Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 710.2 km2 (274.2 sq mi), Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast Asia is a multi-religious country due to its diverse ethnic mix of peoples originating from various countries. Most of the key religious denominations are represented in Singapore and religious tolerance is promoted by the government The politics of Singapore take place in a framework of a parliamentary republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Singapore is the head of government, and of a single-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Singapore. The Judiciary is independent of the.[citation needed]

Religion in Singapore
religion percent
Buddhism   42.5%
Islam   14.9%
No religion   14.8%
Christianity   14.6%
Taoism   8.5%
Hinduism   4%
Others   0.6%

The most followed religion is Buddhism Buddhism as traditionally conceived is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices that are largely based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha, with 42.5% of the resident population declaring themselves as adherents at the most recent census. The majority of Malays Sunni Islam are adherents of Islam Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the teachings of the Qur’an, a religious book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and the Islamic prophet Muhammad's personally demonstrated examples (collected with a substantial community of Indian India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 Muslims A Muslim , pronounced /ˈmʊslɪm/, is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah (Arabic: مسلمة‎). Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah.[citation needed]

Tolerance

Religious tolerance In a country with a state religion, toleration means that the government permits religious practices of other sects besides the state religion, and does not persecute believers in other faiths. It is a partial status, and might still be accompanied by forms of religious discrimination. Religious toleration as a Government policy merely means the is present in Singapore. From colonial times up to the independence of the island state, racial and religious harmony have been the top priority of the governing institutions.

The government has to some extent successfully transcended religions and racial boundaries. Some religions, especially those spearheaded by Chinese ethnic groups The following is a list of ethnic groups in China where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal names, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (ROC, "Taiwan"), have even merged their places of worship with other religions such as Hinduism and Islam. A prominent example is that of Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple (situated in the eastern coastal line) wherein three religions, namely Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam are housed under the same roof in a manifestation of religious harmony in this modern country. Younger Singaporeans tend to combine a little of the traditional wisdom of the older generations with the Religious co-mingling has been strongly encouraged since the British colonised Singapore; for example, South Bridge Street, which was a major road through the old Chinatown, is home to the Sri Mariamman Temple The Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, built in the Dravdian style. Located at No. 244 South Bridge Road, in the downtown Chinatown district, the temple serves mainly South Indian Tamil Hindu Singaporeans in the city-state. Due to its architectural and historical significance, the temple has been (a south Indian Hindu temple that was declared a national historical site in the 1980s), as well as the Masjid Jamae Mosque that served Chulia Muslims from India's Coromandel Coast. In schools, children are taught in social studies Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the National Council for the Social Studies. Social studies is most commonly recognized as the name of a course or set of courses taught in primary and secondary schools, but may also refer to the study of particular lessons about the Maria Hertogh riots and the 1964 Race Riots, as a grim reminder of the consequences of inter-religious conflict. Mixed-race classes, interaction between students of different races and the celebration of religious festivals also help inculcate religious tolerance and understanding from a young age.

Another religious landmark in Singapore is the Armenian Church of Gregory the Illuminator, the oldest church in Singapore, which was completed in 1836. It was also the first building in Singapore to have an electricity Electricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning and static electricity, but in addition, less familiar concepts, such as the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction supply, when electric fans A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan. But generally, purpose-made hand-held fans are shaped like a circle segment made of a thin material mounted to slats and lights Light is electromagnetic radiation, particularly radiation of a wavelength that is visible to the human eye . In physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not were installed. Today, the church no longer holds Armenian The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church. The Armenian Apostolic Church traces its origins to the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1 services, as the last Armenian priest A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively retired in the 1930s. Nonetheless, the church and its grounds have been carefully preserved and various Orthodox Church The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church[note 1] and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church,[note 2] is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members. It is considered by its adherents to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic services are still held in it occasionally and Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt. The Church belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, which has been a distinct church body since the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, when it took a different position over Christological theology from that of the Eastern Orthodox and service on the first weekend of every month.

Diversity

The Singapore census includes detailed data on religion and ethnicity, and is taken on a ten-year basis. Figures for religion in the year 2000 are[1]:

The above figures refer to the resident population only, and do not include the non-resident population. (Singapore authorities do not release figures for the non-resident population which accounted for 18.33% of Singapore's population in 2005.

