Is There Room for Religious Ethics in Our Common Space?

Recently, however, we are seeing religious groups in Singapore becoming more vocal and demanding in the public, common space. This can be seen in attempts to define public morality on LGBTQ issues, or various petitions to allow nurses to wear the hijab, to allow halal food on navy ships, or to ban Madonna from performing here due to her use of Christian symbols on stage. Eugene Tan, an Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU), describes the common space in Singapore as “secular spaces for people from all segments of our society to interact and mingle – they are neutral spaces in which Singaporeans can engage in public life and with one another free from religious considerations and sensitivities.” Academics who work on the field of the public sphere appreciates it for its transformative potential for society. Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion at the University of Cambridge Julius Lipner describes it as “...a space of constant becoming, of endless, sometimes exciting possibilities, but a space we cannot easily control.” As Singaporeans we are used to order and control. Whether we like it or not, however, the local space is being widened as we speak and religious ethics are playing a larger role in defining and shaping public discourse and morality.

The Case for Religion’s Public Role

Do we really need religion in the public sphere in the first place? Honestly speaking, recent incidents have shown that it is actually not a good time for religion. ISIS’s form of gruesome violence waged in the name of Islam has hijacked the place of Islam and Muslims in societies, giving rise to Islamophobia and fear-mongering. The damaging rhetoric during the US presidential election and the ensuing “Muslim Ban” of the Trump presidency has expanded the discourse of hate and intolerance made along racial, ethnic and religious lines. While religions seek to expand the public space for their own moral truths, this expansion also means the inclusion of other voices such as those of hate groups. We have to admit that religions cannot have the monopoly over discourse in the democratised space. Additionally, minority groups around the world such as the Rohingya in Myanmar are being persecuted because of their religion. Religion is constantly being politicised by leaders who seek power and authority. Aren’t these all very good reasons for religion to remain within the private sphere, leaving the public, common space secular and neutral?

The public sphere, first developed by Jurgen Habermas as neutral space for like-minded groups to have rationalcritical debate on the common good, must accommodate the voices of religion, according to contemporary scholars like Talal Asad, José Casanova, Saba Mahmood and Rowan Williams. This is evidenced by the current salience of religious movements around the globe, and the inundation of commentary on them by scholars and journalists, have made it plain that religion is by no means disappearing in the modern world.

José Casanova believes that religion has strong potential to address the common good in secular states and can motivate citizens to participate in civic life in the name of universal values that secular doctrines may neglect¹. All major religious traditions in general have the potential to contribute decisively to public discussions on issues involving basic human and societal values, such as justice, peace, and solidarity with the disadvantaged. This can be seen in the earlier local and global examples of imminent fund-raising for those in need. The challenge is to get this recognised as an important function for religion in society.

Finding the Multiple Common(s) in the Common Good

Due to the need to ensure harmonious relations, our public discourse can at times meet roadblocks when certain parameters are breached. Religion’s role in the local common space have been more reactionary, persuasive and normative rather than transformative. A lot of our contemporary discussions centre on how religion can contribute to the common good. But really, how “common” is the common in common good? What is good for me as a Muslim and my community may not be good for others in my society which do not subscribe to my religious beliefs. In fact there is a real fear that the role of religion in the public space allows for moral policing and the imposition of particularistic religious mores over others which we can clearly see happening in other countries.

The role of religious ethics in secular environments no doubt makes some people uncomfortable. Any reference to this endeavour risks sounding absolutistic, dogmatic and closed-minded. Religion’s voice in the public sphere risks sounding as if there is only one true morality, and only one correct approach to any moral issue. The National Council of Churches recently came up with a statement asserting that the gay characters’ scene in the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast was an “attempt to influence young children and socialise them at an early age into thinking that the homosexual lifestyle is normal.” Agree or disagree, the widening of the common space means that the liberal and conservative views must interact and discuss what is best suited for our generation. The late Jane Addams, activist, philosopher, sociologist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, believes that our understanding of moral truth is never fully knowable, (but) our understanding of it can improve through a process of open-mindedly listening to many points of views. This is also especially true for the views we disagree with.

How best then can religion contribute to the common good in secular polities? How do religious people and the Nones (non-affiliated to any religion) interact purposefully in consensus-building over value systems? How can religious communities contribute meaningfully to public discussions and the decisions our society makes?

Working Towards Our Best Days Ahead

Without doubt there are multiple challenges faced by religious groups as we live in an age of de-globalisation and rising populism. I will attempt to highlight three brief ideas in order for religious communities to thrive in the common space.

1. Speak from democratic spaces, rather than authoritarian centres

Religion’s true societal potential lies within the peripheral spaces of civic society that speak for the marginalised and its emphasis on individual agency who have control over their choices rather than through positions of authoritarian centres. This is especially true when engaging with the youth and navigating the democratic space of social media. The same case can be made for more sound governance and policy-making; we should move beyond thinking and deciding what is good for society, to thinking of ways to ensure that everyone flourishes and reaches their individual potential and aspirations.

1. Reaching out not just across the table, but to those not at the table

It is very important that the discussions on what makes a good society for all Singaporeans includes people whom we not only agree with, but those who hold different views from our own as well. Even more critically imperative is bringing in the people from within our own groups who hold more hard line and less inclusive views towards others. Those who engage in these discussions must engage civilly and with the conscious effort to absorb and synthesise with other viewpoints and to be more aware of them over time.

1. Counter negative fear-based discourse about the ‘Other’ with a commitment to compassion and respect for human dignity

At the recent 2017 Muis Distinguished Visitor Lecture organised by Muis Academy, renowned Islamic scholar Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah urged for compassion and justice in dismantling barriers. He asserted that all religious and spiritual traditions are underpinned by virtues such as compassion and justice and called for different faiths to work more closely together in an “alliance of virtues” through dialogue and inter-faith projects such as feeding the poor and ill.

All great faith traditions teach us to bring goodness beyond the realm of the private and the sacred and into the space inhabited by all humanity. More thought is needed to think through how meaningful religious ethics could allow for a more positive role of faith in our shared community and in future, to move beyond communal projects and towards more ethical institutions and societies. If we take on the moral imperative to dialogue and work together now, there is no doubt that humankind’s best days lie ahead even as we face such turbulent times.

This article is inspired by the discussions held between religious leaders, activists and academics on the role of religion in Singapore at Muis Academy’s public seminar titled “Is There A Public Role of Religion Today?” with Prof Gavin Flood (Yap Kim Hao Professor of Comparative Religious Studies, Yale-NUS College) and Dr Mohammad Hannan Hassan (Vice-Dean, Muis Academy) and chaired by the writer held on 9 December 2016.