[Music] Train Station -- Danny Summer & Julie Su

Danny Summer

Julie Su

1. Danny Summer is considered the Father of Hong Kong's rock and roll.

Danny Summer began his music career in the late 1970s.

Although he has a very solid and loyal followings, Danny Summer has never reached the top of Hong Kong's music scene.

Danny Summer is still active as a musician.

The latest music of his that I have listened to is the 2-CDs "oM" Live 2007 - still interesting and creative music.


2. Train Station ("車站") is the theme song for the 1986's Hong Kong movie The Millionaires Express.

The 1980s saw Hong Kong's movie and music industry at their peaks.

When this song was recorded, both Danny Summer and Julie Su were also at the peak of their careers.

Train Station was one of the nominees for Best Song for Hong Kong Film Awards in 1987.


3. This music video might be the original from the TV broadcast in Hong Kong in 1986:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6VmanyZ0rY

The persons in the video are Danny Summer and Julie Su.
 
The train station in the video is in Sha Tin District, New Territories, Hong Kong.

 
4. Danny Summers and Julie Su in concert in the mid-1980s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW6bfrVfffc


5. Danny Summer and Julie Su in concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZ65QHR48M

A slower version of the song but it also works.


6. Whoever made this music video must have been touched by this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbmic1-fSOA

Just one photograph yet it speaks so much.

The audio is of very good quality also.

If I have interpreted the uploader correctly, the audio is from Danny Summer's 2000 album OM 2 ("諳 2")

I like this YouTube version very much.

Really nice.


7. Another good quality audio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NzNduJFUHs

But the photo is just a filler.


8. A partial cover by Eason Chan and Bondy Chiu ("趙學而") in 2005:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NfBnAGSOE

The words "學而" are from Confucius’s Analects.

Her parents must have high hopes for her when they gave her this name; but unusual as a female's name.


9. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


車站 -- 夏韶聲 & 蘇芮

女︰望著無盡鐵路怎會不孤單
你再踏上風沙要轉幾多彎
站在沉默眺望列車的消失
剩下是夜和人和一聲聲心裡概歎

男︰或是逃避昨日積壓的重擔
或是為了他朝誓要闖一番
倦極仍在眺望未知的空間
路或儘是循環仍傾出一生再去探

*合︰悠悠長途重重山風急鐵路冷
離愁和回憶加起千百擔
何時何年才能夠風中再遇妳
挽手傾談吻乾偷泣的眼

女︰站後仍是有站仿似很簡單
不知幾多悲歡盛滿每一班
男︰實在人造鐵路至縮短空間
或是盡量延長人生中的千串概歎

Repeat *

女︰要再經多少個站你方可再復還
如重逢是否感情仍未淡
男︰要再經多少個站我方可以淡忘
誰人曾停留在臂彎

Repeat *

合︰悠悠長途重重山風急鐵路冷
離愁和回憶加起千百擔
何時何年才能夠風中再遇妳
再等幾多班方能等到妳
再轉幾多彎方能不想妳


10. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


车站 -- 夏韶声 & 苏芮

女︰望着无尽铁路怎会不孤单
你再踏上风沙要转几多弯
站在沉默眺望列车的消失
剩下是夜和人和一声声心里概叹

男︰或是逃避昨日积压的重担
或是为了他朝誓要闯一番
倦极仍在眺望未知的空间
路或尽是循环仍倾出一生再去探

*合︰悠悠长途重重山风急铁路冷
离愁和回忆加起千百担
何时何年才能够风中再遇妳
挽手倾谈吻干偷泣的眼

女︰站后仍是有站仿似很简单
不知几多悲欢盛满每一班
男︰实在人造铁路至缩短空间
或是尽量延长人生中的千串概叹

Repeat *

女︰要再经多少个站你方可再复还
如重逢是否感情仍未淡
男︰要再经多少个站我方可以淡忘
谁人曾停留在臂弯

Repeat *

合︰悠悠长途重重山风急铁路冷
离愁和回忆加起千百担
何时何年才能够风中再遇妳
再等几多班方能等到妳
再转几多弯方能不想妳


11. Names, Words and Phrases:

Danny Summer (Traditional Chinese: 夏韶聲; Simplified Chinese: 夏韶声).

