Interfaith Talk @ MMU Melaka

Some of today’s funeral customs have no clear precedent in Scripture. In ancient times, of course, the technology didn’t exist to do the kind of embalming customary today. The Jews usually buried the bodies of their dead within a period of 24 hours ( Deuteronomy 21:23 ; Genesis 23:4 ; John 11:17, 39 ; Matthew 27:57-60 ). Problems relating to sanitation and the rapid onset of decomposition may account for their haste. In Jewish practice, bodies

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Although Christians have never universally condemned cremation, burial has long been their accepted practice — as it has been for Jews. The Jews neither burned nor embalmed the bodies of their dead. In their practice, bodies were washed ( Acts 9:37 ), anointed with aromatic spices ( 2 Chronicles 16:14 ; Mark 16:1 ), wrapped ( Mark 15:26 ; John 11:44 ), and entombed within a period of 24 hours ( Genesis 23:4 ; Deuteronomy 21:23 ; Matthew 27:57-60 ; John 11:17,39 ).

Perhaps the main reason cremation was not customary among Jews and Christians was its connection to pagan ritual. Further, the

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Through the centuries, Christians have been forced to do serious thinking concerning the rightfulness of serving in the military. The abuse of force by so-called Christian rulers and nations in wars fought for wrongful or mixed motives has often been an affront to the gospel. Deeply distressed by these abuses, some Christians have concluded they should be pacifists, unwilling to participate in warfare. Today the Mennonites, who are usually willing to be consistent with their beliefs, are strongly pacifistic. They

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The voice of conscience and sensitivity to the reactions of others are important elements of moral direction ( 1 Timothy 1:5 ). But personal consciences vary. One conscience permits almost anything, while another conscience generates devastating amounts of shame and guilt ( 1 Corinthians 8:7 ; Titus 1:15 ). Going by “how other people feel” also has limitations ( 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 ). The anger of other people doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ve done something wrong. A child who throws a tantrum or an adult who tries to get his way through emotional manipulation are using the same strategy. Paying too

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The Greek word oinos, translated as “wine” in the New Testament, simply means wine. The Greeks had a different word for grape juice. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia suggests that in New Testament times wine usually existed in a fermented form. It states:

Unfermented grape juice is a very difficult thing to keep without the aid of modern antiseptic precautions, and its preservation in the warm and not overly clean conditions of ancient Palestine is impossible (p.3086).

The references to wine in the New Testament are both positive and negative. For example, John the Baptist’s refusal to drink wine

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The Christian worldview harmonizes with a public health approach that realistically and compassionately upholds human dignity. Christians know that in God’s eyes monogamy is not just a “sexual alternative,” but the only wholesome context for sexual expression. To them this is not mere “opinion,” but a fact conforming to nature and God’s Word.

Faithful monogamy is an important foundation for a healthy, compassionate society.

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Although the risk of HIV infection can be reduced through the careful use of condoms, condoms are only partially successful in blocking the transmission of the virus. Actually, there is very little “safe sex” that can be practiced by a person infected with HIV:

Dr. Susan Weller of the University of Texas Medical School calculated the efficacy of condoms by pooling all the published studies of heterosexuals in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not. Although contraceptive research indicates that condoms are 87% effective in preventing pregnancy, she found that condoms reduce the risk of HIV

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Such change may be difficult and even unpopular. But it is not impossible for education to result in significant changes in people’s sexual behavior. For example, Uganda has seen a greater decline in HIV than any other country in the world due to a national

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Health workers who handle the body fluids of AIDS victims are at risk. Also, prior to blood screening for the virus, many people contracted the disease

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Is dressing modestly just an outdated cultural standard from the 50s? Turn on the television, go to the movies, or flip through the pages of just about any magazine and it appears that our society has lost the value of modesty. People dress in clothing and styles that are designed to reveal and to bring considerable attention to their bodies.

To suggest that we need to dress with modesty is often looked on as “restraining” or “limiting our freedom.” This argument, however, overlooks the personal rewards of living and dressing modestly.

Modesty in dress sends a message of purity and honor. It puts an emphasis on and values the inner person over outward attractiveness. It says that a person is

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