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How should Christians respond to invitations to attend and participate in community functions (e.g. memorial service, commissioning, open house, or social gathering) where members of other faiths are also represented or involved?


Christians should feel free to attend and participate in community functions where members of other religions are represented or involved. These functions serve to foster community cohesion, which Christians as citizens should support and be involved in.


Though many parts of community functions are primarily cultural in nature, there may be some religious elements. Where a community event includes acts of worship or rituals practised by other religions, the Christian in attendance should politely decline participation, or ask to be excused from that portion of the event.


Other aspects of community functions may relate to customs, traditions and values generally held by the larger society which are not incompatible with Christian practice. These, the Christian may feel comfortable to attend and take part in. However, there may be some practices such as gambling, which Christians should avoid.


Christians need to be able to identify the different cultural and religious elements so that they can confidently attend these functions and interact cordially with all those who are also present.

 

National Council of Churches of Singapore

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body.”

- 1 Corinthians 12:12-13