A Christian think tank formed by the National Council of Churches of Singapore, Trinity Theological College and The Bible Society of Singapore.
National Council of Churches of Singapore Statement
National Council of Churches’ Position Remains Unchanged: RETAIN 377A. Click here to read the response.
ETHOS Conference: Human Sexuality, Marriage & the Church
Biological Basis for Homosexuality: A Brief Look at the Evidence by Dr Roland Chia. Click here to read the paper.
There is a strong call coming from Christian leaders to make a stand against those who call upon our legislators to review Section 377A of the Penal Code that criminalises homosexual acts. Emotions are running high on both sides of the divide. Some of us received requests to sign petitions from those who want homosexual acts to be decriminalised as well as from those who insist that Section 377A should remain as it is.
There are persuasive arguments on both sides. It is not my purpose to rehash the arguments and to persuade on behalf of one side or the other. It appears to me that the majority of the Christians are for Section 377A to remain undisturbed. There is of course a minority of Christians who are for the repeal of the section.
October 2018 Credo
Was Jesus Mistaken?
By Dr Roland Chia
Jesus’ statements concerning the timing of the consummation of the kingdom of God, recorded in the Gospels, have generated considerable debate among some scholars.
For instance, in Mark 9:1, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power’.
Another example is found in Matthew. Weaved into his instructions to his disciples, as he sent them off on a preaching mission to Galilee, is this statement: ‘I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes’ (Matthew 10:23).
Yet another example is found in the Olivet Discourse, where after providing a list of the harrowing signs of the end-times, Jesus said: ‘Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place’.
October 2018 Pulse
A Sin Or A Crime? - On Legislating Morality
By Dr Roland Chia
On September 24 (2018), The Straits Times published an article by Professor Tommy Koh entitled ‘Section 377A: There is a difference between a sin and a crime’. This article was written in the wake of renewed debate in Singapore on Section 377A, sparked by the recent decision by the Indian apex court to repeal Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
Both the ‘repeal’ and ‘retain’ parties have organised online petitions to garner support for their positions. Several prominent public figures, including Koh, have jumped into the fray and expressed their support for its repeal. The National Council of Churches, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic Authorities have issued official statements arguing against the repeal.
In his article, Koh discusses a wide range of issues. They include the concepts of sin and crime in relation to homosexual sex, the scientific evidence for sexual orientation, the role of the courts and the place of religion in debates on the law.
This article is now available in Chinese. Please click here to read it.
这篇文章现在有中文版本。请点击此处阅读。
SUGGEST A TOPIC!
Dear Readers,
Every month the ETHOS Institute publishes five articles on a variety of topics on its website. These articles have attracted many readers who find them informative and engaging.
However, we realise that although our articles cover a wide range of subjects, some issues and themes may not have received the attention they deserve.
If you would like us to address a topic or issue that is of interest to you, please write to us by clicking here. We will try our very best to post an article on that topic on our website.
Thank you for supporting the work of ETHOS Institute!
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Dr Roland Chia
Theological and Research Advisor
ETHOS Institute for Public Christianity
TESTIMONIES
... your writings and works have built up many aspects of my interior foundation as relating to God’s words and also the meaning of being a Christian.
The article “Divine Genocide” is extremely helpful and insightful to aid me in my understanding regarding Joshua 's 'brutal' military actions against the Canaanites - in relation to the 'occasional' and 'general' command. Something I will share with my cell members tomorrow evening.
Very interesting topics and relevant issues in today’s generation.
Excellent overview of ideas and views from all sides of the debate.
Upcoming Events
- 24 Oct 2018 - ETHOS Annual Lecture 2018 - Some Thoughts on Being a Christian in an Age of Global Uncertainty
Speaker: Dr Joseph Liow
Venue: 4th Floor, Bible House
Time: 7.30pm - 9.00pm
Click here for details and registration.
Featured Video
ETHOS Conference – Justice and the Common Good
A Conference organized by ETHOS in collaboration with BGST, BTS, DTC, EAST, SBC, TCA and TTC.
30 September 2017
Session 1 – Justice & the Common Good – A Biblical Perspective: Part 1
Part 2 and Sessions 2 , 3 and 4 of this conference are available HERE.