Is it proper to consider religion a critical force?

Is it proper to consider religion a critical force?

By Th. Sumartana

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Thoughts about the role of religion in
society often culminate in a dead end when people neglect the
impacts of religion on society, i.e. its presence as a critical
force. This role is particularly overlooked when religious
thinkers are in a favorable position and receive privileges on
account of their position. They become less aware of one of the
basic vocations of religion i.e. to be constantly aware of the
many life-threatening forces in society.

This was once disclosed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German
theologist who lived through Hitler's Nazi regime. Amid the
indifference toward religious life in Germany, Bonhoeffer came
forward with thoughts entirely different from what was current at
the time. Bonhoeffer talked about the people who were undergoing
critical changes in their lives .

The Nazis brought disaster not only to the German people but
to other nations as well. There were two aspects to Bonhoeffer's
theological thoughts. One was his reminder of the existence of
demonic forces in contemporary political life which trapped many
people in World War II, the other was his reminder that religious
life in an affluent and modern world was the cause of the
tendency to take a triumphalist attitude toward religion in
general. Everything was rosy, everything was comfortable and all
problems had been solved.

People succumbing to this attitude seem to have no challenges,
no problems and no commitments in their daily life. This becomes
the very reason why the religions experience the greatest
difficulty in playing their role in society. As a way out the
necessity is reemphasized for religions to speak of their essence
as a critical force in society.

A discussion on religion as a critical force can be started
with an explanation of the emergence of religions in society. The
birth of a religion is always marked by an extraordinary critical
situation in a society with the religion emerging as an
alternative to the critical and chaotic situation. The religion
plays the role of a binding agent for the society, fulfilling an
integrative function and giving the feeling of social unity and
solidarity which could save the society from total
disintegration.

On the other hand, the birth of a religion is also the root of
future social reform. It creates a new awareness of the purpose
of life and an identity which is needed by societies everywhere.
New values are created regarding the will to sacrifice and for a
wider collective objective. The relationship between the
individual and society is regulated with regard to everyone's
rights and obligations.

All the characteristics mentioned above are reflected in the
history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the older Eastern
religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. In Judaism the evolution of
the Israeli people from nomads into a nation with their own land
incorporates the evolution of Judaism itself as an important
reason for the existence of the Israeli nation.

Likewise with Christianity. Its emergence cannot be separated
from the inability of Judaism to solve basic problems of the Jews
in the first century A.D.. Jesus' renewal movement finally took
the form of a complete religion at the time of the Roman Emperor
Constantine.

The emergence of Islam cannot be separated from the "social
renewal movement" led by the Prophet Muhammad against society's
lifestyle at a time when few laws existed. Hinduism developed
rapidly in India because its advocates could rely on the unity of
the ancient Indian peoples.

And the emergence of Buddhism cannot be separated from the
push for renewal in a society which became tired of rituals
unable to reflect anymore the basic aspirations of the society to
grow and progress. Thus, religions, in their initial periods,
became a very real critical force in many societies.

Endeavors have been made to review the critical role of
religion in society from a sociological standpoint.

It must be remembered that all religions have centers which
are not of this world. That center is outside history, or more
precisely, is believed to dominate history. It is something that
is considered as wholly other or totally other. This is often
called the "holiness" of religion, or its transcendental
character.

The center of any religion is God. Religious people try to see
the world with "God's eyes". Although this religious center (i.e.
God) is in the world and has even made history, He is not of this
world. God is above the world and the history of man.

The structure of this kind of belief causes religions to
develop a critical standpoint of the world. With that kind of
structure of belief, centered around God, religious people should
never believe that this world is perfect, because they are always
in a limbo status, needing constant renewal and criticism.

Religious people are waiting for that perfection to come some
time in the future. The world will never be a paradise. Paradise
is always in front of history. Therefore the absolute commitment
of religious people is to what is in front, what is still to
come, the perfection promised by God. That which is, is
imperfect, that which is really perfect is still to be acquired
in the future.

So, the life of religious people is oriented forward, to the
fulfillment of the promise. In other words it is a transcendental
breakthrough of all forms of status quo.

Religions in this context are really critical forces, because
they always focuses of something beyond the present reality.
Therefore, especially for monotheist religions (Judaism,
Christianity and Islam), God is believed to be a jealous God, God
cannot be connected with anything in this world. There is nothing
eternal in this world except God. There is nothing in the world
that can be considered as God. With this kind of theological view
the religions themselves are essentially and fundamentally always
critical focal points for the world, society and mankind.

When religions are too busy with themselves and do not pay
sufficient attention to their environment, their relationships
with the reality of society will suffer. When religions are only
concerned with rituals, dogmas or organizations they are like
narcissists looking at themselves in a mirror. In this condition
they distance themselves from society and play no role in
realizing what they believe to be their objective.

This kind of tendency is usually accompanied by a certain
attitude which worships the past. Any orientation toward the past
will become the main obstacle for religions to maintain their
critical capacity and retain any orientation focused toward the
future.

Exclusivity by religious people will cause their lives to be
oriented only toward their own followers and will not be
concerned with the rest of society. This exclusivity is usually
accompanied by the weakening or loss of the transcendental force
of the religion. And when a religion has lost its transcendental
force, it will usually tend to identify itself exclusively with
one particular group.

This is the cause of the emergence of fanaticism in religion
which often takes on the mantle of religious fascism. It is these
sects, led by the likes of David Koresh, that cause turbulence in
society. This is proof of the collapse of the concept of
transcendency in their lives. The sects have turned into
exclusive groups that want to save only themselves. They become
authoritarian and totalitarian and justify violence to attain the
objectives they consider true.

The writer is director of the Institute for Inter-faith
Dialogue in Indonesia (Interfidei), Yogyakarta.