“We Are Not a Religion”: Secularization and Religious Territoriality of the Yiguan Dao (Unity Way) in Singapore

Abstract

Most nation-states have policies for the management of religion. For those with diverse religious communities, the question of how to ensure the peaceful coexistence of the various religions becomes an important challenge for effective governance. This is more so under contemporary conditions of globalization, as the movement of diverse groups of people across nation-state boundaries could facilitate the creation of diasporas, thereby creating challenges in assimilating these new groups into existing social, cultural, and political orders. A significant concern for scholars and politicians alike is the problem of the management of religious diversity and the maintenance of social order. As Linda Hogan states, “It is the plural nature of the presence of religion, and the fact that all citizens—and especially religious believers—have to contend with that pluralism, that makes the debate about the role of religious voices in the public square so critical, and so contested”. Many debates surrounding proselytization and its implications for pluralism deal with the question of the public role of religion in society and the possibility that contestation over scarce resources—land, money, and potential converts—could lead to social conflict. Contestations among civil society groups over public issues are essential to maintaining a vibrant civil society in a liberal polity. However, unlike competition among non-religious groups that “recognize the legitimate existence of each other,” religious conflict often “does not proceed on this assumption, but actually seeks to overcome, eliminate, or convert the other to extinction.”