REACH 407 - What are your views on the strengthened laws on religious harmony? How can we better safeguard religious harmony in Singapore?

(SK)

02 Nov 2022 (10am - 7pm)

REACH

[10:03 am, 02/11/2022] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

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[10:10 am, 02/11/2022] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢

Updates to the law that safeguards religious harmony will take effect on Nov 1, strengthening Singapore’s defences against foreign influence and the Government’s ability to respond to offensive online content.

💬 What are your views on the strengthened laws on religious harmony? How can we better safeguard religious harmony in Singapore?

The key amendments are highlighted below:

📌 Measures against foreign interference

From Tuesday, religious groups must ensure that key leadership posts are held only by Singapore citizens or permanent residents. They also have to declare any affiliations with foreign persons or groups that are in a position of control or power over them. 

The Government will also be able to issue restraining orders to religious groups deemed to have come under foreign influence that undermines the Republic’s religious harmony and threatens the peace. Such an order will prohibit a religious group from receiving donations from foreign donors, and require its entire governing body to be Singapore citizens. The state can also require that specific foreigners be suspended or removed from office.

📌 Measures against harmful online content

Restraining orders that the Government can issue to anyone who threatens religious harmony will be expanded to cover online communications and will take effect immediately, rather than the earlier 14-day notice period.

📌 Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act

Existing Penal Code offences related to religious harmony – such as acts that urge violence or incite feelings of enmity against a religious group – will come under the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act (MRHA), as well as the differentiated threshold of offence for religious leaders, compared with the public.

📌 Community Remedial Initiative

Th Community Remedial Initiative (CRI) has been introduced, a voluntary mechanism that gives a person the chance to take remedial action to soothe communal tensions and repair disrupted ties.

This can include a public or private apology to aggrieved parties, or participation in inter-religious events. This provides an opportunity for a person to make amends to the affected community and to better understand the sensitivities of Singapore’s multi-religious society.

👉 https://str.sg/wjNt

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[10:33 am, 02/11/2022] +Smiley face: 2 November, 2022

"Stay Calm..."

Avoid getting into unnecessary conversations or responding to external comments. Unless it is a matter of life and death!

These days there will be mountains of opinion from abroad on our religions, or social issues or multi racial via MSM!

Internally, all of us must continue to trust each other. There is really nothing that seriously wrong with the above mentioned 3 broad spectrum of our society.

Remain CALM and be aware there will always be stirrer around to ignite harmful emotions.

[10:34 am, 02/11/2022] +Smiley face: ENVY is one bad emotion to avoid!

[10:45 am, 02/11/2022] +L or BL: I think this is important too. I am not religious but I respect everyone's right to have a religion they follow whilst not imposing it on others. I think religion is a personal choice and private matter. I don't understand Organised Religion, but again, respect some people feel better celebrating/worshipping together, and that's their right. We have seen religious leaders around the world abusing their positions and creating conflict, molestation, indoctrination and other atrocities. It is important to have safeguards to prevent this and enable people to honour their religion peacefully and harmoniously, for their benefit. To safeguard religious harmony we need to prevent any one single religion dominating, prevent imposing on people's personal lives/choices, separating legislation from religious belief, separating religion from education (by ensuring critical thinking, evidence based science/history etc), and severe penalties on people who abuse their religious positions and people who abuse others due to their religious beliefs. Religion has an important place in society and needs to be protected and respected and not contaminated.

[11:36 am, 02/11/2022] +Andrew Ang: Agreed. There is also no perfect religion. Just keep your cool and mind. Maintain racial harmony.

[11:38 am, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Yes

[11:43 am, 02/11/2022] +Suma pamu: +1

[11:45 am, 02/11/2022] +Grace: Yes, religion is a deeply personal and strongly valued part of humanity and society - we need to give space to respect each other

[11:47 am, 02/11/2022] +Suma pamu: Just would like to say something

Many Right wing forwarded messages posts which are unscientific and contains hidden Hatred  towards other religions as been circulating in many whstapp especially some community groups

Also Right wing Publications amd movies which looks nothing but full of Hidden agendas has been spreading 

There should be clear cut rules and public should be given stern warnings about this unscientific myths

Propagating as science 

And real truths 

As long as religion is belief no issue, 

When they claim its the truth and science law should stop it.

