Religion in the News
By AP from the
NYTimes on the Web, July 15, 2005
SINGAPORE -- In a country
where homosexual sex is punishable by prison time and the government bans
gay-themed parties, the Free Community Church stands out. It is the only
place of Christian worship willing to accept gays and lesbians in Singapore.
''Each time, God seemed to use the people that didn't fit in to bring
salvation,'' church leader Clarence Singam, who is gay, said at a recent Sunday
service.
''I wonder how many of you don't fit in, you don't feel comfortable in your
skin?'' he asked the 100-odd members of the congregation, using John the Baptist
as an example of the ''odd one out.''
The Southeast Asian city-state of 4.2 million considers gay sex as ''an act of
gross indecency,'' punishable by a maximum of two years in jail.
The country also has banned Asia's largest gay-themed party, Nation '05, from
its shores. High-ranking government officials said such same-sex parties
may be the reason for rising HIV infections in Singapore.
At the Free Community Church, however, the attitude toward sexuality is much
different.
''At this church, there are no prejudices, no preconceived notions,'' said Gary
Chan, who left his old church when its leaders discovered he was gay and asked
him to quit the church band.
''Here, we look at people like they're clean sheets of paper,'' he said.
The status of the church says something about the place of gays and lesbians in
Singapore.
Though in practice homosexuality is often tolerated, gay sex is illegal here,
and gay groups are unable to register as legitimate organizations.
The church, however, has managed to circumvent regulations by registering itself
as a company, meaning the worship sessions are considered private gatherings.
The group has moved several times, meeting in a pub, a theater and now at a
low-rise commercial building.
Leaders say they still get hate mail.
''They say that this church exists that is going out, reaching out, trying to
make people gay,'' said Susan Tang, a married housewife with three children and
the only heterosexual on the church council.
Former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said in a 2003 interview with Time
magazine that the straight-laced city-state was now more tolerant of homosexuals
and the administration was ''not going to chase you all over the place.''
But Goh, now senior minister, also warned homosexuals in the same interview not
to ''flaunt your gay rights.''
The Free Community Church is not recognized by the influential National Council
of Churches in Singapore, which represents Anglicans, Methodists and
Presbyterians, among others. NCSS vice president Robert Solomon said in a
statement that ''the practice of homosexuality is clearly incompatible with the
teachings of the Christian faith.''
In terms of membership, the church is a mishmash of people from various
Christian denominations and its services have elements from several worship
styles -- there's a communion service, and also a Christian rock band, for
instance. The congregation has no pastor, so different people preach every
week.
''We cover the whole spectrum,'' Tang said.
At once recent service, most people in the church were ethnic Chinese, who
comprise around 80 percent of the country's population. Most of
Singapore's people are Buddhist, followed by Christians. The nation's
other main religion, Islam, is also against homosexuality.
Tang acknowledged the church has members who defy Singapore's conservative
culture with a party-loving and promiscuous style, but added the church has
counseling sessions to advise them to ''behave responsibly.''
The church's chairwoman, Jean Chong, said the church offers a place for gays and
lesbians to finally find acceptance. ''It took me a long time to figure
out that it's OK to be gay and Christian in Singapore,'' she said.
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