HBC251: In March the Singapore government’s feedback unit REACH conducted a survey of public opinion concerning LGBT: Religion in Contemporary Societies Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

In March the Singapore government’s feedback unit REACH conducted a survey of public opinion concerning LGBT+ issues and Section 377A of the Penal Code which criminalises homosexuality. Participation in the survey was unusually high indicating strong public interest on the issue. While surveys on other issues usually receive a few hundred to a couple of thousand responses, more than 30,000 people responded in this case.

In this context, interpret and appraise the following two statements about the social dynamics between socio-cultural values and religious attitudes:

“Religious attitudes towards homosexuality often reflect the society around them. There is a range of attitudes towards homosexuality in every religion.”

“Religiosity appears to be one of the strongest socialising determinants to explain public attitudes towards LGBT+.”

Focusing on the example of one of the major religions we have covered in this course, explain which of the two statements makes more sense to you (or both or neither). Analyse this theoretical issue of the relationship between socio-cultural values and religious attitudes with specific reference to Singapore.