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©The Straits Times, Singapore (Used by permission)
by Arti Mulchand

• Mum's SMS: 'You cannot be baptised until I die'
• Buddhist mum worries about funeral rites
• Taoism: Not easy to keep devotees
• Many seekers drawn to Buddhism
• Christian fellowship a big attraction for youth

Taoism is losing believers as Chinese turn away from their parents' faith. Christianity is growing its flock and Buddhism is also seeing a revival

CHINESE religions here, specifically Taoism, have been trying to stem the bleed of believers from their ranks, but their followers are still abandoning them for Christianity.

Seven in 10 here considered themselves Taoist nearly 90 years ago, but recent census figures have charted their declining 'share' - from 30 per cent of the population in 1980 to 22.4 per cent in 1990 and 8.5 per cent in 2000.

Christianity, on the other hand, has grown its flock to 14.6 per cent of the people here in 2000, up from just 5.2 per cent in the 1920s to 10.1 per cent in 1980 and 12.7 per cent in 1990.

With most of the other religions holding steady, this is where the migration seems to have been.

With the next census not due till 2010, The Straits Times commissioned a study aimed at uncovering trends in religious conversion and why people switch from their childhood faiths.

The ST survey, which polled 1,000 people aged above 15 and representative of the population, found that 20 per cent of adults here abandon the religion they were born into before age 30.

Back in 1990, these 'switchers' made up only 11.5 per cent.

The drift is leaving Taoism, for one, with relatively older followers. Six in 10 Taoists, for example, are above 40. One in four who grew up in Taoist homes says he has left the faith.

In contrast, Buddhism is holding strong. Over 80 per cent who were born Buddhist are staying Buddhist. And it was the fastest growing religion between 1990 and 2000, growing to 43 per cent of the population in that decade.

Buddhists are seeing a revival in their faith - a revival also being played out in South Korea, which is similarly multi-religious and Asian.

There, Buddhism is also mounting a fight for believers amid a dramatic surge in Christianity. Christians form close to 30 per cent of the population there, and Buddhists, 22.8 per cent.

In Singapore, where Christianity is not native, half the faithful are converts, that is, not born into the religion.

Christianity has grown here amid an evolving social context: The population has become more educated. English has also grown in use, and brought with it a Western world view and culture.

Language appears to be the biggest factor accounting for Christianity's expansion here, said Associate Professor Phyllis Chew, a linguist at the National Institute of Education.

National University of Singapore sociologist Alexius Pereira confirmed it: 'There's a 'leakage' from traditional Chinese religions, which don't seem to have the same appeal to younger people.'

He added that over the last 40 years, Christianity has drawn the educated, English-speaking Chinese whose parents followed traditional religions.

The charismatic movement, with the attendant rise of the 'mega-churches', those with members numbering in the tens of thousands, was a factor in the growth of Christianity.

Mega-churches such as the 24,000-member City Harvest are known for using marketing and pop culture to win over the young.

What indeed, do people look for when they abandon one faith for another?

Mr Randall Ong, 20, offered an answer: 'In Chinese culture, your parents always tell you to study hard, make a lot of money and become successful.

'But some people find it a shallow goal to live for. You can't buy happiness with money.'

What of Islam and Hinduism then, in this study of religious conversion, and the free-thinkers?

Conversion to Islam does happen, most often because of mixed marriages, but conversion to Hinduism is 'downright impossible', says the Hindu Endowments Board on its website. It is a faith one is born into, though there are a minority who choose to take on and practise the tenets of Hinduism.

Membership among the Muslim and Hindu faithful, therefore, has been fairly constant: The ST survey found that Islam kept 99 per cent of its followers; among Hindus, just 7 per cent switched faiths.

The last census put free-thinkers at 14 per cent of the population - those who see no need to answer to a higher power.

The ST study found that three in 10 of them used to have a childhood religion, but dropped it, mainly before age 24. The remaining seven have no plans to take on a religion.

This leaves the key fight for adherents between Taoism and Christianity. What this bodes for the future remains to be seen.