Bondy Chiu (Traditional: 趙學而; Simplified: 赵学而).

Eason Chan (Traditional: 陳奕迅; Simplified: 陈奕迅).

Hong Kong Film Awards (Traditional: 香港電影金像獎; Simplified: 香港电影金像奖).

Julie Su (Traditional: 蘇芮; Simplified: 苏芮).

The Millionaires Express (Traditional: 富貴列車; Simplified: 富贵列车).


References:

"夏韶聲", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E5%A4%8F%E9%9F%B6%E8%81%B2
(accessed 2012-06-28).

"1987 年香港電影金像獎", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/1987%E5%B9%B4%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%E9%87%91%E5%83%8F%E7%8D%8E
(accessed 2012-06-28).

End.

[Opinion] Michael Horton's Systematic Theology as a Textbook (1)

Michael Horton

1. My opinion is that Michael Horton's The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011) is not suitable as a textbook on Systematic Theology.

Before giving my reasons for this opinion, I like to cover myself by saying that this is not meant as a put down of Michael Horton.

I enjoy reading The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011) and I have learned from this book.

But the way Horton wrote his book makes it unsuitable as a textbook.
 

I base my opinion on two main reasons:
 

(a) The way Horton organizes the materials; and
 

(b) The uneven level of difficulties of the different chapters.

I will state the first reason in this blog post and the second reason in a later one.


2. There are basically three ways to approach any topics of study:
 

(a) Systematically;
 

(b) Historically; and
 

(c) Comparatively.

One can further divide the systematic approach in two ways:
 

(a) Analytically - going from the forest to the trees; and
 

(b) Synthetically - going from the trees to the forest.

 

3. Traditional Systematic Theology textbooks usually organizes their content systematically (what else!), i.e. topics by topics, with supplementary historical and comparative notes or observations.
 

Within the Reformed theological tradition, examples of such textbooks are:
 

(a) Charles Hodges' Systematic Theology ([1871-1873] 1981);
 

(b) Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology, Fourth Revised and Enlarged Edition ([1938] 1979);
 

(c) Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (1995); and
 

(d) Robert Reymond’s A New Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith, 2nd Edition - Revised And Updated (1998).

Wayne Grudem's textbook is aimed primarily at the beginning students.
 

The textbooks by Charles Hodge, Louis Berkhof, and Robert Reymond are aimed at seminary students; although with some efforts, a beginning student can tackle Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology.

 

4. Michael Horton, on the other hand, organizes the content of his book historically, with supplementary systematic and comparative notes or observations.

Just looking at the Contents of The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011), one may be misled into thinking this is just a variation of the traditional organization of theological topics - it is not.

For when one begins to read the book, one finds that the individual chapters are organize basically as sketches of the historical development of the different topics.

Michael Horton's book is basically a historical theology of the different topics put together and calls a systematic theology.

I have covered myself by using the qualifying word "basically" twice.

This is because my impression is that Michael Horton wants to write his theology through narrative and drama - and thus historically, but not every topic is susceptible to such a treatment.

But the tendency of Michael Horton's book is to organize the content historically, with supplementary systematic and comparative notes or observations.

 

5. Contents of Michael Horton's The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011):

Contents

Part 1 - Knowing God: The Presuppositions of Theology
1. Dissonant Dramas: Paradigms for Knowing God and the World
2. The Character of Theology: A Theoretical or a Practical Science?
3. The Source of Theology: Revelation
4. Scripture as Covenant Canon
5. The Bible and the Church: From Scripture to System

Part 2 - God Who Lives
6. God: The Incommunicable Attributes
7. God: The Communicable Attributes
8. The Holy Trinity

Part 3 - God Who Creates
9. The Decree: Trinity and Predestination
10. Creation: God's Time for us
11. Providence: God's Care for All He Has Made
12. Being Human
13. The Fall of Humanity