This is my view

[11:57 am, 02/11/2022] +Tan Kay Eng: i fully agree with this, key is respect and not to impose on others. It should be more inclusive. Lately I see that when come to food gathering, Most organisers only prepare one type of food for all, claiming that all can eat. In my opinion, While we have to respect the minority, Organisers should also take into consideration the feeling of majorities. Respect is mutual.  Hope all will bear this in mind, especially Govt organisations. ( atleast I catered for both on my wedding party 30 years ago 😂)

[0:00 pm, 02/11/2022] +65 9838 6838: Agree that we need to estb safeguards for religious freedom and maintain harmony in our society. 

Foreign interference is something we should also safeguard against, since we are best placed to understand the nuances of a multi cultural , racial and religious society. After all, we are the stakeholders and beneficiaries of such a society, rather than foreigners. We see also a lot of importation of foreign ideology, practices and trends through MNCs and international organizations in their Singapore offices/ branches. Because of the pressure from senior management to carry / support such trends, it can be difficult for an employee to enjoy freedom of conscience in the workplace. I do hope that the govt can also signal foreign enterprises with operations in Singapore to be sensitive to such issues  given our local context.

[0:01 pm, 02/11/2022] +Grace: Hmm do you mean Far Left and Far Right? I think Moderate Left & Moderate Right are ok

[0:01 pm, 02/11/2022] +Suma pamu: Yes Far right wing🙂

[0:10 pm, 02/11/2022] +Tan Kay Eng: Agree. Govt has a BIG ROLE to Play. Maintaining religious and Racial harmony is not just harsh punishments. It should includes education, guiding on right way/things to do, promote inclusiveness, tolerates different practices in common ground, set examples etc

[0:14 pm, 02/11/2022] +Maverick: agree! we don’t want to get to a point where foreign practices are imported into our society without understanding of our cultural context, and without the proper nuancing.

[0:24 pm, 02/11/2022] +Grace: Especially MNCs who don't respect our society, I think that should be checked...

[0:34 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: That's also why government scrutinies foreign religious people coming here to preach carefully

[0:37 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: I worked in a MNCs their work culture recognise other culture and always uphold the higher values. So not all MNCs are bsd. It the Singaporean Leadership who are nefarious. Cheating and politiking

[0:37 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Working in my MNCs that we're told to leave

[0:38 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: What understanding there is in some MNC is not equivalent in the civil service/GLC of Singapore!?

[0:44 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Agility and responding to challenges. Ability to speak up. Open ranking and development. Strategic initiatives. Command and control. Depths of autonomy

[0:44 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: What do you find is the same as MNCs and GLC and Civil service

[0:47 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: I beg to differ

[0:48 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Meaning?

[0:49 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Recognition of other cultures is superficial at best for public image

[0:52 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Thanks didn't see it that way. Possibility for performance sake

[0:52 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: ..yes

[1:01 pm, 02/11/2022] +Smiley face: It is true that all of us have high tolerance for our fellowmen and importantly, we are sensible, disciplined and well behaved people!

[1:15 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: It all depends on the leadership, how real they want it to be. There are great variations, scale of 1 (fakeness) to 10 (embracing)

[1:47 pm, 02/11/2022] +Grace: We must preserve our hard won stability and harmony

[1:49 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Choose the right MPs

[1:50 pm, 02/11/2022] +Grace: How leh? Haha

[2:03 pm, 02/11/2022] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢

Updates to the law that safeguards religious harmony will take effect on Nov 1, strengthening Singapore’s defences against foreign influence and the Government’s ability to respond to offensive online content.

