In the previous sharing, I mentioned that creation and inheritance are the reasons why mankind continues to progress. However, it is a pity that many creations have not been passed on. One of the reasons for this is “personal selfishness”. Today I would like to share with you another reason: prejudice or ignorance.
In the old manly society, many creations or unique skills were passed on to sons and not to daughters. This was mainly because the perception at that time was that daughters would be married off later on, and that they would be like “spilled water” or “high-priced goods”, so there was no need to pass on the best skills to them. Even if it was to be passed on to daughters, it was to be passed on to son-in-laws, and they had to be son-in-laws who had becoming a member of wife’s family. If the person concerned does not have a son or a son-in-law, and is not willing to pass on all his skills to his disciples, then many unique creations or knowledge will be lost.
Humanity has also missed many opportunities to create and benefit the society because of much ignorance and prejudice. For example, the patriarchy of mankind over the past thousands of years has suppressed the creativity of women due to prejudice and ignorance, preventing women from utilising their talents for the benefit of society. Look at how much women have contributed to society by utilising their talents and creativity in modern times. We have wasted these resources and contributions over the past thousands of years. What kind of world would we have had if the world had started out with equality between men and women? Is it possible that we have wasted twice as much creativity as humans? Is it possible that human civilisation could have doubled if women had contributed their talents from the beginning?
An idea that is not openly discussed and critiqued cannot be revised for the better. Only an idea that can be challenged is able break through prejudice or ignorance and become an idea for the benefit of all.
Any creation, idea, knowledge, technology should be shared selflessly and progressed through critique and improvement. Since 2009, the Anglican Church of West Malaysia, through Bishop Ng Moon Hing, has been promoting discipleship training, especially the Sarang discipleship training model, which has led to the development of the concept of discipleship training in the diocese. Over the past 14 years, the diocese has been paying more and more attention to discipleship training training. However, the awakening is merely on the surface. Even though majority in the Diocese agree that discipleship training is good for the Church, but the understanding of discipleship training is still shallow. Many people, including pastors, have only a basic understanding of the idea of discipleship training, or worse, a complete misunderstanding. I think we need more discussion so that the idea of discipleship training can be better understood. Otherwise we will remain in the prejudice and ignorance that “discipleship training is a Bible study”. This is the same as the ridiculous idea that “women must stay at home” or that “blacks are an inferior race”.