Saturday, May 2, 2009

Civil societies are subject to secular, not religious, scrutiny

Civil societies are subject to secular, not religious, scrutiny

I REFER to Wednesday's report, "EGM venue changed to Expo Hall 2".

It is worrying to read that a religious leader reportedly said: "We don't want our nation crossing that line." The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) is registered as a civil body, not a religious body, and should remain so.

Leaders of religious bodies are welcome to express their views on moral values and practices, but to be involved directly in the leadership tussle of a civil society because of differences in beliefs arising from their religions is a different matter.

In multi-religious Singapore, it is most critical that the conduct and affairs of all civil bodies are subject to the scrutiny of the relevant secular authorities and not religious bodies.

The comments in the article, attributed to a weekend sermon by Pastor Derek Hong of the Anglican Church of Our Saviour, were unfortunate. It is a great blessing that different religions flourish freely and co-exist peacefully in Singapore, thanks to a secular government.

Yuen Kwong Chow

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27734.300

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