💬 What are your views on the strengthened laws on religious harmony? How can we better safeguard religious harmony in Singapore?

The key amendments are highlighted below:

📌 Measures against foreign interference

From Tuesday, religious groups must ensure that key leadership posts are held only by Singapore citizens or permanent residents. They also have to declare any affiliations with foreign persons or groups that are in a position of control or power over them. 

The Government will also be able to issue restraining orders to relig…

[2:05 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Not true on a large scale

[2:06 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: At the most, 7 on the scale

[2:06 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Background data not available to residents evaluate

[2:25 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: It's good there are laws to nip the issues. Not comfortable with the CRI because some politicians may incite and apologize. But the fire is lit and it is hard to stop . How can one being a politician don't Know it's going to incite . They are masters in moving crowds to their benefit

[2:25 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Exactly

[2:26 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: LIke in some countries. Incite then say sorry but other take the video clip and fan conspiracy theories

[2:27 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Sympathy votes

[2:27 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: Fanning votes using emotions

[2:27 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Typical election tactics

[2:46 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. Human beings being an intelligent species unlike animal kingdoms, insects and other living things - has the mental capacity to think and curious about the origin of Universe, the evolution of mankind, living things and the afterlife unlike other living things with lower intelligent capacity.

Essentially human are curious about :-

a. How Universe, Space, Earth and mankind evolved - where did we come from?

b. Why we are here and how should we live our lives?

c. Afterlife - when we passed away - where will we be going?

2. In search of answers, 2 Schools of Thoughts evolved :-

a. Science, Physics, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEMs)

b. Religions or Metaphysics - to fill up the gaps when STEMs is unable to provide a scientific explanation.

[2:58 pm, 02/11/2022] +Jimmy Chew: 😭 Sorry I didn't think of all these,  more on bread and butter issues . I agree with you that STEM will discover more and lead to new avenues for survival

[3:04 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Why only the key position and not the whole Committee? Is the key position got a veto on the Committee decision in regard to foreign interference matters or is there a channel that govt will step in to interfere with foreign interference matters?

[3:05 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Or 3/4 of the committee members must be Singaporean or PR?

[3:05 pm, 02/11/2022] +Smiley face: 2 November, 2022

To: Our Distinguished Leaders and All Honorable Members

"Every nation has its own problems (家家有书难读经)..."

"Singapore prides itself that whenever an soft/hard issue (Community or Commercial) arises, our community, leaders and government will engage in dialogues and seek for a all winners solution. This is a robust civil infrastructure in placed!"

- - anonymous 

What's if?

In a scenario whereby a country loses to protests and demonstrations in the streets. All economics activities would come to a halt from schools to all port of entries to financial centres. One group demands for certain rights and benefits forcing the larger society to accept the causes. The larger majority will suffer losses from tangibles to emotional trauma due to the tensions on the streets. Historical perspective, Provocateurs are known to exploit situations and stir up public emotions. This must not happen to Singapore!

The Best Bet?

Therefore, it is unwise to be complacent especially race and/or religion concerns, we cannot allow a few individuals or a small incident or a simple issue to be blown out of proportion.

One bright spot is our youth today are highly educated and sensible, innovative and constructive in engaging with the policymakers. They use mass social media like Twitter or FB to voice their views, exchange ideas and send their consensus idea to the government. This is a healthier outlet than proceeding to form a physical streets protest seen in many countries.

One reminder that all citizens are governed by the constitution, any form of changes needs time and the process itself is civic and calm manner through consensus.

Three inescapable sensitive Considerations are religious beliefs, cultural practices and values, and way of livings of each race.     

     - - in progress - -

[3:07 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Science

1. Science (STEM) - where Science is define as the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.

2. As Science advances, human beings are getting closer and closer to the Truth - as human beings understanding of the creation of Universe, notably :-

a. Quantum Physics, quantum computing.

b. AI - Artificial Intelligence - how even computers can be trained to think like human beings - the cognitive mental process

c. Nuclear fusion - whereby nuclear scientists can even create an "artificial sun" through nuclear fusion to create a sun (a star).