Sociologists like Dr Pereira feel that Christianity's expansion will eventually peak and reach a saturation point.

One reason could be as young Christian converts marry and set up their own families, they are likely to bring up their own children as Christians. The conversion rate will probably slow down.

As is happening in other multi-religious societies, 'religious competition' will mean that other, perhaps newer, faiths will continue to fight for converts, said Dr Pereira.

As National University of Singapore sociologist Tong Chee Kiong put it in his book on the subject published last year: 'To an extent, in a multi-religious society experiencing rapid social change in the religious scene, a zero-sum game is being played between religions, and conversion becomes an integral part of the game.'

Mum's SMS: 'You cannot be baptised until I die'

Ms Ng, a Christian and her husband Timmy at the Zion Bible Presbyterian Church in Bishan. Her mother is upset that her baptised daughter will not be able to perform her funeral rites. -- ALPHONSUS CHERN/THE STRAITS TIMES

A SINGLE text message from her staunchly Buddhist mother said it all: 'You cannot be baptised until I die.'

Ms Cindy Ng had been a closet Christian for five years, but wanted to 'come out' and be baptised with her mother's blessing.

But each time Ms Ng, now 28, raised the subject, she was stonewalled. After that terse text message, she wrote her mother a letter.

'I explained why Christianity was important to me...I wanted her to realise I was not betraying her.'

Her mother, 53, eventually told her to do what she wanted, which she interpreted as a blessing. That was when she stopped practising Buddhism and Taoism.

Ms Ng had attended secular schools and grown up in a home with at least three shrines, including one to the Goddess of Mercy. Family life was leavened with religious activities, such as visiting temples and ancestors' urns to make offerings. Her mother was born Taoist, but embraced Buddhism later in life.

But Ms Ng said Buddhism did little for her, adding: 'It makes good sense and teaches good morals...But making offerings for blessings seemed too much of a transaction.'

She had a tough time in junior college. Teased for being overweight, she found acceptance and comfort in the services held at Zion Bible Presbyterian Church in Bishan, a place introduced to her by a friend.

Then her sister, who is three years younger, dropped a second bombshell on her mother - she, too, was to become a Christian.

Her mother was even more vexed because her second daughter had, after all, gone through a formal Buddhist induction.

It has been some years, but the sisters' conversions continue to spark tension, notably on red-letter days.

When Ms Ng got married last year, for example, her mother wanted the almanac to decide the wedding date. But she and her husband, church worker Timmy Ng, 26, had their hearts set on 07.07.07.

The couple had the traditional tea ceremony, but rejected the idea of offering joss sticks to the ancestral altar or the Goddess of Mercy; neither did they want a feng shui master's advice on how to decorate their new home.

This upset her mother. Ms Ng said: 'She could not understand why. We told her we knew she was trying to be helpful, but we believe in something else.'

And then when her paternal grandmother died earlier this year, Ms Ng had to tread a fine line with funeral rites.

Along with others in the family who had turned Christian, she made herself 'useful' at the wake by serving food and drinks. But she refused to hold joss sticks or take part in the other rituals.

'There is no point doing something you don't believe in,' she said.

She does not think religious differences have opened up a gulf between her and her mother.

She said: 'We may be mother and child, but she has to realise that she is mother to an adult child. It's not that I am being unfilial or not a good daughter.'

ARTI MULCHAND

Buddhist mum worries about funeral rites

FIVE years ago, when Madam Tan, a devout Buddhist, first heard that her eldest daughter Cindy Ng, then 23, was planning to be baptised, she had one concern - that the young woman would not be able to perform the funeral rites at her death.

The 53-year-old, who declined to reveal her full name, said: 'I don't like the idea that they cannot hold joss sticks or kneel when I'm dead. I gave them life. It's a form of respect. It is why I asked them not to be baptised until I die.'

A book last year by sociologist Tong Chee Kiong on religious conversion here notes that many traditional Chinese equate baptism with becoming the foster child of the Christian God. It is like losing that child to another culture, as it were.

