SINGAPORE, Feb 25 — Member of Parliament Alex Yam has come out in support of the Catholic Church’s decision to express its “grave concerns” over Madonna’s upcoming Singapore concert, which has generated dissenting reactions on social media.

In a lengthy post on his Facebook page published on Tuesday, Yam, who is a Catholic, responded to those questioning why the Church had to weigh in on a concert, instead of on more pressing moral questions.

He told TODAY he was compelled to respond quickly after noting the flak the Church was receiving online, where a number of comments suggested a “misunderstanding” of the Archbishop’s intent.

He said the Archbishop has an obligation to guide the congregation “even if it makes him unpopular or seem naggy”, similar to parents’ responsibility to lead their children.

“Like any parent or leader, His Grace has issued a statement to his own flock, in accordance to the teachings of the Church. And a leader needs to make known his views and stance to others in authority,” Yam wrote in his post.

“That a national paper should pick it up and report it in no way purports to be guidance for all Singaporeans.”

He noted that the importance of symbolism was at the heart of the matter, and there is bound to be reactions when things that they hold dearly are insulted.

He cited the “sharp rebuke” from the Foreign Affairs Ministry when the Singapore flag was burned in Vietnam in 2014.

When American evangelical pastor Terry Jones planned to stage a mass torching of the Quran in 2010, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and the National Council of Churches in Singapore had also come out strongly to give guidance to followers on the right reaction, he added.

“So, when any entertainer purports to burn a religious symbol for entertainment’s sake, to denigrate religious sensitivities for entertainment’s sake, to take different symbols and profane them, then religious leaders have a moral obligation to state their views to their followers,” wrote Yam.

“Leaders need to step in because profanity in the secular or religious context could “rile and divide” and inflame tensions, he added.

He also cautioned against using the “catch-all line” of free speech for free speech’s sake, saying it might lead to a situation where nothing is left sacred, and everything can be profaned and insulted.

In response to calls to respect the singer’s artistic expression, Yam countered: “Even if we took the line of free speech and freedom of expression, then one must be prepared to take it as it is — that your freedom of expression must be met with an equally robust and equally free response by those who disagree.

“One cannot state that your views qualify as free speech, but a counterargument is not.”

Still, some were not convinced of the need for the Church to speak out.

For instance, Noelle Perera, a Catholic, said her “solid, stable code of ethics” would not be compromised by merely attending a show.

Saying she viewed Madonna’s performances as a form of art and it was purely metaphorical, she said: “None of us will be inspired by the concert to attack people, or steal, or kill, or rape.

“Our own moral codes will prevent us from doing such heinous things... What we will do when we leave the concert is feel elated, empowered, overjoyed, like we can do something good with our lives. That’s how Madonna’s music makes people feel.”

She also pointed that the Church could focus on other issues, such as reinforcing Pope Francis’ address earlier this week beseeching for a global abolition of the death penalty.

Meanwhile, a Catholic bishop in the Philippines has also taken a strong stance on the matter, calling for a boycott of Madonna’s two shows scheduled yesterday and today as part of her Rebel Heart Tour in the nation’s capital, which he described as “the devil’s work”.

His comments came after Madonna made surprise visits to a shelter for abused children and a Catholic orphanage in Manila.

“Pinoys (Filipinos) and all God-loving people should avoid sin and occasions of sin,” Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said in a statement posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ official website. — TODAY