3. But as Science (STEMs) are able to get closer to understand how Universe are created and evolved through Science replicating the creation (even in a lab) - our understanding of human mental cognitive process are still confine to mundane human mental process of the 5 mental aggregates :

a. 5 sense consciousness - sight, sound, taste, smell, touch

b. Feelings - positve, negative, neutral

c. Perception - as human received stimuli from consciousness, develop feelings and form perceptions.

d. Judgement - through perception, human make judgement

e. Mental formation - and mental formation will trigger human to think, speak or result in actions.

- where this 5 mental aggregates are still confine within the domain of STEMs - unable to provide answers to how human beings and living things are born, live and where living things go as we passed away into afterlife.

4. Hence, the 2nd School of Thoughts evolved --- essentially the Religions or Metaphysics will come on board to fill the gap.

[3:08 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

https://youtu.be/VTBZ0VwIgs8

[3:08 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Nuclear fusion done in a small lab - successfully creating plasma of ionized gas (fusing hydrogen nucleus to form helium nucleus - creating heat to generate electricity) - a small artificial sun - using deuterium hydrogen isotope derived from water.

Doing it as simple as "ABC".

[3:09 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Just curious whether the two schools of thought complement each other. 🤔

[3:11 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Science talk about matter and human mundane mental process - the domain of psychology, psychiatrist, neuroscience.

But unable to explain supramundane consciousness and metaphysics.

Hence religions step in to fill the gap.

[3:18 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Hope one day that math, physic and biology related subjects can explain the metaphysics and quantum consciousness

[3:20 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Quantum talk about superposition, qubit, quantum entanglement - which also happen in human mind.

Hence every human mind is "our small universe".

[3:21 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

https://www.space.com/spooky-action-at-a-distance-create-multiverse

Spooky action at a distance' can lead to a multiverse.

A new reality might be produced by every possible quantum interaction.

Quantum entanglement of subatomic particles - make a single existence in multi-universe possible.

[3:27 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: The number of votes in a management committee significantly impacts decision-making. Suppose the measure is to ensure that key leadership posts are held only by Singaporeans and PR to manage the risk of foreign interference. 

Agency might want to reconsider such a requirement that only focuses key positions on a general board formation.

[3:28 pm, 02/11/2022] +Shobith: Support this legislation fully. These are necessary to keep the religious harmony and peaceful nature of the community here.. 

We are seeing increasing examples of religious harmony being upset in several countries and measures to safeguard this in Singapore is essential.🙏🏻

[3:34 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

Religion

1. Hence various field of Religions evolved which attempt to explain :-

a. Origin of Universe, Origin of Manking and living things

b. How should Human Beings live so that Human Beings can coexist in harmony and forge peace - so that Human can live safely, peacefully and attain mutual benefits with one another - regardless of religions or no religions.

c. Afterlife - when human beings and living things passed away - do they vanished into thin air (annihiliation), or do they pass on to other realms (which can be non-human beings or animal realms in other worlds) or do they rebirth back into Earth?

Various religions have varied explanation of afterlife - and all deserve our respect.

2. However, I will like to focus on b. - which is focal point of our today's topics.

3. All religions teach moral values, filial piety, mutual respect, peace, peaceful coexistence and many wholesome values that human beings must learn and inherit - so that our Society and our Country and among Countries can live peacefully, mutually benefit from interaction through education, work, play and social mixing, prosper together and lead a meaningful life.

4. Hence, interaction among religions to forge mutual understanding, highlight similarities, promote wholesome values to ensure harmonious and peaceful coexistence with mutual respect become very important.

5. Singapore being a small Country has the most diverse Religions in the World - and Government efforts to bring together the various together to forge mutual understandings and mutual respects - is especially commendable.

6. Hence I fully support the Government to strengthen the laws on religious harmony - and make Singapore a safe, peaceful and good place to stay, live and work.

