Money corrupts

Reverend Kong Hee, pastor of City Harvest, was confirmed to be under a police investigation recently for misuse of church funds for personal use. Church financial transactions, as well as the Reverend’s background will be probed.

This is not the first time City Harvest has made headlines. Earlier in March, eyebrows were raised over a 310 million stake in Suntec Convention Centre. The Reverend, whose wife is a pop singer, cannot be found since reports about a possible investigation have appeared.

This incident indeed brings the limelight back to the charity sector of Singapore. Strange as it seems, it is nonetheless understandable why frauds and scandals will always be associated with charity and religious organization.

Every year, the charity sector earns the most amount of money worldwide amongst all other sectors. With the world becoming increasingly corrupted and selfish, the only way for stars and singers to gain popularity is to donate. Billions and trillions are pumped into this sector with the motivation to gain nods of approval from supporters. Furthermore, in this increasingly empty world, the only way we as humans can soothe our conscience is to donate.

Therefore, precisely because of this, the importance of the charity sector is invariably heightened. It has been reported in 2008 that if all charity organizations work together to help the poor, there would not be single starving child in Africa.

However, idealistic as it seems, reality proves otherwise. Look around us - NKF golden taps, Ming Yi Organization, Suntec City Investment. Indeed, money corrupts a person; even a once devoted christian.

Though nothing has been confirmed, I believe the money collected through City Harvest church offerings can certainly be put to better use than investment in the convention centre, or helping one’s wife to open a retail shop.

Indeed, this is testament to the saying money is the root of all evils. Though it is often preached that money is neutral - it is how we use it that is good or bad, in this modern society, the preacher should realize that things have never been so idealistic.