Part 4 - God Who Rescues
14. The Person of Christ
15. The State of Humiliation: Christ's Threefold Office
16. The State of Exaltation: The Servant Who Is Lord

Part 5 - God Who Reigns in Grace
17. Called to be Saints: Christ's Presence in the Spirit
18. Union with Christ
19. Forensic Aspects of Union with Christ: Justification and Adoption
20. The Way Forward to Grace: Sanctification and Perseverance
21. The Hope of Glory: "Those Whom He Justified He Also Glorified" (Ro 8:30)
22. The Kingdom of Grace and the New Covenant Church
23. Word and Sacrament: The Means of Grace
24. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
25. The Attributes of the Church: Unity, Catholicity, and Holiness
26. Apostolicity: A Fellowship of Receivers and Delivers

Part 6 - God Who Reigns in Glory
27. A Dwelling Place
28. The Return of Christ and the Last Judgment
29. The Last Battle and Life Everlasting

 

6. The first reason why I believe Michael Horton's The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011) is not suitable as a textbook on Systematic Theology is because it is not organize systematically.
 

Because it is organize historically rather than systematically, a student will find it very hard to learn the basic positions on a given topic from Michael Horton's book.
 

Take for example the doctrine of the attributes of the Bible.
 

In Reformed theology, the Bible is said to possess four main attributes: necessity, sufficiency, clarity, and authority.
 

In a reformed systematic theology textbook, one would expect an author to:
 

(a) Systematically: list the attributes, define the terms, give Biblical reasons for believing the Bible possesses these attributes and cover any misconceptions and misinterpretations of these attributes;
 

(b) Comparatively: contrast the Protestant doctrine of the attributes of the Bible with those of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy;
 

(c) Historically: tell how the different theological traditions develop their doctrine of the attributes of the Bible with citations from important theologians, confessions and creeds.

Michael Horton covered this material in Part I of Chapter 5 of his book and the followings are his headings and pages:
 

Chapter 5: The Bible and the Church: From Scripture to System (pages 186 to

                 218)
 

I. The Sufficiency of Scripture: Canon and Community (pages 186 to 205)
     A. Sola Scriptura: The Reformation Debate (pages 187 to 198)
          1. Roman Catholic Teaching (pages 187 to 189)
          2. Reformation and Post-Reformation Interpretation (pages 189 to 198)
 

     B. Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture in Modern Theology (pages 198 to

         201)
 

     C. Gospel and Culture (pages 201 to 205)

Because of Horton's narrative and historical approach, one is not told that the Bible is considered to possess four main attributes.
 

There is inadequate definition of terms - although all four attributes got discussed eventually.
 

The main heading of section I is "The Sufficiency of Scripture", and the other three attributes (necessity, clarity and authority) got subsume under this section.
 

This because historically, the sufficiency of the Bible is where the Protestants fought most fiercely with the Roman Catholics.
 

And there is no sense of proportion - what is the relative importance of each attribute?
 

How are the parts relate to the whole?
 

If view as a textbook, this presentation is not student-friendly.
 

All this because Michael Horton organizes his "Systematic Theology" historically.

 

Reference:

Horton, Michael. 2011. The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

End.

[Opinion] Michael Horton on Immortality of the Soul

Michael Horton

1. Does the Bible teach the immortality of the human soul?

The answer is yes.

Yet Michael Horton makes some statements in "Chapter 27 - A Dwelling Place" (pages 906 to 918) of his The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way (2011) that on the surface seems wrong.

I think there are two reasons why Michael Horton makes these infelicitous statements:

(a) He does not define the term "immortal" or "immortality"; and

(b) He confuses "immortality" with "everlasting life" and "everlasting death". 

1a. Correction: Friday, June 22, 2012

I should have wrote:

He confuses "immortality" with "everlasting life"

instead of:

He confuses "immortality" with "everlasting life" and "everlasting death".

2. Merriam-Webster defines "immortality" as unending existence:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immortality

The Bible teaches that human souls are immortal - human souls have a temporal beginning but no temporal ending.