[3:45 pm, 02/11/2022] +Smiley face: 2 November, 2022

"Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity."

- - Carl Gustav Jung

What is happy or happiness?

Happinesses is one highly sort after social attributes in creating a harmonious society.

Fact is Neuro and psycho sciences have yet to understand what is happy? So far there is no data as to how to quantify this unique human behavior.

The next time when your spouse, or your boss, or your negotiating counter-party smiles, do study their facial expressions. They may not be that simply happy because inside this individual brain is another matter! It is just that moment of happiness (seconds)!

    - - in progress - -

[4:13 pm, 02/11/2022] ☸️  Danny 心: 

1. Nuclear fusion of many hydrogen nucleus to form a heavier helium nucleus - produce an artificial sun - an infinite source of energy.

2. Fusion or convergence of 5 mental aggregates into one nimitta - produce metaphysics of infinity.

[4:22 pm, 02/11/2022] +typing: Does this mean that the Pope needs to apply for PR?

[4:38 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: 😮😁😆

[4:52 pm, 02/11/2022] +Tan Kay Eng: visitor don't need 🤭

[6:08 pm, 02/11/2022] +REACH: 📢 Topic 📢

Updates to the law that safeguards religious harmony will take effect on Nov 1, strengthening Singapore’s defences against foreign influence and the Government’s ability to respond to offensive online content.

💬 What are your views on the strengthened laws on religious harmony? How can we better safeguard religious harmony in Singapore?

The key amendments are highlighted below:

📌 Measures against foreign interference

From Tuesday, religious groups must ensure that key leadership posts are held only by Singapore citizens or permanent residents. They also have to declare any affiliations with foreign persons or groups that are in a position of control or power over them. 

The Government will also be able to issue restraining orders to relig…

[6:45 pm, 02/11/2022] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

⏰ We will be closing the chat in 15 minutes ⏰

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

[6:48 pm, 02/11/2022] +Wai Xin: I think this is a good move. Today's context, in the realm of misinformation and disinformation, a lot of public sentiments are being attacked with things close to our heart being weaponized. We need to establish the defences before faith and values are used to tear up our social fabric.

[6:53 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Many topics can be weaponised. For religious matters, If followers can have more cross religious interaction, it may help to facilitate mutual understanding.

[6:54 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: There is misgivings and suspicious minds on the knowledge of other religions.

[6:56 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Understanding of celebration of an event in a religious may be an ice breaker for a non follower?

[6:56 pm, 02/11/2022] +Khuan Yew: I’m concerned that the law does not address the underlying issue that the Government is worried about. I believe that the Government is concerned about politics and cultural change intertwining with religious affiliations. This is the case in many countries (e.g in our South East Asian region) where political affiliation depends on the religious background of the person. 

By introducing this law, the Government makes it seem that religious organisations have the potential to go “bad” and have to be regulated. Perhaps it would be better to introduce guidelines for religious organisations on the limits of their political activism instead of introducing such a law where the definition of “affiliation with foreign persons” seems vague.

I’m concerned that the law could be misused since many religious organisations in Singapore across all faiths trace their roots to foreign founders and may still maintain their affiliations. For example the Tzu Chi Foundation has its founding roots in Taiwan and the Catholic Church reports to the Vatican. 

However, other organisations that are not religious organisations such as the Humanist Society Singapore or those advocating for the LGBT movement, could be active in political activism and have foreign influence and affiliation but not be subject to the same laws as religious organisations. This does not seem to be a level playing field.

[6:57 pm, 02/11/2022] +Rama: Visit to other religious organisations can too!

[6:58 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: It's happening, and hope got more trips organised.

[7:00 pm, 02/11/2022] +SL: Wow

[7:00 pm, 02/11/2022] +REACH: Dear Contributors,

We will be closing the chat for today.

Thank you very much for being part of our WhatsApp chat and participating actively.

Goodnight!

Megan 😊

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