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In a recent article in Zaobao, I stressed the importance of maintaining Singapore as a secular state and the separation of politics and religion. Having pondered over the issue of religion again, I will now go a step further to suggest that for Singapore, a small and multi-religious country, to ensure religious and racial harmony, an additional condition needs to be emphasised - national interest should take precedence over religion. What I'm saying is that the priority should be national interest and loyalty to the country. A common understanding to place the nation and society above everything else will stand us in good stead in the face of external influence. To achieve this, we should first be absolutely clear that religious belief is a personal matter while national loyalty is the duty of every citizen. They should not get mixed up. In other words, one's religion should not undermine one's loyalty to the country. We can have freedom of religion but should pledge our loyalty only to our nation. Only with this consensus as the foundation can the different religions and religious communities step up conscious efforts to get to know one another better. This, of course, hinges on religious leaders agreeing on a common view and working towards the same purpose. If the different religious groups can indeed uphold the idea of nation before religion, they will be able to share the following common traits: Firstly, tolerance. The state treats the various religions equally and they in turn make clear their commitment to the nation. As the emphasis is on national interest and cohesion, they will be able to practise tolerance and become more resistant to any effort to define any religion narrowly. Secondly, involvement in society. As a small country, Singapore's survival depends on a people with the drive to constantly improve and upgrade their knowledge and skills. Religion can meet the spiritual needs of our people and is in the interests of the nation as well. A good example is religious organisations participating actively in educational, charitable and welfare activities. Thirdly, relevance to life. A religion should be able to keep up with the changing times and not advise its followers to shun changes and become more religious. The call for followers to become more devout should not be an over-reaction or even an attempt to turn back the clock in response to the onslaught of modernisation and westernisation. Only recently, a religious court in Nigeria found a widow guilty of adultery for having a baby outside wedlock and sentenced her to death by stoning. This is clearly a case of turning back the wheel of history. Singapore is a forward-looking society and Singaporeans are urged to acquire the latest know-how. It is necessary for the various religions to do away with practices that are negative and archaic, bear in mind the survival needs of the nation and keep abreast with developments. In a multi-racial and cosmopolitan society like Singapore, it is impractical for any religion to ask its followers to revolve their life around the religion. Such a call will also set back efforts to promote racial harmony. We should find ways to facilitate communications and exchanges between the different ethnic groups in the housing estates, schools, society or workplaces. This means removing all racial and religious barriers and restrictions that are outdated and do not conform to reality in our society. This will also help expand the so-called common space between the different races. But if Singaporeans of different faiths cannot dine together, men and women cannot shake hands at social functions, or children cannot carry joss sticks to pay their last respects to a deceased parent, enlarging the common space will be easier said than done. For national interest to take priority over religion and for religion to be relevant to life, we need religious leaders who are enlightened, aware of the demands of changing times, and who possess great courage and wisdom to play a leading role. (The writer is a former MP. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.)
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不久前，笔者曾撰文强调政治和宗教分开，以及新加坡政体继续保持世俗化（secular)的重要性。对我国宗教问题的进一步思考，使笔者觉得，作为一个多元宗教的新兴小国，要确保宗教和种族和谐，还有一点是必须格外强调的，那就是，宗教必须都能做到以国家为主体。 这里，以国家为主体的意思，就是把国家利益和对国家的效忠摆在首位，确认大家的共同主体是国家，凡事以社稷为重，在面对外来的影响时，能够发挥自主性、独立性。 要做到这一点，首先必须厘清宗教信仰和国家效忠这两个概念。宗教信仰是个人的事，国家效忠则是每个公民的事。信仰和效忠不能混淆。 换言之，不能因个人的宗教信仰而模糊了效忠的对象；信仰可以自由，但是效忠对象必须一致，就是国家。 有了以国家为主体的共同基础，各不同宗教和信仰不同宗教的社会群体，才能在主观上有意识地进行加强了解、交流与契合的努力。 不必说，要做到这点，就有赖宗教领袖取得共识，朝一致的方向前进。各宗教若能切实做到明确地以国家为主体，就能具备以下的共同性： 第一，是宽容。国家平等对待各宗教，各宗教明确地效忠国家，以国家利益为重，以和合为重，必能互相宽容，这一来就能提高抗拒狭隘的宗教主义的力量。 第二，是入世的。新加坡是个小国，必须努力求存，因此，人民必须具备向上和进取的及进取的精神。宗教能够满足人们精神上的需要，也配合国家的需要。宗教团体积极参与教育、慈善、福利事业，就是一个很好的例子。 第三，是生活化。配合时代的进步，宗教必须能生活化，而不是倒过来要求信众的生活宗教化。面对现代化和西方化的冲击，宗教要求信众虔诚，但是不能矫枉过正，甚或开历史的倒车。 不久前，尼日利亚的宗教法庭判处一名婚外产子的离婚妇通奸罪名成立，必须受掷石死刑。这是和生活化背道而驰、开历史倒车的做法。 新加坡是个前瞻性的社会，它要求人民赶在世界发展的前端，各宗教也必须能革除各种消极和过时的做法，配合国家主体生存的需要，与时俱进。 在我们这样一个多元种族的国际性大都会里，任何宗教要求信徒生活宗教化都是不实际的，也会阻挠各族融合的进程。不管是在组屋区、学校、社区、工作场合，我们都应该设法促进各族之间的交流互通。 要做到这点，就得把各种各样的种族和宗教的藩篱和不合时代与国情的条条框框拆除、移走。也只有这么做，才能扩大所谓的各族之间的共同空间。 如果在我们这样一个现代社会里，不同宗教信仰的公民连在一起用餐都不行，在各种社交场合男女握手都不行，或者连父母去世，在灵堂上香都不行，那要扩大共同空间，谈何容易。 宗教要以国家为主体，要生活化，肯定需要有开明的、赶上时代和大智大勇的宗教领袖来主导。 ·作者是前国会议员
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