The Bible also teaches "everlasting life" and "everlasting death".

But "immortality of the human soul", “everlasting life" and "everlasting death" are different concepts.

"Everlasting life" is that quality of human life a person possesses, after the final judgment, by virtue of his living in communion with God without end.

"Everlasting death" is that quality of human life a person possesses, after the final judgment, by virtue of his *not* living in communion with God and this also without end.

Let:

"P" stands for "A human person has an immortal soul".

"Q" stands for "A human person has everlasting life".

"R" stands for "A human person has everlasting death".

The relationships between these propositions can be stated as:

P does not imply Q.

P does not imply R.

P implies (Q or R).

Q implies P.

R implies P.

(Q or R) implies P.

(Q and R) implies P.


3. By not defining "immortality" and distinguishing "immortality" from "everlasting life" and "everlasting death", Michael Horton makes some infelicitous statements.

(Horton 2011, 908): "However, in Scripture there is no assumption that the soul is immortal. Rather, like the body, it is a created substance with a beginning and an end. Immortality was the goal held out to Adam and Eve in the Tree of Life, and not merely for the soul but for the whole person. It is this immortality that was forfeited by Adam but has been promised to those who trust in Jesus Christ."

I am very uncomfortable with these statements of Michael Horton's.

Human souls "with a beginning and an end"?

If *only* those who believe in Jesus Christ has an immortal soul, then what happens to the souls of those who do not believe in Jesus Christ?

Will their human souls be annihilated?


4. (Horton 2011, 908): "The pagan idea of the immortality of the soul and the Christian doctrine of the gift of everlasting life issue in radically different worldviews."

I agree with this statement.

But why would Horton contrast "the pagan idea of the immortality of the soul" with "the Christian doctrine of the gift of everlasting life"?

There is also the "Christian doctrine the immortality of the soul": God created the human soul with a temporal beginning but without temporal ending.

Why wouldn't Horton contrast "the Christian doctrine the immortality of the soul" with "the pagan idea of the immortality of the soul"?

Why would Horton compare apples with oranges instead of apples with apples?


5. (Horton 2011, 910): "As I argued in considering human personhood in chapter 12, Christianity denies any confusion of the Creator and creature. No more than our bodies are our souls in any sense divine or intrinsically immortal. If the soul survives physical death, it is only because God grants this life as a gift in Christ."

Again, I am not comfortable with the way Michael Horton presents things.

Both the souls of believers and non-believers survive physical death.

If the soul survives physical death only because God grants this life as a gift in Christ, then we must also say that the souls of non-believers survive physical death "because God grants this life as a gift in Christ".

This sounds very weird and probably is not true.

Also, I believe the human soul is intrinsically immortal.

But I hold this belief not because I believe that the human soul is divine, but because God in his divine plan decrees that He will create human beings with an immortal soul.

As a good Calvinist, I believe the intrinsicality of the immortality of the human soul is rooted in the Divine Decrees.


6. (Horton 2011, 913): "Christianity therefore does not build on the pagan ruins of the immortality of the soul, but brings 'immortality to light through the gospel.' It is an immortality that is bestowed as a gift in the resurrection, not a given of our nature as such. In other words, immortality finds its definition in eschatology and soteriology rather than anthropology."

Immortality is rooted in neither soteriology nor eschatology.

Immortality is rooted in the Divine Decrees and the doctrine of Creation.

God created human beings with an immortal soul.

On the other hand, "everlasting life" and "everlasting death" are both soteriological and eschatological in character.

Soteriological means "of or relating to the doctrine of salvation".

Eschatological means "of or relating to the doctrine of end times or last things".
 

7. (Horton 2011, 915): "The concept of the essential immortality of the soul is not a subset of the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the body but its antithesis. Especially in contrast to contemporary assumptions - even among many Christians - it is significant that Christianity does not teach salvation by death."

I believe Michael Horton is again confusing "immortality" with "everlasting life" and "everlasting death".

I agree that "the concept of the essential immortality of the soul is not a subset of the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the body", but so what?

Is there any reason why it should be?

