Friday, May 16, 2008

CONVERSION CONVERSATION

For a God who gives the salvation, He surely fails TV ratings

Is a religion a business? If that means a religious conviction, then it so is, at least for our TV stations. Here in Indonesia it is good business as usual.

When someone takes a new religion and he makes it public, then what you see is usually the same: Before, I did not know God; he was a confusing guy but now I do; Before, I did not know the purpose of my life but now I do; Before I had no peace but now I do.

But the real kicker is when TV stations take their step further than they should. Instead of merely reporting, they are entitled to allow degrading opinions on other religions. They know everybody loves this business, one that strengthens one's faith by weakening another's. One example is when a self called actress made a public confession she embraced a new religion and those TVs started self-analyzing why it was logically and naturally understandable for others to do what she did. One TV station dedicates one program to this; with the host and all guests are converts discussing lengthily the new religion’s superiority and the old ones’ mediocrity. Mind you, all these airings are not classified for restricted audience; it is not a Mimbar Agama program usually run once a week. They are there for all to see. For a country that says religions are such a sensitive issue, it simply does not apply here.

Another too similarly annoying scene is when it bombards audience with comments and depictions that this new convert did the right and heroic thing and made those who haven’t followed suit feel guilty about it. The next too common one is reporters asking question like “Your mother said that she was no longer to do with her old faith, don’t you think you should do the same?” or, “Are you not happy knowing that your boyfriend now has God’s truest religion?, so when will you be ready to follow him?” The one being asked just smiles, knowing the answer NO is not an option they want to air.
If some say that one religion is disturbingly a missionary, then this whole thing is obviously a crusade.


Funny, no coverage with proportionally the same passion has ever been made for those converting to the other religions.





4 comments:

live_wire232 said...

Thanks for the comment! :) No, I'm not a professional writer, though I've been told I have a knack for it. I just do it because I enjoy it. I tend to think better on paper. :)

I found this blog very interesting and I share your frustration. I could go on long rants about this among other things, but this subject is definitely one of the most irritating.

Take care. :)

Ester Shine said...

Illiteracy? Oh No


In this era, we can hear and find illiteracy, do you believe that? Of course. Illiteracy is one of big problem of many country, like Indonesia. We say that is a big problem, because it usually uses for measure a country development. So if a country is found that lot of their population can’t read and write, this fact indicates that it’s very apprehensive. We often hear and read on many magazine, news paper, or another sources, that show how is terrible our country, even on big city like in Jakarta. As a proof, we can see on area around Jati Negara. This area is very slum and many of them live on ex-railway coach. This fact can indicate that they are very poor. So in my opinion, one of the reason why people to be illiteracy, because they live in poverty.
Economy problem is one of the main factor that they to be illiteracy. The first, if they don’t have enough money, their parents usually will decide to their children don’t go to school. Moreover, the education cost is very expensive. The government usually say that the education from Elementary School until Junior High School is free. But the fact is very different. Because, they still pay education cost.
The second, this factor makes many parents doesn’t have high motivation to send their children to school. I think their mind say that their children don’t need to school. If they can count money is enough, so illiteracy isn’t problem. This fact can be said as “a fate”.
The third, this factor can make their children more interested in work than study. Because, in the fact they more need food than education. Besides that, sometimes their parents order their children to get money to help them, like go to the street and to be a bagger.
So, we can say that the illiteracy is one of big problem for many countries. And one of the factor is caused by economy problem, especially poverty.

(by Ester Rina, IN 3)

edwin said...

POVERTY EFFECT in EDUCATION

Poverty is a central of many problems in social life. Poverty makes people busy to earn money to continue life. Poverty makes people ignore each other or to the environment(how can they will care if they still have many problems to face). As a result, there are more problems appear. One of that is in education sector and the worst is illiteracy. Because of poverty, there is no room anymore for study to read. It can say that at least two reasons why illiteracy is caused by poverty.
Firstly, poor people are busied to earn money hard to get their primary need. At least, they have to eat once a day. Poverty have forced them to do anything at the street or under the bridge. Some be street musician and the other be scavengers or beggars. You can find the beggar and scavenger actually a family, poor family, which try to still live. Maybe the father and oldest brother as a street musicians, the mother as a scavenger while the youngest be a beggar. Yap, the children must be lose their play stage and also there is no opportunity to study how to read for them. The last is the expensive cost of education. Many countries can not minimize well the cost of education. Mostly the underdevelopment one. The cost doesn’t give any chance for poor people to get education. Free education programme for them haven’t shown the result till now. Education become more expensive instead. We need at least 3 millions rupiahs for first registration cost to enter Elementary School and hundreds of rupiahs for cost per month. So, that’s why the illiteracy does and become greater in number also.
This problem needs serious attention and good cooperation not only by government but also by us as human to help the poor people. There are many ways to solve the illiteracy. And the most important to remember: “There is a will, There is a way”.


[Normand Edwin Elnizar; 302; E~3]

Azharliqoh Ahmad said...

morning sir
i just want to say that until now i didn't got your email
please send your duties to
kurangaz_har@yahoo.com

i hope you send the email soon as possible

with honour
indra azharliqoh ahmad