GE

All of Singapore's caught up in election fever.

Odd but most of the FB crowd seem to support the opposition. I guess the last election I experienced first hand was so long ago that I sort of thought that everyone was still more or less in the ruling party's camp.

I'm sceptical of all political parties and rhetoric (especially campaign promises) so I tend not to get as caught up. It's only in the last day or two - when I realized that I'd probably get to, no make that have to(!) vote -that I started following the news a little more closely.

When I did I realized several things:

1 - I actually know some of the candidates. This is a first and I'm more than a little taken aback. While I do like current affairs and keeping abreast of general socio-economic issues, I'm not terribly political and my roster of friends tend to reflect these leanings.

2 - The resentment that people feel toward immigrants seems to have reached sky high levels. Is this justified? Very possibly.

3 - The opposition has upped their game considerably. This is a good development, partly because it'll keep the ruling party on its toes and mostly because a rational and well reasoned alternative view point is always useful.

4 - Social media is going to be pretty critical.

Main question though:

I've never had to vote before and the main thing that concerns me is how to vote as a Christian.

I already know from 1 Tim 2 that I should pray for the future leaders and very probably for the electorate as well - that they may choose wisely.

But then what else? What should one consider? And why?

Well reasoned/written and moderate view points here and here.

The truth is that not so very long ago, I'd have said: Pick the ruling party - the opposition just isn't credible.

But the people at the top have been fumbling up so badly and in so many ways that I just cannot maintain any kind of sympathy or support for them.Add to that the fact that morally, I believe they have lost their compass. I could not and still cannot believe they let in the casinos knowing that so many ethnic chinese singaporeans already had gambling problems.