Most Singaporeans celebrate the major festivals associated with their respective religions. The variety of religions is a direct reflection of the diversity of races living there. The Chinese are predominantly followers of Buddhism and Taoism with some exceptional agnostics. Malays are mostly Muslims and Indians are mostly Hindus but with significant numbers of Muslims and Sikhs from the Indian ethnic groups.

Religion is still an integral part of cosmopolitan Singapore. Many of its most interesting buildings are religious, be it old temples, modern churches, or exotic mosques. An understanding of these buildings do play a part in contributing to appreciation of their art.

Taoist, Confucianism, and Buddhist figures together with ancestral worship are combined into a versatile mix in Chinese tradition temples. In fact, these three religions had exerted their influences over Chinese cultures and traditions since ancient times. It is sometimes difficult to tell them apart when examining the Chinese heritage.

Taoism

Main article: Taoism in Singapore

Followers of the Tao (The Way) adhere to the teachings of the ancient Chinese religious philosophy of Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, also known as the Pure One, Celestial Worthy of the Way, or Tai Shang Lao Jun The Talismanic and Register Sect of mainstream Taoism is seen as the most influential through the numerous presence of spiritual mediums. They are concerned with life-after-death theory, the balance of the two cosmos energies of which are depicted through the Taoist Yin and Yang theory, and vitality, good-health, and longevity. Feng Shui, literally translated as wind and water, also originated from the Taoist Yin and Yang theory and is deeply rooted in ancestral worshiping that seeks to harmonize the pnuemas between the living (yang) and the dead (yin). Ancestral worship is a common practice of the Chinese and the Qing Ming Festival during the second full moon is observed by the majority. This reflects that Chinese tradition remains extant in modern Singapore. They pray in memory of their bereaved love ones and the spirits of the dead are honoured with offerings including food, beverages, joss-paper, joss-sticks, and even paper houses, which are intrinsic practices of the Taoists.

Although Taoist temples and shrines are abundant in Singapore, it has nevertheless not been officially included as a major religion for a number of reasons. It was argued that its numbers has dwindled drastically over the years from 22.4% to 8.5% between the years 1990 to 2000. This, however, may be accounted for by the fact of obscuring delineation between Taoism and Buddhism. Another major reason is that, politically, Taoism and Buddhism are viewed as Chinese religions and thus suffice having one of them - Buddhism of which has a higher official percentage representation, represents the Chinese population. Other reasons may include its refusal or failure to institutionalize for fear of losing its religious and traditional essence and risked being orchestrated and manipulated into a mouthpiece of some people with other ulterior agendas.[citation needed]

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhism in Singapore As of 2000, 42.5% of the Singaporeans register themselves as Buddhist by religion. Adherents of Buddhism are mostly of the Chinese majority ethnic group, although small minorities of Sinhalese and Thai Buddhists do exist as well

One will be able to find monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada Theravada (Pāli: थेरवाद theravāda ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (, Mahayana Mahayana is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice. It was founded in India. The name Mahayana is used in three main senses: and Vajrayana Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle. The period of Vajrayana Buddhism has been classified as the fifth or final period of Indian Buddhism. Vajrayana is a complex and multifaceted system which evolved over several centuries and reveals much. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese.

Chinese Mahayana is the most predominant form of Buddhism in Singapore with missionaries from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism Theravada (Pāli: थेरवाद theravāda ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka ( has seen growing popularity amongst the people (not confining to the Chinese) in the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organization, is practised by many people, in Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 710.2 km2 (274.2 sq mi), Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast Asia, but by mostly those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is also practiced in Mongolia and parts of Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva) and Northeast China is also making a slow inroad into the country in recent years.

Islam

The Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam Main article: Islam in Singapore

Virtually all Malays in Singapore are Muslims. According to the Singapore Census of Population 2000, 99.6% of the Malay population are Muslims with a 0.4% embracing other religions. There are also Indian Muslims of which make up to 22.1% of the Indian population in Singapore. There are also a few Chinese Muslims, but their figures are not readily available.

