In the past, Suburban KID had disclaimers like the above too. Today, there are two core differences: i) It's posted at the top, and not with smaller-case words like before, and ii) This time I might actually need it.
All topics that I write about are usually quite close to my heart. That's the whole point of this blog, isn't it? But sometimes, there are things that are best remained...unsaid, for the sake of "peace and harmony".
Today, no more holding back. I am writing this as an independent blogger, a young church-goer and, most importantly, a concerned Catholic.
Throughout history, it's obvious that religion and politics never blended well together. For accuracy reasons, I shall stick to observing and using examples from the reason from the religion I know best: the Catholic Church. Or, if we're going to be really specific, the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church had a relatively powerful position in the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. During these times, and maybe others that I'm less familiar about, Catholic authorities held power not only in the church, but also substantial influence on the governments of Europe. This meant they had control equal to what the imams or Muslim religious leaders have in Islamic countries today. And we all know how that's turning out.
The Crusades. Another dark time in Catholic history.
Simply put: through the long path of the history of our world, we can see how power corrupts, and religious leaders are not an exception to this rule. We must remember - we're all humans, and not all of us are capable of handling the great responsibility that comes with power, especially political power.
Today, this dark times are a black patch on the white linen cloth that is our history. The history of the Church. But this golden rule remains true: You cannot mix religion and power. (Refer to my above example of Islamic countries for this.)
But as I said, in this post I'll just comment of the Catholic side of things. So are the institutions of the Church and politics well separated? Not quite.
At Home
An example close to home I shall give: It is a well-known fact among parishioners that Catholic priests (and maybe those of other churches, I don't know) will touch on politics during their sermon. That in itself is not really objectionable. However, it is also known that an overwhelming majority of them are biased towards the opposition.
Now, that is also not all bad. Because of this, a lot of issues that would go unreported in the mainstream media are brought up by the priests, ensuring that the rakyat, or at least the members of their parishes, do not remain ignorant. However, they must remember that they are the leaders of these communities. They can have political affiliations, but they must remain impartial! As leaders, they have influence over the community, and they must not, intentionally or otherwise, abuse that influence.
Away From Home
Another example, this time abroad. In the Phillipines, by law, the institutions of Church and State are separated. Nevertheless, it is, again, a well-known fact that the church has significant political clout there. This influence has been used to promote the Church's stand on issues such as birth control, abortion and divorce. (I shall not argue whether its stand is correct or otherwise)
While the above is not much of a worry - in darker times, the Church used its influence for things much worse than that - the Church has more influence than that. Over there, its support or opposition can make or break a politician's campaign. The government also has had to bow to pressure to the Church several times in policy making.
There are examples further away from home too: In Spain, Italy and other countries, where the Church also has a wider influence due to its large following. I won't delve into them here, but you can search them up if you want to.
In Conclusion?
When all is said and done, let it be known that I do not fully oppose the Church's dabbling in political affairs. Often, when governments get corrupt and hardened and turn against their own people, the Church and at times other religious institutions are the only ones to stand up for the people and call them out. However, as I've repeated in this post over and over, the Church, in the end, is still the Church. It is not the State, and it must know that thin line between the two well.
In short: Mind your business, mind the welfare of your followers, keep a close eye on issues affecting the first two, and act when necessary. Nothing more, and nothing less.
Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_Philippines
2. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20100324-260529/The-Catholic-Church-and-the-credibility-challenged-Comelec
3. http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Catholic-Church-and-It-by-Carlo-Ungaro-110202-940.html
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