Residents celebrating religious harmony at the Punggol North Racial and Religious Harmony Street Parade last year. A new report by the Institute of Policy Studies has found that most Singaporeans feel that having different religious views is no barrier to getting along when living in close proximity. When it comes to religion and politics, Singaporeans mostly agree that religious leaders should not influence voting at elections. But they are divided on other issues such as whether religious leaders should have close ties with politicians, and what individuals should do in the hypothetical situation of a new law contradicting their religious teachings. These were among the key findings in a new report by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on religious beliefs and the role of religion in the private and public spheres. The findings were based on a survey of 1,800 Singapore residents, and are part of a larger study of religion involving multiple countries. The IPS paper said 81.9 per cent of people agreed that religious leaders should not influence voting behaviour, with 86.9 per cent saying it is not acceptable for such leaders to remark on politicians’ characters. It was more difficult for them to come to […]
