Singapore like india is a secular country. This means that it does not have a state regulated religion which the citizens are bound to follow. Singaporeans are free to decide and follow any religion they like. Unlike other countries, this stands absolutely true. The government does not go against those following other languages, the freedom of choosing and followings ones religion is one of the foremost rights given to each Singaporean.
Children are also made to participate in religious outreach program to increase their sensitivity and grow their knowledge of religions. They are made to realize the importance of religion and respect the variety and differences that might occur through it. There are 6 religions that are more followed out of the plethora of religions found here. They are as follows.
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Taoism
Taoism is another famous religion here. Taoism was born out of the preachings of a very famous Chinese philosopher,. Lao Tzu. He was a strict follower of Taoism and preached about it religiously. According to him, the true was if leading life is by honouring our ancestors and being compassionate towards then
He was also a true believer of the concept of heaven and hell and claimed that those who are not respectful of nature's and their elders will inevitably end up in hell. One those who walked the correct path would be eligible to enter heaven. He was also the propagator of the yin and yang theory.
The yin and yang is a very famous symbol. It says that everyone has a bad side and a good side to them. Even in the bad there is something good and in the good there's something good. In life, it is always about finding the balance and looking for the better.
One of the oldest Tao temples is also situated here. It goes by the name of Temple of Heavenly Happiness of Thian Hock Keng. It was built in the 1840s to pay respect to the sea goddess Mazu.
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the main religions in Singapore. Almost 3/5th of the population are Buddhists.
Buddhism as a religion stands for conscience, preserverence,morality and truth. Buddhism has various sects within its, like most religions. The form of Buddhism most prevalent here is the Chinese Mahayana form of Buddhism. The largest Mahayana Buddhist temple, the Kong Meng San Phor Kar See Monastery is also situated here. It attracts millions of tourists and locals annually and a large contributor to the tourism sector.
As Buddhism is very popular and quite followed here , there are a large number of stores and shops that sell articles related to it. There are various religious shops offering licence sticks, mats , Buddha statues and other tools to aid meditation. Apart from this organisations like The Metta Welfare and Tzu Chi and Kwan Im Welfare Society offer guidance in practicing this religion. They operate via mobile clinics and are well spread throughout the country.
The religion is also overlooked by a special board called the Singapore Buddhist Federation. This board helps in making sure that the rights of the Buddhists are well preserved and keeps an eye on the major buddhist temples and monasteries as well.
Islam
The religion is Islam is not very prominent here. Although you will still find a lot of Muslims here.
The religion of Islam was born out of the teachings of Allah which which were translated and preached by the famous Prophet Mohammed. The Qur'an is the most highly regarded book in Islam. It has scriptures and teachings of Allah. The book strives to spread the world of God love and respect for all human beings.
Only a tiny percentage of people, roughly 16 percent are followers of this religion.
The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore or MUIS is the primary body overlooking the rights and maintainence of this religion. They are the umbrella body overlooking all the other Islamic organisations.
The MUIS is also responsible for protecting and improvising on the social, cultural and religious needs of the Muslims of Singapore.
They also take care of the mosques and other monuments around the country. They are also very involved in organising yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. One of the most prominent figures of the Islamic world is Mr Yusof bin Ishak. He is also widely recognised as the first President of Singapore has a protrait if him imprinted on all the currency notes valid here.
Hinduism
Hinduism is considered to be one of the earliest religions to have been discovered in the world. it is one of the oldest and most researched religion in the world. this religion was birn out of the teaching of Lord Brahama who was considered to be the founder of the universes.
Lord Brahama was also the creator of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, who are well worshipped and revered in their own ways. Lord Vishnu is also known as the Preserver. He preached about preserving our good qualities upholding the most important quality known to man- their dharma. . He is the giver and known to shower people with blessings.
Shiva on the other hand is another famous god in hinduism. he is known as the god of destruction. He comes in the destroy the monotony in life. He is known to providing guidance to overcome and ultimately get rid of the bad qualities that plaque humans.
Both these gods are very important in the hindu religion. Although there are a lot more that just these gods. Other eminent gods worshipped by the hindus in the world and Singapore alike include Gansesha, Lakshmi, Parvati, Rama, Durga, Krishna and hanuman to name a few.
The oldest hindu temple also known by the name of Mariamman Temple is located here. It is flanked by people from all over the world as well as the local hindus. It attracts millions of tourists annually and very famous among the Singaporeans. There are a total of 30 temples in Singapore catering to this religion. All these temples as well as the social cultural and religious rights are protected and managed by the Hindu Advisory Board and Hindu Endowments Board.
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic religion which was born out of the teachings of Jesus, who is considered to be the son of God.
Jesus was send to earth by God to teach us his word and spread across the message bof love. He lived on earth for a few years before he was killed by his fellows. His life story, teachings and his ultimate death is mentioned in the Bible. The Bible is the script of the Christians. It is one of the most widely books read on the planet. It was also the first book to be printed and converted into another language .
The oldest Christian Church also known as the Armenian Church is situated here. It was built in the 1830s and is quite popular amongst the Christians all over the world. It is flanked by millions of people from all over the world and Singapore alike.
Just like Hinduism, Christianity also has a few sects such as Protestants and Catholic. Protestants are quite different from Catholics. Their way of worshipping, prayers and rules differ from each other in a variety of ways.
Churches catering to both these sects are located here. There are around 30 Catholic churches spread across the country and as many or more Protestant churches as well.
Other religions that can be found here include Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Judaism Baha'I, Jainism and many more.