It is why a high percentage of Christians here are not baptised, he wrote.

Unfortunately for Madam Tan, who is self-employed, Cindy went ahead with her plans, followed not long after by her sister.

As baptised Christians, they see taking part in Buddhist funeral rites as going against their beliefs.

Madam Tan stressed that her daughters' conversions to another religion did not upset her as much as their refusal to go through certain rites, like those at their grandmother's funeral.

She said, distressed: 'They did not kneel. I asked why they didn't pay their respects to their grandmother, and they said their religion does not allow them to do so. But I think whatever it is, they should show respect.'

Her point is that parents and ancestors are accorded pole position in Chinese religions; though she herself was born into Taoism and later became a Buddhist, it has not stopped her from practising other Chinese rites and customs.

'In my religion, parents are the biggest. In their religion, Jesus is biggest. To me, there is nothing wrong with kneeling before them.'

She sees it as a form of betrayal that two of her three girls do not share the same spiritual beliefs, especially after accompanying her to visit temples during their childhood. It is also hard trying to get them to accept concepts she holds close to her heart, like karma - that everything comes full circle - or reincarnation.

'I tell them about it, but they don't believe me,' she said.

She has come to accept that she has little control over her grown-up children's decisions, and has given way to them when they refuse to include Chinese rites during events such as weddings.

'I just let them do whatever they want to do... You can't change their minds. I just want them to be happy.'

She is holding out hope that her youngest daughter, now 21, will not convert as well: 'I tell her, if she can, to remain Buddhist. Of course, I would like a traditional Buddhist funeral when I go, and she will pay me those last respects.'

ARTI MULCHAND

Taoism: Not easy to keep devotees

It is losing the most followers, especially among youth under 24

By Yen Feng

IN 1988, Taoist devotees scurried to meet their elders when a government survey found that half their clan had defected to other religions.

Plans were made to stem the bleed, but a new study suggests these have been less than successful.

The study commissioned by The Straits Times in June to find out patterns in faith-switching among 993 people here found that, among the religions surveyed, Taoism had lost the most followers.

Almost a quarter - 24 per cent - said they had switched to another faith or were getting along without one.

Three-quarters of the transfers were made by those under 24, who said they felt 'disconnected' to the religion or perceived a 'lack of meaning' in following it.

Seventeen-year-old Justin Yeo said of his monthly visits with his mother to Sengkang's Chong Ghee Temple: 'It just doesn't make sense to me.'

He said of the numerous shen or deities: 'I kneel before the different shen, but I don't know their names. I don't know if this shen is the right one to pray to for what I need. It's easier when there's just one God.'

He became a Christian three years ago, something he has kept from his mother.

To Gen-Y devotees, the complex world of shen, along with fortune-telling implements like the thin bamboo qian and the castanet-like bei can be a dizzying act to swallow.

It does not help, added graphic designer Shine Seow, 23, that she can barely read Chinese, Taoism's lingua franca. She said: 'If my Mandarin was better, probably the rituals would seem a lot less like hocus-pocus.'

When the issue of 'deserters' from Taoism came to light in 1988, Taoist leaders went into a huddle, and from that came the Taoist Federation in 1990.

This umbrella body was given the job of uniting and promoting the 2,000 or more temples here.

A manual of the basic tenets of Taoism was distributed to the public, and Feb 15 - Taoism founder Lao Zi's birthday - was declared Taoist Day.

Twenty years on, Taoists are still fighting to keep their spiritual kin together.

Sociologist Tong Chee Kiong, in a book he wrote last year on Singapore's religions, argued that Taoism suffers from its image as a 'superstitious religion'.

For example, he said, those who call themselves Taoists make it a ritual to ask the shen for 'lucky numbers', with which they play the lottery.

This is not part of orthodox Taoism, said Professor Tong, noting: 'Many of the practices today associated with Taoism are, in fact, corrupted by lay people who do not understand its beliefs and rituals.'

