Almost half of Christians in Singapore believe other religions can be true, while many professing believers also pray to gods of other religions, according to a report published by Pew Research on October 6.

The data was based on a 2022 Pew Research Center survey of 13,122 adults across 6 Asian nations, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The survey was conducted between June 1 and September 4, 2022, with 2,036 Singaporeans randomly selected and surveyed via mobile phone, of whom 17% identified as Christian.

The survey did not distinguish between Catholics and Protestants. The term “Christian” in the findings and this article would therefore encompass both.

The survey findings for Singapore have a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points, according to Pew Research.

While Singaporeans of all religions were surveyed, focusing on the responses specific to Christians in Singapore throws up 10 surprising observations.

1. Almost half of Christians in Singapore believe other religions “can be true”

While 50% of Christians in Singapore believe Christianity to be the only true religion, a nearly equal number – 49% – say “many religions can be true” (Page 27 of the survey findings).

Almost 1 in 8 Christians (12%) say that someone can be “truly Christian” even if they do not believe in God (Page 10).

This is despite Scripture being clear that there should be no other Gods apart from our God (Exodus 20:3), and Jesus declaring Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

More than half (56%) of Christians say it is acceptable to leave Christianity for another religion (Page 68)

2. Around 1 in 10 Christians say their faith is not an important part of their life

Thankfully, 9 in 10 Christians in Singapore, when asked how important a role religion plays in their life, say it is very important (61%) or somewhat important (29%). (Page 22)

Still, 9% of professed Christians say their faith is “not very important” or “not important at all”. 

By comparison, the national average in Singapore among respondents of all religions is that 31% say their faith is not an important part of their life.

3. Not all Christians think going to church is important

Just over half of Christians (52%) say that someone can be “truly Christian” even if they never go to Church. (Page 11).

Among Christians here, 13% got to church “a few times or less a year”, while 1% never attends church. (Page 15)

4. Four in 10 Christians do not pray daily

The majority of Christians (59%) in Singapore pray “once or several times a day” (Page 62). But:

• 27% pray “once or a few times a week”
• 7% pray “a few times a month”
• 5% pray “less often”
• 1% “never pray”

5. Some Christians pray to other gods

Of the Christian respondents to the survey (Pages 29 to 36):

• 5% pray to Ganesh
• 4% pray to Shiva
• 12% pray to Buddha
• 13% pray to Guanyin
• 12% pray to “protector spirits/guardian deities”
• 11% pray to Allah
• 35% pray to Mother Mary
• 15% burn incense (Page 65)

In fact, 6% of Christians do not pray to Jesus.

Almost 1 in 5 – 19% – of Christians say that someone can be “truly Christian” even if they never pray (Page 12).

6. Many Christians do not believe in angels or demons

Around 1 in 6 (17%) say they do not believe there are “unseen beings in the world, such as deities or spirits”. This compares to the national average of 27% across respondents of all religions. (Page 25)

About 1 in 8 of Christians (12%) do not believe that angels exist (Page 57), even though the Bible speaks plainly about angels existing, such as in Hebrews 1:14.

About a quarter of Christians (24%) do not believe that demons or evil deities exist (Page 58), though nearly half (43%) say they can feel the presence of a deceased family member (Page 47).

This lack of belief in the supernatural extends to the 29% of Christians who say they have never had the experience of being protected by an unseen power – not even God. This compares to 39% of Christians who say they experience such supernatural protection once a month or more (Page 60).

7. Some Christians do not believe in hell or judgment

While 96% of Christians believe in the existence of heaven, 15% do not believe that hell exists. (Pages 52 & 53)

Although Scripture speaks plainly about a time when we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12) 11% of Christians surveyed do not believe that there will be a “Judgment Day”. (Page 54)

8. Four in 10 Christians do not believe we should evangelise

A relatively high proportion of Christians (39%) say it is “unacceptable” to persuade others to join their religion. (Page 68)

This is despite the biblical commission to proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16:15), and even Singaporean laws which explicitly allow everyone to process and proselytise their faith.

9. Some Christians do not wish to raise their children as Christians

While the large majority of Christians (90%) say they are raising their children as Christians, 5% say they are raising their children without religion. (Page 107)

Interestingly, the survey seems to confirm the hypothesis that the church in Singapore is becoming an increasingly second-generation church, with exactly half – 50% of Christians – saying they were raised as a Christian as a child. (Page 28)

10. Opinions are split among Christians on social matters such as same-sex marriage and separation of church and state.

A surprising 40% of Christians believe religious leaders should not even vote in political elections (Page 95). This is despite the fact that it is a legal requirement for every Singaporean to vote.

While 67% of Christians are opposed to allowing legal gay or lesbian marriage, 29% of Christians are in favour of same-sex marriage. (Page 70)

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