Chitchat with Greg : Part 1

Well, it's almost time for CSS's AGM(next week, July the 3rd). This means it is time to 'shoo' out the old committee and say 'hello' to the new ones. This also means that Gregory, the Kerusi, will be leaving CSS(and UCSI) for Kuala Terengganu. Before he leaves, cssucsi.blogspot.com sat down(in front of the computer) with him to discuss his tenure as President. Below is Part 1 of the fairly long chat...

1. Tell us about the beginning, how did you join CSS and how were you made the 1st President of CSS.

Well it was unexpected. I thought a CSS did not exist and i actually told Ivan there was none when he asked me. Then one day Ivan came up to me pula and said there was one and yup we were both excited.We went to one of the members house one night and realized it was a first gathering hahahaha. Both of us thought the group existed ages a go.. Ms June was leading the group and told us that contact has been made with Lifeline Ministry of SFX so we are hooked to themlah. Dunno how i got the first task to organize the following weeks' gatherings' activity and it was about Angels.

So as usual, I went back and got into business but unfortunately something came up and i did not attend that gathering but I passed my work and it was carried out together with a short movie screening and sharing too by the rest. After that about 6 gatherings or so were held and i attended only 1.Then came the exam and holiday season and no gatherings were held. To be honest i did not bother also because i myself was busy with medicine.

Then came a night where when i was walking back from UCSI to the condo i got a call from an unknown number. Uhmm who could it be?? I asked myself. Bah should be one of my classmates. Rupa rupanya it was Ms June. Ah maybe an invitation to join the next gathering. Tengok tengok 'Hey Greg can you take over this group!' she asked me. !!!! I declined and gave reasons for it and asked her too WHY ME??. (She only met me twice during those gatherings - so how can one know me??).

She said i was the first to pop up in her mind when thinking this. (?!?!??!) Ms June was sick and could not run the show. I told her i will think first.Hahaha - As i was thinking whether i can take over or not I was already planning how to set up CSS university level and join CMO. While contemplating on this issue i realized myself in ASAYO office asking how to set up a CSS when i was passing by Masjid Jamek one day, while on the way back to my kampung. Then I gathered some counterparts and then had a short meeting with Ms Jennifer from CMO in UCSI. The ball hence started rolling.

Forms to set up a society in UCSI were filled and complied too. Some research was done and we got to know that there are many Catholics around and we estimated bout 100. Ivan was a good fisherman and with his findings we decided to have an AGM. Well the turn out was poor and we realized our publicity was not strong enough so for the next 2 week we worked hard in publicity and the next AGM we saw 30 people turned out for it. Wohooo. And walla I became the first president. (I was still in contemplating mode haha).

Before all these events Fr. Valentine told Ivan and I that he wanted to see a CSS in UCSI. Hehe i did not feel wanting to take the initiative set up one also at that time. Guess his prayers were answered.Well God works in wonders and I was a Jonah here hahaha, finally stoped contemplating and said to myself "Woi!! You are the Pressie here and it is for a reason and a CSS is here also for a reason so get into business!!!". YOUR will be done. Without anymore hesitation i jumped into the building of the CSS here together with my new committee.

2. In the early part of CSS gathering, what were the obstacles that you faced as the President? Have these obstacles been resolved as you leave?

Well the first obstacles was getting everyone organized and 'into' CSS and that has been resolved and going well till now. Then it was finding a proper time to maximize the number of members and excos to attend each gathering. Won at times but till know it has not 100% resolved. UCSI timetables are not standardized and at every moment some one will either be having their exams, holidays or what so ever in uni. The number of attendance was fluctuating from as low as 4 to as high as 25 (normal gatherings excluding mass).

Next is people themselves who are difficult. Always give false hope and information hampering the EXCO's to do their job. Efficiency, responsibility, sincerity, sacrifice is quiet lacking as well as the will to explore and learn and to grow and mature in the faith. We are trying to change this through many ways but you know we only can bring the horse to the river but for it to drink is left up to the horse.

The other, is excuses, unreasonable ones....haish... . Well we cant force but we are still with our doors open and inside it there is much to gain which I feel bad as it is not reaching the members. The chances for a system itself not to work is about 30% the rest is human - 70%.