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Singapore The early 19th century saw a wave of immigrants from southern India, mostly Tamils, to work as coolies and labourers for the British East India Company in Singapore. These immigrants brought along their religion and culture from their homeland as well. Their arrival saw the building of temples throughout the island in the arresting Dravidian form

The Malay archipelago has had a Hindu presence for more than 2,000 years. However the majority of Singapore's present Hindus are descendants of Indians who migrated soon after the founding of Singapore in 1819. The early temples are still the central points of rituals and festivals, which are held throughout the year.

According to the 2000 census 98% of Hindus come from the collective Indian ethnic group.

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Singapore

One will be able to find Christian churches of all denominations in Singapore. They were established with the arrival of various missionaries after the coming of Sir Stamford Raffles. Together with Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, Christianity is considered one of the four main religions today.

In 1985, Mother Theresa spoke at a stadium describing her experiences in Calcutta.On 20 November 1986, Pope John Paul visited Singapore.

Singapore has also hosted prominent Christian figures like A. R. Bernard, Phil Pringle, Nick Vujicic, Ulf Ekman Ulf Ekman is a Swedish charismatic pastor and founder of the charismatic church Livets Ord (Word of Life), which brought the Word of Faith movement to Sweden, and Benny Hinn, and Christian music groups such as Delirious? and Newsboys Newsboys is a Grammy Award-nominated Christian pop rock band. The band was formed in Australia in 1985 and has been one of the most popular and best-selling Christian music artists of the past two decades.

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism in Singapore

There are 15,000 Sikhs Sikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit term śiṣya, meaning "disciple, learner" or śikṣa, meaning "instruction" in Singapore. The Central Sikh Temple[2] was built to commemorate the 518th anniversary of Guru Nanak Guru Nanak Dev is the central figure in Sikhism, and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, the first Sikh guru. The temple boasts a skilful blend of modern and traditional architecture. The Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib, is the holy scripture and the final Guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs (parts), compiled and composed during the period of Sikh Gurus, from 1469 to 1708. It is a collection of hymns or shabad, which describe what God is like and the right way to live, or holy book, is enshrined in a magnificent prayer hall which has a 13-metre wide dome.

Judaism

There are about 1000 Jews in Singapore.[3] Their religious activities centre around two synagogues, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue and the Chesed-El Synagogue.

Zoroastrianism

This section requires expansion.

Jainism

There are a few hundred Jains in Singapore but they have no temple as of yet. The Singapore Jain Religious Society has a building at the address of 18 Jalan Yasin, about 300 meters northeast of Eunos MRT Station.

This section requires expansion.

Ethnic groups

Religious composition of the main ethnic groups:

Restrictions

Main article: Freedom of religion in Singapore

Publications and public discussions of religious issues are generally considered out of bounds, and negative or inflammatory portrayals of religion are subject to censorship. However, this is certainly not conclusive as there has recently been a local publication that incessantly attacked Taoism under the pretext of academic research and yet escaped the brunt of fire.

Nevertheless, the "Singapore: International Religious Freedom Report 2006"[4] and submitted to Congress by the Department of State in compliance with Section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 makes note of the fact that the Constitution of Singapore provides for freedom of Religion but "the Government restricted this right in some circumstances."

The report also goes on to state that "The constitution provides that every citizen or person in the country has a constitutional right to profess, practice, or propagate his or her religious belief so long as such activities do not breach any other laws relating to public order, public health, or morality." as well as that "In 1972 the Government de-registered and banned the Singapore Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenarian Christian denomination. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism; they report convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 17 million. They are directed by the Governing Body, a group of elders which on the grounds that its existence was prejudicial to public welfare and order because its members refused to perform military service (an obligatory conscription of all male citizens), salute the flag, or swear oaths of allegiance to the state. At the time, there were approximately 200 Jehovah's Witnesses in the country; at the end of the period covered by this report there were approximately two thousand. Although the Court of Appeals in 1996 upheld the rights of members of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess, practice, and propagate their religious belief, and the Government does not arrest members for being believers, the result of de-registration has been to make public meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses illegal. Nevertheless, since the 1996 ruling, no charges have been brought against persons attending or holding Jehovah's Witness meetings in private homes."

The report also makes mention of the restrictions against the distribution of Jehovah Witness literature and the incarceration of members for not performing military service.

