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48 EASTERN HORIZON | REFLECTIONS
Conversions in
the Family
By Assoc. Prof. Dr. Punna Wong Yin Onn
A mother wrote to me in desperate hurt. Both her children had
been converted by evangelists to another faith, causing her and her
husband much pain and hurt. The husband even threatened to throw
them out and disowning them, a concept found in Chinese culture
when children are unfilial and disrespectful. They sought advice
desperately and I was approached to see how I can help.
I wrote that I fully understand her feelings.
Dr Wong has been teaching Any father and mother will find a child’s conversion to another faith
Buddhism regularly in Malaysia heartbreaking, and yet, they must find a way to love each other
and abroad for the last two despite the faith divide. In Malaysia, evangelical groups prowl around
decades. He had also spoken at universities and colleges when the young are newly independent and
several conferences on Buddhism relatively naive. Who will not find a simple message like “Ask and you
held in various countries. He has a shall be given, seek and you shall find” attractive? In our 20’s, many
MBBS from University of Malaya, of us will begin searching for spiritual enrichment and the Buddhist
and obtained post-graduate community is relatively passive in propagation. Many youths like
music and songs, both of which are keenly used in evangelism. Many
qualifications in Internal Medicine.
youths crave. Give them what they want and they will follow.
He has written books on medicine
which are widely used by doctors Parents will naturally be devastated with developments like this.
and in universities. In 2016 Yin Onn It challenges them to the very core, “Have we failed as parents in
wrote a book on Buddhism titled, not educating the children in the Dhamma?” There will be fights,
“Walking in the Buddha’s Footprints”. most bitterly at first. But the newly minted “neo-born again, know
everything” youngster will quote that his religion’s founder himself
had said the families will be split because of faith... and hence find the
situation tolerable and a test of his resolve. Each side will contest the
rejection of the faiths— deeply precious to each other.
Equally divisive will be the break in the family “as a family”. But the
elders in the new faith will rush over and offer a “new” family to
them. Again, they will be told of tests and challenges, of the “clay that
does not know the mind of the potter”. It is indeed frustrating for
parents and relatives who try to intervene in the family crisis. The
faith debate will become a dead-end argument for the two parties for
the child is not listening. His mind is closed.