3. Tell us your best memory of CSS since it's birth almost one year ago.

The whole formation of setting up, carrying out and passing over CSS is an unforgettable memory itself.

Nothing specific in particular. Experiencing every moment to the fullest whether happy or sad are good memories.

~To be continued~

The portrait...

Anyone want to add to this? Or got a better explanation?

Today, the face of Jesus is one of the most recognizable on the planet, and yet no one knows what Jesus actually looked like. This paradox of art, history and religion is the focus of a Tuesday, Sept. 25 lecture titled: “Competing Faces of Christ and the Emergence of an Authentic Portrait.” Art historian Herbert Kessler, a visiting professor at Emory, will deliver the free public talk at 5 p.m. in Cannon Chapel. A reception will follow in Brooks Commons.

The gospels and other early Christian writings do not describe the appearance of Jesus, said Kessler, a professor of early Christian and medieval art at Johns Hopkins University, who is currently Candler’s Alonzo L. McDonald Family Chair on the Life and Teachings of Jesus and their Impact.

“In the early period, there was a concerted effort to show Christ with various features as a way to suggest that no one really knew what he looked like,” Kessler said. “He was shown bald and beardless. He was shown with a golden corona of hair. He was shown with short, curly red hair.”

By the end of the sixth century, these various images of Christ had coalesced into the one most popular today: a bearded man with light-brown hair, parted in the middle and flowing to his shoulders.

“The church and the state wanted an identifiable image of Christ that connoted his dual nature — as human and divine,” Kessler said.

For the past two decades, Kessler has focused his career on the ways that Christ appears in art and in “miraculous images,” such as Veronica’s Veil and the Mandylion of Edessa. While at Emory this fall, he is conducting a seminar for students from both Candler and the art history department on how medieval artists depicted the face and body of Christ.

“Medieval artists paid close attention to virtually every part of Christ’s body — his face, his upper torso, his heart, his blood, the wound in his side, his feet — precisely because Christ returned to heaven and it remained for artists to create materialization, as there were no relics,” Kessler said.

Kessler’s time at Emory coincides with the exhibit “Cradle of Christianity: Jewish and Christian Treasures from the Holy Land,” continuing through Oct. 14 at the Carlos Museum.

“I was struck by the opening display, which shows how close Jewish and Christian artwork was at the origins of Christianity,” said Kessler, who visited the exhibit shortly after arriving in Atlanta. “It clearly makes the point that Christian art emerged from a complex pagan and Jewish culture.”

Taken from http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/2007/September/Setp24/JesusPortrait.htm

What do you think about REVELATIONS?

Misconception of this book : Revelations indirectly predicts the future of the world

On the 5th of June, we were glad to have Mr. Bruno(not Dr. or Fr. or Your Grace) to speak on the book of Revelations in the Bible. This is what he said in the opening of his lesson : "We'll focus on Chapter 12 and 13 of the book of Revelation because according to scholars, if we are to understand the whole idea of this book, we just have to understand the basics in Chapter 12 and 13"

Important points to note :
1. From Chapter 1 to 3, the book is addressed to 7 churches in Asia i.e. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea in that order.

2. Chapter 12 speaks about a vision of a woman in labour crying in the pangs of childbirth. There was a red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns waiting to swallow the child that is to be born. War broke out in the heavens and Michael attacks the dragon and throws it down to Earth. A beast comes out from the sea and the dragon gives all its power to this beast. A second beast came out from the ground and forced the people to worship the first beast that came out from the sea.

3. The number on the beast - 666 - represents the name of a man.

According to Mr. Bruno, in order to understand Revelations and dispel the common misconceptions, we have to look at the historical backdrop of this book.

1. Emperor Nero(54ad to 68ad), in a politically motivated move to get Rome united(the Roman empire was at that time, a multi-cultural and multi-racial community), he declared Julius Caeser(an earlier emperor) as Lord and God and Roma as the goddess. He erected emblems and statues of JC and Roma. Citizens were expected to put their hands towards the chest and bow when see the emblem of JC and Roman.
Evidence of this can be seen in many remaining artefacts and a script from Tiberius, Emperor when Jesus was crucified, saying that he received a letter that Julius Ceasar was worshipeed as god.

2. The catholic community, however, didn't want to follow the law and persecution of Catholics were started by Nero - peter and paul was persecuted in 64ad

3. In 68ad, Rome went into crisis as 2 new emperors were assasinated, and 1 sacked in that year because they deemed him incompetent.

