With the Catholic organised protest of at least 120,000 against Gay marriage for a predominately Catholic France (83% are Catholics), the Prime Minister in Singapore mentioned the apparently long way to go even for countries where homosexuality has been decriminalised.

The protest was more a reflection of the strong Catholic organised anti-gay aggenda rather than any majority public support. More than 60% supports gay marriage even though Catholic.

Ironically, the main reason used by the Catholics against gays was that it would "hurt children" when it was the church condoning the hidden wide scale sexual abuses against children by the priests by the last 5 decades.

The comparisons between the positions taken by both Obama and President François Hollande, and with Singapore is not insightful because the level of public support for gay marriage in these countries are probably 5 to 6 times that of Singapore.

The support in France was seen when the French lower house in parliament passed gay marriage (329 to 229) even in a Catholic country where the Bishops and Archbishops have declared all out war to stop gay marriages. The large protest against gay marriage had failed to sway the law makers.

In Singapore, even decriminalising homosexuality let alone gay marriage, the public support is not there. Singapore is changing but with a strong Christian evangelical mega churches being the road block, the positive attitudes towards gay people only rose from 22.9% (2005) to 25.3% (2010). However, with Europe and US changing so fast even with their conservative population, we may not have too long to wait and see.

Singapore is not a large country with natural resources and a big local population. It is a city port state which is exposed to security threats, and business competition. We cannot afford to stay insulated to a changing world where gay rights are increasingly recognised even amidst of strong and misguided challenges by people of faith.

France don't have a long way to go even in terms of public attitude. Perhaps even Singapore don't have a long way to go for we are talking here about decriminalising homosexuality and not gay marriage.

Love Singapore and the National Council of Churches in Singapore were not wrong when they insisted that Gay rights are a threat. When the conservative christians in the West rallied against gay marriage, their own sins were increasingly exposed be-it the abuse of finances, marriage infidelity, and large scale sexual abuses of minors by priests.

When the apostles/disciples visited a Samaritan town, they wanted to declare war on the town for not receiving Jesus:-

Luke 9:51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

We can quote all the bible precedents from the OT, from Elijah, and in our righteous anger called for gays to be put into prison. But Jesus annswered them "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of".

 The church in 2013 in Singapore has a spirit of self righteousness and a law based legalism, and quite wealthy as well. We need the spirit of God's grace, love, and mercy for we are preaching the gospel to the samaritan village and not calling for judgement.

But when we call for judgement, we are judged ourselves in the same manner. ie when we insists that homosexuality is a sin in the bible without looking at the religious and historical context where it was a religious practise by people of faith to join themselves to Satan, then we also need to follow 110% of the OT laws. ie stop eating pork, you pork lovers! and women, cover up your skin please!

Have a blessed chinese new year and eat less pork . God didn't judge the Samaritan village, Jesus judged the disciples/apostles. Let us reflect and consider what manner of Christian spirit that we have. Surely, we can do much better than the apostles for they have told us what not to do.