At this year’s ETHOS Annual Seminar, the focus was on how Christians can navigate religious pluralism in Singapore. The speakers were Dr Matthew Matthews from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Rev Dr Jonathan Wong, vicar of St George’s Church.
Dr Matthews began by sharing findings from a 2024 study conducted by IPS and OnePeople.sg, which surveyed 4,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents about racial and religious harmony. One interesting insight was about the non-religiously affiliated. While some worry that this group might be hostile to religion, the study showed otherwise. In fact, about 90% felt it was important to respect religion, and around 60% valued tolerance highly. Dr Matthews noted, “62% of them actually believe in God or some kind of unseen being. They’re quite religious in many ways… and they have a lot of respect for other religious groups too.”
Rev Dr Wong then spoke about what this means for Christians living in a multicultural, multi-religious society. He stressed that interfaith dialogue should not be seen as compromising the faith. For him, dialogue is closely tied to evangelism—not in the sense of aggressive proselytising, but as an honest sharing of faith that the constitution protects.
He pointed out that some Christians avoid dialogue because they fear falling into syncretism. Instead of adopting an “in, but not of this world” stance, he encouraged participants to embrace a “not of this world, but sent into it” posture—actively engaging with others while remaining rooted in Christ.
Rev Dr Wong also reminded everyone that the heart of evangelism flows not only from the Great Commission but also from the Great Commandment. Using a vivid illustration, he said: “If someone is standing in the middle of the road with a truck coming at them, would it really be loving to say, ‘It’s intolerant to tell them to move’? Of course not.” For him, love requires both respect and truth-telling.
He also highlighted some of the blind spots Christians in Singapore may have. Because the majority of Christians here tend to be English-speaking and relatively well-to-do, the Church has not engaged as deeply with other segments of society. “We are barely under 20%,” he said. “There’s a whole segment we haven’t reached because we don’t talk to them or interact with them. Dialogue helps us see those blind spots.”
In closing, Rev Dr Wong reminded participants that “all truth is God’s truth.” He expressed confidence that in humbly seeking truth—even in conversation with those of other faiths—the truth of Jesus Christ will ultimately shine through.
Streams of Life is a media partner of The Bible Society of Singapore.