4. Vespacian(68ad to 79ad) became the emperor, and herealised that the policy of execution was flawed. He tabled a new law; it was compulsory to put to death anyone practising christianity or those who were protecting the Christians.

5. Titus, his son - took over for another 2 years. Persecutions carried on.

6. Titus was succeeded by his son, Domitian. Domitian realised that Nero's and Vespacian's policies had flopped. He pressured the christians to recognise the Roman emperor as god; and he declared persecutions that were opened to the whole Roman empire, not only in Rome.

7. During Domitian's reign (81ad-96ad), christians were thrown to lions. In nero's time, christians were burnt. Between these times, the churches went underground - thus, giving birth to the catacombs.

8. The book of revelations was written in 95ad. That was still during Domitian's reign.

With this in mind, Mr. Bruno put us into "misery" by asking us what all of these related to the book of Revelations.

1. dragon with 7 heads - the Dragon represented the roman empire, 7 heads to represent the 7 emperors who persecuted the catholics, from Nero to Domitian.(now, go count all the BOLDED emperors!)
However, modern scholars disagree on the 3 short-termed emperors who were either assasinated or sacked. Instead, they argue, the 7 emperos includes Julius Ceasar, Augustus Ceasar, and Caligula(earlier emperors)

2. red - violence and bloodshed in Hebrew

3. 10 horns - represents the senate who was helping the dragon to carry out persecutions

4. the number 7(for 7 heads) - 7 represents totality or completeness in hebrew, and it is represented with a head because the head is deemed very powerful and controls everyhthing of the body.

5. the woman in the vision - the church in Rome, also known as mother church

6. the first beast - julius ceasar as the first beast was demanded to be worshipped

7. the second beast - nero - who forced people to worship the first beast(julius ceasar)

8. the woman was crying in the vision - the author pictures the mother church crying and struggle, in the effort to spread Christianity during the times of the persecution when the Roman empire was strong

9. 7 churches in Asia - the author was attempting to ask these 7 churches not to give up, in times of hardship and oppression from the Roman emperor. Times were so hard that the 7 churches intended on giving up on the faith.

10. 666 - the name of emperor nero. In Hebrew, each letter is assigned with a numerical value. When the numerical value of Emperor Nero's name was added, it gives 666. The name in hebrew is "nun, resh, waw, nun - quoph, samech, resh"

Thus, the author actually thought that the future was upon his community. He also thought that the world was going to end in 95ad and Jesus was going to come and save the world from the Roman empire. With persecutions going on, he wrote to the churches in Asia to describe how the situation was in Rome.(though somewhat figuratively) Each element in the description is related to the actual situation in Rome.

Practical question :
Why was the book of Revelations placed at the end of the Bible?
- the Roman church at the time when the Bible was compiled had the impression that it signals the end of the world - transition between the critical and pre-critical period
However, the bible doesn't predict the end of the world. Modern studies have proven it, sadly, it has not reached the grassroots. (But in this website, for you readers, hopefully it has!)

With that in mind, as a closing, Mr. Bruno said that Revelations indeed does NOT predict the future. We should use it to predict the future anyhow, because if we do, we will wreck our lives. Imagine if you are still thinking the world will end soon .....

A CSS First...

27th May 2008. This date marks an event considered a CSSUCSI first. Inter-Faith Dialogue on Sexual Orientation. We initially had speakers from 5 different religions(Islam, Buddhisism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism) for the event, unfortunately the speaker for Sikhism could not make it.

We had a target of 100 participants for the event, but although there were no official count, (my count is not deemed as official I think), we served for about 68 people during our event.

Look at the name tags we have. Cool...

The psychology room which was the "waiting" room for our speakers. Despite minor setbacks like the auditorium was occupied from 5pm to 6pm, we manage to pull it through and start at 6.20pm.

Time for photographs! From Left : Patricia, Joanne, Brigitte, Sue

The ushers and the UCSI water-bottles.

Byron was huffed-and-puffed. Logistics problem.

Tomi checking the slideshow to ensure everything was in place.

Patricia revising her speech as the emcee.

The speakers minging around while awaiting the auditorium is being cleaned up.