The Christian doctrine of the immortality of the soul is not a subset of the Christian doctrine of the resurrection of the body either.

So what?

Is there any reason why the concept of the Christian doctrine of resurrection of the body should contain the concept of the Christian doctrine of the immortality of the soul?

It is not obvious and I do not see how and why.

I think Michael Horton is confusing “immortality" with "everlasting life" and "everlasting death" and comparing apples with oranges.

By the way, there is no need to saddle "the immortality of the soul" with "essential".

Also, why is "the immortality of the soul" an antithesis of "the resurrection of the body"?

The antithesis is not obvious and Horton should explain how it is so.


8. (Horton 2011, 915): "For believers, at the resurrection the whole person -embodied soul and ensouled body - will be granted the gift of everlasting life (immortality)." (Italics in original.)

If immortality is equate with everlasting life, then what of everlasting death?

Unless the human soul of a condemn person is annihilated after final judgment, it will be immortal in everlasting death.

If immortality is equated with everlasting life and if the soul is immortal in everlasting death, then can everlasting life be equated with everlasting death?

Of course not.

Instead of equating immortality with everlasting life, Michael Horton should follow common usage and distinguish between the concepts "immortality", "everlasting life" and "everlasting death".

Confusing these concepts will only issue in confused theology.


Reference:

Horton, Michael. 2011. The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims On the Way. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

End.

[Opinion] The Right Thing to Do is Resign

 

 Jason Stellman

1. What should a minister do if he changes his theology in a fundamental way?

Jason Stellman decided that he should disclose this to his church and resign from that ministry.

I think Stellman did the right thing.


2. Jason Stellman was a minister of the Presbyterian Church in America.

The Presbyterian Church in America is a confessional church and is Calvinistic or Reformed in its theology.

A confessional church is a church that besides adopting the Bible as its primary standard for belief and action, adopts certain creeds or confessions as its secondary standards.

The need to adopt secondary standards is due to the fact that the Bible is subject to more than one theological interpretation.

So that people may know what it believes in, a confessional church adopts certain creeds or confessions as its secondary standards.

By consulting the secondary standards, one can determine what a confessional church believes and how it interprets the Bible.


3. The constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America is consisted of two kinds of documents:

(a) its doctrinal standards; and

(b) its organizational standards.

Like many Presbyterian denominations, the Presbyterian Church in America adopts:

http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_preface.htm

(a) the Westminster Confession of Faith;

(b) the Larger Catechism; and

(c) the Shorter Catechism

as its secondary doctrinal standards.

Besides these secondary doctrinal standards, the organizational standards of the Presbyterian Church in America are contained in a document call the Book of Church Order.

The Book of Church Order is divided into three Parts:

(a) Form of Government;

(b) The Rules of Discipline; and

(c) The Directory for the Worship of God.

The 6th Edition of the Book of Church Order (2011) of the Presbyterian Church in America is available online:

www.pcaac.org/Web%20version%202011%20Reprint%20ALL.pdf


4. Chapter 21 of the Book of Church Order is concerned with "The Ordination and Installation of Ministers".

In paragraph 21.5 is listed a series of questions to be proposed to a ministerial candidate.

Among the questions is this (21.5.2) (bold in original):

Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will on your own initiative, make known to your Presbytery the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?

To be ordained and installed as a minister of the Presbyterian Church in America, a candidate must answer this question in the affirmative as part of his ordination vow.

It is sad to say that there are examples of ministers that have changed their theology and are out of accord with the fundamentals of the Westminster Confession of Faith but are not willing to make their changes known.

Besides the doctrinal changes, this makes the lack of action a moral failure.


5. Jason Stellman's resignation letter:

http://www.creedcodecult.com/2012/06/heartfelt-farewell-to-pca.html


May 31, 2012

To the Clerk and Credentials Committee of the Pacific Northwest Presbytery,

In many ways this is one of the most difficult letters I have ever had to write, and I pray that it will be received in the spirit with which I intend it: one of humility and respect.