The Unification Church The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In addition to providing and sustaining spiritual, scriptural, and liturgical functions and structures for its worldwide community of believers, the Unification Church, like many religious organizations, owns, operates, and subsidizes has also been banned in Singapore since 1982.

Notwithstanding the above, Singapore generally permits religious freedom as long as such adherences do not undermine the social and political underpinnings of society. It is equally true that the state will not hesitate to take action against religious organizations if it is convinced that their presence are detrimental to the public interest.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/what_to_see/places_of_worship/central_sikh_temple.html
  3. ^ http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/647454/jewish/Singapores-Jews-Experience-Cultural-Rebirth.htm
  4. ^ Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries. It is administered by the Secretary of State, the office currently held by Hillary (2006-09-15). "International Religious Freedom Report 2006". Singapore. U.S. Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71357.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-18. "The constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricted this right in some circumstances. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report. The Government has banned the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Unification Church. The Government does not tolerate speech or actions that it deems could adversely affect racial or religious harmony. The generally amicable relationship among religious groups in society contributed to religious freedom."
Religion in Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, with millions of different peoples following a wide variety of different religions. Asia was the birthplace of most of the world's mainstream religions including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism, as well as many other beliefs
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Afghanistan The majority Religion in Afghanistan is Islam, with over 99% of Afghans being counted as Muslims. Of those, approximately 80% are Sunni, 20% are Shi'a . There are about 30,000 to 20,000 Hindus and Sikhs living in different cities but mostly in Jalalabad, Kabul, and Kandahar. Other smaller groups include the Bahá'ís who number according to a · Armenia The majority of Armenians follow Christianity, which has existed in Armenia for over 1,700 years. Armenia has its own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which most Armenians follow. Christianity has a strong influence in the country, but there is a small presence of other religions too1 · Azerbaijan Azerbaijan is a secular country, in article 48 of its Constitution ensures the liberty of worship to everyone. Everyone has a right to choose any faith, to adopt any religion or to not practice any religion, to express one's view on the religion and to spread it. According to paragraphs 1-3 of Article 18 of the Constitution the religion acts1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh Islam is the largest religion of Bangladesh; Muslims constitute 88 % of the population followed by Hindus who constitute 11 %. The remainder of Bangladeshis practice other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity. . Religion has always been a strong part of identity, but this has varied at different times. A survey in late 2003 confirmed that · Bhutan Approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the population practice Drukpa Kagyupa or Ningmapa Buddhism, both of which are disciplines of Mahayana Buddhism. Approximately one-quarter of the population is ethnic Nepalese and practice Hinduism. Christians, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, and non-religious groups comprise less than 1 percent of · Brunei · Burma Burma is a multi-religious country. Buddhism in Burma is predominantly of the Theravada sect intermingled with local beliefs. According to the military government, it is practiced by 89% of the population, especially among the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, and Chinese2 · Cambodia · People's Republic of China · Cyprus Most Greek Cypriots, and thus the majority of the population of Cyprus, are members of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Cyprus , whereas most Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. According to Eurobarometer 2005 , Cyprus is one of the most religious countries in Europe, along with Turkey, Malta, Romania, Greece and Poland. In addition to the Orthodox1 · East Timor The overwhelming majority of the population of East Timor is Catholic, and the Catholic Church is the dominant religious institution. There are also small Protestant and Muslim communities3 · Egypt Religion in Egypt controls many aspects of social life and is endorsed by law. The 2006 census counting method did not include religion, so the number of adherents of the different religions are usually rough estimates made by religious and non-governmental agencies4 · Georgia The wide variety of peoples inhabiting Georgia has meant a correspondingly rich array of active religions. Today most of the population in Georgia practices Orthodox Christianity, primarily the Georgian Orthodox Church. Of these , around 2% follow the Russian Orthodox Church. Around 3.9% of the population follow the Armenian Church, almost all of4 · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan4 · North Korea · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia4 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Republic of China5 · Thailand · Turkey4 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen
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Italics indicates an unrecognised or partially recognised country. 1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the border definitions. 2 Officially known as Myanmar. 3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and also known as Timor-Leste. 4 Transcontinental country. 5 Commonly known as Taiwan.

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