Proposal on religion

Proposal on religion

From Kompas

President Soeharto's recent statement on the need to hold
periodic meetings with elders of the various religions in
Indonesia, is a laudable proposal. Especially since the people of
Indonesia highly respect religious norms, as reflected in the
first principle of Pancasila.

A degradation of religious values could see misunderstanding
of the first principle. Being a citizen loyal to Pancasila, I
hope very much the President's statement will soon be realized.
It should be institutionalized, if necessary.

Such meetings, however, should not be held in Jakarta alone.
They should be introduced at village level too. Meetings of the
various religious elders in villages are essential because of the
authorities' influence on the people. As such, any deviation from
religious norms could be dealt with immediately.

CORNELIS DOKUBANI

Tangerang, West Java