Manage Rising Religiosity

Aug 16, 2009

PM'S NATIONAL DAY RALLY SPEECH Manage rising religiosity

By Judith Tan

RISING religiosity, which is spreading globally and in Singapore, can have side effects which must be managed carefully, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday night. Speaking at the National Day Rally on Sunday, PM Lee noted that all over the world, religious groups have become 'more organised and active'. Their followers, too, have become stronger in their faiths. He spoke of the wave of revival and rise of mega-churches in the United States, powered by tele-evangelism, which has led to fierce struggle between the conservatives and liberals over moral and cultural issues. In the Muslim world, there has also been an intense reivival, added PM Lee, pointing to the trend in Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is also being carried along by this global tide. For examples, he noted that mosques here are over-flowing on Fridays, as do the churches on Sunday. Buddhists too are reaching out to a younger, Engish speaking generation, while Hindus are celebrating more religious festivals and events. Mr Lee said in itself, there is nothing wrong with people becoming more religious, but stronger fervour could have side effects, particularly in a multi-religious society. PM Lee cited three risks. One is aggressive proselytisation, pushing one's religion on others to the point that it becomes offensive. He cited the examples of a Christian couple who were jailed eight weeks for distributing and possessing anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic publications, and groups trying to convert the very-ill patients at hospitals. The second risk is intolerance, not respecting the beliefs of others, sometimes even within the same families. He said some children who converted from their parents' religion have refused to fulfill rites or stayed away from their parents' funerals. The third risk concerns segregation of separate exclusive circles and not integrating with those of other faiths. This could be a direct preference to stay within their own groups or an indirect result of intolerance. This included not sharing meals or disapproving of yoga or taiji because they allegedly contain religious elements. The PM said the government foresaw this 20 years ago when a White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony was presented in 1989 and the Act passed a year later. He also said the government meets regularly with religious leaders, and because of this there is no need to take any action under the law.