He also noted that, unlike Buddhists who have started their own outreach programmes to propagate their faith, Taoists had failed to raise the profile of the teachings of the Tao in the last two decades.

So they are playing catch-up.

They are now starting to educate and draw followers, especially among the young and English-educated, into their temples' gilded halls and are working at keeping them there.

Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye said he is optimistic about Taoism's future.

The temples have tried in recent years to correct misconceptions about the religion, he said, from one that is only about praying to shen, to one with a history and a culture.

Tao means 'path'. Metaphorically though, it is one that leads nowhere, because its founder Lao Zi was not as concerned about his disciples' spiritual destination as he was about their journey.

It is not just about the busy-ness of worshipping the entire pantheon of shen, but about wu wei, or 'non-action'; it is about being in harmony with the universe, and being compassionate, moderate and humble.

To reach the younger set, the federation set up its youth website, Taoist youth.sg, last year.

And Taoists like Mr Victor Yue, 56, have, on their own, done their bit by starting online forum discussions on the faith and gathered Taoists on Facebook, the social networking site.

The federation is also planning a multilingual exhibition of its central text, the Dao De Jing; multilingual temple publications; and even a bilingual diploma programme in Taoist studies.

Mr Tan's approach to spread the Tao teachings through different languages is a good start to netting a wider audience. It will go some way to dispel the idea that Taoists are uninterested in reaching out to those on the sidelines.

But whether that will translate to more devotees at the next national tally of religions remains to be seen.

Many seekers drawn to Buddhism 10 min

By April Chong

BUDDHISM, at 2,500 years old, is still the top choice among those in search of spirituality in this urban nation.

Census figures in 1980 and 2000 indicate that Buddhists are growing fastest in number as well.

Buddhism may have lost some of its flock to the Christian camp, but it seems to be more than making up for this by gaining converts among those seeking 'time out' from stressed-out lives.

In a Straits Times survey of almost 1,000 respondents, 11 per cent of 200 former free-thinkers said they were now Buddhists; Christianity won slightly fewer converts - 10 per cent - from among the free-thinkers.

A spokesman for the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Temple on Bright Hill Drive has seen a three- to four-fold jump in the number of devotees on feast days, from about 1,000 a decade ago to several thousand now.

And temples are pulling in families rather than just old folk.

The ritual head of Toa Payoh's Seu Teck Sean Tong, Mr Joe Lim, 42, said he believed that young people were turning up with their parents or grandparents, in search of 'a way to let go of their pressure from work'.

It helps that the Buddhist centres here are conducting more programmes in English, which has brought younger people to a religion that used to be seen as one for the Mandarin- or dialect-speaking.

The religion's publicity drive, through seminars, camps, publications and the Internet, has also made a difference, said Singapore Buddhist Federation President Venerable Kwang Sheng.

Latter-day fads linked to Buddhism - yoga, meditation and the emphasis on calm - have also won the faith of new followers. Zen Buddhism, for instance, is seen as hip, courtesy of its celebrity following.

To cater to the growth of Buddhism, temples and Buddhist centres have been opening up or expanding their meditation classes in the last 10 years.

Fourteen out of 20 temples and Buddhist centres checked run such classes. That some also hold sessions on stress and career management, and even monthly sessions on alternative therapies like reiki, shows the effort put into being relevant to their followers.

Among the three main schools of Buddhism here (see box), Tibetan Buddhism seems most popular with the younger crowd, many among whom have been drawn by the teachings of the charismatic Dalai Lama and his 'kindness and compassion'. Nearly six in 10 Buddhist converts say the religion gives them purpose and meaning, or has seen them through a crisis or spiritual experience.

Housewife and former free-thinker Emmeline Ang, 33, started going to Buddhism classes five years ago 'in search of spirituality' and to find out whether 'there is more beyond materialism'.

Now, besides offering incense at her home altar daily, she goes to her temple almost every day to venerate the Buddha and to volunteer in temple activities.

Among Buddhists are nominal or formerly non-practising Buddhists who have returned, like Mr Lee Jin Hwui, 32.