When I was ordained in this presbytery in 2004, I vowed before God that I “sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures,” and further, that “if at any time I find myself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine I will, on my own initiative, make known to my Presbytery the change which has taken place in my views since the assumption of this ordination vow.” In keeping with this solemn vow, I feel duty-bound to disclose some changes to my views which have developed over the past few years, relating to the issues of Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide specifically.

Concerning the former, I have begun to doubt whether the Bible alone can be said to be our only infallible authority for faith and practice, and despite my efforts (and those of others) to dispel these doubts, they have only become more pronounced. In my own reading of the New Testament, the believer is never instructed to consult Scripture alone in order to adjudicate disputes or determine matters of doctrine (one obvious reason for this is that the early church existed at a time when the 27-book New Testament had either not been begun, completed, or recognized as canonical). The picture the New Testament paints is one in which the ordained leadership of the visible church gathers to bind and loose in Jesus’ Name and with his authority, with the Old Testament Scriptures being called upon as witnesses to the apostles’ and elders’ message (Matt. 18:18-19; Acts 15:6-29), with no indication in Scripture that such ecclesiastical authority was to cease and eventually give way to Sola Scriptura (meaning that the doctrine fails its own test). Moreover, unless the church’s interpretation of Scripture is divinely protected from error at least under certain conditions, then what we call the “orthodox” understanding of doctrines like the Trinity or the hypostatic union is reduced to mere fallible human opinion. I have searched long and hard, but have found no solution within the Sola Scriptura paradigm to this devastating conclusion.

Regarding Sola Fide, I have become convinced that the teaching that sinners are justified by a once-for-all declaration of acquittal on God’s part, based upon the imputation of Christ’s righteousness received by faith alone, is not reflective of the teaching of the New Testament as a whole. I have come to believe that a much more biblical paradigm for understanding the gospel—and one that has much greater explanatory value for understanding Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John—is one that sets forth the New Covenant work of the Spirit, procured through the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, as internally inscribing God’s law and enabling believers to exhibit love of God and neighbor, thereby fulfilling the law in order to gain their eternal inheritance (Rom. 8:1-4). While this is all accomplished entirely by God’s grace through the merits of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, it is at the same time not something that occurs through the imputation of an external and alien righteousness received through faith alone. Rather, as Paul says, God’s people are justified by a faith that works through love—itself the fruit of the Spirit—and with God’s law inscribed on our hearts and minds we sow to the Spirit and reap everlasting life (Gal. 5:4-6, 14, 16, 22; 6:8).

Due to the fact that these disagreements strike at the very core of the system of doctrine set forth in our Standards, I feel that I have no other choice than to tender my resignation from the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America.

I would like to express my gratitude to the godly and faithful men of the Pacific Northwest Presbytery for the eight years I have been a member of this body. My desire when I joined was to remain pastoring in Woodinville for my entire life and ministry, and it is with deep disappointment and regret that this will not be the case. My sincere hope is that the fathers, brothers, and friends I have gotten to know here will keep me in their prayers, and forgive me for any offense I may have caused during my involvement in the case against TE Leithart, as well as for any offense I may be presently causing by breaking my ordination vows.

With sadness and a heavy heart,

Jason Stellman


6. It is sad to see Jason Stellman changes his theology, but I commend him for making his changes known to his presbytery and resign from the Presbyterian Church in America.

As Gordon H. Clark has written in another occasion (Clark [1966] 1982, 63):

"The person who resigned, having changed his theology after first joining with us, is morally commendable for his withdrawal. Too often ordination vows are exercises in perjury, and professors seeking positions in Christian colleges sometimes resort to lies when questioned on their religious faith. As a contrast to this liberal dishonesty, we express admiration for a man who honestly resigns."


Reference:

Clark, Gordon H. [1966] 1982. The Evangelical Theological Society Tomorrow. Reprinted in God's Hammer: The Bible and Its Critics, 51-63. Jefferson, Maryland: The Trinity Foundation.

End.

[Music] Danny Chan -- Waiting

1. In May, 1992, Danny Chan went into a coma after taking sleeping pills with alcohol; never regaining consciousness, he passed away 17 months later still in a comatose state.

