This usually leaves the NCO in a quandary, whether to accept or reject the reason. By accepting this excuse, if its fake it only encourages the reason to be used even more. Thats the problem. And its also the selfishness of these slackers that increase the problem.

Many was the time when I heard a fake excuse that "I have to go to church" during competition training two years back. Yes, sure, go to church by all means, but, you can't prove you did. You don't have a letter or anything, not even from your parents.

And it results in the NCO being yelled at, his authority as a leader undermined. A vicious cycle indeed. Under these circumstances, I usually judge the person based on his/her past performances. Hopefully i got most of them correct. I know for certain some of them are, and some of them are not.

Yeah.... so these are the views on how St. John regards Christianity. In conclusion (like writing GP like that) members should judge carefull how they treat other people's beliefs, not dismiss them as extra things just because they themselves don't have it. Don't mock what you don't understand. Rather, find out about it. Maybe you'll understand just that little much more. Don't accept every reason you hear, but think about it carefully first..

Two things before I wrap up:

First, our PW idea got accepted! *claps*
Second. Theres a boing noise at the start of whiney whiney. Listen to its carefully with an MP3 player.... it can't be heard very well on a comp or radio.

G'night!