He was doing well in his career in human resources, but was seeking a deeper meaning to life, beyond 'moving from one material achievement to another in a fast-paced society'.

Buddhism has given him a new centredness in the last year and brought him closer to his family and friends, he said, adding: 'I am now calmer and reflect a lot more. It has helped me in my job.'

Venerable Kwang Sheng also vouches for Buddhism's 'openness' to people of other faiths as a factor that makes entering it easy. The temples welcome the curious, and do not insist that one's own beliefs be discarded.

Social outreach executive Boey Lai Wan, 30, for instance, sees Buddhism as a set of philosophies she can apply, rather than a 'religion'. She said: 'I see it more as a way of life because it's logical.'

Buddhism: Three key schools here

THE three major schools of Buddhism in Singapore are:

• Mahayana Buddhism

Brought here by early Chinese immigrants and is the main practice of the Chinese. Followers strive towards the attainment of enlightenment or Buddhahood and place emphasis in the cultivation of compassion and wisdom.

• Tibetan Buddhism

Originating in the Tibetan and Himalayan regions, it is getting popular among the younger set here. Like the Mahayana followers, they also strive to attain Buddhahood, but they do more mantra chanting and meditation.

• Therevada Buddhism

This school of Buddhism, the oldest, was brought here by the Thais, Burmese and Sri Lankans. Its followers believe every person is responsible for his own liberation. The practice of concentration and insight meditation are key.

• One-third were converted by relatives and another third by friends and colleagues

• 35% became Buddhists to seek purpose and meaning in life

• 74% would marry someone of a different religion

• 27% expect their children to follow their religion

Christian fellowship a big attraction for youth

By Grace Chua

Participants at the Festival of Praise, held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from Aug 1 to 3, raising their hands while singing Christian songs. -- ALPHONSUS CHERN/THE STRAITS TIMES

YOUNG Christian converts here are finding an extended family at church - where they also find hip music, fellowship with other youth, opportunities to socialise and, perhaps, even find a life partner.

Financial consultant Jace Lee, 29, was drawn to Christianity upon going to City Harvest Church, where he found the expressiveness and emotion that were lacking in his Buddhist-Taoist upbringing.

Referring to the saying that parents show love and affection by beating and scolding, he said: 'In Chinese families, da shi ai, ma shi teng. In church, I felt peace and love.'

He is typical of today's young Christian convert, a profile thrown up by The Straits Times' poll of 993 respondents.

Of the 112 Christians in The Straits Times' survey, more than half had converted from their birth religion; for nearly half of these, the conversion came in their teens and 20s.

Converts hail from different backgrounds. While some had never set foot in a church, others had gone to mission schools and been exposed to the rituals and vocabulary of the faith.

When a child wants to convert, it may spark tension with his parents. Mr Lee's parents, for example, asked him why he was following 'a white man's religion' and stopped him from going to church.

All the 10 converts that The Straits Times spoke to said church cell groups offer community, confidantes and even a shot at romance. All said their closest friends are fellow Christians.

But beyond the social benefits, Christian converts such as student Michael Wan, 23, cited 'being touched by God's love' as the reason for their conversion.

Messages from church aside, something has to be said about the medium: Young Christians are being drawn to contemporary, charismatic churches like City Harvest Church, which run exuberant services backed by gospel pop-rock and which practise faith healing and speaking in tongues.

Mr Lim K. Tham of the National Council of Churches of Singapore estimates that 40 per cent of the more than 200 churches here are charismatic.

But some Christians still go for the more traditional form of worship of mainstream churches.

Reverend Terry Kee, the pastor at the Queenstown Lutheran Church, for example, said: 'The central focus of our worship is the proclamation of the Gospel. We do not need to dilute it or downplay certain things in order to attract people.'

Responding to this, a spokesman for the contemporarily styled mega-church City Harvest said: 'Our belief and faith as a church is grounded in biblical principles. We do not dilute these teachings. Rather, we make them relevant and practical for 21st-century living.'

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