Photos! even when Greg is on the phone!

Special thanks to ICS and Buddy who helped us pull through this event!

And the seating starts...there were 9 quetions altogether, divided into two sessions...

Mr. Prajindra Sankar representing Hinduism
Did you know the Kama Sutra is not considered as one of the book of the Vedas?
It is just a manual which promotes materialism according to Mr Prajindra...
He said we could study the initial part of Kama Sutra to study human behaviorial patterns, but further on, it has no benefits to our faith.


Reverend Fr. Dr. Clarence Devadass : representing the Catholic voice on Sexual Orientation
Only homosexuality and heterosexuality is mentioned in the Bible. Homosexuality is mentioned in the letters of St. Paul...


15 minutes interval. It was also time for the screening process for questions during the Q&A session...

Participants listening attentively to what the panelists had to say on homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality and heterosexuality.

Mr Chua Teck Seong : speaking his mind...
Asexuality according to Buddhism is considered to be at a higher level because it practices chastity and celibacy.
Asexuals have no liking to male or female...

In general, sexual orientation for all 4 religions mentions on heterosexual relationship only. Homosexuality(Adam and Steve), bisexuality(adultery) is considered a no-no, but every religion points out that we should show compassion to those involved.
Asexuality is only mentioned in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Mrs. Lana Mohammad : Sexual Orientation in the Q'uran
Scientific discoveries relating to homosexuality are not accepted among the Muslims(and Catholics) as it may be indecisive.
We hold on to the word of God...

Prakash acting cute!!! LOL.

Dr. Gul Baloch : Moderator for the evening
He presented the scientific view on sexual orientation...
Science has not come up with a sure-cause to alternate sexual behaviors.
Hormones, nature, nurture are among the possible causes...

Dr. Gul demonstrating with Greg.
B**** SWORE 'something' happened between them...
My mouth is shut...

Special thanks to all the panelists.
A token of appreciation sponsored by UCSI...very expensive and exclusive I heard...

There was time for autographs...


Byron subjected to the photographer's abuse...
"Aveee Mariaaaaa......"

Everyone having a lighter moment after the event...

And food after the event!!!

Greg with his signature "THREE" fingers...

Post-dialogue. Ivan had questions relating to Sexual Orientation after dinner...

From seating to standing - post-dialogue...
...until about 10.30pm, when the guard had to chase us out...

Photo session!!! BuddY and some Atomic members...

A photo of all the speakers and all ATOMIC members!
We had fun organising and running the event...
the time past as quickly as it came...

27th May 2008 : GREG. GRADUATES AS CSS PRESIDENT

Bye! See ya' all in our upcoming meetings!!!
Till the next BIG event...

A cup of Christiani-tea...

Well, everyone's busy with IFD. I'm SUPPOSE to be busy with IFD, but only on that day(photographer). So, why don't I share some musings about Christianity?

Well, it's quite sad actually that there's this division among the Christians. Taking a local note, CFUCSI and CSSUCSI existing as two seperate clubs although we're under one branch of christianity. Yet, neither are doing anything to bridge the gap, instead, expose it with minor minor, pokings? If you get my drift...

Nonetheless, the above is a branch-root to illustrate Christianity and how it has evolved along the years. No one said that a specific branch of Christianity is the TRUE branch, instead, we co-exist harmoniously and respect each perception. After all, we're praising the one same God right...?

p.s. To enlighten non-Christian(and Christian) readers, here's a brief note on the difference between Roman Catholic and the other denominations.

1. The Roman Catholic prays to Mother Mary to intercede to God, but the other denomination doesn't. The wrong perception, is that, the other denomination always think that the Catholics WORSHIPS Mother Mary. We PRAY to her to INTERCEDE for us, not WORSHIP her. (there're a few cases of OVER-doing it in some communities)

2. The Roman Catholic has the season of Lent before Good Friday/Easter and Advent before Christmas.

3. The celebration of Mass is standardize in the Roman Catholic Church.

4. Roman Catholic : Crucifix (with Jesus nailed to the cross)
Others : Cross (without Jesus nailed to the cross)

5. Roman Catholic shifts our attention more on Good Friday rather than Easter as other denomination do. The reason is that, we're in a 'celebration' mood during Chirstmas, therefore, during 'Lent' it is time for penance and self-reflection.