Feature
02 Mar 2026
A glimpse of social media or the news cycles today might give the impression that attitudes towards marriage and family are more polarised and hostile than ever. In debates about sexuality and gender, there are occasionally voices which suggest that “conservative” attitudes on these topics are held only by certain religious groups.
As a result, some Christians may worry about being socially ostracised or “cancelled” for speaking out on these or other matters. Hints can be seen in Cultivate SG’s 2024 “Marriage, Family and Social Discourse” survey, where around six in 10 Christians (57%) said that they self-censor due to a fear of public criticism.
Conducted by research agency Toluna, our survey of the general population received responses from 2,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, who were broadly representative of Singapore’s diverse racial and religious population.
It might come as a surprise to some, but the survey found that attitudes towards marriage and family in Singapore are more positive across different religious affiliations than one might expect.
Majority Support for Marriage and Family
Singapore law defines marriage as the legal union between a man and a woman, and this was supported by almost 8 in 10 (78%) respondents to the survey.
Christians (88%), Muslims (86%) and Hindus (84%) were the most supportive. Even among the non-religious, around two-thirds (66%) supported this definition.
Attitudes were similar towards family, where almost 8 in 10 (78%) respondents agreed that the traditional family unit should be upheld as the ideal, in education institutes from Primary to Secondary school.
Once again, Christians (88%), Muslims (88%) and Hindus (86%) were the most supportive. Around two-thirds of Taoists – including adherents of traditional Chinese beliefs (abbreviated as “TCB”) – and non-religious respondents (68% from both groups) likewise agreed.
These findings lend support to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s remarks at the 2022 National Day Rally that Singaporeans generally believe that
“marriage should be between a man and a woman, children should be born and raised within such families, [and] the traditional family should form the basic building block of our society”.
On the other hand, our results present a more holistic perspective, when read alongside the findings of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) released this year (IPS, “Moral Attitudes in Flux: Comparing Trends Across Religions in Singapore”, August 2025). The IPS study found that attitudes towards homosexuality “markedly liberalised” over the past decade so that, in 2024, barely over half the population said gay sex and gay marriage was “wrong”.
Methods and questions differed across the surveys by IPS and Cultivate. Yet, the overall picture suggests that people are increasingly hesitant to appear (or be) “judgmental” on sexual matters, even though they may see the societal value of natural marriage and family.
Common Grace and Gospel Witness
From a Christian perspective, understanding the attitudes of our compatriots can inform and aid our holistic witness, since the Bible attests to the significance of marriage both as a matter of natural law and the Gospel.
On one hand, marriage as a “one flesh” union between a man and a woman is part of the created order (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). It should then be no surprise that both believers and non-believers can have a shared understanding of marriage and family life, which are part of God’s common grace. It is therefore worthwhile for Christians to work with people of different faith backgrounds to uphold and support these values in society.
On the other hand, Christian marriage brings a unique Gospel witness, testifying to the profound union of Christ with His Church. It speaks both to the flaws of human nature and Christ’s redemptive sacrifice to purify and present His Bride “holy and blameless” (cf. Ephesians 5:25-33). It is comprehensive, covenantal and Christ-centred.
Indeed, this union between Christ and Church was pivotal to Paul’s own conversion on Damascus Road. There, Jesus shared in the suffering of the Church – His Body and Bride – at Paul’s hands, and confronted the Church’s persecutor saying,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4; emphasis added)
Although benefits such as companionship, childbearing and sharing of material possessions are part of the marital union, the Christian understanding of marriage goes beyond that. On a holistic understanding, marriage is a matter of morality, human dignity and an important (though not only) aspect of human and societal flourishing.
Courage and Compassion in a Complex World
There is no doubt that, in an imperfect world, there are many flaws in marriages. These range from quarrels and conflicts to serious problems, such as abuse and adultery.
Conversely, it is also true that the breakdown of marriages disproportionately harms women and children, the most vulnerable in our midst.
Yet of all legal, social and cultural institutions today, marriage remains the best institution for the upbringing of children, providing a stable foundation for family life by uniting the spouses to one another and to their children. Building a culture where marriages and families can thrive is thus both a matter of justice and compassion, and of love for God and neighbour.
At the same time, single parents and their children deserve our compassion, being often the victims of family breakdown. This includes providing support to help raise their children well, and also strengthening legal and moral sanctions on men who walk away from their responsibilities as husbands or fathers.
Amidst numerous perspectives and challenges today, believers should not shy away from the ongoing dialogue within wider society on marriage and family. Instead, it behoves every believer to learn to share the Gospel and their vision for human flourishing with competence, courage and compassion.
Even though some might disagree or find such perspectives offensive, engaging with different perspectives remains key to mutual respect and understanding, and the pursuit of truth.
This could well be a prophetic call of the Church in this day and age.
* This article is written in the author’s personal capacity, and the views expressed herein are the author’s own.
Darius Lee holds a Masters of International Law and Human Rights from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the Executive Director of Cultivate SG, an organisation dedicated to “cultivating culture together for the common good”. He has also published a number of peer-reviewed articles in academic journals on various issues in international and domestic law.