I read with ambivalence that daily Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai has been suspended for one month for publishing an image of Jesus holding a cigarette and beer can. As a staunch Christian, it didn't bother me at all and I couldn't understand why some people - who are not even Christians - were offended by it and considered it to be a sensitive issue.

Irrespective of which religion you belong to, if you believe that your God omnipotent, then whatever negative or degrading comments that others make about your God should not affect you. This is called faith, which is the heart of all religions.

I am not qualified to comment about other religions as I am not familiar with them but to me, Christianity is a relationship with God. What God really wants from you is your love. He doesn't need you to defend or protect Him. He doesn't need your money. On the contrary, all you have are blessings from Him. That is why He is the almighty God.

Therefore, we should not try to be too legalistic with Makkal Osai for if we do so, we will merely be following man's law instead of God's law. The former is always ambiguous, changes all the time and invariably subject to abuse. As for God's law, it is unchanging, fair, just and perfect.