In the southeastern part of Asia is the amazing city of Singapore, which includes about 60 small islands. It is filled with interesting places that begin with historic restaurants and end with magnificent temples. Singaporeans are believers: in every district of the city there are various religious attributes. Find out what is the main religion of Singapore and what are its features.
Brief information about the city
Singapore is a parliamentary republic. The head of state is the president. The country has a legislative body - a parliament consisting of one chamber, and a government headed by the prime minister.
In the southeastern part of the Asian continent is Singapore. The world map shows that the state borders on the Indonesian Riau islands on one side and the Johor Sultanate on the other.
There are several state languages in the city. They speak English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese. A larger percentage of the population uses English in colloquial speech.
The religion of Singapore is diverse. 33% of the country's population professes Buddhism, 1/5 of them are Confucianism, 18% are Christians, 17% are atheists. The country also has Muslims and representatives of Taoism. But they occupy a small proportion among the inhabitants of the city.
The population of the country is about 5.1 million people. Among them, the largest percentage is occupied by the Chinese (78%). The remaining category of people are Malays, immigrants from India. Arabs, Japanese, Thais, Jews, mestizos make up small groups in the population.
Singaporean dollars are used as the currency in the country. Here you can get a fine for a cigarette butt thrown out on the street, smoking in a public place and using chewing gum. Administrative punishment in the country is used for insulting another person and swearing at him. And the import of drugs here is punishable by death.
Main religion
The presence of several faiths is a distinctive feature of the country. Buddhism is the predominant religion of Singapore. A third of the population professes it. The founder of the most ancient religion is Prince Gautama Siddhartha. According to legend, at the age of 35, he achieved enlightenment, changing the lives of many people who followed his teachings.
Some religious sects call the Buddha God; others consider him their enlightener and spiritual mentor. Buddhists seek enlightenment and become like a deity. Religion teaches a person to get rid of suffering and recognize the energy of the universe. Buddhist teaching is based on experience. The peculiarity of the spiritual path is traced when comparing it with other religions and worldviews.
Buddhism in Singapore is based on meditation, allowing a person to develop a sense of morality, wisdom, concentration. The country has many temples and architectural monuments dedicated to the Buddha.
The most famous Russian Buddhist is the singer Boris Grebenshchikov.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Buddhism is the main religion of Singapore. Other spiritual teachings appeared in the country thanks to immigrants. The prevalence of Buddhism in the city is also evidenced by numerous Buddhist temples dedicated to the Great Teacher. The brightest of them is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, located in one of Chinatowns - Chinatown.
The majestic building opened the doors for parishioners in 2007. The sacred temple was erected according to the canons of Buddhist teachings. It traces the style of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Decorative elements of the ancient era are harmoniously combined with modern design additions.
The temple holds a sacred relic - the tooth of the Buddha. Believers believe that it cannot be broken, destroyed, since it has magical powers. According to legend, one who has a tooth of Buddha becomes a powerful ruler.
Every day, services are held in the church and prayers are read.
Christianity in Singapore
The history of religion begins from the time when a British colony was established in the country by Sir Stamford Raffles. Protestant missionaries have been established in Singapore over the year. Their goal was to create a local ministry. In 1821, the first Catholic priest arrived in the country. The colonial authorities adopted an official policy of non-interference in the sphere of religion. Missionary schools began to function in the country, which, in addition to religious education, provided quality education. The number of Christians gradually increased. By 2010, they accounted for about 18% of the total population of the country.
Christianity in Singapore has survived to the present. The country has Catholic churches. Christians make up about 18% of the Singapore population.