Danny Chan was a talented composer and singer, with some acting on the side.

Wikipedia listed 36 songs composed by him:

http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E9%99%B3%E7%99%BE%E5%BC%B7


2. I have two distinct memories about Danny Chan:
 
(a) He was very popular with Hong Kong girls from the late 1970s to the 1980s; and
 
(b) He was psychologically insecure.

As was pointed out by many before, artists in general are an insecure bunch.

Many artists depend and feed on the affections of their audience but their audience can be very fickle: an idol of one year can be a nobody in another.

Like decompressing after a deep sea dive, an artist has to learn how to climb down from his career.

After being very popular in the music scene in the early to mid-1980s, Danny Chan's career began to decline in the late 1980s.

Unlike others whom choose to stay, Danny Chan decided he will leave.

Danny Chan has already announced his retirement from Cantopop in 1992 when he went into coma.

He was only 35 when he passed away.


3. Waiting ("等") was composed and sung by Danny Chan for the 1984 Hong Kong movie Merry Christmas; Danny Chan was also one of the stars of that movie.

A good quality sound track of Waiting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QufGQxacK0s


4. Danny Chan in KTV (karaoke):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab8135jCR3Y


5. Danny Chan in musical video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aaM9QdcDFw

Another version of the same MV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ep1-6eTELU


6. Danny Chan in concert in 1985:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOId00XFuBM

Danny Chan in concert in 1988:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0UM9hW9WDA

There are 2 songs in this video; the first one is Waiting.

Danny Chan in concert in 1991:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUd1hHAJxH8


7. Danny Chan and Sally Yeh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoItjPS-oV8


8. A cover by Anita Mui:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-lhKI5IVjs


9. A Cover by Karen Tong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E5ASOH16-g


10. A cover by Eason Chan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePmG2JOddg


11. A violin cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl7cROOoRao

Very good.


12. A recent piano cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WELx_4euqU


13. An instructional video on how to play the song in piano:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY9MgXu0f4s


14. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


等 -- 陳百強

等
寂寞到夜深
夜已漸荒涼
夜已漸昏暗
莫道你在選擇人
人亦能選擇你
公平原沒半點偏心

* 苦澀
慢慢向著心裡滲
何必抱怨
曾令醉心是誰人
自願吻別心上人
糊塗換來一生淚印
何故明是痛苦傷心

# 還含著笑裝開心
今宵的你可憐還可憫
目睹她遠去
她的腳印心中會永印
糊塗是你的一顆心
他朝你將無窮的後悔
這一生你的心裡滿哀困

Repeat *, #


15. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


等 -- 陈百强

等
寂寞到夜深
夜已渐荒凉
夜已渐昏暗
莫道你在选择人
人亦能选择你
公平原没半点偏心

* 苦涩
慢慢向着心里渗
何必抱怨
曾令醉心是谁人
自愿吻别心上人
胡涂换来一生泪印
何故明是痛苦伤心

# 还含着笑装开心
今宵的你可怜还可悯
目睹她远去
她的脚印心中会永印
胡涂是你的一颗心
他朝你将无穷的后悔
这一生你的心里满哀困

Repeat *, #


16. Names, Words and Phrases:

Danny Chan (Traditional Chinese: 陳百強; Simplified Chinese: 陈百强).

Anita Mui (Traditional: 梅艷芳; Simplified: 梅艳芳).

Eason Chan (Traditional: 陳奕迅; Simplified: 陈奕迅).

Karen Tong (Traditional: 湯寶如; Simplified: 汤宝如).

Merry Christmas (Traditional: 聖誕快樂; Simplified: 圣诞快乐).

Sally Yeh (Traditional: 葉蒨文; Simplified: 叶倩文).


References:

"Danny Chan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Chan
(accessed 2012-06-04).

"陳百強", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E9%99%B3%E7%99%BE%E5%BC%B7
(accessed 2012-06-04).

"等", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AD%89
(accessed 2012-06-04).

End.